Checking In at Hotel Marvelo with Ruth Lauren

Behind the doors of Hotel Marvelo lies a world of magical guests, family secrets and a murder mystery waiting to be solved. We spoke to Ruth Lauren about how the idea for the hotel first took shape, the characters she loved bringing to life, the importance of neurodiverse representation, and where the Marvelo siblings’ adventures might lead next.

You can also purchase the book and activity pack here.

What inspired you to create the world of Murder at Hotel Marvelo, especially the idea of a glamorous magical hotel where magic itself is forbidden?

The first inkling of Hotel Marvelo came to me when I was watching a John Wick film (not exactly suitable for the 9+ readership if you’re not familiar). In the film, The Continental is a hotel that serves as neutral ground for members of the underworld. A lot of stories begin with a ‘what if?’ and this one is no exception. What if there was a hotel for worn out witches who just need a break? What if no magic was allowed in the hotel so overworked griffins could relax? And what if a magicide happened in this supposed haven, where a wizard was meant to be able to unwind, only to find himself dead as a doornail in the spa?
 

The story features many magical creatures. Which guest did you most enjoy creating?

It has to be Emily the griffin! Followed in close second place by Orthrus the two headed dog (who has a bit of a complex since he’s the brother of Cerberus, the three headed dog, who of course thinks he’s so much better than Orthrus). But Emily was the first guest I thought up – a dignified, slightly haughty character on first meeting (as befits a griffin) who, it turns out, is kind and wise, reluctantly helpful, deeply loyal and a lot of fun to write interacting with the other characters.

Family is at the heart of the novel. Was that theme important to you from the very beginning?

Absolutely. The Marvelo children are part of a blended family, as many of us are. And when their parents are taken away, they have to deal with suddenly understanding just how important the family unit is to them. They’re learning who they are, what they’re good at and how they can work together (things that we all need to learn) alongside the fun and wonder and peril of solving a magical murder mystery. 

It can be annoying to have a brother or sister (especially if they’re always elbowing you – looking at Juniper here), but sibling relationships work really well in stories because no one knows you better than your brother or sister (and because no one can be more irritating at times). This makes it a fun dynamic to read about but it also means, for the Marvelos, that no one cares more about solving the mystery and saving their family and their home than the three of them do. 

Teddy notices things that adults, and even her siblings, often miss. Did you want the story to explore different ways of thinking and seeing the world?

Yes, that was definitely on my mind. I’ve recently been diagnosed Autistic and my four children are also neurodivergent, so creating diverse characters is something that it finally felt ok for me to do – in fact more than ok, something that I felt was deeply important. Kids need a variety of exciting, thought-provoking, engaging stories, with both neurotypical and neurodivergent characters, because in the real world that’s what the rest of their lives will look like.  

I think the fact that Finnian, Juniper and Teddy are so different and yet such a great team is created in part by their neurodiversity (Juniper is coded ADHD and Teddy coded autistic). The Marvelo siblings wouldn’t solve the mystery and (spoiler) save the day, if they weren’t a neurodiverse trio. Finnian’s caution, logic and knowledge compliments Juniper’s full-of-ideas enthusiasm and energy. And neither of them would get anywhere without Teddy and the way she views the world, the details she notices and the connections she makes that no one else does. We need stories that bring neurodivergent children’s strengths to the forefront, show them making mistakes and getting things wrong like anyone does, but ultimately triumphing in fun and engaging stories where it’s completely natural for neurodivergent people to just be. 

If you could check into one room at Hotel Marvelo for the weekend, which magical suite would you choose?

I think I’d have to be in a certain mood for one of the aquatic rooms so I’d probably book in to room 10. It’s a relaxing, tropical rainforest of a room and, banshee notwithstanding, I think all that greenery would be quite nice.

The ending hints at more mysteries for the Marvelo siblings to solve. Did you always imagine the book as the beginning of a series?

I would LOVE there to be a whole series of Marvelo Mysteries! At the moment, there is definitely going to be a second murder. The Marvelo children are about to be swept up in another diabolically tricky mystery in MURDER AT SORCERY SPIRES which takes place at a very secretive magic school and which features one of the guests from MURDER AT HOTEL MARVELO!

Do you have a favourite place to write, or somewhere that helps inspire your ideas?

Honestly, when my kids were younger I wrote whenever and wherever I could. I’d sit on the floor in the bathroom supervising one kid in the shower and two in the bath with my laptop on the floor, tapping away. Or I’d jot things down in my work lunchbreak. It was not glamourous! Now my kids are grown up a folding tray on my bed is my office. Still not glamourous – but much quieter!