The building is giving the whole story a new meaning as it’s part of the story and creepiness . This was atmospheric psychological story. I didn’t like Elin at the beginning but I can see there is back story that the writer is alluded to . Elin is very complicated character with a lot of past issues and anxiety that hindering her , she came to The Sanatorium for her brother engagement but also to ask him something in the past.

Very interesting background and the snow storm and all the interesting things. It’s like layered story that you need to take your time to read it , as I am used to speeding thriller ones so it’s difficult at the beginning. The backdrop of the mountains and the building also the murders this was well thought and structured book .
It was different to other books that I read but it was worth every minute .

I had really high hopes for this novel, and I loved the chilly Alpine setting and the mysterious event right at the very start of the novel.

Sadly, though, I really didn't like the main character, Elin, and I found the dialogue and actions of the main characters to be unrealistic. The mystery element is good however, and the ending will definitely divide readers!

In theory, this is exactly the type of book that I love to read- a group of characters shut away in a building, in this case an exclusive hotel which has been converted from a sanatorium, and unable to escape- cue an avalanche.
The story had some interesting features, and I would have loved more information about the hotel’s past and for that storyline to have been developed more and earlier on in the novel.
There are plenty of twists but I wasn’t surprised by the reveal, and not totally convinced by it. The characters are not particularly likeable, not that that’s always a major issue, but I wanted to shake Elin, and explain some basic safety procedures to her!
A great concept, but overall it just didn’t work for me - and I’m still trying to understand the final few paragraphs of the novel, in spite of rereading them several times!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. It has been published in February 2021.

"The Sanatorium" by Sarah Pearse is a high-concept thriller that ends up not delivering on the promises made in the blurb.
The pace is too slow: the setting of the stage and introduction of the characters goes on and on, lingering so long on the protagonist's past baggage that it becomes repetitive. The actual story takes forever to get started, and even after the main plot has been set in motion, the characters spend more time talking than actually doing things.
The writing style is wordy. The "show, don't tell" rule is seldom applied. The major plot points are repetitive. Overall, it couldn't keep me entertained.
As for the characters, they're so one-dimensional that I couldn't connect to any of them. I usually enjoy a flawed protagonist, but Elin was just too much of a cry-baby to be really relatable: she spends more time whining and self-pitying than doing anything else.
The motivations of the characters are simply ridiculous. No real person would behave the way they do.
To top it all off, the epilogue doesn't fit with anything that came before. I guess it's supposed to be a cliffhanger in case this novel becomes the first instalment of a series, but... count me out!

Good read but definitely over hyped.

Its a quick, fun, interesting read, without much depth to it. If you love a detective novel (particularly a detective gone rogue) which this is, you probably won't like this. More of a fun poolside read.

That however doesn't make it bad - the murder mystery side of the book is epic, everytime you think you work it out whodunnit (mostly the book telling you who to think it is) it suggests its someone else, this format is repeated a few times.

Most exciting part of the book is the epilogue- which 100% makes me want to read the next one.

If you enjoy a light read, with a bit of crime, a lot of drama and a few complicated relationships you'll like this.

The setting was fantastic: a writer who truly understands the dangers of the mountain and manages to recreate that feeling of isolation and menace perfectly. A lot of witty observations about the Swiss and the chi-chi hotel industry too. Not quite sure that the characters behaved in very believable ways, and the motivations behind the murders felt rather improbable. But it was a fun, quick read.

The setting for this book was written beautifully, very atmospheric and gave me a chill through out. The characters were hard to like, brother and sister dealing with past history had a lot going on however I just could not warm to them. I loved the fact this book was set in an old sanatorium, made into a luxury hotel, it gave the book a rich story, it was just the characters likeability that let it down for me

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

An interesting tale with two pairs of siblings dealing with past and present conflict plus murders galore. I enjoyed it but I have lots of questions about Isaac and Laure that weren’t quite addressed for me.

Thankyou to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. With The Sanitorium it was very atmospheric, the atmosphere was created brilliantly but i did want more from the overall story. At times i felt like it tried just a little too hard. The characters were unlikable so i could not get invested in what i was reading. An ok crime read overall.

What a chilling opening!! Not only am I thrown into a seriously snowy backdrop, but the atmosphere that I was drawn into instantly gave me goosebumps that didn’t seem to shift for the rest of the book!

The celebration of an engagement should be a happy affair but the relations between Elin and brother Isaac are as cool as the temperature outside the magnificent hotel they are reunited in. But when Isaac’s fiancée disappears, the tension between the siblings intensifies.

Pearse has crafted a sinister book not only in narrative but with the icy backdrop of the Swiss alpines. The locale is perfect for this chill of a read. This is such an addictive read. I felt chilled to the bone as the story played out before me. I wasn’t sure who Elin could trust, even her own brother or boyfriend. Everyone, for me, was a suspect!

This yet another cracking debut for 2021 which gives me hope that there are so many more blinding debuts to appear over the next 10 months!

The old Sanatorium is being turned into an upmarket hotel but theres some backlash against it. Elin and her boyfriend are some of the first guests visiting her brother who works there. They soon find themselves embroiled in a murder when her brother's girlfriend goes missing and then a maid is found dead but what is going on and is it connected to the past?

This was an interesting story and the setting gave me chills like i got when reading the Shining. The plot however didn't quite live up to its atmosphere. The mystery wasn't quite as exciting as I would have liked, I guessed the idenitity of the killer but not all the reasons. I think my main problem was the characters, none of them are very likeable not even Elin. I wanted to like her but just couldn't quite get there. Her own story had the potential to be bigger and more dramatic but it was lost. I wanted the truth to be a little more on her. The writing is well done and the atmosphere is so well developed and creepy. A good read if you like a book with unlikeable characters.

There’s something about a locked room mystery that I just love — especially when it comes to the people getting snowed in in some currently-creepy or used-to-be-creepy setting.

I particularly loved the chilling and claustrophobic setting, which had my nerves shredded by the end of the book.

Given the ending, I’m hoping there may be more Elin in the future — although, that would also be a whole lot of misfortune for one person.

My biggest regret about the book was the time I finished it, because there were a few nightmares afterwards.

I wanted to enjoy this, as it has a fascinating premise and setting: a lock,ed room mystery set in a massive snowstorm in the Swiss Alps, in an old tuberculosis sanatorium. Unfortunately there wasn't enough to keep me engaged: the horror tropes felt forced, and the mystery remained inscrutable throughout: very few clues or opportunities for the reader to guess - just more questions.

The setting is beautifully rendered however, and I believe others would enjoy this, it's just not for mem

I don’t read many books in this genre, and I have to say that I’m glad that I read this book. There have only been a handful of books in this genre that I have not been able to work out the ending and this s one of them. The story had me gripped. It was so atmospheric, it almost reminded me of the film “The Shining” with Jack Nicholson by Stephen King. However to me this book was far better. I felt as though I was there with them trapped at the top of a mountain.With others and wondering who the killer is and who will be their next victim.

Elin Warner and her boyfriend Will have been invited to an isolated hotel in the Swiss Alps to celebrate her estranged brother Isaac’s engagement to an old family friend Laure. Who works at the remote hotel.

When Elin and Will arrive at the remote hotel Le Sommet. She feels uneasy about how remote they really are especially with a bad storm on the horizon, and how exposed they are to the elements. But she’s not sure if her feeling of unease are down to the hotels sinister passed as a sanatorium or about meeting her brother again.

Elin didn’t feel any better about the hotel when she entered it. As the architect (who went missing under mysterious circumstances) had tried to keep clinical look and feel of the hotels past. Along with exhibits dotted around the place as gruesome reminders. One of the exhibits is a strange kind of gas mask that was used to help TB sufferers.

While Elin is there she hopes that she’ll gat a chance to address some of the issues behind their younger brothers death. As things have never been the same between Elin and Isaac ever since. Along with these issues Elin is on an extended break from work as a detective after a case she was working on didn’t end well.

When Laure, Isaac’s fiancée goes missing Elin automatically goes into her detective role by interviewing Isaac, her work colleagues and the owners of the hotel. All the while the storm outside rages meaning that they have to start evacuating the hotel.

Just as Elin and Will are about to be evacuated Isaac askes her to stay, she agrees. When a body of a woman is found at the bottom of the hot outdoor pool. Isaac jumps in thinking its Laure, but it turns out to be a female member of staff.

They contact the local police, but there has been an avalanche meaning that there wont be any help coming and that they are truly on their own. Will Elin find out who the murderer is before another body turns up and will she find out what has happened to Laure?

I’ve been a little late to the party with this thriller set in the Swiss Alps which left me feeling chilled and genuinely claustrophobic. Elin’s brother Isaac invites her to celebrate his engagement to girlfriend Laure at a luxury hotel in Switzerland. The newly renovated hotel is Laure’s workplace and has a complicated history as a sanatorium. An architectural triumph for the owner Lucas ? the hotel was once a sanatorium for people with tuberculosis. Locals objected strongly to the project due to its position and liability to become cut off by avalanches, but there is also some disquiet about its history and the appropriateness of its new use. Elin and Isaac have a strained relationship, dating back to the accidental death of their little brother when they were children. However, she has been looking forward to showing her architect boyfriend Will around the hotel. Will is looking forward to relaxing with Elin after a tough year including her long sabbatical from work as a police officer. Elin is a detective, but isn’t currently working after an incident lead to her suffering flashbacks, panic attacks and other symptoms of PTSD. Can Will and Elin relax and enjoy their break, or will echoes of the past get in the way?


The author creates a edgy atmosphere immediately. We know that the hotel is an architectural triumph for the owner Lucas ? but locals objected strongly to the project. This was due to its position and liability to become cut off by avalanches, but there is also some disquiet about its history and the appropriateness of its new use. Added to this, Lucas’s business partner Daniel disappeared as the hotel opened, thought to be swallowed up by an avalanche while taking his morning exercise. It’s remoteness is immediately apparent and I loved the way the author situates the hotel in its surroundings. Guests can gaze directly out into the woodland and mountains, however once the night falls and the lights are on, the hotel must be visible for miles. Guests can’t see out, but anyone could be looking in. The decor isn’t plush and ornate like a lot of hotels, the decor hints at the hotel’s past by looking like a luxury monk’s cell. There is nothing superfluous or showy about the bedrooms. There are also little glass display boxes where artefacts from the hotel’s archive are put on show. Elin doesn’t know whether they’re trying to honour the past in a respectful way or whether they’re distasteful. There’s a real sense of the cold from outside, but also in the hotel’s decor. There’s nothing cozy or welcoming to offset the harsh weather.

It’s not just the venue, the visit is shrouded in secrets. Elin hasn’t told her brother that she’s taking a break from the police force. She also hasn’t told her partner Will about her previous friendship with Laure. Although it soon becomes clear that she’s not the only one keeping secrets, her silence on certain subjects made me doubt her as a narrator so it was an edgy reading experience. The venue seems to have tension built into its very foundations and I felt very early on that something evil had happened there. Whatever happened, it left an energy that rubs off on the staff and guests. The claustrophobic theme builds, because the author constructs layers within the narrative. There is the history of people literally struggling to breathe within the walls of the hotel. Then there are Elin’s panic attacks, intensified by the scene where she is pushed into the plunge pool at the spa and struggled to force her way back to the surface. In flashbacks we learn of the tragic day at the beach when Isaac and Elin’s brother died, it’s there simmering in the background and even Elin doesn’t seem to know the truth of what happened. There’s the remote location, and the constant threat of avalanche. The author allows the feeling to build to moments of pure terror as an unknown assailant attacks someone, while wearing a black rubber mask that makes a strange sucking and whistling noise. There were moments where I literally had to close the book and have a break with a cuppa!

There are a series of questions within the book, so there are a series of answers we’re chasing towards the end of the novel. Will we discover the truth of what happened when the hotel was Sanatorium du Plumachit? Will we find out what truly happened on the beach between Elin and her brothers? Who is behind the attacks at the hotel and what is their motive? The author has created a mystery that’s like a set of Russian dolls moving from the now to past events still having a devastating effect on the here and now. With the strange souvenirs left by the killer in glass boxes, like the exhibits from the archive, there must be a link. I read the last few chapters in one go, because I simply had to know what was going on. There was a definite disregard for the next day that night as I was up till 3am racing through the revelations. I thought this was a brilliant thriller, full of atmosphere and with some genuine scares along the way. I absolutely loved it and would recommend it very highly.

I wanted to love this, but sadly, didn't live up to expectation. The characters felt very flat, I wasn't especially interested in Elin, and a lot of the 'twists' felt contrived and unconnected. The setting was great, the story itself and the motivation for these grotesque killings felt incredibly far-fetched.

This was a thrilling read that utilised the setting beautifully to add tension and intrigue.

This is a story about Elin Warner, a police officer who has suffered from a crisis of confidence and has taken extended leave from her job. She has been invited to the engagement part of her brother in a newly opened hotel set high in the resort of Crans-Montana in the Swiss Alps. The hotel is a building with a history, and its stark modernisation and reopening as a hotel has met with considerable local resistance.

Nothing is what it seems. Elin and her brother, Isaac, have history. As do Erin and Isaac's fiancee, Laure - peculiarly, Elin has forgotten to mention this to her boyfriend, Will, who has accompanied her on the visit. As a storm sweeps in and guests and staff disappear, only to turn up murdered...the book takes a sinister turn. Elin becomes the 'officer' in charge of investigation due to the isolated location and the storm preventing local law enforcement from attending the scene of the crime.

This book has some fabulous twists and turns and it is very difficult to work out who Elin can trust. Every piece of evidence leads to someone else's lie. The swirling snow and the stark architecture enhance a dizzying feel of not quite knowing which way to turn next.

I enjoyed the read, though felt that the resolution was a little forced and unconvincing, but this is a novel that has so much to give, I would recommend this as a read if you are a fan of thrillers.

From a genre point of view this is obviously a psychological thriller and it touches enough of the classic issues to make it fit that image: a heroine with a troubled past; an unusual location with its own historic problems; an enforced isolation; a psychopathic killer with an unknown motivation.
As a 12 year old Elin had been traumatised by the death of her 8 year old brother while dipping in rock pools with their other sibling Isaac, aged 10. Her memory, constantly appearing in flashbacks in her mind, is that Isaac had killed Sam and she had failed to save him. Twenty or so years later as a Detective Sergeant in pursuit of a murderer she was nearly drowned and is now on extended leave, haunted by panic attacks. Isaac is getting engaged to a childhood friend of theirs and has invited to Elin and her husband Will to an engagement party at brand new hotel high in the Swiss mountains. He perhaps hopes that this might help to release the tensions which have existed between him and his sister since Sam’s death.
In a previous life, the hotel had been a Sanitorium for the treatment of TB patients and has been converted and restored under the guidance of a famous architect, who mysteriously disappeared after the completion. It is owned and run by a Swiss brother and sister between whom there is some tension but nothing of great note. Locally, however, there have been protests over the creation of the hotel and its effect on the environment, and threats against the building and the owners. Some of the décor alludes to its previous function and Elin particularly is made uneasy by these.
A major storm is approaching, evacuation has begun, but then an avalanche wipes out the only road, leaving the main characters and a number of others trapped. And then people start to be murdered. With the reluctant approval of the local police, Elin uses her training to collective evidence, preserve crime scenes and try to identify the killer or killers, while images of Sam’s death and her near drowning constantly precipitate panic and her sense of inadequacy.
The book is well written with a sound plot structure, and the murder scenes are well described and fairly bloody, for those who like that sort of detail. A few sequences are less strong, particularly the denouement which doesn’t flow as well as it could. The final solution is believable in the sense that it explains the background to the killer(s)’s motivation and is historically sound.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

i had some minor difficulties to really get into the story. But then, after a few pages, I couldn't stop reading. The setting was so creepy and the suspense had me on edge. Well written, with real life characters, this felt almost too real. Amazing book, highly recommended!

EXCERPT: She closes her eyes and hears echoed threats.

'Only babies tell, and you're a baby.'

'Tell tell tit, your tongue will split.'

Her head is throbbing.

'Do that again and I'll kill you.'

ABOUT 'THE SANITORIUM':
EVERYONE'S IN DANGER. ANYONE COULD BE NEXT.

An imposing, isolated hotel, high up in the Swiss Alps, is the last place Elin Warner wants to be. But she's taken time off from her job as a detective, so when she receives an invitation out of the blue to celebrate her estranged brother's recent engagement, she has no choice but to accept.

Arriving in the midst of a threatening storm, Elin immediately feels on edge. Though it's beautiful, something about the hotel, recently converted from an abandoned sanatorium, makes her nervous - as does her brother, Isaac.

And when they wake the following morning to discover his fiancée Laure has vanished without a trace, Elin's unease grows. With the storm cutting off access to and from the hotel, the longer Laure stays missing, the more the remaining guests start to panic.

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're all in . . .

MY THOUGHTS: An exciting read that left me breathless. It is spine-tingling and raised those little hairs on the back of my neck in places.

The Sanitorium is a stunning debut novel by Sarah Pearse that cleverly leaves the way open for a sequel. I can't wait!

It is an atmospheric, chilling, twisty read set during a blizzard in a hotel in the Swiss Alps. A modern locked room mystery that incorporates horrific historic murders with the present day ones. The setting is creepy in a modernistic minimalist way, incorporating old subterranean parts of the original Sanitorium that was converted into a luxury hotel.

The characters are magnificent and entirely plausible. I really didn't like Elin at the beginning, but as she developed and came into her own, she grew on me. She is uncomfortable in her own skin, prone to panic attacks, and on extended leave from the police force following something that went terribly wrong on her last case. Her brother Isaac, I didn't warm to at all, but I adored Will, Elin's 'boyfriend', and often felt miffed with Elin for the way she treated him. Isaac's girlfriend Laure, is a bit of a mystery. She and Elin were childhood friends whose relationship came to an abrupt end. She comes across as very self-confident, but there are secrets lurking there too. Elin and Isaac have grown apart over the years following their younger brother Sam's death and, despite being at the hotel to celebrate Isaac and Laure's engagement, there is a palpable tension between them.

There is also a tension between another brother and sister, Lucas and Cécile. Lucas owns the hotel, and his sister works for him. There is a history between Lucas and Laure.

So we have:

Complicated family relationships

Family secrets

Stunning scenery (obliterated by a blizzard, but)

A modern hotel built on a creepy past

No way in our out, so the murderer must still be there

A limited pool of suspects

Twists aplenty

I had no idea who was behind the murders, yet thinking back, the author has left a little trail of breadcrumbs for the reader to follow. I was too busy avidly flipping pages and devouring the words on them to pick up her occasional clues.

I loved this read. There was only one point, almost at the end, when my belief wavered a little, but only momentarily. I had a wonderful time reading The Sanitorium and, honestly, I could go back and read it all over again.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.8

#TheSanatorium #NetGalley @SarahVPearse @sarahpearseauthor

#fivestarread #contemporaryfiction #crime #detectivefiction #familydrama #murdermystery #suspense #thriller

THE AUTHOR: Sarah Pearse lives by the sea in South Devon with her husband and two daughters. She studied English and Creative Writing at the University of Warwick and worked in Brand PR for a variety of household brands. After moving to Switzerland in her twenties, she spent every spare moment exploring the mountains and the Swiss Alpine town of Crans Montana, the dramatic setting that inspired her novel.

Sarah has always been drawn to the dark and creepy - remote spaces and abandoned places - so when she read an article in a local Swiss magazine about the history of sanatoriums in the area, she knew she’d found the spark of the idea for her debut novel, The Sanatorium.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Bantam Press via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Sanitorium by Sarah Pearse for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

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