Behind the Door

August 1, 2023
A jewelry maker and interior designer's account of an unexpected career path that led her to working at a hotel for the down and out. When Price took a three-day gig redesigning rooms at the Cecil Hotel, she never dreamed it would lead to a 10-year association with what some called the deadliest, most haunted building in Los Angeles. Numerous suicides and unexplained deaths--like that of Elisa Lam, a young woman who died in the hotel water tank--had taken place there, and serial killer Richard Ramirez had once been a patron. In addition to accommodating travelers and other transients, the Cecil also served as a long-term residence for drug dealers and addicts as well as mentally ill people like the Vietnam veteran who never cleaned his room and the woman who never went outside. Price links the fascination she developed for the Cecil--its grand exterior and its foul-smelling, threadbare interiors--with a curiosity born out of a sheltered childhood and "na�ve" beliefs that "everyone is created equal." Her interactions with residents and the illegal immigrants who worked at the hotel quickly educated her in the realities of poverty and social injustice. Price climbed the ranks to become the Cecil's ever enthusiastic general manager. Yet from this pinnacle, she witnessed not only the downfall of the Cecil's director of operations, but also the collapse of projects meant to fund a hotel always operating "just above the red." Even after her job ended, problems--including a disparaging Netflix documentary about the hotel--still dogged Price, for whom the Cecil remained a "beautiful disaster" that "change[d] [her] forever." Price's journey from innocence to worldliness is appealing, but the narrative anecdotes--especially those related to the Cecil--sometimes seem haphazardly connected, while character portraits occasionally come across as underdeveloped. These issues transform an otherwise promising narrative into a less-than-compelling reading experience. A heartfelt but flawed memoir.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2023
Price, who featured in Netflix's 2021 documentary Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel, expounds on her role as the hotel's manager from 2007-17. Her appearance in the documentary drew conspiracy theorists to suggest she was somehow culpable in the death of Elisa Lam, the film's prime subject, and Price clearly feels the need to set the record straight. The Cecil Hotel is situated in downtown Los Angeles' Skid Row and for years functioned as an affordable-housing complex. Price was recruited by a friend to help refurbish the space in the hopes of transitioning it to a more conventional, profit-making hotel and hostel. The Cecil has a macabre reputation, including a stint as the residence of 1980s serial killer Richard Ramirez. Price's colorful disclosures as well as her descriptions of the vagaries of life in the hospitality industry's seedier corners will likely intrigue readers. While Price occasionally comes across as naive and hapless, both professionally and personally, it's clear that she felt a great deal of pride in the hotel as well as affection for its guests. Many readers will be entertained.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2023

The former general manager of an infamous hotel on Los Angeles's Skid Row has tales to tell. Price became famous via Netflix's 2021 docuseries Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel, which was about the death of hotel guest Elisa Lam, a troubled Canadian student who went missing. Her body was found two weeks later in a water tank on the hotel roof. While not essential, watching the series or at least reading a reputable news article about Lam's tragic death would help readers. Price's tone is matter-of-fact, even when describing morbid events. The book traces the author's life from Detroit to California. She spent 10 years working at the Cecil Hotel and recounts bizarre behavior by guests, her love of the staff, and a tumultuous personal life. She also addresses the Netflix production, Lam's death, and its effects on her, the staff, and those falsely accused by YouTube sleuths of killing Lam. The book concludes with a series of staff notes about guests' unbelievable actions and activities. VERDICT True-crime and tabloid fans will devour this spicy tell-all.--Harry Charles

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