Review: The Cut by C.J. Dotson

Rating: 6.5/10

A historic hotel long past its prime and huddled along The Cut, a questionable Lake Erie beach, isn’t Sadie Miles’ ideal place to raise a toddler while also navigating her second pregnancy. After finally fleeing her abusive ex-fiancé, though, Sadie’s new housekeeping position and free room at L’Arpin Hotel are the best she can manage.

On her first night, Sadie runs to help a guest struggling in the hotel’s pool only to find the water calm and empty when she gets there, leaving her with a lingering unease. When a guest then goes missing and her manager insists they simply left without checking out, Sadie suspects he’s covering up darker goings-on in the hotel.

After her ex, Sadie won’t let anyone convince her that what she’s experiencing isn’t real again. So, she keeps digging, quickly uncovering suspicious interactions with the staff, mysteriously vanishing security cameras, more missing guests, and things that go bump in the night…and drip in the walls, slither in the tub, and squirm in the halls. Everything isn’t as it seems within the dim hallways of L’Arpin. Sadie has nowhere to go and nowhere to hide; she’ll need to keep her wits about her to survive and keep her toddler and unborn child safe from whatever lurks nearby.

Checking into L’Arpin Hotel is not recommended. Not because the people are strange (they are). Not because the amenities are lacking (they are). Not even because the carpets have seen things no carpet should ever see (oh, they have). The horror in C.J. Dotson’s “The Cut,” is relentless and undeterred by a do not disturb sign or sock on the door knob. Full of unease, devoid of trust, this novel is insidious and sticky, and has a cover that should be considered a warning. “The Shining,” meets “Rose Madder,” meets The NoSleep subreddit meets acid in this paranoia-steeped, atmosphere-stifling slice of hotel horror. Thank you St Martin’s Press for my ARC, this one is available for check-in from April 8th, and will have you exhausted for long after check-out.

We follow Sadie who has decided to take her daughter, and get them far away from her abusive ex Sam. The vacancy at L’Arpin Hotel is perfect. It’s a suitable distance away from Sam, straight-forward enough work, and, at least until she can save up enough to rent an apartment, she can live there for free. You’d think her life, having been derailed, would finally be back on track, and for a matter of hours it is. But. Something is not right about L’Arpin hotel. Missing colleagues, a lying supervisor, distorted CCTV. What was initially a fresh start quickly reveals itself to be a fresh hell. 

Personally, I’m not sure that I gelled entirely with Sadie as a protagonist. Whilst her relationship with her daughter was well written, and I sympathised with her throughout, I did find myself on occasion questioning her logic. Having said that, I still deem “The Cut,” to have some of the best character work I’ve read in a good long while. I was immediately drawn to the character of Gertie, who provides a level of comic relief throughout and sharply juxtaposes the nature of some of the other folk Sadie encounters. She is a breath of fresh air in a hotel that really doesn’t seem like it’s been aired out for ages. 

Two characters had the complete opposite effect- Mr. Drye, a human-shaped raincloud, and Bill Viago, who is fueled exclusively by rage and bad intentions. Dotson more than compensates for any weaknesses in Sadie by surrounding her with a cast of characters that are deeply strange, deeply untrustworthy, and thus, deeply compelling. That distrust is baked into the very fabric of the novel. The mystery element is strong, and I’ll admit the “who” and the “what” absolutely took me by surprise. It’s a slow burn at times, but where the plot eases off the gas, the paranoia, the unease, and the existential dread go pedal to metal. This book had me looking over my shoulder and trusting nobody- it is not to be read, under any circumstances, in a hotel. 

The absolute star of the show is of course, unforgettably, unequivocally the creature feature, but I’m saying nothing about that, you’ll just have to find out for yourself I’m afraid.

Would I stay at L’Arpin Hotel? Fuck no. Wouldn’t book a room. Wouldn’t walk into the lobby. Would probably avoid using their parking. I did, however, very much enjoy my brief, allegedly safe literary visit. If you like your horror atmospheric, immersive, and full of dread, you should pick up “The Cut.” That being said, if you value sleeping soundly, trusting your surroundings, or you currently enjoy frequenting hotels without googling whether anyone has died there, perhaps not.