Review: The Night Porter Next Door
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 27, 2014
Another winner from author Mark Barry about a structured, discreet and very proper night porter whose hotel is chosen to host, and house, the nominees for a highly-prized authors literary award, the ALF.No expense is spared. The only order of business is to make sure each of the honored guests is happy and comfortable, and each one comes with his or her own quirk. The porter's dry wit carries you along on a guided tour of the hotel, his activities and observations of the people he works with, and then of the guests as they start trickling in - there's the perky Young Adult author from America and the sullen male author with less than ideal grooming habits...The footnotes feature is a mini-bar of added insight and humor. The story-telling is witty, the humor well-timed (a company named Tarzan invented the Spark e-reader). When the Night Porter shares his internal musings about meeting the upbeat Young Adult author from America there's a cuteness about it - despite the Night Porter being in his 30's, he maintains his calm and dignity in scenarios that would test the patience of a less disciplined man.Secrets are revealed about the hotel and its guests, and by story's end, The Night Porter will have a secret (or two) of his own.