Friday, January 7, 2022

Hotel Portofino - J.P. O'Connell

 Hotel Portofino - J.P. O'Connell

She read

Release Date: Jan 18, 2022

This is an unusual book because there has been a miniseries made about it apparently before the book has been released! Touted as “perfect”  for fans of Downtown Abbey  and The Crown, I get the DA comparison, but not TC so much.  I’d like to add it has a little bit of Hotel DuLac thrown in and maybe even The Durrells.


Here we see Brits abroad running a hotel in Portofino in the 1920s. Much of the help has been imported from the UK, with locals mixing in for some tasks.  The guests include Brits and Italians of some stature, along with a few shady characters. All of this set within the looming menace of Mussolini, the Black Shirts, and Fascism.


There is decent character development, romantic entanglements, black mail, theft, and some other intrigue. Some characters are endearing, others grotesque.  It was an enjoyable read, and I wonder if there will be a sequel.  


****

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