-
Your next favorite book
is waiting.
Inspired by the incredible true story of one of America's most mysterious deaths, The Guest in Room 120 is an immersive and transporting novel that raises the question: What really happened to Jane Stanford?
1905 As the mother of a university and a woman with an iron will, Jane Stanford has made her share of enemies. After a scare at her mansion in San Francisco and on the advice of her doctor, she flees to Honolulu and the fashionable new Moana hotel. But as fate would have it, the island is not as safe as it seems.
2005 Zoe Finch is a bestselling author who desperately needs a jump start on her next novel, and she makes a split decision to attend a writers' conference at the Moana under an assumed name. As a storm brews offshore, she begins having nightmares that feel hauntingly real. Terrified, Zoe enlists the help of mystery writer Dylan Winters and, over the course of the week, races to uncover the shocking truth of what happened in the hotel one hundred years ago almost to the day.
1905 Iliahi Baldwin's life changes the moment she lands a job at the Moana. Newly hired and reeling from a tragic loss, she strikes up an unlikely friendship with the formidable Jane Stanford upon her arrival, which leaves young Ili devastated when the unthinkable happens. Ili knows things, but there are powerful people who need the truth to remain hidden, and to cross them could prove disastrous.
An unforgettable tale of betrayal, secrets and a death that still echoes through the years.
"Ackerman skillfully entwines [three] stories, combining the true-life mystery of Stanford's murder, historical details of early-twentieth-century Hawai'i and its dichotomy of wealth and poverty, and a romance between writers with complex backstories. An enthralling read." —Booklist
"A fresh and engaging take on the mysterious death of Jane Stanford, Sara Ackerman's The Guest in Room 120 offers grief, intrigue, and romance set against the lush backdrop of Hawai'i, both present and past. I devoured this novel!" —Bryn Turnbull, internationally bestselling author of The Berlin Apartment
"A real historical mystery sets a struggling writer on a path of discovery as she untangles the threads of the past in this elegantly braided narrative. Touched with gothic suspense and a hint of the supernatural, The Guest in Room 120 will hold readers in thrall with its blend of mystery, romantic intrigue, and atmosphere." —Paulette Kennedy, bestselling author of The Devil and Mrs. Davenport
This information about The Guest in Room 120 was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Sara Ackerman is the Hawai'i born, bestselling author of historical & romance novels set in the islands. Her books have been labeled "unforgettable" by Apple Books, "empowering & deliciously visceral" by Book Riot, and New York Times bestselling authors Kate Quinn and Madeline Martin have praised Sara's novels as "fresh and delightful" and "brilliantly written." Amazon chose Radar Girls as a best book of the month, and ALA Booklist gave The Codebreaker's Secret a starred review. Find out more about Sara and her books at www.ackermanbooks.com and follow her on Instagram @saraackermanbooks and on Facebook @ackermanbooks.
If you liked The Guest in Room 120, try these:
by Kerri Maher
Published 2024
A dramatic and inspiring novel based on the true story of the Jane Collective and the brave women who fought for our right to choose, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Paris Bookseller.
The Last True Poets of the Sea
by Julia Drake
Published 2021
From a stunning new voice in YA literature comes an epic, utterly unforgettable contemporary novel about a lost shipwreck, a missing piece of family history, and weathering the storms of life.
by Gill Hornby
Published 2021
For fans of Jo Baker's Longbourn, a witty, poignant novel about Cassandra Austen and her famous sister, Jane.
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
One spring morning, a stranger arrives in the small southern city of Golden. No one knows where he has come from…or why…
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
