The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

Hi, all.

Here's the thread for discussing -- with spoilers -- The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse.
Sabina will lead the discussion.

I think it was kind of sneaky that the author had a detective who was having a nervous breakdown pull herself together in a sanatorium! It would have been even more direct hit if it had been an ex-sanatorium for the mentally ill.

I listened to this title almost two years ago. I am not rereading it, but curious about this group's comments. I appreciated the dual timeline and the reveals.
I started the sequel mainly because I am interested in where the detective's arc goes and if her relationship will work out. 🤔

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

I just finished listening to The Sanatorium (Detective Elin Warner #1) / Sarah Pearse; because I enjoyed it, I decided to purchase #2 in the series. I am most curious to discover if Elin is not as scattered in her thinking.

I also really enjoyed this read and plan to read her second book in the future. My only complaint is that the author didn’t give enough clues to help a reader solve the mystery - not that I can ever solve them with clues. However, a conversation or two about the past relationship between Lucas, Cecile and Daniel could seem like backstory but really be a way of dropping some bread crumbs.

I finished it in the first days of January. Enjoyed more than I expected.

Here is my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...