Customer Reviews

Murder at The Universe (A Five-Star Mystery)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book was a surprise for me - came as a birthday gift, and I realized it was written by the General Manager of a favorite hotel of mine, the Opus in Vancouver. I'd met Daniel Craig during one of my visits to the Opus - so I was curious to read this.

Mr. Craig writes a compelling tale of murder in a modern New York hotel, full of rich, believeable characters. These people become more and more real, as he spins his multi-layered mystery of murder. I had a hard time putting this book down, and found myself reading way into the night. I was sad to finish the story - it is that good. I believe Agatha Christie would like this novel, very much.

This is one of those books that once you start it you just can't put it down. What a great mix of "who done its", over the top characters, chic surroundings, and lots of good humor. I felt like I just spent a long weekend in a five star NYC hotel like no other!

I was just looking for something to kill some time on a plane, but once I started I couldn't put it down until I was done (after the flight, cab ride, and first evening in the hotel.) It wasn't the mystery that captured me, it was the quirky characters and dry humor. Written in the first person, this novel is filled with witty one-liners that caught me off guard and made me snort out loud more than once. Don't expect to be on the edge of your seat, unlike most mysteries I wasn't as concerned about figuring out the ending as I was with enjoying the ride.

I've read all three of Daniel Edward Craig's Murder at... series and keep checking to see if another one is in the works. This is one of the most intelligent, original, and talented writers I've come across in my quest for entertaining mysteries. He ranks with the very best! As other reviewers have noted, it's not just the mystery, it's the style and characterizations that make his work so compelling and thoroughly entertaining. It's rare to find all these qualities present in one author. More, please!

In this first installment in Daniel Edward Craig's Five-Star Mystery series, Trevor Lambert is employed as Manager of Rooms at the swanky, space-themed Universe Hotel in New York. Trevor is really more than an employee: he's swallowed whole the guiding principles articulated by the Universe's founder, workaholic Willard Godfrey, in his book, Universal Values. Trevor's life, like his mentor's, revolves around the Universe. He is the quintessential host and model employee, polite and spit-polished and concerned at all times that the hotel's guests, however obnoxious they may be, enjoy a world-class hospitality experience. When Murder at the Universe begins, the hotel is gearing up to host an anti-impaired driving conference, an important source of revenue during an otherwise slow period. Unfortunately, the conference's organizer, Brenda Rathberger, has a less than satisfactory Guest Arrival Experience when she shows up at the hotel to prepare for the conference: the book's title will suggest what it is that mars Mrs. Rathberger's early impressions of the hotel. The same unpleasantness throws the hotel's staff into a tailspin and prompts a number of them to reassess their situations. Trevor in particular is forced to consider the possibility that, as friends and family have been insisting, he has lost a part of himself over the last few years while absorbed in his job.

Having read and enjoyed the author's third Trevor Lambert novel, I was happy to go back and begin the series from the start. I am equally impressed with this one. The book is billed as a mystery, and it does offer one, but while Trevor does a small amount of amateur sleuthing the book is really less about who done it and more about Trevor's character. We get to watch as the crisis at the Universe leads slowly to his seeing past the hospitable veneer of life in the hotel. The book is also about the hotel industry itself. The Universe is as much a character in the book as any of its staff. Craig, who has had a long career managing hotels, provides a fascinating inside look at hotel life, and one can understand the allure of its superficial charms. There's one more book (to date) in Craig's series, Murder at Hotel Cinema. I'll surely be reading that installment soon as well.

-- Debra Hamel

working in hotels made this a more interesting read. i was able to get into the story and could feel myself in the characters. these are realistic descriptions of hoteliers.

Very enjoyable captivating book. Daniel did an awesome job recreating in word the feel of the hotel. As a frequent business traveler I was amazed at his detail in the book. Great characters keep you riveted to the pages.

This is a delightful book to read, and especially so if you have ever worked in the hotel business. Craig uses his "insiders" knowledge to develop characters and situations that many of us in the hotel industry have experienced - although over many years, not a few days. The authentic touches add greatly to the enjoyment of the tale.

Daniel Edward Craig certainly knows the hotel world and captures it perfectly in his novel: Murder at the Universe. I couldn't put it down once it caught me from the very first page! Fortunately I purchased both books (Murder at the Universe & Hotel Cinema) at the same time so I can dive right into "the rest of the story".

I may not be the greatest literary reviewer, but this book was well written. Gives an excellent spin on the operation of a hotel and a murder mystery. Already purchased Daniel Edward Craig's second book, Murder at Hotel Cinema.