The Hitman’s Daughter

In 1991, business at the Château du Ciel, a hotel somewhere in the U.S. and the setting of Topdjian’s middling debut, suffered after guests were awoken early one morning by blaring televisions and an unseen crying infant. Some also experienced migraines or their hair turned white. In 2020, the hotel sends out invitations for a New Year’s Eve party (ominously worded “Soar in luxury, remain forever”) in a last attempt to keep the business afloat. Those who accept don’t get the promised relaxing getaway. A blizzard confines everyone indoors, and an elderly artist living at the chateau is found stabbed to death in her room by employee Mave Michael Francis. In an effort to prove she wasn’t the killer, Mave investigates the closed circle of suspects to uncover the real culprit. Though Mave’s father, an incarcerated assassin, has primed her “since youth into a weapon,” and she has the paranormal ability to locate lost items, she remains an underdeveloped character. The plot twists will surprise few readers. This mix of mystery and the supernatural offers neither genuine scares nor satisfying reveals. Agent: Ann Leslie Tuttle, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Jan.)