Book Review: Upstairs at the Beresford, Will Carver
Fantasy/Horror: Upstairs at the Beresford, Will Carver
Blog Tour November 20, 2023
This is a hell of a story!
The Beresford is an old hotel. Nobody really knows how old. It is in the heart of a city, an old city, a city which has seen both the great and mighty and the down and out. All of which have found rooms in the Beresford.
Carol runs the Hotel Beresford with a flawless memory and a ruthless efficiency. She found her soulmate many years before, but his life was tragically cut short and she ended up working at the Beresford. The receptionist, Keith, ached for his mother’s approval, approval withheld because Keith’s sexuality did not conform to the traditional genders. Security guard Ollie was beaten down by war. Serving in a thankless war in a far off country that did not want him there, he returned to a country that did not care for his sacrifice.
Most of the long-term guests stay on the seventh floor. There is Jake, a druggie who has snuck his dog into his room. Danielle sings in smoky bars with a sultry voice. Odie is just a boy, living with an abusive father and a prostitute mother. The Zhaos are saving to buy their own home. And overlooking the entire hotel from the penthouse is Mr. Balliol, who sees everything, knows everything, and owns almost everyone.
Everything. Owns everything. Balliol…well, spoilers, my friends.
Everything is what it seems, except for the things which are nothing as they seem to be. I am not sure if I read a horror story, a parable, a theological/philosophical exploration, or the author’s literary equivalent of a bungee jump. Dark things happen at the Beresford. Bodies disappear, then reappear, then disappear again. Guests mysteriously die. New guests arrive to take their place. Conferences are held regularly, bringing in people from all over. Some of them even go home again afterward.
Will Carver is a gifted writer with a talent for a wicked good plot. This is not a book with heroes or villains. Well, at least no heroes. No mystery to solve, no spies to chase, no aliens invading. Just people being people–or rather, just people being not very nice people. The Beresford is a place where deals are made that cannot be broken, where life is cheap but souls are costly, where you may find your heart’s desire if you can pay the price, where every room hides much more than just the contents of someone’s luggage.
Sometimes the fastest way to hell is by going up.
Our thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things for our copy of Upstairs at the Beresford, provided so we could give an honest review as part of this blog tour. The opinions here are solely those of Scintilla. For other perspectives, check out the other bloggers on this tour.
Book Review: Upstairs at the Beresford, Will Carver
Thanks for the blog tour support x