The Sanatorium: A Novel
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- Create Date：2021-02-03 04:17:58
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- Author：Sarah Pearse
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Summary
Notes From Your Bookseller
What could possibly go wrong at an abandoned sanatorium turned hotel？ Throw in the Swiss Alps setting AND an off-duty detective and you know you are going to be in for some winter weather chills。 And， NOT from the low temperatures。 This book stopped us in our tracks。 Well， at least we THINK they are our tracks。
"An absolutely splendid Gothic thriller。"A。 J。 Finn， #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window
"This spine-tingling， atmospheric thriller has it all: an eerie Alpine setting， sharp prose， and twists you'll never see coming。 A must-read。"
Richard Osman， international bestselling author of The Thursday Murder Club
You won't want to leave。 。 。 until you can't。
Half-hidden by forest and overshadowed by threatening peaks， Le Sommet has always been a sinister place。 Long plagued by troubling rumors， the former abandoned sanatorium has since been renovated into a five-star minimalist hotel。
An imposing， isolated getaway spot high up in the Swiss Alps is the last place Elin Warner wants to be。 But Elin's taken time off from her job as a detective， so when her estranged brother， Isaac， and his fiancée， Laure， invite her to celebrate their engagement at the hotel， Elin really has no reason not to accept。
Arriving in the midst of a threatening storm， Elin immediately feels on edgethere's something about the hotel that makes her nervous。 And when they wake the following morning to discover Laure is missing， Elin must trust her instincts if they hope to find her。 With the storm closing off all access to the hotel， the longer Laure stays missing， the more the remaining guests start to panic。
Elin is under pressure to find Laure， but no one has realized yet that another woman has gone missing。 And she's the only one who could have warned them just how much danger they are all in。 。 。
"This spine-tingling， atmospheric thriller has it all: an eerie Alpine setting， sharp prose， and twists you'll never see coming。 A must-read。"
Richard Osman， international bestselling author of The Thursday Murder Club
You won't want to leave。 。 。 until you can't。
Half-hidden by forest and overshadowed by threatening peaks， Le Sommet has always been a sinister place。 Long plagued by troubling rumors， the former abandoned sanatorium has since been renovated into a five-star minimalist hotel。
An imposing， isolated getaway spot high up in the Swiss Alps is the last place Elin Warner wants to be。 But Elin's taken time off from her job as a detective， so when her estranged brother， Isaac， and his fiancée， Laure， invite her to celebrate their engagement at the hotel， Elin really has no reason not to accept。
Arriving in the midst of a threatening storm， Elin immediately feels on edgethere's something about the hotel that makes her nervous。 And when they wake the following morning to discover Laure is missing， Elin must trust her instincts if they hope to find her。 With the storm closing off all access to the hotel， the longer Laure stays missing， the more the remaining guests start to panic。
Elin is under pressure to find Laure， but no one has realized yet that another woman has gone missing。 And she's the only one who could have warned them just how much danger they are all in。 。 。
Editor Reviews
11/30/2020
Pearse’s engrossing debut boasts a highly atmospheric setting。 Le Sommet， originally a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients in the Swiss Alps， was abandoned for decades， until it was renovated as a luxury hotel。 British police detective Elin Warner and her boyfriend， Willy Riley， come to Le Sommet at the invitation of her selfish brother， Isaac， a university lecturer in Lausanne， and his fiancée， Laure Strehl， to celebrate the couple’s engagement。 The emotionally fragile Elin is on break from her job， following an intense case and the death of her mother， whose funeral Isaac was too busy to attend。 When Laure goes missing the day after Elin and Willy’s arrival， Elin learns that others have disappeared from Le Sommet， long shrouded in sinister rumors about its patients’ brutal treatment。 Might Isaac， whom she blames for the decades-old death of their brother， somehow be involved？ The discovery of a body raises the stakes。 Readers will applaud as Elin， for all her anxieties， emerges as a competent sleuth。 This dark tale of family dynamics is sure to please suspense fans。 Agent: Charlotte Seymour， Andrew Nurnberg Assoc。 （Feb。）
Excerpt
Read an Excerpt
Press Release – Under Embargo until midnight March 5th 2018
Le Sommet
Hauts de Plumachit
Crans Montana 3963
Valais
Switzerland
5-STAR HOTEL SET TO OPEN IN THE SWISS RESORT OF CRANS MONTANA
Located on a sunny mountain plateau above Crans Montana， high in the Swiss Alps， Le Sommet is the brainchild of Swiss property developer Lucas Caron。
After eight years of extensive planning and construction， one of the town’s oldest sanatoriums is set to reopen as a luxury hotel。
The main building was designed in the early nineteenth century by Caron’s great-grandfather， Pierre。 It became renowned worldwide as a center for treating tuberculosis before the advent of antibiotics forced its diversification。
More recently， it gained international recognition for its innovative architecture， earning the elder Caron a posthumous Swiss Arts Award in 1942。 Combining clean lines with large panoramic windows， flat roofs， and unadorned geometrical shapes， one judge described the building as ‘groundbreaking’ – custom designed to fulfill its function as a hospital， while also creating a seamless transition between the interior and exterior landscapes。
Lucas Caron said: “It was time we breathed new life into this building。 We were confident that with the right vision， we could create a sensitively restored hotel that would pay homage to its rich past。”
Under the guidance of Swiss architectural firm Lemaitre SA， a team has been assembled to renovate the building and also add a state-of-the-art spa and event center。
Subtly refurbished， Le Sommet will make innovative use of natural， local materials such as wood， slate， and stone。 The hotel’s elegant， modern interiors will not only echo the powerful topography outside， but will draw on the building’s past to create a new narrative。
Philippe Volkem， CEO of Valais Tourisme， said， "This will doubtless be the jewel in the crown of what is already one of the finest winter resorts in the world。"
For press enquiries， please contact Leman PR， Lausanne。
For general enquiries / bookings please visit www。lesommetcransmontana。ch。
CHAPTER ONE
January 2020
Day One
The funicular from the valley town of Sierre to Crans‐Montana scores a near‐perfect vertical line up the mountainside。
Slicing through snow‐covered vineyards and the small towns of Venthone， Chermignon， Mollens， Randogne， and Bluche， the route， almost three miles long， takes passengers up the mountain in just twelve minutes。
In off‐peak season， the funicular is usually half empty。 Most people drive up the mountain or take the bus。 But today， with the roads almost station‐ ary thanks to heavy traffic， it’s full。
Elin Warner stands on the left in the packed carriage， absorbing it all: the fat flakes of snow collecting on the windows， the slush‐covered floor piled high with bags， the lanky teenagers shoving through the doors。
Her shoulders tense。 She’s forgotten how kids that age can be: selfish， unaware of anyone but themselves。
A sodden sleeve brushes her cheek。 She smells damp， cigarettes， fried food， the musky‐citrus tang of cheap aftershave。 Then comes a throaty cough。 Laughter。
A group of men are jostling through the doorway， talking loudly， bulg‐ ing North Face sports bags on their backs。 They are squeezing the family next to her farther into the carriage。 Into her。 An arm rubs hers， beer breath hot against her neck。
Panic pushes through her。 Her heart is racing。
Will it ever stop？
It’s been a year since the Hayler case and she’s still thinking about it， dreaming about it。 Waking up in the night， sheets damp with sweat， the dream vivid in her head: the hand around her throat， damp walls contract‐ ing， closing in on her。
Then salt water; frothing， sloshing over her mouth， her nose 。 。 。
Control it， she tells herself， forcing herself to read the graffiti on the wall of the funicular。
Don’t let it control you。
Her eyes dance over the scrawled letters weaving up the metal:
Michel 2010
Bisous xxx
Ines & Ric 2016
Following the words up to the window， she startles。 Her reflection 。 。 。 it pains her to look at it。 She’s thin。 Too thin。
It’s as if someone’s hollowed her out， carved the very core of her away。 Her cheekbones are knife sharp， her slanted blue‐gray eyes wider， more pro‐ nounced。 Even the choppy mess of pale blond hair， the blur of the scar on her upper lip， doesn’t soften her appearance。
She’s been training nonstop since her mother’s death。 Ten‐K runs。 Pilates。 Weights。 Cycling on the coast road between Torquay and Exeter in the blistering wind and rain。
It’s too much， but she doesn’t know how to stop， even if she should。 It’s all she’s got; the only tactic to chase away what’s inside her head。
Elin turns away。 Sweat pricks the back of her neck。 Looking at Will， she tries to concentrate on his face， the familiar shadow of stubble grazing his chin， the untamable dark blond tufts of his hair。 “Will， I’m burning up。”
His features contract。 She can see the blueprint of future wrinkles in his anxious face; a starburst of lines around his eyes， light creases running across his forehead。
“You okay？”
Elin shakes her head， tears stinging her eyes。 “I don’t feel right。”
Will lowers his voice。 “About this， or 。 。 。”
She knows what he’s trying to say: Isaac。 It’s both; him， the panic， they’re intertwined， connected。
“I don’t know。” Her throat feels tight。 “I keep going over it， you know， the invitation， out of the blue。 Maybe coming was the wrong decision。 I should have thought about it more， or at least spoken to him properly before we let him book。”
“It’s not too late。 We can always go back。 Say I had problems with work。” Smiling， Will nudges his glasses up his nose with his forefinger。 “This might count as the shortest‐ever holiday on record， but who cares。”
Elin forces herself to return his smile， a quiet sting of devastation at the contrast between then and now。 How easily he’s accepted this: the new normal。
It’s the opposite of when they’d first met。 Back then， she was peaking; that’s how she thinks of it now。 At the pinnacle of her twentysomething life。 She’d just bought her first apartment near the beach， the top floor of an old Victorian villa。 Bijou， but high ceilings， views of a tiny square of sea。
Work was going well—she’d been promoted to detective sergeant， landed a big case， an important one， her mother was responding well to the first round of chemo。 She thought she was on top of her grief for Sam， dealing with it， but now 。 。 。
Her life has contracted。 Closed down to become something that would have been unrecognizable to her a few years ago。
The doors are closing now， thick glass panels sliding together。
With a jolt， the funicular lurches upward， away from the station， accelerating。
Elin closes her eyes， but that only makes it worse。 Every sound， every judder， is magnified behind her eyelids。
She opens her eyes to see the landscape flashing by: blurry streaks of snow‐covered vineyards， chalets， shops。
Her head swims。 “I want to get out。”
“What？” Will turns。 He tries to mask it， but she can hear the frustration in his voice。
“I need to get out。”
The funicular pulls into a tunnel。 They plunge into darkness， and a woman whoops。
Elin breathes in， slowly， carefully， but she can feel it coming—that sense of impending doom。 All at once， her blood feels sticky moving through her， yet also like it’s rushing everywhere at once。
More breaths。 Slower， as she’d taught herself。 In for four， hold， then out for seven。
It’s not enough。 Her throat contracts。 Her breath is coming shallow now， fast。 Her lungs are fighting， desperately trying to drag in oxygen。
“Your inhaler，” Will urges。 “Where is it？”
Scrabbling in her pocket， she pulls it out， pushes down: good。 She presses again， feels the rush of gas hit the back of her throat， reach her windpipe。
Within minutes， her breathing regulates。
But when her head clears， they’re there， in her mind’s eye。
Her brothers。 Isaac。 Sam。
Images， on loop。
She sees soft child faces， cheeks smattered with freckles。 The same wideset blue eyes， but while Isaac’s are cold， unnerving in their intensity， Sam’s fizz with energy， a spark that draws people in。
Elin blinks， unable to stop herself thinking about the last time she saw those eyes—vacant， lifeless， that spark 。 。 。 snuffed out。
She turns to the window， but can’t unsee the images from her past: Isaac， smiling at her; that familiar smirk。 He holds up his hands， but the five splayed fingers are covered in blood。
Elin extends her hand， but she can’t reach him。 She never can。
Reviews
，
Margaret
，
Potentially a chilling atmospheric novel set in an atmospheric location 。 Elin is visiting the ultramodern hotel converted from a sanatorium with a dubious past to celebrate her estranged brothers engagement。 A series of murders take place including that of her brothers fiancée。 The characters as well as the place all seem to have demons and history attached to them and Elin ploughs her way through trying to solve to mystery。The characters were a little flat for me and the storyline convoluted。 Potentially a chilling atmospheric novel set in an atmospheric location 。 Elin is visiting the ultramodern hotel converted from a sanatorium with a dubious past to celebrate her estranged brothers engagement。 A series of murders take place including that of her brothers fiancée。 The characters as well as the place all seem to have demons and history attached to them and Elin ploughs her way through trying to solve to mystery。The characters were a little flat for me and the storyline convoluted。 My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC copy to review 。。。more
Sue Plant
，
would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this booki started off liking this book very much， the way it flowed and the characterisation， but then i started to get annoyed with the main character how she kept putting herself in danger， always agreeing that yes she would take care and then carry on regardless for her own safetybut the ending has me hooked。。。so i would read another of this authors books。。。
Sue Plant
，
would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this booki started off liking this book very much， the way it flowed and the characterisation， but then i started to get annoyed with the main character how she kept putting herself in danger， always agreeing that yes she would take care and then carry on regardless for her own safetybut the ending has me hooked。。。so i would read another of this authors books。。。
Susan Hampson
，
An old deserted sanatorium in the Swiss Alps had been under re-development to be re-designed into a luxurious hotel。 It offered the perfect place to be pampered whether you were on your own or within a larger party。 But someone is already waiting there no matter how long it takes。 They have waited a long time already。Elin had received an invitation from her estranged brother Isaac to celebrate his engagement to Laure。 The hotel had kept some original features， with the antique equipment from the An old deserted sanatorium in the Swiss Alps had been under re-development to be re-designed into a luxurious hotel。 It offered the perfect place to be pampered whether you were on your own or within a larger party。 But someone is already waiting there no matter how long it takes。 They have waited a long time already。Elin had received an invitation from her estranged brother Isaac to celebrate his engagement to Laure。 The hotel had kept some original features， with the antique equipment from the past becoming part of the present-day decor。 It is the creepiness of it all that the owners hope will fill the rooms with guests。The weather takes a turn for the worse， cutting them all off from the town below。 Then someone goes missing and Elin， on sick leave from the police force， begins to do a little questioning the guests and investigating past events。 Isaac and Elin have issues from their childhood which are at bursting point。The story was fuelled with tension， but it unfolds very slowly drip-feeding you what happened in the past。 It isn’t for the faint-hearted。 It certainly played with my mind long after I finished the book。 I enjoyed this story because every action had a reason it all made sense in a macabre way。 The truth can be covered up， in so many different ways。 Brilliant ending。I wish to thank Net Galley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly。 。。。more
Joanna Flis
，
I like the idea of mystery in scenery of Swiss Alps in old psychiatric hospital。 And it is one and only thing I like。 Main character: female detective grivering after death of her mother （cancer）， "on the break" at work after though case， visiting her brother on his ingagment party （they obviously are in conflict after their younger brother accidentall drowning many years before） is involved in solving a case of missing of bride to be （her ex friend from childhood） and murder of housekeeper from I like the idea of mystery in scenery of Swiss Alps in old psychiatric hospital。 And it is one and only thing I like。 Main character: female detective grivering after death of her mother （cancer）， "on the break" at work after though case， visiting her brother on his ingagment party （they obviously are in conflict after their younger brother accidentall drowning many years before） is involved in solving a case of missing of bride to be （her ex friend from childhood） and murder of housekeeper from the hotel （current friend of bride to be） in the shadow of massive avalanche。 Of course hotel is hunted and owner is corrupt and had sex with all female characters。 Sorry for spoiler。 Watch episode of Hollyoaks instead。Oh sorry I have to quote this:"it's Laure second phone。 But it was switched off when Isaac tried it。 She must have turn it on again。" Well done Sherlock。 And wtf。 。。。more
Lu Etchells
，
Firstly， I have to say I don’t give 1 stars lightly。 I’m well aware that at the other end of this review is an author who spent a lot of time and energy on creating this story， and I do not want to hurt anyone’s feelings Writing a book is torturous， and I have nothing but respect for anyone who finds themselves with their name on a front cover but， this book should not be published without a serious overhaul。 （I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review – and you always get Firstly， I have to say I don’t give 1 stars lightly。 I’m well aware that at the other end of this review is an author who spent a lot of time and energy on creating this story， and I do not want to hurt anyone’s feelings Writing a book is torturous， and I have nothing but respect for anyone who finds themselves with their name on a front cover but， this book should not be published without a serious overhaul。 （I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review – and you always get honesty with me！）The idea of a thriller set in a remote location in the middle of the Swiss Alps really appealed。 There was so much opportunity for creating an atmospheric setting， and I have to say the author did a brilliant job; I could clearly imagine myself there， and how claustrophobic all that white open space would actually feel。 However， that is the only positive I have to offer with regards to this book。 Elin， our main character， a detective on leave after a traumatic work incident， is heading to the now luxury spa （previously a sanatorium） to attend the lavish engagement celebrations of her brother， Isaac。 Herein lies my first problem: she hasn’t seen Isaac for ten years， they have no real relationship， and she genuinely seems convinced he had something to do with the death of their younger brother Sam， when they were children （an issue the author keeps coming back to， with no real conclusion until the end， where it’s tied up in approximately three sentences then promptly forgotten about）。In fact， we’re led to believe the relationship is so bad between them that when their mother died just six months previously， Isaac remained absent， leaving Elin to get on with it， alone。 So， of course， the first thing she would do is hop on a plane and travel to the middle of nowhere to join him in his joy。 Oh no， wait， she’s not going to celebrate， she’s decided now is the perfect time to confront him about the murder of their brother – except， she is too scared to。 So， doesn’t。 Mainly because she’s suffering from PTSD， severe asthma and panic attacks。 Frankly， she strikes me as the sort of person who would probably have sat this particular party out。 I would have。 I know I wish she had。Quite quickly Isaac’s fiancé goes missing， there’s a murder and another body is discovered up in the mountains。 Due to the weather and the police’s inability to get to the remote location （it’s remote， did I mention that？） the owner of the hotel， who discovers Elin is a British detective， asks her to take on the investigation。 Honestly， they’d have been better off calling up the gang at Mystery Incorporated and investing in Scooby snacks， as Elin is， without doubt， the most incompetent investigator I’ve ever heard of。After the first body is discovered， hands and feet tied， wearing an old-fashioned gas mask， with fingers amputated， Elin comes to the conclusion this was not an accident。 You know what gave it away？ The fact the body was weighed down by sandbags。 Ladies and gentlemen， I present to you a forensic genius！ Thank goodness we have such a brilliant mind on the case。 At one point， I genuinely hoped Miss Marple might also be on holiday at the luxurious， yet remotely located， glass covered spa。Thankfully， Elin seems quite aware of her own incompetence， constantly doubting her abilities， yet inexplicably determined to prove herself capable。 She spends half her time knowing she’s missing something （if she could just grab hold of the fully formed thought）， runs off on her own head first in to danger （despite this being the reason she’s on leave from the police in the first place）， learns nothing from her mistakes， shares all the information she has with everyone （including everyone she ultimately suspects） yet keeps secrets from the Swiss Police who might actually be able to help her and generally makes really ridiculous statements。After discovering another body herself， having yet again gone off on her own without telling anyone where she is， she is attacked by the murderer。 At this point she outlines everything she has deduced so far from her extensive investigation: the murderer is strong。 Stronger than her。 No shit， Sherlock。 I could go on， but the point is， Elin is an impossible character to like。 She’s a pathetic cliché done very badly， and has no redeeming qualities。 I found myself praying she’d be killed， just to give the story a bit of a twist， but alas， no。 It would appear even her boyfriend doesn’t like her; after talking to him about the case and admitting she’s having a tough time， he simply tells her to have a snack and to forget about it， then pats her on the head and goes off to do some of his own work。 So， despite the fact bodies are piling up， he treats her like a toddler and then worries about his work emails。OK then。Once we finally get the big reveal， the who done-it （after many a false-start）， it doesn’t really make any sense。 It is so convoluted it needs extensive explanation， and it’s really laborious。 Don’t even get me started on the epilogue which is hugely illogical， and serves only to try and lay the path for a sequel。 I beg you， do NOT write that sequel。 Please。 To quote Annie Wilkes， “it’s a cheat。” I couldn’t， in good conscience， recommend this book to anyone。 How a single person has found enough in this to offer a three-star review （let alone more） is beyond me。 If you find yourself reading it， and debating whether to finish or not， my only advice is don’t。 I wanted to give up at about 30%， but held firm to the belief it would get better and the ending would be clear and concise。 Trust me， you should bail。 Bail now。 。。。more
Susana Rio
，
I have some mixed feelings about this book！ I loved the premise， the constant tension and it was seriously atmospheric and set in a perfect mystery/thriller scenario。 My biggest problem was that I really didn’t like the main character and find it really difficult to engage because of it。 She feels really vulnerable and although I could empathise I still struggle to like her。 But for me， her boyfriend and her brother were quite despicable and toxic and it just made it difficult for me to love thi I have some mixed feelings about this book！ I loved the premise， the constant tension and it was seriously atmospheric and set in a perfect mystery/thriller scenario。 My biggest problem was that I really didn’t like the main character and find it really difficult to engage because of it。 She feels really vulnerable and although I could empathise I still struggle to like her。 But for me， her boyfriend and her brother were quite despicable and toxic and it just made it difficult for me to love this novel。 Sarah Pearse does write in a really compelling way and I absolutely loved her descriptions and how I almost felt as if I was in the setting she described。 I’ve enjoyed the fact that it had a good fair share of twists and enjoyed the mystery but it also didn’t left me completely gobsmacked - perhaps because I just couldn’t engage with the characters。I did find it fast paced and even though the mystery of the crimes didn’t left me in awe， the whole journey until the end was overall really awesome。 Overall I still quite enjoyed it and would recommend it to fans of crime/mystery/thriller and am quite keen to see what other books are in store for us by Sarah Pearse I would like to thank Netgalley， Random House UK， Transworld Publishers and Bantam Press for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review 。。。more
Karen Barber
，
A remote setting in the Swiss Alps sounds idyllic， but the trip Elin Warner takes to the luxury hotel sited there turns out to be anything but。Elin is a detective。 After a traumatic incident in the course of duty， Elin has been experiencing flashbacks to an incident in her childhood that resulted in the death of her much loved younger brother， Sam。 She is struggling to function， and has taken time out of work。 This has been the perfect opportunity to confront some of her demons。。。the visit to Sw A remote setting in the Swiss Alps sounds idyllic， but the trip Elin Warner takes to the luxury hotel sited there turns out to be anything but。Elin is a detective。 After a traumatic incident in the course of duty， Elin has been experiencing flashbacks to an incident in her childhood that resulted in the death of her much loved younger brother， Sam。 She is struggling to function， and has taken time out of work。 This has been the perfect opportunity to confront some of her demons。。。the visit to Switzerland is to celebrate the engagement of her older brother。 Upon arrival we sense conflict。 Elin and her brother clearly have unresolved issues， and from other narrative accounts interspersed with Elin’s story we know that this hotel is not as pleasant as it seems。The site of an old sanitorium， the history of the place is tinged with darkness。 When an employee of the hotel goes missing it becomes worrying。 When an avalanche occurs， leaving the staff and odd guests stranded， things take a more sinister turn。 Then a second body is discovered and it’s fair to say all hell breaks loose。Someone is playing a very dangerous game， determined to take their vengeance on someone for something they resent。 We are given a number of options for possible suspects， but Elin throws herself into this investigation with reckless abandonment。 All around her， people are injured or killed。。。but still she determines to play the hero and sort this out （because she has to make up for something she wishes she’d done a long time ago）。We do eventually see Elin get the satisfaction of solving this， but at what cost？ The revelation seemed to be a jump just a little too far to feel fully plausible， and my lack of engagement with Elin herself made this hard to really feel overly happy about。 Things seemed to be over， but then came that weird tagged-on ending suggesting that perhaps we shouldn’t be so quick to accept everything the author had presented us with。 I have my suspicions of the identity of the mysterious watcher in the carriage， but it seemed so at odds with everything else that I’m not sure what to make of it。Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this prior to publication。 It had some high points， but felt just a little too jumbled to work effectively。 。。。more
Lel Budge
，
Set in the Swiss Alps， Elin and her boyfriend Will are staying in the newly opened and luxury hotel， Le Sommet。 Isolated， this hotel has been converted from an old sanatorium。 It has an eerie feel to it which sets Elin on edge。Elin’s brother Issac works there and has just got engaged to Laure。 Then one night Laure goes missing。 Issac is frantic but Elin believes he knows more than he is saying due to events in their past。Then a body is found。Now in the midst of a snowstorm and an avalanche has b Set in the Swiss Alps， Elin and her boyfriend Will are staying in the newly opened and luxury hotel， Le Sommet。 Isolated， this hotel has been converted from an old sanatorium。 It has an eerie feel to it which sets Elin on edge。Elin’s brother Issac works there and has just got engaged to Laure。 Then one night Laure goes missing。 Issac is frantic but Elin believes he knows more than he is saying due to events in their past。Then a body is found。Now in the midst of a snowstorm and an avalanche has blocked the road， the police are unable to reach them and so Elin， a police officer in the UK begins an investigation。 All the while dealing with PTSD and problems of her own，This really is a chilling， psychological thriller with a sense of tension and foreboding from the very start。 The descriptions of the hotel alone give it a real sense of an almost claustrophobic menace and the cold seems to seep off the very pages。The characters are well rounded and engaging， with its twisty， clever plot this really is unputdownable。 Any fan of psychological thrillers is going to love this， a definite must read。 Just brilliant and I loved every minute。 。。。more
Lel Budge
，
Set in the Swiss Alps， Elin and her boyfriend Will are staying in the newly opened and luxury hotel， Le Sommet。 Isolated， this hotel has been converted from an old sanatorium。 It has an eerie feel to it which sets Elin on edge。Elin’s brother Issac works there and has just got engaged to Laure。 Then one night Laure goes missing。 Issac is frantic but Elin believes he knows more than he is saying due to events in their past。Then a body is found。Now in the midst of a snowstorm and an avalanche has b Set in the Swiss Alps， Elin and her boyfriend Will are staying in the newly opened and luxury hotel， Le Sommet。 Isolated， this hotel has been converted from an old sanatorium。 It has an eerie feel to it which sets Elin on edge。Elin’s brother Issac works there and has just got engaged to Laure。 Then one night Laure goes missing。 Issac is frantic but Elin believes he knows more than he is saying due to events in their past。Then a body is found。Now in the midst of a snowstorm and an avalanche has blocked the road， the police are unable to reach them and so Elin， a police officer in the UK begins an investigation。 All the while dealing with PTSD and problems of her own，This really is a chilling， psychological thriller with a sense of tension and foreboding from the very start。 The descriptions of the hotel alone give it a real sense of an almost claustrophobic menace and the cold seems to seep off the very pages。The characters are well rounded and engaging， with its twisty， clever plot this really is unputdownable。 Any fan of psychological thrillers is going to love this， a definite must read。 Just brilliant and I loved every minute。Thank you to Random Things Tours for the opportunity to be part of this blog tour， for the promotional material and an ARC of The Sanatorium。 。。。more
Susan
，
Elin Warner and her boyfriend， Will Riley， are going to visit a luxury hotel in the Swiss Alps for the engagement of her brother， Isaac to Laure， who is the assistant manager。 The hotel has been created from an old， disused TB sanatorium and Will， an architect， is interested in all of the design features。 Elin， though， is not looking forward to the trip。 Suffering from post traumatic stress disorder， on leave from her job as a detective， struggling after the death of her mother and nervous about Elin Warner and her boyfriend， Will Riley， are going to visit a luxury hotel in the Swiss Alps for the engagement of her brother， Isaac to Laure， who is the assistant manager。 The hotel has been created from an old， disused TB sanatorium and Will， an architect， is interested in all of the design features。 Elin， though， is not looking forward to the trip。 Suffering from post traumatic stress disorder， on leave from her job as a detective， struggling after the death of her mother and nervous about seeing her estranged brother， she is a mass of insecurities and anxieties with unanswered questions。 In fact， one of the main reasons she wants to attend the engagement is to get to the bottom of what happened to her younger brother， Sam， who died as a child。On top of all Elin’s personal issues， things are not right at the hotel， which is， frankly， the best character in the book， in my opinion。 I loved the idea of a sanatorium becoming a hotel， with spooky， original artefacts scattered about。 When people start to go missing， and， of course， the hotel is cut off from the outside world， Elin is asked to investigate。 I did find this a little odd – not only because she had no real authority， but because she barely seemed to be holding herself together。 However， as she begins to investigate， Elin does seem to begin to rediscover herself。Overall， this was something of a mixed bag for me。 I loved the setting， but felt little empathy with Elin， or the characters generally。 Some of the ‘props，’ might make this work better visually， if it is ever put on screen。 As a mystery though， I found it confusing and the motive seemed unlikely – especially considering the various possible suspects。 Considering how much I liked the description of this novel， and was excited by the setting， I was disappointed that I did not like this more。 I usually judge books by considering whether I would like to read another novel featuring the main character。 In this case， I would have to say， probably not。 However， I did love the setting and， although I felt the author threw just about everything at the plot， this is a debut novel and I can imagine it is tempting to do that with a first book。 The writing was good and I feel sure that the author has a promising career before her。 I received a copy of this book from the publisher， via NetGalley， for review。 Rated 3。5 。。。more
Fay Flude
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What a book！ A 2021 highlight and very deserving of 5 stars。I was completely hooked from the very beginning and did not want to put this book down。Full of twists， shocks and jaw dropping moments I was literally on the edge of my seat， heart hammering at the danger， suspense and gruesome discoveries that litter The Sanatorium。Set in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana， architect Daniel Lemaitre and property developing friend Lucas Caron are turning the old hospital for TB patients into a 5 star hot What a book！ A 2021 highlight and very deserving of 5 stars。I was completely hooked from the very beginning and did not want to put this book down。Full of twists， shocks and jaw dropping moments I was literally on the edge of my seat， heart hammering at the danger， suspense and gruesome discoveries that litter The Sanatorium。Set in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana， architect Daniel Lemaitre and property developing friend Lucas Caron are turning the old hospital for TB patients into a 5 star hotel Le Sommet。The opening is atmospheric and the ending as brilliantly sinister as the start。 The sense of isolation brought about being so high in the mountains， a terrible snowstorm and an avalanche all create an Alpine environment cut off from help， where anything can happen， and it does！Suspicion is rife and I wanted to check over my shoulder， not trusting anyone and hoping against hope that reluctant detective Elin Warner， on a break from her job and in the hotel to celebrate the engagement of her brother， can be the one to prevent anyone else from going missing and meeting an unfortunate end。 Her brother's fiance Laure is the one who is missing but not everyone is telling the truth and Elin is left to try and piece together whatever evidence she can find。 I felt such huge empathy for Elin， raw and hurting from a police job that went horribly wrong and which has changed the way she deals with life。 Fighting panic and anxiety， her relationship with boyfriend Will seems constantly on a knife edge。 I was so scared at times， for Elin's emotional well-being and the physical threats everyone in the hotel faces， that I could barely breathe！ The description of panic is so well written that I could feel the sweat beading my own brow and the overwhelming sense of impending catastrophe。Yet， in spite of all this， Elin is incredibly brave and continues to put herself in grave danger。， which only increases as connections are slowly made。Spine-tinglingly good， I cannot rave about this book enough！ Thank you to Pigeonhole， Netgalley， the publisher and author Sarah Pearse for the opportunity to read this gothic thriller ahead of publication。 What a way to start a new year！ 。。。more
Jayme
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Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for the ARC of The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearce。 I enjoy reading locked room mysteries and this one fit the bill！I was immediately drawn into the premise of this atmospheric thriller。 A grand hotel is built on the site of an old sanatorium in the Swiss Alps。 Elin and her boyfriend Will are meeting her estranged brother， Isaac to celebrate his engagement。 Elin hasn’t seen her brother in many years and is nervous to reunite。 When a snow storm blows in Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for the ARC of The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearce。 I enjoy reading locked room mysteries and this one fit the bill！I was immediately drawn into the premise of this atmospheric thriller。 A grand hotel is built on the site of an old sanatorium in the Swiss Alps。 Elin and her boyfriend Will are meeting her estranged brother， Isaac to celebrate his engagement。 Elin hasn’t seen her brother in many years and is nervous to reunite。 When a snow storm blows in and an avalanches strikes， the guests are locked into the hotel。 But there is more！ Isaac’s fiancé turns up missing and a serial killer is on the loose！ The guests soon learn that they are in danger。 When people begin to turn up dead， Elin is forced to confront her fears and take over as the detective on the scene。 However， she has been on leave from her job， and is questioning her capability。 Will she figure out who the murderer is before they kill again？This thriller really hooked me from the start。 The short chapters， fast moving plot and sense of isolation all contribute to the sense of foreboding at the hotel。 The extreme weather conditions also reinforce the the characters’ inability to escape their dangerous situation。 The serial killer’s signature staging of the victims led me to believe his/her connection to the victims was personal and related to the history of the sanatorium/hotel， which it mostly was。 There were a few twists that seemed out of left field and others that were too predictable。 In the end， while I enjoyed the lead up to reveal， I was left feeling somewhat disappointed。 This book had a lot of promise for a creepy ending， but I just didn’t deliver。 3/5 stars 。。。more
Trisha
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Will and Elin have come to stay in a luxury hotel high in the Swiss Alps。 They are there to celebrate the engagement of Elin's brother， Isaac， to Laure who works there。 But soon it becomes clear that all is not what it seems。 The hotel has been built from the ruins of a TB sanitarium and there are many local people who didn't want it built。 To Elin， it has a strange atmosphere but Will thinks it's just because she's about to meet her estranged brother after many years。 Then someone dies and an a Will and Elin have come to stay in a luxury hotel high in the Swiss Alps。 They are there to celebrate the engagement of Elin's brother， Isaac， to Laure who works there。 But soon it becomes clear that all is not what it seems。 The hotel has been built from the ruins of a TB sanitarium and there are many local people who didn't want it built。 To Elin， it has a strange atmosphere but Will thinks it's just because she's about to meet her estranged brother after many years。 Then someone dies and an avalanche cuts the hotel off from everywhere。 Super spine chilling tale with multiple threads all I seemingly intertwined。 。。。more
Shaun
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"The Sanatorium" didn't really work for me。 It had a great， atmospheric setting and premise， but there were just too many things that ultimately didn't work。 Something about the pacing just seemed off--it bounced back-and-forth between moving along and nothing really happening。 Character-development and motives weren't quite there， either。 In the end， it ended up being just OK。 I received an advance copy from the publisher， through NetGalley， in exchange for an honest review。 "The Sanatorium" didn't really work for me。 It had a great， atmospheric setting and premise， but there were just too many things that ultimately didn't work。 Something about the pacing just seemed off--it bounced back-and-forth between moving along and nothing really happening。 Character-development and motives weren't quite there， either。 In the end， it ended up being just OK。 I received an advance copy from the publisher， through NetGalley， in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Amy Louise
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Having heard so much buzz about The Sanatorium on Book Twitter， I was absolutely thrilled to be approved to read this debut by Netgalley UK – with it’s isolated setting， cold winter vibes， and chilling location， it sounded right up my street！As the novel opens， police detective Elin Warner is reluctantly making her way to Le Sommet， a recently opened and exclusive luxury hotel high in the Swiss Alps that has been controversially converted from an abandoned sanatorium。 With her architect boyfrien Having heard so much buzz about The Sanatorium on Book Twitter， I was absolutely thrilled to be approved to read this debut by Netgalley UK – with it’s isolated setting， cold winter vibes， and chilling location， it sounded right up my street！As the novel opens， police detective Elin Warner is reluctantly making her way to Le Sommet， a recently opened and exclusive luxury hotel high in the Swiss Alps that has been controversially converted from an abandoned sanatorium。 With her architect boyfriend Will in tow， Elin is hoping to reconnect with her estranged brother Issac and his fiancée， her childhood friend Laure。Suffering from PTSD as a result of her last case， Elin is hoping that meeting Issac again will allow her to put the ghosts of the past – and of some long-held childhood trauma – to rest。 Will， meanwhile， is hoping the break will allow Elin to focus on her future， rather than being stuck in her past。 But when the hotel is cut off by a snowstorm and Laure goes missing， it isn’t long before Elin and Will find themselves embroiled in the many mysteries that surround Le Sommet‘s past。 And then the first body is found…Intriguing isn’t it？ As you can probably tell， there’s quite a bit going on in The Sanatorium， with the novel mixing together elements of the traditional ‘country house’ mystery – isolated location， limited number of suspects， EVERYONE has something to hide – with those of a psychological thriller。Elin makes for a fantastic narrator in this respect as， owing to her PTSD and the emotional toll that repressing her childhood trauma is taking on her， she makes for an unreliable and deeply fallible main character。 Admittedly there were times when I did get somewhat frustrated by Elin – she has a tendency to switch from coolly efficient to emotionally incapable rather rapidly at times – but， for the most part， I found her to be a sympathetic character with understandable motivations and fears。The Sanitorium also drips atmosphere。 There are some fantastic descriptions that really allowed me to imagine the cold minimalism of Le Sommet‘s interiors and the glacial isolation of the snowy surroundings。 Sarah Pearse is also excellent at building dramatic tension and， whilst the book doesn’t quite manage to avoid some of the clichés of the thriller genre， all of the set pieces are pulled off with great aplomb and the novel definitely has that page-turning， can’t-stop-reading quality！Whilst Elin makes for an excellent narrator， I did have issues with the way some of the other characters and relationships are portrayed in The Sanatorium。 Will in particular is clearly meant to be the ‘nice guy’ but I found his behaviour – and his lack of patience and respect for Elin’s trauma – to be really problematic。 He has his redeeming moments but， on the whole， I didn’t feel that the subplot involving the state of Elin and Will’s relationship worked alongside the rest of the novel and I was disappointed that one of the key events later in the story seemed designed to guilt Elin into appreciating Will’s role in her life。I also found the character of Issac – Elin’s estranged brother – to be very difficult。 Aggressive， demanding and manipulative， Issac spends much of the novel high on the suspect list and I found it difficult to believe in the redemption he is given at the novel’s conclusions。 Whilst the subplot involving Elin， Issac and their shared childhood trauma was interesting， the conclusion to it felt somewhat tacked on and， again， like an excuse for Elin to revaluate Issac and excuse his poor behaviour。Given that Elin is such an interesting character， I would have liked to have seen her work through her PTSD and trauma on her own – and for her own reasons – rather than doing so through these relationships with the male figures in her life。 This was particularly disappointing to me because the main mystery of the novel centres around male degradation and abuse of women， with an interesting （and sadly all too believable） examination of the way in which ‘troublesome’ women were confined to sanatoria for often made-up reasons。 Given this element of the novel， there are trigger warnings for some graphic depictions of violence/bodily mutilation， mentions of sexual violence/rape， and discussions of psychosis/delusional psychosis， as well as significant representation of PTSD。This maybe makes it sound as if I didn’t enjoy The Sanatorium but that’s definitely not the case。 I enjoyed it for what it was – a pacy， atmospheric thriller that I raced through in a couple of evenings and had a good time with。 But as with many thrillers， you do have to suspend your disbelief a little to really immerse yourself in the story。 There’s definitely the occasional ‘that wouldn’t really happen’ moment， plus some slightly dodgy light-touch characterisation in places but if you just go along with the ride then this is an enjoyably atmospheric debut that takes place in a fantastic setting， poses an interesting mystery， and has that all important page-turning quality。NB: This review also appears on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks。wordpre。。。。 My thanks go to the publisher and to Netgalley UK for providing an ecopy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review。 。。。more
Daren Kearl
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Erin， a detective， is on leave after her last case nearly killed her。 She takes her partner， Will， to meet her brother at a new Swiss hotel where his fiancé works。 Erin and her brother， Isaac， have unresolved issues regarding the traumatic death of their young brother when they were children。The hotel is chic， minimalist and a renovated Sanatorium with a dark and sinister past。Staff begin to be adducted and murdered。 A snow storm and avalanche prevents outside rescue， so Erin reluctantly has to Erin， a detective， is on leave after her last case nearly killed her。 She takes her partner， Will， to meet her brother at a new Swiss hotel where his fiancé works。 Erin and her brother， Isaac， have unresolved issues regarding the traumatic death of their young brother when they were children。The hotel is chic， minimalist and a renovated Sanatorium with a dark and sinister past。Staff begin to be adducted and murdered。 A snow storm and avalanche prevents outside rescue， so Erin reluctantly has to step up to keep everyone safe。 The elements are all their for a tense， claustrophobic thriller but I found the resolution unsatisfying and， as even stated in the text， only made sense to the killer。 There was also an epilogue that， unless linking to an ongoing narrative， felt completely unnecessary。 Readers who enjoy similar snow-bound murder mysteries will， I am sure， find this an exciting page turner。 。。。more
Elli （Kindig Blog）
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I’ve always been fascinated by abandoned buildings， Urbexing is something I have always wanted to try but been too scared to make a reality！ The most beautiful and atmospheric of these are abandoned Sanatoriums - large and magnificent architectural masterpieces which have such a turbulent and troubled history。 Therefore the setting of The Sanatorium; an asylum which has been renovated to a chic hotel on the Swiss Alps really peaked my interest。 When murders start occurring and an avalanche cuts I’ve always been fascinated by abandoned buildings， Urbexing is something I have always wanted to try but been too scared to make a reality！ The most beautiful and atmospheric of these are abandoned Sanatoriums - large and magnificent architectural masterpieces which have such a turbulent and troubled history。 Therefore the setting of The Sanatorium; an asylum which has been renovated to a chic hotel on the Swiss Alps really peaked my interest。 When murders start occurring and an avalanche cuts the hotel off from civilisation， Elin Warner， a detective on a career break after a disturbing case finds herself in charge。There is much to like about The Sanatorium， and this doesn’t just extend to the brilliant setting of the book。 The crimes themselves are creepy， with the assailant wearing a black， rubber gas mask with a hose connecting the mouth and nose。 This imagery stuck with me and is so creepy when reading after dark！ I also really enjoyed the characters – particularly Elin who has a lot of previous trauma， claustrophobia and commitment issues which are explored throughout。 Although she is a detective it was nice to have someone with flaws and personal issues to overcome and it never felt cliché like it has in previous crime fiction stories I have read。 I also liked that you never really trusted anyone in the book – they all felt well-rounded and realistic but your guard was up the whole way through and there were plenty of red herrings to confuse you。 My only criticism would be the end few chapters – I didn’t understand the reveal twist at the end and don’t think it added much to the story – is it trying to set up a second book perhaps？ The epilogue was nice to wrap things up but again didn’t really feel needed – it just summed up everything we already knew。Overall， The Sanatorium is an atmospheric and creepy read which kept me hooked trhoughout。 Thank you to NetGalley & Random House UK & Transworld Publishers – Bantam Press for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review。For more of my reviews check out www。kindig。co。uk 。。。more
Claire
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This new trend of setting suspense novels in snowed in resorts really works。 Elin has some issues。 She's been suppressing a younger brother's death and the fragments of the memory she does have makes her believe her older brother had something to do with it。 She goes to his engagement party on the Swiss Alps。 After an avalanche cuts them off from the main road， a body is discovered。This is a good suspense novel。 There was a time when I thought I knew the killer but then they were killed。 The set This new trend of setting suspense novels in snowed in resorts really works。 Elin has some issues。 She's been suppressing a younger brother's death and the fragments of the memory she does have makes her believe her older brother had something to do with it。 She goes to his engagement party on the Swiss Alps。 After an avalanche cuts them off from the main road， a body is discovered。This is a good suspense novel。 There was a time when I thought I knew the killer but then they were killed。 The setting is cold and disturbing。 But who thought an abandoned mental institution would be a good place to relax？ I didn't like that I was supposed to think the deaths were deserved。This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review。 。。。more
Mary
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This is a brilliantly atmospheric and decidedly creepy thriller set in a remote and snow bound hotel in the Swiss Alps。 An old， disused tuberculosis sanatorium has been developed into the very exclusive Le Sommet and， from the outset， the description creates an unsettling and menacing building with its displays of old medical equipment。Elin， a UK police officer， suffering a crisis of confidence after an incident at work， and her boyfriend， Will， arrive at the hotel to celebrate her bother Isaac' This is a brilliantly atmospheric and decidedly creepy thriller set in a remote and snow bound hotel in the Swiss Alps。 An old， disused tuberculosis sanatorium has been developed into the very exclusive Le Sommet and， from the outset， the description creates an unsettling and menacing building with its displays of old medical equipment。Elin， a UK police officer， suffering a crisis of confidence after an incident at work， and her boyfriend， Will， arrive at the hotel to celebrate her bother Isaac's engagement to Laure， who is the assistant manager。 Immediately， Elin feels a sense of intimidation。 Laure goes missing and another body is discovered; with the hotel cut-off from the outside world， Elin starts an investigation， and the body count begins to rise。 The characters are well drawn and they all seem to have motives and secrets。 The atmosphere is really claustrophobic and the depiction of the weather， the snow and the storm heightens the tension。 There is a fast moving plot with quite a few twists。 The sub-plot regarding the relationship between Elin and her brother adds an interesting second layer to the novel。 I found this a hard book to put down。Thank you to NetGalley and Randon House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Melanie’s reads
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With crisp fresh snow laying thickly on the ground I picked up a book that would chill me to the bone more than the arrival of the beast from the east。 Even with my heating set to core of volcano the goosebumps never left me as strange copper bracelets are found and masked strangers appear from nowhere and people go missing。 Not just any mask either， gas masks with a monstrous looking thick rubber hose from nose to mouth。The chilling setting of an old sanatorium， difficult to get to and isolated With crisp fresh snow laying thickly on the ground I picked up a book that would chill me to the bone more than the arrival of the beast from the east。 Even with my heating set to core of volcano the goosebumps never left me as strange copper bracelets are found and masked strangers appear from nowhere and people go missing。 Not just any mask either， gas masks with a monstrous looking thick rubber hose from nose to mouth。The chilling setting of an old sanatorium， difficult to get to and isolated to keep the tuberculosis patients away from the smog of the city， seems a strange choice to turn into a luxury hotel。 So when Elin arrives with her partner Will to celebrate her brother’s engagement， after an anxious journey， the tension was thicker than any smog。The author cleverly alludes to past family issues and another brother but I couldn’t quite work out if the anxious Elin was a completely reliable source。 In fact I didn’t trust her brother Isaac either。 Considering his fiancée Laure then goes missing my suspicions were aroused to almost everyone and motives become apparent for both staff and guests alike at the luxury hotel。This is paced slowly to draw out the anxiety and to let the setting creep under your skin， but not once did it feel slow to read。 Kudos to the author for using both the prologue and epilogue with such aplomb too。The characters and plot had an Agatha Christie feel of an old fashioned mystery but like the hotel it has had a modern revamp and Elin is no Miss Marple。A perfect read for a cold winter night I recommend blankets and hot chocolate to keep away the chill and the heebie jeebies。 。。。more
Jay Dwight
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A chilling thriller that never lets you get settled to a point where you feel you know what’s coming。 An ex-sanitorium has been re-developed into a luxury resort high in the Swiss mountains。 An avalanche strands a number of staff and guests – and missing people and bodies start to mount up。 An impressive debut from an author I’ll be keen to read more of。
Steven
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During the late 1800s and early 1900s， the medical community opened a new type of institution: the sanatorium。 Designed to be a place where tuberculosis patients could receive treatment for their illness， these care facilities were usually built in high altitude locations in order to provide the freshest of air， as at the time， that cold and fresh air was believed to be the best treatment for diseases of the lung。 They offered nutrition， sunlight， peaceful rest， and cool， crisp mountain air as t During the late 1800s and early 1900s， the medical community opened a new type of institution: the sanatorium。 Designed to be a place where tuberculosis patients could receive treatment for their illness， these care facilities were usually built in high altitude locations in order to provide the freshest of air， as at the time， that cold and fresh air was believed to be the best treatment for diseases of the lung。 They offered nutrition， sunlight， peaceful rest， and cool， crisp mountain air as the ideal course to help patients heal。 Having a beautiful and cold mountain region that fit these criteria perfect， Switzerland was home to many of these sanatoriums。 This was， of course， before the discovery of antibiotics， which provided an actual cure for tuberculosis and other diseases。 After this breakthrough， these places either shut down or were repurposed for other uses。 Unfortunately， sometimes these places also have sordid histories…Sarah Pearse’s debut novel takes one of these treatment facilities and gives it new life。 Architects Lucas Caron and Daniel Lemaitre took an old sanatorium and turned it into a hotel， redesigning this place of illness and suffering into a top of the line luxury resort， tucked deep into the mountains of Switzerland。 Main character Elin Warner and her boyfriend Will are headed there to celebrate the engagement of her brother Isaac to their childhood friend， Laure。 Alas， someone has other plans for the hotel guests and as winter storms cut them off from the rest of the world， a murderer’s plot unfolds。 What the killer doesn’t know is that， even though she’s on leave， Elin just so happens to be a detective， and she’s thrust into a thrilling hunt for a clever killer。I love a good mystery thriller， especially one set in a locale that’s cut off from the rest of the world， where one （or a few） characters have to use the limited resources they have to solve the case。 This book reminded me of some of my favorite stories， with elements reminiscent of The Shining， one of my absolute favorite horror novels and also set in a snow-isolated hotel with a sordid history; of Agatha Christie， a Master of mystery and the Queen of devious plotting with a limited cast of suspects; of the masterpiece PlayStation 4 game “Until Dawn，” in which a group of friends go to a remote cabin lodge that just so happens to have creepy mines and an abandoned sanatorium nearby - and of course， a fantastic， deliciously horrifying storyline。The Sanatorium was a superbly written amalgam of the aspects I loved best about these stories， minus the paranormal， of course。 It’s hard to believe that this is Pearse’s debut novel， as it reads as if it were written by a seasoned author。 While I did suspect the killer early on， my theories as to why and how were way off base， and there were some twists and turns that knocked my suppositions off their feet。 I love when a mystery author can find new ways to shock and confuse， and Pearse definitely had me second-guessing myself the whole way through。All in all， highly recommended read for those who love mystery， thriller， and almost-horror suspense novels。Thanks to Netgalley and the Penguin Group/Pamela Dorman Books for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review。Originally posted at mysteryandsuspense。com 。。。more
Maria
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Only thinking about Sanatoriums makes me distrust any type of story or creation， they are not happy places， they haven’t been happy places and they will never be。 So， an architect who created his “masterpiece” on a sanatorium， trying to make it a museum while you are walking the corridors it’s scary and disrespectful。 Having said this， I think that this is one of the points of the author， make us remember how people suffered at the hands of their doctors while they sell it for the good of humani Only thinking about Sanatoriums makes me distrust any type of story or creation， they are not happy places， they haven’t been happy places and they will never be。 So， an architect who created his “masterpiece” on a sanatorium， trying to make it a museum while you are walking the corridors it’s scary and disrespectful。 Having said this， I think that this is one of the points of the author， make us remember how people suffered at the hands of their doctors while they sell it for the good of humanity， but never forget how evil was what they did。This is the story of Elin， she is meeting her brother in a new hotel using the structure of an old sanatorium， they are not on good terms and the distrust between them is touchable all the time。 But there’s another plot combined with it， the disappearance of some of the workers at the hotel， while there’s a snow blizzard approaching the hotel making all the hosts trapped in the building。 Ready to be a little bit scared？This had been a slow paced story， I would have rushed the plot， it was good to have all the emotions flying in the reader’s mind while the action is evolving。 While I really enjoyed the read， I missed a little bit of the background of the patients of the sanatorium， there’s little detail and too quickly wrapped for my taste。 I was intrigued with Elin， she seems to have a very interesting background with PTSD and being a police officer， but I would love to know more and more focus on her。 Maybe we will see another case where she is the main detective？ Fingers crossed！This is an atmospheric read， full of twists and hunting situations; if you want to be afraid of the dark for a few days， this is your next read， believe me。Ready to enter “The Sanatorium”？ 。。。more
Linda
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I have been in one of my reading funks lately。 Everything I have picked up I only make it through a few chapters， then place it aside。 I hate it when I get that way and this time has been surprisingly long。 Maybe it's everything that is happening in the world today and I just can't concentrate but this book broke the ice for me。 I actually read it through to the very end and found the spark I thought I had lost。A fancy new hotel constructed on the site of an old tuberculosis sanatorium high in t I have been in one of my reading funks lately。 Everything I have picked up I only make it through a few chapters， then place it aside。 I hate it when I get that way and this time has been surprisingly long。 Maybe it's everything that is happening in the world today and I just can't concentrate but this book broke the ice for me。 I actually read it through to the very end and found the spark I thought I had lost。A fancy new hotel constructed on the site of an old tuberculosis sanatorium high in the Alps; a raging snowstorm stranding some of the guests; a emotionally scarred police detective trying to achieve her previous life and abilities----what could possible go wrong？Secrets， betrayals， misconceptions will all combine as the raging blizzard to force Elin into a world she thought she had left behind， but had never left her。 She will question， doubt and even berate herself but the truth will win out and redemption is not such an unachievable goal。If I have any criticism I felt the book was too long， some things could be condensed and since this was an ARC that is to be expected。 Oh， did I mention the ending？ I hope there is a sequel。 。。。more
Leonie Hinch
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Thank you to Netgalley， Random House and Sarah Pearse for my arc of The Sanatorium in exchange for an honest review。 Published: 18th February 2021 Elin and Will are looking forward to a holiday together after a tough year。 Will sees it as a chance to cement their relationship after Elin has kept him at arms length for the past 2 years， while Elin is hoping it will help her to heal after a terrible case in her job as a DS in the police force has left her with PTSD。 Not to mention her mum dying af Thank you to Netgalley， Random House and Sarah Pearse for my arc of The Sanatorium in exchange for an honest review。 Published: 18th February 2021 Elin and Will are looking forward to a holiday together after a tough year。 Will sees it as a chance to cement their relationship after Elin has kept him at arms length for the past 2 years， while Elin is hoping it will help her to heal after a terrible case in her job as a DS in the police force has left her with PTSD。 Not to mention her mum dying after a long illness in which Elin alone had to care for her。 Now they've been invited by her brother Isaac to celebrate his engagement to Laure at a fancy Swiss hotel Le Sommet which used to be a sanatorium。 But the hotel is shrouded in mystery and danger and as a freak snow storm arrives with risk of avalanche the body count starts mounting up and Elin finds herself having to use her rusty detective skills in order to survive。 I would give this book 3。5 stars overall。 The creepy atmosphere was incredibly well done it was chilling， spine tingling stuff that really got me spooked and it takes a really good writer to be able to create that sort of atmosphere。 Overall the book was well written， the concept was interesting and the pace moved fast meaning I finished it in one day。 It only loses 1。5 stars because there were a few loose ends that didn't ever tie up or get explored as if the author had originally planned one idea and then changed her mind but forgot to correct the earlier threads。 The main character was also hard to bond with it was as if she treated the reader in the same way as she did other people， and the result was you could never get close enough to her to feel sympathy or comradeship with her。 I think that the overall premise was really good and it explored some fascinating concepts relating to the sanatorium and mental health but it never really delivered on them。 I'd definitely be interested to read more books by this author and see how she continues to develop as a writer。 Spoilers The questions I felt went unanswered。。。 Why did Laure push Elin into the plunge pool？ Why did Laure and Adele fall out？ Who was the person at the end watching Elin？ Is there going to be a second book it's been left kind of ambiguous 。。。more
Jaffareadstoo
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High in the Swiss Alps a new minimalist hotel opens， however， it is not without controversy， as Le Sommet sits on the footprint of what was once a rather grim sanatorium for people with tuberculosis。 Local opposition runs high and there are those who would rather the hotel just didn’t exist。Police Detective， Elin Warner and her partner， Will Riley， have been invited to the hotel to celebrate Elin’s brother’s engagement to Laure who is the assistant manger of the hotel。 Emotions run high especial High in the Swiss Alps a new minimalist hotel opens， however， it is not without controversy， as Le Sommet sits on the footprint of what was once a rather grim sanatorium for people with tuberculosis。 Local opposition runs high and there are those who would rather the hotel just didn’t exist。Police Detective， Elin Warner and her partner， Will Riley， have been invited to the hotel to celebrate Elin’s brother’s engagement to Laure who is the assistant manger of the hotel。 Emotions run high especially for Elin who is currently on extended sick leave with PTSD。 When Laure goes missing， leaving no clues to her disappearance， Elin needs to draw on all her emotional， and professional， strength to try to figure out just what is going on at Le Sommet。What then follows is a decidedly chilly story which has all the necessary elements of surprise needed for a thrilling whodunnit。 The icy setting， against a snowy backdrop heightens the claustrophobic nature of the story and as Elin gets drawn deeper into the investigation， so her own insecurities start to come to the fore。Right from the start there is an undercurrent of unease， which surrounds， not just the hotel， but also the people associated with it and when atrocious weather causes some guests and staff to be stranded at Le Sommet this creepy sense of unrest is made so much worse when a gruesome discovery is made。The claustrophobic nature of being high in the Swiss Alps in a creepy and isolated hotel in the middle of a swirling snowstorm and with so many people staying at the hotel who have hidden agendas then you have all the right ingredients for a decidedly chilly and very atmospheric read。The Sanatorium is a commendable debut by a talented new voice in the psychological thriller/crime fiction genre。 。。。more
S。 Smith
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The star of this debut thriller is its atmospheric setting in a remote area of the Swiss Alps。 The author convincingly creates the stark， chilly beauty of the mountainous region， as well as the upscale ambience of a luxury hotel that has opened for business despite its haunted past as a mysterious medical retreat and its location where a more recent， still-unsolved disappearance occurred。 When an avalanche isolates the hotel， trapping staff and guests who could not evacuate in time， bodies begin The star of this debut thriller is its atmospheric setting in a remote area of the Swiss Alps。 The author convincingly creates the stark， chilly beauty of the mountainous region， as well as the upscale ambience of a luxury hotel that has opened for business despite its haunted past as a mysterious medical retreat and its location where a more recent， still-unsolved disappearance occurred。 When an avalanche isolates the hotel， trapping staff and guests who could not evacuate in time， bodies begin to pile up。 The only person on hand to investigate is a troubled British female police detective whose suspicions include doubts about those closest to her。 Although the plot sometimes sacrifices suspense for melodrama， the book provides enough page-turning events for satisfying light reading。 Thanks to the publisher for supplying an advance reading copy via NetGalley。 。。。more
Jen
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Who’s in the mood for a good-old murder mystery？ You’re in luck。 The Sanatorium plays by the rules to give us a high-octane thriller that will make you think twice about booking a trip to an isolated hotel in the mountains…This story is guaranteed escapism， which is （I think we can all agree） very much a requirement from reading at the moment。An exclusive hotel in the Swiss Alps provides us with our isolated setting （which gave me The Shining vibes）。 It used to be a tuberculosis sanatorium – art Who’s in the mood for a good-old murder mystery？ You’re in luck。 The Sanatorium plays by the rules to give us a high-octane thriller that will make you think twice about booking a trip to an isolated hotel in the mountains…This story is guaranteed escapism， which is （I think we can all agree） very much a requirement from reading at the moment。An exclusive hotel in the Swiss Alps provides us with our isolated setting （which gave me The Shining vibes）。 It used to be a tuberculosis sanatorium – artefacts from its medical days are now displayed in expensive cabinets in the hotel。 As a nod to its past and also， it turns out， its present。Elin and her boyfriend Will are invited to the hotel for her brother Issac’s engagement party。 She has a strained relationship with Issac so is reluctant to go。 However， she is currently on a sabbatical from her job as a police detective due to her traumatic experience during a case。She decides a break will do her good。 She was mistaken。 Issac’s fiancée， Laure disappears and a hotel worker is discovered murdered in very suspicious circumstances – including being clad in a terrifying gas mask （relics from the days of the sanatorium）。 Just who is tying the past and present together and killing people while they’re at it？To add to the repressive atmosphere a huge storm engulfs the hotel， causing an avalanche。 The police can’t get through and time is running out so Elin has to step up and find out who the murderer is。There was a nod to the queen of murder mystery – Agatha Christie， when Elin writes a list of clues and what she knows， which I did enjoy。An adrenaline filled page turner， if you’re looking for a clever little murder mystery that’s an engrossing slice of escapism， pay a visit to The Sanatorium。 。。。more
Jayme
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Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for the ARC of The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearce。 I enjoy reading locked room mysteries and this one fit the bill！I was immediately drawn into the premise of this atmospheric thriller。 A grand hotel is built on the site of an old sanatorium in the Swiss Alps。 Elin and her boyfriend Will are meeting her estranged brother， Isaac to celebrate his engagement。 Elin hasn’t seen her brother in many years and is nervous to reunite。 When a snow storm blows in Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for the ARC of The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearce。 I enjoy reading locked room mysteries and this one fit the bill！I was immediately drawn into the premise of this atmospheric thriller。 A grand hotel is built on the site of an old sanatorium in the Swiss Alps。 Elin and her boyfriend Will are meeting her estranged brother， Isaac to celebrate his engagement。 Elin hasn’t seen her brother in many years and is nervous to reunite。 When a snow storm blows in and an avalanches strikes， the guests are locked into the hotel。 But there is more！ Isaac’s fiancé turns up missing and a serial killer is on the loose！ The guests soon learn that they are in danger。 When people begin to turn up dead， Elin is forced to confront her fears and take over as the detective on the scene。 However， she has been on leave from her job， and is questioning her capability。 Will she figure out who the murderer is before they kill again？This thriller really hooked me from the start。 The short chapters， fast moving plot and sense of isolation all contribute to the sense of foreboding at the hotel。 The extreme weather conditions also reinforce the the characters’ inability to escape their dangerous situation。 The serial killer’s signature staging of the victims led me to believe his/her connection to the victims was personal and related to the history of the sanatorium/hotel， which it mostly was。 There were a few twists that seemed out of left field and others that were too predictable。 In the end， while I enjoyed the lead up to reveal， I was left feeling somewhat disappointed。 This book had a lot of promise for a creepy ending， but it just didn’t deliver。 3/5 stars 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Sanatorium: A Novel
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Sanatorium: A Novel&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft