I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this novel.

Even though Meg and her sister Haley have had their ups and downs, when Meg hears that Haley died at the rehab clinic where she was trying to get clean and it was ruled a suicide, Meg knows something is amiss. Her sister would never commit suicide and heroin wasn’t a drug she used.

Meg has struggled with anger and violence her whole life, but she found a job that suits her well. She gambles and, in doing so, takes down bad guys. It’s a job where she can drink a lot and, since she had a run in with some gangsters and busted up her shoulder, oxycodone. But she’s not an alcoholic and she’s taking *prescription* drugs—that she just happens to get her hands on in a way that isn’t exactly on the up and up.

Even though she’s sure she doesn’t have a substance abuse problem like her sister, she finagles her way into the same program and gets her boss to pay for the extremely expensive luxury rehab of the stars by telling him it’s a way to take out more bad guys.

The author does a great job with accuracy of people battling substance abuse—because she herself has been to rehab. Because all of the patients are murder suspects, the novel doesn’t dwell on what great people they are when they’re not drinking or using, but on the aspects that might make them good suspects.

I enjoyed this mystery. The two narrators—Meg and the clinic director Cara—are not exactly the most likeable characters, but I thought the twists and turns were fun and the ending well done.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES JANUARY 23, 2024.

I received and ARC of the Clinic and ended up really enjoying the book! It started out a bit slow for me but really got going and had an ending I didn't see coming. The storyline was unique and refreshing from the repeat books that are out there. I got into the mystery and couldn't figure out who the killer was until it was revealed. The author used real life experience for this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Cate Quinn, and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Blurb:

Meg works for a casino in LA, catching cheaters and popping a few too many pain pills to cope, following a far different path than her sister Haley, a famous actress. But suddenly reports surface of Haley dying at the remote rehab facility where she had been forced to go to get her addictions under control.

There are whispers of suicide, but Meg can't believe it. She decides that the best way to find out what happened to her sister is to check in herself – to investigate what really happened from the inside.

Battling her own addictions and figuring out the truth will be much more difficult than she imagined, far away from friends, family – and anyone who could help her.

Review:

I really enjoy this book! This is the first Care Quinn book I have read and it definitely won’t be my last! I was hooked from the beginning! Once I hit about halfway through I couldn’t put it down! It kept me guessing, pretty sure I though almost every character was the murderer at one point throughout the story! So well written!

Three stars because the book kept my interest. But, totally implausible content, in my opinion, that detracted from the read. The characters were so unlikeable. I would hate to think that so many people entering a rehab facility to better themselves and their lives, would be so horrid. The “professional” staff includes many unsavory characters as well, Some with criminal records. Really? . The end dragged on with a preposterous outcome. Thank you NetGalley and SourceBooks Lanmark for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

“The Clinic” by Cate Quinn is a mystery/thriller. This book is a “locked room” type of mystery that takes place in a rehab clinic (nice little twist). I found the story to be engaging (though it took a while to get going), the characters to be interesting (all of them flawed and it did take me a bit of time to keep them separate), and I liked the narration coming from the two characters - Meg and Cara (though Cara’s a bit harder to get to know; meaning after reading the book I still don’t know a lot about her other than “rules were made to be followed”). I found the ending a bit too neatly tied up, but minor quibble. Another minor quibble was pointed out in another review - which is that Meg never would’ve been able to smuggle in her stash because strip/cavity searches are done upon admittance to rehab facilities [so I’ve read and been told]. I did like the author’s approach to portraying addictions and that some of that was based upon her own journey, I find applaudable. I may be in the minority, but I did figure out who might’ve done it from one scene, though I couldn’t make all the puzzle pieces fit - but I’ll admit that it was a good twist. I’d recommend this book to those who enjoy a locked room mystery with a spooky atmosphere thrown in. The book does take a while to get rolling, but once it does it becomes very engaging … and doesn’t everyone need a Harry in their lives? https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5825479492

A locked room mystery set in a celebrity rehab. Riveting, captivating, engaging. Oh, I loved this. Gobbled it up from start to finish.

Starts off a bit slow. But through good character development it won’t disappoint. Thank you NetGalley for my chance with this one

Haley is an actress with a known drug problem who admits herself into a very pricey rehab facility for celebrities. Her sister, Meg, works at a casino and catches cheaters. She has her own drug problem. They have a strained relationship. But, when Meg sees on the news that Haley died of an overdose, Meg knows it isn't true. She gets herself admitted to the facility to solve the murder.

This rehab facility has an interesting owner and an eclectic group of patients. Nothing is as it seems.

I don't read alot of thrillers. I didn't feel very invested in the characters, but I did enjoy watching the story unfold.

This is a mystery / thriller set in a luxury celebrity rehab center. Do we really need to know anything else?? I had seen that the author herself went to rehab and was inspired to write about addition in her book. Be sure to read the acknowledgments!

Thank you to the publisher and #Netgalley for the ARC!

Thank you @netgalley @sourcebookslandmark for the #gifted copy of this e-book!

What it’s about:

Meg, a quote complicated character, works in a casino catching people who cheat while gambling. She blends in, pretends to also be gambling to catch the bad guys. The problem, she has a pill addiction which started from an injury from a traumatic event in her life.

Her sister Haley is the complete opposite personality wise however similar in her addiction and vices. A famous actress she is currently in a rehab clinic trying to get clean.

Meg gets wind her sister committed suicide at the clinic and although they aren’t the closest she just knows that Haley wouldn’t have done that. She decides to get to the bottom of what happened to her sister by doing what she know how to do best. Immerse herself in the clinic to catch the bad guy!

Thoughts: I loved this fast paced, short chapter, wild, heart pounding ride! I actually really enjoyed the way the author touched on addiction and the struggle to get sober. It seemed very realistic! The characters in this book kept me guessing and I found myself constantly flip flopping back and forth on who I thought was the bad person 😂 I love when books are like that! The ending was definitely crazy and not very realistic but it didn’t bother me! I have another of Cate’s books on my shelf now and I can’t wait to grab it after having read this one!

An engaging, fast-paced, “locked room” mystery. The Clinic by Cate Quinn is easy to read and has all the elements of an intriguing mystery - love, drama, addiction, deception, competition, crime, quirkiness and Hollywood.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read this ARC.

The Clinic is a modern locked-room murder mystery that will keep you guessing about the who and why? I liked that one of the main narrators was an unreliable narrator as it made you question reality along with her. Overall, a fun mystery.

This book is getting a sold 4 out of 5 stars! I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the intriguing plot.

Cate Quinn does a fantastic job taking the experience she had in rehab herself and turning it into a diabolical read.

The plot mainly surrounds Meg. Meg has some troubles with alcohol and pills, but gets by as a professional poker player spotting out and arresting loan sharks. She does have a way with accents and disguises… When she finds out her Hollywood singer sister dies in a celebrity luxury rehab on the Pacific Northwest Coast, Meg becomes obsessed with finding out who murdered her. So she commits herself to this facility and finds that there is way more going on behind the scenes than she was prepared for.

I’ll admit it- I didn’t see the big plot twist coming. I was totally set up. I was shocked! The ending also blew me away.

Short chapters, multiple viewpoints, characters with history and depth, themes of addiction and childhood trauma. These are all the things that made this a fantastic read for me.

However, there’s also a not terribly reliable protagonist, annoying characters, decisions made that were a little crazy, and slow sections of this novel. But, I got over it. The plot twist was worth it for me.

I loved The Clinic and I now love Cate Quinn. I would completely recommend to anyone!

A great thank you goes out to Cate Quinn, Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Meg works for the casinos, playing poker and busting bad guys. When she learns her estranged sister, famous singer Haley, has died at an in-patient rehab under suspicious circumstances, she is compelled to investigate.

She makes her way through winding, foggy roads to the state-of-the-art clinic in the Pacific Northwest, and meets a mysterious and secretive cast of characters. Everyone from the other patients to the staff seems to have something to hide.

Meg goes undercover, her alcohol and pill addictions coming in useful in therapy and treatments. She's convinced her sister didn't commit suicide, but who can lie better than addicts? Forced to dig into her own traumatic past to find the truth, Meg discovers betrayal, greed, and treatments that push ethical and moral boundaries.

Quinn writes a compelling tale about love, family, and addiction. In the afterword, I was touched to read about her own journey with addiction, and the emotion she brought to it via her experience shone through. On top of that, the story was compelling and suspenseful, with lots of twists and turns.

One thing I loved about this book was the author's ability to leave you wanting more of whatever character's POV it was that chapter. It felt like nearly every close to a chapter was a mini-cliffhanger, and I love that in a thriller!

Reviews to come on @pittelsbookclub on TikTok and Instagram

The Clinic is enjoyable suspense/mystery story which provides thought-provoking theories and insights into trauma and addiction woven through interesting characters and a compelling plot. The story is told through rapidly alternating viewpoints of two of the main characters, Meg and Cara. The short chapters switching back and forth from Meg’s story to Cara’s story could have been a distraction to the flow of the plot, but Cate Quinn actually used this technique effectively to create a relatively seamless, fast-paced and gripping narrative.

On the downside, I couldn’t quite connect with a few of the characters. I was never sure of just what to make of Cara. I felt that I needed to empathize with her but just couldn’t quite get there. The police officers, Hanson and Meyers presented a dilemma: they seemed to be intent on finding answers that would protect people, which should have made them “good guys”, but they came across as mostly annoying interruptions.

I enjoyed the plot twists, although the explanations behind two of the major surprises seemed a bit dubious to me. I felt there was a hole in the final twist which I will want to revisit at some point. I plan to scan he other reviews to see if anyone else had the same reaction.

This book is worth a look. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unreliable narrator at it's best!

This book alternates between Meg (who's sister died mysteriously while at the clinic), and Clara who works admin for the clinic. These were the perfect two characters to focus on. Meg enters the clinic undercover to see if she can find out the truth behind her sisters death. Clara has eyes on the clinic but once she starts digging into things a bit more realizes she never actually knew what was going on.

Loved this one and highly recommend!

I read this thanks to NetGalley and I’m so glad I did. I really enjoyed this mystery and trying to figure it all out. Even if you pick up on some of it along the way I doubt anyone could solve this mystery completely. I loved the guessing and the changing POV. The writing was well done and fast paced but not rushed. I finished the second half in a couple of hours because I was so eager to know more.

For an atmospheric twisted who-dun-it thriller, then Cate Quinn’s, “The Clinic,” is definitely one for your to-be-read shelves because all of the Clinic addiction patients are suspicious and the doctor running the place is certifiably nuts.

When poker player par excellence, Megan learns that her older sister, Hollywood actress, Hayley, is missing and assumed dead from this remote Pacific Northwest Clinic, she immediately checks herself in as a patient to try to learn the truth about Hayley.

Meg finds herself struggling with rehab because both she and Hayley were exposed to extensive trauma as children and the psychological team are determined to uncover the root cause—regardless how painful the process to Meg. Also, Megan has a secret OxyContin addiction from a recent shoulder injury—never a good thing at an addiction treatment center.

Things get progressively strange and sometimes torturous for not only Meg, but other patients while the hunt for Hayley proves troublesome. Enjoy this fascinating mystery that will surprise you with it’s intriguing mystery end.

JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Cate Quinn, and Publisher SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for this advanced readers copy (ARC) for review.

Loved this book! Book is about two sisters Meg and Haley. Haley is admitted to rehab and ends up dead. Meg believes she was murdered and did not overdose (like everyone said happened). Meg struggles with alcohol and oxys so she decides to go under cover and admit herself to the same rehab her sister died at. Meg wants to find the killer but also is learning about her trauma. Meg tries to become friends with the other patients however does not do a good job. She continues to try to find out what happened to her sister but has found two notes warning her to stay away from the rehab and both signed by her sister.

This book kept me interested the whole way through and had several twists at the end which made it even more enjoyable!

Review: I finally finished this book. It took me a while as I couldn’t get into it. The characters were so unrelateable that I didn’t really care what happened to them, which isn’t a good sign in a thriller book. I liked that the book was based off the author’s own experience in rehab, because I feel that makes the book a little more real. But all the things that happened were just too out there and I thought were thrown into the book. Just not the book for me…I hope others enjoy it. Thank you @netgalley for the ARC copy!