The Grand Babylon Hotel by Arnold Bennett

The Grand Babylon Hotel was originally published in 1902 as a serial in The Daily Mail in London. It has since been adapted into two films of the same name.

Theodore Racksole is a New York millionaire vacationing with his daughter, Nella, in London. The Racksoles are staying at the luxurious and famous Grand Babylon Hotel. After being unable to order dinner that wasn't on the menu, Theodore impulsively purchases the hotel from the owner. Once he takes over the hotel, though, Theodore discovers a nasty conspiracy against a guest implicating members of his staff. 

I throughly enjoyed the plot of this book: there were mysteries, cliffhangers, and intriguing characters. These elements kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat. That being said, I was disappointed that most of the action took place outside of the hotel. I wanted to hear more about how a hotel in the early 1900s was run.

Some of my favorite parts were the descriptions of London, and in particular, the Thames. The descriptions weren't all that imaginative, but they were nonetheless cool to read. 

The writing was also not very imaginative. In fact, none of the writing was exceptional in quality or style. It's annoying that the writing wasn't better, because it would have complemented the great plot.

This book does have a few laughs, some swashbuckling moments, and loads of plot twists, but better writing would have made this a great book. Three out of five stars.