As a fast-paced thriller it certainly grabs your attention. I loved the Overlook-style setting in the mountains with avalanche risks everywhere, the isolation and the creeping history of the former sanatorium itself.

But, and there are some big buts here - I guessed the perpetrator and the real root of Elin's trauma by about the halfway point. I didn't guess the full motive for the murderer, which then felt like it was just thrown in at the end during a whole chapter of monologuing, when the pile of horrific murders totally detracted from it by that point.

Elin is also frustrating. Sure she has deep issues, past and recent trauma etc but as a detective she's basically jumping onto every hunch she has and zooming off into trouble again. There are some obvious clues that she completely ignores eg the bracelets in favour of following up on the next human lead she has. It felt like any other guest at the hotel would have managed the solo investigation just as well, if not better.

Great setting, just not the best lead.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I was captivated by this atmospheric psychological thriller. It's creepily effective, with a strong central mystery and a chilling vibe that pulls you in.

The novel is addictive, perfect for late-night reading marathons. The characters are intriguing, the setting is vividly described, and the plot is both unpredictable and clever. This book is a standout in the psychological thriller genre, proving it can still be fresh and stylish. Definitely add it to your must-read list for 2021.

Elin and Will have come to a luxury hotel in the Alps to celebrate her brothers engagement. She is on leave from her role as a detective due to suffering PTSD.

The luxury resort should be the perfect venue for rest and recuperation, but it was once a Sanatorium (hence the novels title). The resort has been constructed with a lot of the artefacts and décor of the old sanatorium, something that Elin personally is not comfortable with.

And then, shortly after their arrival, a storm arrives, resulting in an avalanche cutting them off from civilisation. When you think things couldn't get any more surreal Elin's brothers fiancée disappears seemingly without a trace... Elin must put her own fears and trauma behind her and help the search. No matter how scary...

This is my first read by this author but will not be my last! I really enjoyed the style of writing. It kept its pace and made for a real page turner. I read this book within a day as I couldn’t put it down. Loved all the twists and turns and the description of the setting made it even more absorbing. Great book.

'The Sanatorium' is a disturbing, chilling read, set in a newly refurbished hotel that used to be a sanatorium. Elin is the main character and a police officer currently taking a break Her and her boyfriend, Will travel to the hotel to meet her brother and new fiance for engagement celebrations. When there, things start to take a dangerous turn, the body count starts to rise and Elin faces her toughest challenge yet. Along the way she learns more about her past than she could have imagined.
This was a really great thriller read and I was hooked from the beginning. Pearse draws the reader into the plot and makes sure there are enough questions to keep interest going. The remote hotel is the perfect setting for the book and really helps to add to the atmosphere. There are a lot of dark truths that are revealed throughout this book which made for intense reading.
The characters are good and we know just enough about them to care and will them to do well.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read from Pearse.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for an advance copy.

The Sanatorium, a modern, sleek, moneyed resort, is a renovated former TB sanatorium. An isolated location, high up in The Swiss Alps. accessed by a funicular railway. The history of this striking building is further troubled by the sudden, unexplained disappearance of the architect of the renovation.

An intense snowstorm further isolates the hotel, setting the scene for a locked room mystery. The setting is claustrophobic and atmospheric, dripping with unease.
The scene is set with a lot of tension between the main characters, brother and sister Isaac and Elin. There is a complex history between the two, involving the death of their brother, and more complicating factors with Isaac’s fiancée.

The Sanatorium has all the ingredients for a gripping thriller, but I’m afraid the book wasn’t for me though. It didn’t hold my attention, as I had hoped and expected it would. I didn’t gel with any of the characters, and it felt a little far fetched for me.

I’m sure there are many other readers who will love this book. Just 3⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.

The novel set in a remote and imposing hotel in the Swiss Alps presents a gripping tale of mystery and suspense. Elin Warner, a detective on a break from her job, finds herself in an unsettling situation when she reluctantly accepts an invitation to her estranged brother Isaac’s engagement celebration at a hotel that was once an abandoned sanatorium.

The setting of the novel is masterfully crafted, with the Swiss Alps providing a backdrop that is both breathtakingly beautiful and ominously sinister. The description of the mountains as "raw, jagged spikes" and the hotel's isolated location heightens the sense of foreboding and unease from the outset.

This was an interesting mystery to start, with an Overlook Hotel-esque approach to the initial plot. I found the descriptions of the murders were quite good, and perhaps a step above what one would expect from the bulk of generic murder mysteries, which was nice.

However, I did really struggle to connect with the titular character. I didn't feel there was so much development as there was an assumption of the generic detective sort of character that was present. I did enjoy it, but I do feel like I would have liked it more if it had been fleshed out further in that respect.

I think there's room to grow here - but it was a solid mystery, albeit with a bit of a predictable end and a rather funny approach to the way that the killer was caught.

Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy of this title!

I enjoyed this book but felt like the pacing was off at times.
I loved the setting of the book. It was incredibly atmospheric. I enjoyed the closed setting. This is my favourite thing in thrillers

I could not get into this book, ultimately it was not form me and I could not finish it. It may be one for other readers

I thoroughly enjoyed this debut murder mystery by Sarah Pearse. It starts with a chilling prologue and continues in the same vein throughout. It is exciting and spine-tinglingly creepy and the snowbound setting is very atmospheric and well described. The ending was satisfactory and I did not see it coming. I hope there is more to come.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I was very excited to read this book. Sadly, however, it fell short for me.

The setting was beautiful, and the descriptions of the hotel and the location of the hotel were magnificent.

The characters were, in my opinion, wholly unlikeable, and I just couldn't gel with them. I found myself really not caring about the outcomes for any of them.

The pacing was a bit too slow for me, and I found this to be a bit of a chore to read, rather than a book which I couldn't wait to pick up and resume reading again.

The setting is a renovated sanitorium. Now 'Le Sommet', an ultra modern ski hotel, half hidden by forest and overshadowing peaks. Detective Elin Walker has misgivings about going to the remote hotel but she has been invited by the owner Isaac, her estranged brother, to attend his engagement celebrations.
Due to ongoing snow storms and snow drifts, the roads become impassable. When Isaac's fiancée disappears, Elin takes over the search. Is Isaac responsible? The tension builds as the plot twists and turns.
It was probably longer than it needed to be but I enjoyed it.

I enjoyed the setting but in the end the characters and the mystery failed to convince me. I need some more depth from the story and wasn’t able to fully care about the outcome.

Oof... here's a tough one. I feel Pearse somewhere derailed and didn't find her tracks back. It starts off interesting but along the way towards the end the story goes under, and the mystery looses it's interest.
You know those big pieces of fireworks you're really excited about and after lighting, it goes 'psssssssst'? Yes? Ok, you know the feeling...

I had high hopes for this one. The hype is huge, but sadly it didn't meet my expectations.
I LOVED the setting, it gave the perfect creepy, eerie vibes.

It's totally far-fetched though which let it down for me!

I had high hopes for this book, but it ultimately fell incredibly flat for me. Between the absolutely incompetent main character and totally unbelievable villain motivations, this one just wasn't for me.

So apprehensive!
Tense moments combined with a well drawn out plot makes for a terrifying read.
I really enjoyed reading it and would highly recommend.

In an old Sanitorium nestled high up in the remote Swiss Alps; which had been converted to an Uber chic minimalist hotel retreat, a classic closed door murder mystery prevails. Elin is on leave from her detective post with PTSD, so couldn’t really say no when her estranged brother invited her to his engagement party there. Almost immediately his fiancé went missing and storms cut them off from the world. To me, Elin seemed like the worst detective ever, she put herself in danger going alone to follow clues and meeting potential murderers in isolated spaces. They characters were underdeveloped and unrelatable for me and the plot line far fetched and frustratingly unbelievable. It was much like an Agatha Christie or a Poirot murder mystery.