Review of The Lion Hotel

[Nwankwo GC]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Lion Hotel" by Philip Jones.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Florence, Inspector Horace's brilliant, lively and witty little daughter, turned up at the Lion Hotel with her father for her mother's birthday without her shoes. She had a brief interaction with a rather inquisitive receptionist who wanted to know her shoe size and favourite colour to wear. The waiters at the hotel were a bit sluggish, and Florence's mother, Violet Horace, arrived a bit later than expected.

After her meal, Florence went to check out the Adam ballroom and Dickens suite upstairs and was accused of stealing a necklace by the hotel management. Detective Horace's expertise was needed to solve the theft and possibly vindicate his daughter, which seemed somewhat unlikely as there was overwhelming evidence against him, and he would be held against his wish if found to be the thief.

Florence was the most intriguing character in the book; her intelligence, wit, and inquisitiveness made the story a fascinating one. The plot of the story, as well as the characters, were brilliantly developed. The conciseness of the book made it even more appealing. Philip Jones infused a good dose of humour in this book, mainly through Florence and the waiter, who always communicated the same meaning in different words. The story ended in a perfect way, at the ideal time. I love that the author let the characters interact among themselves rather than tell the story as a neutral party; that made for an easy flow of the storyline and perfect comprehension. The book equally had a bit of history, especially with the part on the hotel's history, which was a good addition to the story.

I couldn't dislike any part of this book. I enjoyed every scene and act. It was a concise and beautifully written story. The only part of the book that I was a little bit uncomfortable with was that the character of Inspector Horace didn't live up to his profession. The reader knew him to be a professional detective, but he couldn't put cues together to solve crimes; he had to rely on Florence every time he needed to solve a crime in the book. However, I wouldn't hold this against the book because I believe the author needed to highlight the character of Florence, who the entire story revolved around, more, so I can understand if that had to be done at the slight expense of another character.

The Lion Hotel by Philip Jones definitely deserves a 4 out of 4 stars rating. Regardless of the fact that there were a few errors in it, I think it enjoyed professional editing. I didn't deduct a star because of the plethora of reasons I have already stated in previous paragraphs of this review.

I recommend The Lion Hotel to lovers of young adult stories written in the form of drama with scenes and acts. Readers who love history and detective stories will enjoy the story.

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The Lion Hotel
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[Aisha Yakub]

Seems like an interesting storyline. Great review.

[Amy Luman]

If Florence couldn’t remember to put on shoes before a party, how could she be expected to have committed this crime? And if her father couldn’t remember to help her find shoes for a party, how could he be expected to solve this crime?

[Sarah Sonbol]

This looks like a great mixture of mystery, detective work, history and humor. I think it's worth reading. Thanks for the wonderful review.