PLEASE ENJOY YOUR STAY......STAY ALIVE FOR CHECK-OUT TIME....THAT'S THE KEY TO ENJOYING YOUR STAY......(****)....

 Please Enjoy Your Stay by Tara Goedjen (2026)

     What could possibly go wrong in re-opening a spooky Austrian castle-hotel that already boasts a history jam-packed with multiple murders, scandals and who knows how many ghosts? Feel free to break out into delicious bwa-ha-ha-ha evil laughter while rubbing your hands together in glee.

     EMT first responder Mia surely has her owned haunted history with that place. Years ago her Aunt Iris, a true crime author who adopted Mia after her mom's death, took her son Tristan and Mia for a stay there. Already famous for three other deaths in its infamous past, the castle also claimed Tristan as another murder victim, with the castle's manager accused, tried and jailed for the crime. And now a new generation of true crime podcasters are whipping up doubts and conspiracies about Tristan's death, and Iris's true motives, considering it was 13 year old Mia's testimony that helped lead to a conviction..

     Determined to get to the truth and help her Aunt, Mia boldly plunges into her own undercover mission, securing a position as a nanny to the young daughter of the hotel's new owner. Great timing too.......right on the eve of of a the hotel's Grand Re-opening. Luckily, as an adult, Mia remains unrecognized by many of the castle's same employees who only knew her briefly during her fateful visit as a child. All the better to probe and delve into the many mysteries, potential suspects and possible paranormal entities populating the all new 'Hotel Renew, as it's called.

     After setting up this intriguing premise, author Tara Goedjen makes sure her gothic puzzler teems with baffling new clues, red herrings, twists and any number of bump-in-the-night/"Who's there?!" moments. There's no end of murderous mysteries that stretch out over generations to untangle.......and if there's a killer still running loose through the castle corridors, maybe Mia's made herself a prime target.

     Had a fine old time with one. And my eternal thanks to the author for creating a properly perilous atmosphere without resorting to the increasingly tiresome trope of afflicting the castle with a hurricane. power failure, earthquake, plague or washed out roads and bridges that no one can navigate Otherwise I might've dropped the rating down by 2 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay with "Please Enjoy Your Stay'......even those extra creepy, mold covered rooms, too.

     4 stars (****).