Review: The Vacancy in Room 10

The Vacancy in Room 10 by Seraphina Nova Glass
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
I am rounding up on this one. I have enjoyed this author's books in the past (I absolutely loved On a Quiet Street), but the ending of the last book I read (The Vanishing Hour) felt rushed and glossed over. In reading this book, I got the same feeling, but sadly, not just at the end.

This is the story of Anna and Cass, who come into each other's orbit at The Sycamores, a scuzzy motel-turned apartment complex (you will not forget this detail--the reader is reminded constantly). Anna's husband recently committed suicide and she leaves their home and moves into the Sycamores, where her husband had his painting studio, in an attempt to understand his last days and why he was so lost. Cass ended up as the apartment manager/maintenance worker after her long-time boyfriend cheated on her with a younger woman. At this point, there really isn't much of a mystery or any suspense in the story. Cass has been blackmailing no-good men for extra money, but there is no real threat of danger, or tension. Eventually the action does pick up, and the reader wonders what secrets the residents of The Sycamores are hiding.

This whole book just felt "messy" to me. I couldn't really figure out why, until I was reminded of the Food Network show in which Guy Fieri challenges contestants to create a dish using criteria from "The Randomizer," including ingredients, cooking methods, appliances/utensils, and cooking time. It was almost like the author did the same thing in this book. "You have to write a mystery/thriller and incorporate cheating spouses--bonus points for more than one, domestic violence, drug cartels, murder/attempted murder made to look like suicide--again, bonus points for more than one!, mentions of child abuse, blackmail, inappropriate teacher-student relationships, miscarriages, assault, a "crazy cat person," a high-society ball/gala, burying a body in the desert, and illegal prescription drugs. And if you can include a box of maggots and poop in a pool, you are guaranteed to go on to the next round!" It just felt all over the place. Some aspects could definitely have been left out completely and streamlined--and while the characters and descriptions of The Sycamores were well-done, evocative, and added a wonderful depth to the story, that seemed to actually come at the expense of action and plot. The pacing was very off--some parts felt extremely rushed, and due to the fact that the reader was seeing it exclusively from one character's point of view, felt very glossed over. And the character of Anna was not well-developed. She was constantly making very stupid decisions, and therefore I didn't really like her.

But my biggest issue was the fact that once the action really picked up, everything unfolded--much too quickly--very conveniently. Crucial information that was withheld from the reader was revealed (a pet peeve of mine in mysteries), and moments that should have elicited a "Wow! What a twist!" instead just came across as "Humph. Isn't that convenient..." The ending just felt like everything was tied up in a neat bow, which was great for everybody. It didn't really fit for what had been a gritty story with characters living lives that were not pretty or easy.

I did like Frank!

I will probably give this author one more shot. But if you are looking for a suspenseful thriller full of tension, this is not it.

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