The Bottom Line: A challenging, riveting and heavily textured psychological thriller.
In a five-star hotel on Vancouver Island, Jonathan Alkaitis writes a terrifying messaging on the lobby’s glass wall: “Why don’t you swallow broken glass.” Jonathan is running an international Ponzi scheme. When the financial empire collapses, it obliterates countless fortunes and devastates lives.
A female bartender named Vincent has been posing as Jonathan’s wife. Years later, a victim of the fraud is hired to investigate a strange occurrence: a woman has seemingly vanished from the deck of a container ship between ports of call.
The Glass Hotel is a brilliant but challenging work, and is not for readers looking for a linear narrative. Chapters take place between 1958 and 2029, and the settings range from clubs to luxury hotels to prisons. Those who are up to the challenge will be rewarded with a lush, sophisticated literary landscape that is chock full of suspense, intrigue and, best of all, a collection of mysteries propelled mostly by greed and guilt.
While the novel will undoubtedly be worshipped by writers for years to come for its intricate composition, be warned that as novels go, it’s a fairly depressing one.
Highly recommended for readers looking for a fully immersive experience that will demand their attention.
