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.

An excellent creepy mystery with twists and turns. You think you know where it's going, but it upends you time and again. Wonderful prose style, excellent setting and believable characters. Am certain there will be a film adaptation before too long!

I have gone back to this book a few times to try to to read it but I just cannot get into it. It just does not grab me. And the old cliché of using the plague mask as a tool to induce fear is a bit old.

A hotel in the Swiss Alps, idylic, so you would think....
When Elin is invited to the hotel to celebrate her brother's engagement little did she know what would happen. I do not want to write any spoilers but needless to say the reader can probably tell from the book title that hotel is still very much remembered as a sanatorium.
I found Elin a little tedious and the story slow to get going so am only giving three stars. It was creepy and atmospheric but not as much as I would have liked.

I really enjoyed this book. I don’t tend to go for creepy thrillers as I mainly read at night. But I made an exception for this one and I’m glad I did. It was exciting. Very well written. The plot was great. Highly recommend

What an immensely creepy story The Sanatorium is!
The fact that an abandoned Sanatorium has been renovated into a luxury hotel is creepy enough. I’m not sure it would be somewhere I would want to stay but I can understand the curiosity it might arouse in others.
When we first meet Elin, she is travelling with her partner, Will, to this very hotel to celebrate the engagement of her brother. His fiancée is one of the managers of the resort. I don’t think it’s somewhere she would choose to go either, but Will is fascinated by the architecture of the place. Elin finds it unsettling. Little does she know what she’s walking in to.
Already on leave from work as a detective Elin has had a rough time, work wise and with the loss of her younger brother. She’s a troubled soul. This break and celebration should be a perfect opportunity to relax and unwind, or so Will keeps telling her. However, when her brother’s fiancée goes missing all hope of a relaxing break disappears. Adding to that a snowstorm cuts off all access to the hotel. They are trapped.
The story that follows is nothing short of terrifying.
This book is so brilliantly written. It had me hooked from the very beginning and I could have quite happily ignored everything else and read it from cover to cover in one sitting. It’s atmospheric, chilling, and heart wrenching. And that ending! WOW! It gave me goosebumps.
I can’t wait to read book 2, The Retreat. Off to purchase now!
** Many thanks to the author and publisher for my review copy via NetGalley although I did end up reading a paperback copy which I won via a giveaway**

Elin Warner is on leave from work where she is a detective and receives an invitation to celebrate the recent engagement of her brother.
The celebration is taking place in the Swiss Alps in a beautiful hotel which used to be sanatorium.

Following an avalanche, one of the guests is missing and as they are cut off from the rest of the world, everyone becomes more and more panicked.

Red herrings are dropped all over the place and I had no bloody idea of who was guilty but it all makes sense in the end - and after all, that's the point of this kind of book.

I look forward to more from the author.

I loved this so much I bought the paperback.
Thank you netgalley for the ARC, apologies for the late review.
A slow burner.

I loved the premise and the setting of this novel as I have a fascination with Sanatoriums. Elin is on leave from her job as detective when she receives an invite to her estranged brother's wedding at an isolated hotel - an ex Sanatorium- in the Swiss Alps. On arrival at the hotel , with a storm approaching, Elin has an uneasy, unsettled feeling, and then her brother's fiancee goes missing. It took me 3 attempts over a few months to finally finish this novel as I kept thinking that I really wanted to like it. Sadly however, it was a slow read that did not engage me. I felt that there were too many characters and the plot devices were cliched. Overall it felt like a missed opportunity to make the most of a fascinating setting.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Was very much looking forward to The Sanatorium because of the isolated setting in the Alps along with the rumours of what happened there in the past. It initially had my interest but for me it didn’t go anywhere apart from loads of people dying mysteriously but really it plodded along without purpose and I found it tedious to the end.

The Sanitorium by Sarah Pearse was an intriguing read, but sadly it didn't hold my attention as much as I'd hoped it would and I found it a slow read in places

This thriller was chilling and not what I expected at all. I was slightly dissatisfied with the ending which is why I can’t give it the full 5 stars. I will ok definitely read more from the author in the future.

Great thriller which kept me turning the pages well into the night. Great characters and plot. Highly recommend to others!!

I was a little disappointed in this - the setting and the premise of the story really could have been great but we were dealt a pretty typical man character I felt like I'd read a bunch of times, overly cheesy on the horror vibes and in the end this was just okay for me.

Thank you for providing me with a review copy of this book. Enjoyed reading, some nice plot twists, would recommend....

The mystery at the books heart was pretty intriguing and kept me invested in finding out more. I just think I was maybe expecting a little more from the story. This wasn’t necessarily a major issue for me. As the story progressed building up the tension and making me wonder about all the characters.

There was a very claustrophobic feeling when it came to the setting. An isolated place will always help to raise the tension. I do have a soft spot for this kind of setting!. With mountains and impassable roads providing an imposing and trapped feeling. Then add in the history of the hotel and this brought an extra intense vibe.

Overall I did enjoy this story. Some parts didn’t quite work for me. However some parts had me gripped and I enjoyed all the twisty moments that the author crafted in.

Started off well, but I got lost in the middle and felt it drifted off too much. I’m glad I persevered with it though as I never guessed the ending.

Well that wasn't what I expected or was it?
Having seen mixed reviews for this book I delayed reading it. I really enjoyed the story, some of the characters and the way it was written but it was a bit on the slow side for me.
I would be interested in reading Sarah's next book in the hope it was a bit speedier.
Altogether a good story and if you have a couple of days I would recommend.