I had high hopes for this one. The setting in the Swiss Alps sounded atmospheric. And an old sanatorium turned into a luxury hotel promised to be creepy. A snow storm which keeps a small number of people locked in while murders are happening – right up my alley. But unfortunately none of this turned out as I hoped.

Elin is a police officer but she is on leave because of something that happened while doing her job. She travels to a new hotel in the Swiss Alps for the engagement party of her brother Isaak. They are estranged since childhood. Their little brother drowned when they were children and that left Elin with guilt and unease because she can’t really remember what happened but somehow she blames Isaak. This event left her –understandably- deeply traumatized and she was not able to move on. As soon as they arrive at the hotel a snow storm happens that keeps the few guests and the staff trapped inside the hotel. Then a body turns up. The local police can’t come because of the snow. So Elin takes over the investigation.

As I said above, the setting did not do much for me here. Yes, there is snow and some trees, looming mountains sometimes, but mainly Elin and the others stay in the hotel. And the old sanatorium-turned-into-hotel did not give me the creeps either. But the main problem here is Elin. She is the worst police investigator I have ever encountered in a book. She is deeply traumatized because seeing her brother die when she was twelve, I get that. But she really never moved on or seems to want to move on. It seems to be fresh like it happened recently. She is also deeply insecure. She questions everything, her own thoughts and especially everything anybody says to her. As soon as somebody has a different opinion or even just asks a simple question she begins to question herself. Her boyfriend and her brother are constantly criticizing her, which was really getting annoying. But she seems so unstable that I began to ask myself that this was just a natural reaction because of her unhinged behavior. Maybe they just want to protect her because of her tendency to make the wrong decisions. In her private life as well as in her job. Elin clearly choose the wrong job working in the police. She is horrible at her job. She does not get anything about the whole case right.

This whole thing about Elin and her problems with her brother overshadowed the actual story about the sanatorium and the killings. It took the focus away and I did not get invested in the story. The writing did nothing to help me get involved and interested. We are always close to Elin and her thoughts questioning and dramatizing everything. So I never ever tried to find out who was the murderer. I just lost interest and got confused anyway because Elin gets everything totally wrong. To make it worse the story really is confused and it did not get better towards the end. It is a very unrealistic story. At the very end there is a hint that the author is planning a follow-up with Elin. Guess what, I am not going to read it. I am sorry to say that but this book was a disappointment.

I’ll admit it was the spooky setting of this book that most appealed to me. An old sanitarium in the Swiss alps that has been turned into a fancy pants hotel. What’s not to love?
The book is very atmospheric - the authors descriptions of the snow, the scenes, the storm - they’re brilliant.
So we are in this 5 star resort, it’s beautiful (if a bit creepy) yet Elin - our protagonist and police detective - has a strange feeling that she can’t quite put her finger on. Elin has quite a few of these feelings - which is why she is the most unbelievable detective possible. People start to die & Elin takes charge - putting herself in danger on numerous occasions, suspecting everyone except the butler & generally sharing her suspicions with every Tom, Dick & Harry.
I it’s tough to review really as the idea behind this book is great, I just don’t feel it was as well executed as it could have been.
And the epilogue? Really?

When Elin receives an out of the blue invitation from her brother Isaac to attend his engagement party at a converted hotel in Switzerland, she can't say no.  With people going missing and an avalanche blocking the roads Elin needs to investigate.

There is so much going on in this novel - murder, mutilation and mental health but to name a few! Firstly, the first few chapters of this book literally gave me nightmares! The creepy backdrop, the sinister circumstances created by the author just put you on edge from the start.  I did find that the story dragged in some parts, to start off so fast paced and then lull then back to fast again, it did take me a bit of time to get through it.  The main character Elin, I see her as a strong character but the consistent panic in her was hard to cope with.  I felt the story would have been just as good, or maybe better, if these things didn't happen as often throughout. The climax of the novel was one I didn't see coming so thats definitely a good thing!  Overall I did enjoy the book!

This book is due to be released 18 February 2021.  Thank you to @NetGalley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

The sanatorium was built high in the Swiss Alps but after it closed it became a high class hotel. Elin Warner is on a break from work ,a detective in England, and is staying at the hotel with her boyfriend Will to celebrate her estranged brother's engagement.
There is a storm forecast when they arrive and Elin has a feeling about the hotel. Then her brother's fiancee , Laure disappears.
Elin is on her own but can she stop who ever is responsible for Laure's disappearance doing the same again and what is the connection between the hotel and the sanatorium?

Wow I want to thank netgalley to give me the opportunity to read this book
It is without doubt a knee jerking novel it had me gripping the arms of my chair as I felt the evil that was in the sanatorium
The book follows Elin and her husband Will who have been invited to stay in this new hotel and spa high in the mountains. It is an invite from their friend Laurne who Elin has known for years
Also there is Issac Laurne’s soon to be fiancé in fact they are due to have a big party at the hotel the night after their arrival
Issac invites them to join them for dinner which they accept, Elin reluctantly as she wants to question him about their younger brother Sam’s death. Elin has been having flashbacks about Issac having blood on his hands which she deems to mean that Issac killed Sam.
Elin is a police detective but has been on leave after her last case went sideways as she puts it so she is on leave
Until a body turns up with a gas mask on and terrible cuts and abrasions to her body at the same time they receive a weather warning about an avalanche, the hotel starts to evacuate but then there is a massive avalanche completely cutting them of from the rest of the world. Elin is the only police officer there so she needs collect evidence and take photos but it’s only one body isn’t it??

I really enjoyed the start of this book and found the characters and storyline interesting. But there started to be so many twists and turns it seemed to lose focus and just concentrate on adding more of them - a few, becoming predictable having got the hang of it.
Despite that overall it was an interesting read

I really thought this book was superb. So many twists and turns it kept me guessing throughout. I pride myself on being able to work out whodunit well before the big reveal in these types of books but with each new discovery in this book I kept changing my mind.

The setting is perfect. The Shining meets Hostel. The isolation Sarah Pearse creates the foreboding. It’s so we’ll written and the surroundings add as much to the sense of fear as the investigation into the missing guest.

I would love to know more of Elin’s case back in the UK that caused her such distress and thus resulted in her break from work.

Dark, atmospheric and chilling

This book started well with all the elements I love in a good psychological thriller with an atmospheric location in the form of an old sanatorium high in the French alps that has been converted into a high class minimalist architecture ski resort. Elin and her boyfriend Will arrive to celebrate the engagement of Elin’s brother, Isaac, to Laure who is working at the resort.

Elin is reluctant to make the trip as her relationship with Isaac has been poor for many years. This started when Elin was 12 and their third sibling, Sam aged 8, drowned on a beach. Isaac was a sly and deceitful boy and Elin has always harboured suspicions about his possible involvement in Sam’s drowning and even though Isaac was only 10 at the time. Isaac’s been aloof from the family for some time and didn’t even return for their mother’s funeral a few months before claiming work commitments. Elin has decided that she will make this trip, against her better judgement, as she intends to get to the bottom of what really happened to Sam.

We then start to learn more about the back stories of Elin, Will, Isaac, Laure and Cecile and Lucas, the sister and brother team, who own The Santatorium. There are plenty of twists and turns but some don’t seem to go anywhere or be followed up. Tensions rise further as people are go missing and then a body is found. Elin is a detective by profession but has been on extended sick leave since a rather disturbing case in which she behaved foolishly and almost got killed. Despite this she is urged to help the investigation as the hotel is now cut off preventing the local police from coming in as there is severe bad weather followed by an avalanche. More murders follow which nearly caused me to stop reading as it got very gruesome involving medical instruments and devices from the old sanatorium.

This is where I felt the book started to lose credibility as Elin constantly put herself into dangerous situations by going alone to some remote part of the hotel to investigate something. She was also sharing vital information with various people who could also have been the murderer, including her own brother, as it seemed like anyone could have been responsible for the crimes.

The ending was rather unsatisfying with loose ends not being tied up. And then, to add insult to injury, there is an epilogue which suggests that there is someone still out to destroy Elin even though the murderer has been found. The epilogue also appears to contradict some CCTV footage we were told of. All in all, that was very unsatisfying and just caused confusion. I will not be reading a follow up if that is the intention of the mysterious epilogue.


With thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The blurb of this book seemed fantastic and I was really excited to start it. Whilst it was a good read in the main, very descriptive and atmospheric, there was something missing which I can’t put my finger on. I thought the story basis was good, the characters were all intriguing and either likeable or very disagreeable, the relationships between the characters were very interesting but the book left me wanting more. There were definitely “spine chilling” moments but as a whole the book just ambled along for me. However, this book has not put me off and I would read more from this author.

Whilst I liked the premise of this book and found elements of it very atmospheric and eerie (parts of the book had me nearly shivering) I didn’t find the story particularly gripping. Saying that I would try the next book by this author and would give it 3.5 stars.

You know when a psychological thriller is good; when your skin prickles and the hairs on the nape of your neck stand up. Well this certainly did that for me - beginning was a bit slow but then it got scarier and scarier with many twists and turns before the enormity of the killings is revealed. When eventually the true killer is revealed there are still some twists to outplay. One of those books that you have to finish quickly but don’t want it to end

This is a terrifically atmospherically chilling crime thriller from Sarah Pearse, set in the snowy mountainous Swiss Alps, in the resort of Crans Montana and Le Sommet. An old disused TB sanatorium has been developed into an exclusive hotel by Lucas Caron, run by his sister, Cecile. Elin Warner, is suffering PTSD, acquired after the fallout from a case that went wrong in her work as a police officer. She has been off work for a year now, and she needs to make a decision as to whether she quits or returns, her situation has been exacerbated by grief with the recent death of her mother, and she has never got over the loss of her younger brother, Sam, as a child. She is going to Le Sommet at the invitation of her brother, Isaac, she has not seen him for some considerable time and has always had a troubled relationship with him but he is now the only family she has left.

Elin and her architect boyfriend, Will Riley, arrive in Le Sommet to attend the party organised to celebrate Isaac's engagement to Laure, a Swiss national, and an assistant manager at the hotel. On arrival, Elin feels a growing sense of foreboding, she does not like the remote hotel's modernist style with its minimalist decor and the various artefacts showcasing the hotel's past history as a sanatorium. Things begin to go awry when Laure disappears, and a body is discovered in the area. Elin, feeling a sense of terror, with Isaac falling apart, feels pushed into once again drawing on her police investigative skills. Meanwhile, weather conditions worsen considerably with heavy snow blizzards and the hotel has been advised to evacuate staff and guests with the high risk of avalanches. However, before everyone is able to leave, the hotel is cut off from the outside world. Elin finds herself under heavy pressure to find a smart and organised killer, without outside help, as murders, with a similar MO, raise the levels of fear amongst staff and guests.

Pearse writes a dark, exciting, suspenseful and tense novel, full of twists, which just drips with the atmosphere of a hotel that exudes a creepiness and the ever present leaden weight of its past as a sanatorium , and the menacing wintry mountainous location is a central character and threat in its own right. Elin herself is haunted by the past, there are issues and grief she is not certain she will ever be able to move on from, and she is burdened by her uncertainties as to whether she can once again take on the mantle of a serving police officer, although she becomes increasingly confident as her investigation begins to yield results. This is a fabulously entertaining crime thriller that grabbed my attention from beginning to end, and which I think many crime and thriller readers will love too. Many thanks to Random House Transworld for an ARC.

The Sanatorium in the Swiss Alps has been converted into a brand new high end hotel. During its conversion, Daniel LeMaitre the architect disappears and is never to be seen again. After the conversion is complete and the hotel is open to guests, Elin and her boyfriend Will fly out to the hotel to celebrates Elin’s brothers engagement, but things don’t quite go to plan. Guests and staff start to going missing. But due to extremely bad weather the local police are unable to get to the hotel to investigate so it is left to Elin, who is a British detective currently on leave, to help to find out what is going on!!

The Sanatorium is a little slow to get going but when it eventually picks up things start to get more interesting. Ok, so I thought the book was generally well written with a unique plotline and some good atmospheric descriptions along the way, but there was just something missing. Also, normally I am a big fan of multiple twists and turns that I don’t see coming, but this time I was a little disappointed. I saw most of them coming and even managed to work out a few of them before I got to the end.

Now, the characters were a mixed bunch for me. Yes, I liked the way the author has developed the individual characters, and liked who they all had their own troubles and hidden secrets but something about them just make me feel like they were shallow and I didn’t particularly take a liking to any of them.

If it wasn’t for the great setting and historical background I think I might have given this book a 2 start rating but for me this saved the book.

Overall, this was a good book, but it could definitely have been an outstanding read if it carried on with the pace set at the very beginning. If you’re looking for an atmospheric mystery/thriller, set in the Swiss Alps then you may want to give this book a go.


I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers Transworld Digital / Bantam Press for my eARC in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Elin Warner and partner Will are visiting Le Sommet, a luxury hotel in the Swiss Alps renovated from the remains of a former tuberculosis sanatorium and owned by Lucas Caron. The reason for their visit is to attend the engagement party of Elin’s estranged brother Isaac and his girlfriend Laure, an employee at the hotel. Immediately I began wondering about the reasons behind the sibling’s lack of communication over the years and why Elin is approaching this trip with trepidation. With these thoughts I was hooked into a storyline that is very much preoccupied with what happens when the past and present merge and collide.

This novel is incredibly atmospheric with the remote location a great setting for a crime to unfold. Le Sommet doesn’t feel like an ideal place to relax and unwind, it’s clinical atmosphere and strange furnishings hinting of its past medical history, a place where many came to die. If only walls could talk the fabric of this building would tell of a murky and troubled past and it certainly didn’t feel like my kind of destination. The tension and eeriness are immediately palpable, the anticipation that adverse weather conditions would only to add to the sense of isolation and foreboding present from the start. That Elin is portrayed as a vulnerable and fragile individual, haunted by her involvement in a recent police case that has resulted in indefinite leave from her job as a detective troubled me. What could possibly happen during her short stay other than (hopefully) a successful reunion with her brother? The answer is the unexpected disappearance of Laure and the possibility that her missing isn’t simply a case of cold feet. As the clock begins ticking fears grow as to the whereabouts of Laure, with Elin best placed to assume control as events take a sinister twist. Cut off from civilisation there’s no question of police assistance so from here on in I feared for the safety of hotel guests and staff alike.

What a nightmare of a situation to be trapped in! Each twist and turn, of which there are many, places Elin in further potential danger. I felt suspicious of everyone confined in this hotel, scrutinising their behaviour and their interactions with each other but lacked confidence in Elin’s abilities to halt the killer in their midst, especially as the gruesome discoveries keep coming. Her powers of perception are not the best! Is there a connection to be found between Laure’s disappearance and that of a man years ago who also has history with the hotel and its owner? The beauty of this thriller is that you will keep on guessing, discarding theories and doubting evidence that mounts in favour of one individual after the other with the finger of blame working overtime! You need to plough through the potential motives as if you are shovelling your way through snow!

Whilst on the face of it The Sanatorium is a thriller based upon a crime being committed in a remote location and the amount of damage that can be inflicted within a short space of time before help arrives, I think it is so much more than that. The storyline is multi layered, exploring how sibling dynamics can have repercussions well into adulthood, a strong theme running throughout. The message that there is danger in making the most obvious assumptions about fellow human beings and the past, blinding us to other possibilities and explanations is inescapable. It’s about how we all try and rewrite our own histories, to a certain degree, so that events become more palatable. Most of the characters once you start digging deep are lying to themselves and hiding from difficult truths about their past behaviour, their weaknesses, and their involvement in life changing events. This compelling storyline has roots in corruption and bribery as well as abuse of power so there’s plenty to think about. You might not like any of these characters but they do reflect the fact all human beings are flawed. I liked the fact Elin, Will, Isaac and the Carons are far from perfect, a few of them battling their insecurities and trying their best to exorcise their own ghosts.

That some of the scenes depicted felt contrived and unrealistic didn’t overly bother me. The pace is slow to start with but does rapidly increase with the body count! What did disappoint me was the build up to the finale, with too many twists that left me feeling the author had overplayed her hand. Until that point my impressions of this debut were definitely going in the direction of a 5 star review. I became entangled in all the revelations that spring up towards the end, some of which felt unnecessary hence my downgrading to 4 stars. If you’re a fan of Lucy Foley and have also read The Chalet by Catherine Cooper and Ruth Ware’s One by One then this debut will be right up your street. Overall a chillingly good thriller full of menace that I’d be happy to recommend. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

When I started reading the book, I thought the description of the location and the hotel and its past were really good, and very atmospheric and threatening. But as the story unfolds and more characters are introduced, I just found I struggled to stay invested in it. Some relationships weren't really explained well enough for me, to understand some of the characters' actions and behaviour.

I kept expecting it to get better, but for me, it didn't. It stayed OK, but not much more than that. It felt like a book of two parts, the location and setting really gripped my imagination, but layer that in with the characters, and it seemed far less believable. I struggled to finish it.

Elin a detective and her boyfriend Will have been invited to her brother Isaac’s engagement party. Isaac who is marrying Laura is holding the party at the luxury newly refurbished hotel Le Sommet. The hotel is set high in the alps and used to be a sanatorium.

The journey to the hotel is hard as there has been heavy snow and a threat of an avalanche.

Laura goes missing and a body is discovered. Elin starts to investigate what has happened. No one can travel to or from the hotel and everyone seems to be keeping secrets.

I loved the creepy hotel and its eerie surroundings. There are plenty of twists that keep you guessing until the end.

Will definitely look out for this author again.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

If you are looking to go on holiday to a luxury Spa in the Swiss mountains, don't go to the Sanatorium. Sinister disappearances and murders are happening but who is behind them? Quite a good thriller and really felt the isolation feeling when the hotel guests and staff were evacuated from the hotel.

The plot centres around the refurbishment of an old sanatorium into an exclusive luxurious spa hotel. Our main character, Elin, is a British police officer who is on extended leave. She and her boyfriend Will travel over to visit her brother and his partner Laure who just happens to work at the hotel. Just hours after arriving Laure disappears and here starts mystery, confusion and death. Elin tries to take charge and work out what’s going on but nothing is at it seems.

There were little bits to the plot that were predictable but it was and enjoyable story and kept you hooked until the end .

A recently renovated luxury hotel has a sinister past back when it was a sanatorium. Elin is invited there by her estranged brother and his fiancee. Being isolated in the Swiss Alps is not on her wish list but she feels she must go. When Laure, the fiancee, disappears Elin is forced to investigate. There are many secrets to uncover and time is of the essence when a body is discovered.