The Enigma of Room 622

On the trail of an unsolved crime

This is one long journey that cannot be read quickly. This massive page-turner of 577 pages is a prolonged teasing of us the reader. So be patient this story is filled with humour, unrequested love said in a clever and intriguing way. This is the story of an amateur sleuth investigating a murder while writing a book on his discoveries.

It starts when an author named Joel retreats to a Swiss Alps luxury hotel to restore after personal traumas: the death of his mentor and being snubbed by the woman he was drawn to. At the hotel he is assigned to room 623. Looking for his room he noticed that on the 6th floor the number go from 621, 621A, 623. Where is Room 622? Curiosity got the better of him thus the start show more of this wonderful and captivating story.

This story has multiple layers but I found it to be easy to follow even with its frenzy switching back and forth between the past and the present. By the end I thought this to give a touch of burlesque to the experience. But I assure you, once into the beat of the story I was totally hooked. The author is so adept with his sleight of hand; concealing essential facts from us for instance we are deep into the novel before we find out who was murdered and finding out the murderer took close to 577 pages to discover.

This novel is one that oscillates between suspense and vaudeville, mixing bank embezzlement and amorous intrigues without exits. What could be more Swiss than a group of bankers or a fallen Russian aristocrat who seeks to marry her daughters to one of them? “The Enigma of Room 622”, is a completely addictive novel that winks at the banking world, plays on several levels and pays tribute to its publisher, Bernard de Fallois, deceased in 2028 in Paris.

I loved every moment reading this book show less

Someone was murdered in Room 622 at the Hotel Verbier; initially we don’t know who. The crime occurred during a gala weekend sponsored by a bank in Geneva. The murder remains unsolved. A few years later, a well known author visiting the hotel and a woman he meets there embark on finding out just what happened and soon the reader is immersed in the worlds of Swiss banking, international intrigue, and entangled romantic and familial relationships.

I selected this book because of the setting; I love Switzerland. I really liked the first half, but soon I thought the plot was all over the place. The story devolved almost into a farce.

Acknowledging that this is a translation, the writing was good. There were many twists, some a bit absurd. show more The narration skips around in time filling in background on the various story lines. I felt that some of those lines and some of the repetition could have been edited out to make it more tightly plotted and livelier paced.

I did like the reveal at the ending; not the revelation of the killer, but the final ending. That increased the appreciation of the book for me.

Thank you to @netgalley and #harpervia for the ARC show less

I wasn't sure what to think of the book before starting - the back blurb sounds like an old fashioned general mystery but the front cover was quirky. It ended up being a blend with humor almost like a fun Clue movie (a companion named Scarlett!), and you have a man who does actual spying on the side. Quirky characters tossed in to keep it fun, it's sort of more in the vein of the TV show on Hulu, Only Murders in the Building - not the same plot but that type of fun feel. Sometimes the author did randomly go back and forth on time shift to explain history or an event or something, and not all of this was necessary. While fun, the back and forth > back and forth > back and forth, mixed with longer length, grew draining. Still, you'll show more never guess all these twists, guaranteed, and the ending is another odd one. show less

This was becoming a very dull domestic drama until the last hundred pages or so, where the twists began and didn't stop coming. I didn't really see the point in the meta author storyline, as it just added another layer of confusion. Satisfying in the end but at what cost to get there.

A potentially interesting mystery overwhelmed excessive melodrama and a rushed ending. I read the first 250 pages, skipped the next 250, read the final 50 pages and didn't miss a single relevant plot point.

I can appreciate the principle of this story. A mysterious murder in an exclusive hotel in the Swiss Alps. A murder among the most elite members of society. A murder that remains unsolved. Now years later a mystery writer travels to the hotel and with the help of an inquisitive woman, they solve the mystery. This is a very layered story, and it has many different levels, just like an onion. I will give the author credit here because I could never really figure out just what had happened that night in room 622. I think everyone who reads it has the same suspects, and we were all wrong. if I have one critique, it is that the story is a long one, and it jumps around to at least 3 different times, and it make things a little confusing. If show more you can keep yourself interested, it is a worthwhile journey. Thank you to Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review. show less

The plot of this novel is so complicated and convoluted that I'd need a couple hundred pages just to write it all out. And since this book is only 600 pages total, that means there isn't much in there besides the plot. The characters are static and uninteresting. The twists are so numerous that you end up with twists upon twists. The final twist, sadly, was obvious to anybody paying attention. I saw that one coming from very early on. Don't uncover this spoiler unless you really want a clue: Perhaps we Americans have the advantage because 622 to us could easily mean June 22, where in Europe they switch that around and June 22 would be written as 226. Also June 22 is my birthday so the number kind of stands out to me whenever I see it. I show more won't lie, it's the reason I picked this book up off the shelf in the bookstore in the first place.

Despite all that, its was a fun read. I thought I was going to get lost with all of the characters and how the narrative kept jumping around in time, but I managed to hang in there and I don't think anything was lost along the way. I'm glad I read it, but I can't say I will be recommending it to anybody. show less