Murder at the Hotel Orient

By: Alessandra Ranelli

Narrated by: Lauryn Allman

'A clever and satisfying thriller in a wonderfully decadent setting. Sterling Lockwood is an unforgettable heroine' Elly Griffiths, author of The Frozen People

'Sultry, sinister and smart. Sterling Lockwood is going to steal your heart - just don't trust her with it' Stuart Turton, author of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

In modern Vienna, the infamous Hotel Orient glitters at the heart of the city, luring lovers inside for an evening of debauchery. Behind its velvet curtain, cameras are forbidden, aliases are required, and every guest has something to hide.

For those seeking illicit liaisons, Sterling Lockwood is the perfect concierge. Sultry and poised, she's the ultimate keeper of secrets, including her own.

But when dawn breaks and two of the anonymous guests are found dead in their suite, Sterling must break the Orient's sacred code of discretion, turning detective to find a killer and clear her own name.

Alongside Fernando, her quick-witted friend and bellhop, Sterling steps beyond the hotel's stained-glass doors, venturing from grand coffee houses where power whispers between porcelain cups, to dimly lit bars where the curious seek rapturous oblivion, and risking everything to solve an impossible case.©2026 Alessandra Ranelli (P)2026 Simon & Schuster Audio

Critic reviews

Sultry, sinister and smart. Sterling Lockwood is going to steal your heart - just don't trust her with it (Stuart Turton, author of)

A clever and satisfying thriller in a wonderfully decadent setting. Sterling Lockwood is an unforgettable heroine (Elly Griffiths, author of)

A delightful treat of a novel, imaginative, classy, and utterly seductive. Concierge Sterling Lockwood is a total heartbreaker, and the timeless Vienna she inhabits is a masterclass in noir that Ranelli teases to life with consummate style and humour. A stunning and highly original debut from a talented author to watch (Gilly Macmillan, bestselling author of The Burning Library)

A whole new spin on the whodunnit genre. Golden Age Crime and Old Hollywood but with the scandal and sauciness dialled up to maximum. Salacious goings on, razor-sharp humour, and an evocative setting. Think Agatha Christie but with Poirot, Hastings and Miss Lemon in a throuple. This is a unique slice of joy (Chris Bridges, author of)

Murder at the Hotel Orient is a sassy, sexy celebration of old school mysteries with a brash, unapologetic sensual twist. I loved it!'

A stylish murder mystery that yanks back the veil on the inner workings of a Viennese "love hotel". Written with charm and a biting edge, the book nods to classic Christie with a healthy dollop of a darker, knowing noir. A lusciously original debut (Vaseem Khan, author of)

Murder at the Hotel Orient is one of the most assured and original debuts I've read in some time. If Natasha Lyonne did Only Murders in the Building it might look something like this. Sterling Lockwood is a wonderfully refreshing investigator, and I look forward to seeing where her next case takes her (Tariq Ashkanani, author of)

Murder at the Hotel Orient is a scintillating and sexy murder mystery set in a real-life Viennese love hotel, with a fantastic protagonist in the unstoppable Sterling Lockwood. Twisting and turning through velvet-curtained rooms, dark streets and the grandeur of Austria's capital, this novel made me laugh and gasp in equal measure. So check in and meet the Concierge - you won't regret it, as long as you can stay alive (David Goodman, author of)

Intricately plotted, with surprises behind every door, Murder at the Hotel Orient is as witty as it is mysterious, with the most swoon-worthy cast of characters I've encountered in ages. An electric debut! Not only did I devour it, I'm Sterling Lockwood's biggest fan! (Tiffany Crum, author of)