I don't like giving negative reviews but I don't really know where to start, the synopsis was tantalizing at best and the first few chapters were indeed promising but it seemed to go downhill very fast. I not only had the written version but the audio version, the written version is usually better than the audio so I kept with that as the audio put me to sleep but what spoilt it for me was that Elin Warner a good cop on all accounts with the Met but had PTSD obviously it was to do with her last case and she and her current boyfriend goes to Switzerland to her estranged brothers engagement party, now he's holding it at a newly developed hotel that was once a sanatorium for TB sufferers and was closed down years ago, and it's up a mountain then the usual blizzard and a lot of the guests did manage to get away and then an avalanche so the the party guest still there, had no choice but to remain there as everything was at a standstill and waiting for rescuer's so the party is to still go ahead but there is a murder on the first night, turns out it's a member of staff then Laure disappears and she is Elin's brothers fiancee, Elin does ring the police and she is tasked with trying to find and keep evidence and take statements from the rest of the guest and staff, this is a up and coming detective of a low rank with PTSD, it just seems that it's one disaster after another, It seems the boyfriend was not much help as he was never around accept for preening himself so what sort of person is that by your side I did finish it but with a struggle, it just did not make sense it just makes you think that you would hope no murder enquiry would be dealt with like this god help us all if it did. I would like to thank Netgalley & Random House for an ARC copy and again sorry for the negative result.

I love the setting here and was initially reminded of both old YA horror books like the Point Horror series, and newer crime thrillers like Lucy Foley’s The Hunting Party or The Guest List – a group of different individuals, all with their own problems and secrets trapped in an isolated location and then forced to deal with the fact that one of them must be a murderer.

Unfortunately, after those surface similarities, this book fell sort of the those previous reads in terms of both plot and characters.

The main character, Elin, is difficult to empathise with as – due to her understandable emotional issues and PTSD - she is both manic and detached, and even her inner monologue feels unreliable. In keeping other characters at arm’s length, she inadvertently keeps the reader at a distance too. Similarly, the main relationships in the story seemed to lack chemistry and believability, making it difficult to invest in them.

Considering the high levels of torture and gore, I found the ending twists a little disappointing as the motive/s didn’t feel sufficient or current enough to justify the levels of violence and murder and, again, without being able to buy into the story the ending fell flat right at the climax.

All the right ingredients are here for an excellent crime thriller, but I think those elements just didn’t quite come together for me to create a compelling whole.


Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

3 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

An isolated hotel. A storm. Missing people.

That synopsis had me straight away. I don’t usually gravitate to detective novels but I get the odd one that I really enjoy so I will always give them a go.

The perspective of a detective in this one is not distracting at all. The issue I normally have is the detective will uncover or suggest things too soon and it’s ruined but this didn’t do that.

To me I think it just a personal preference that I didn’t get on with this. To me I think there was too many characters for me to keep up considering it’s an isolated place. Also I will say I did not guess the ending at all but that’s because when it was finally revealed the motives and the actions completely didn’t add up for it to end how it did.

Maybe everything was too convoluted for my liking

This novel has an excellent synopsis: Elin Warner is on leave from her job as a detective and she’s invited to the engagement party of her estranged brother, Isaac, and his fiancée, Laure. The party is taking place in a former sanatorium which has been renovated as a luxury hotel, in an isolated spot high in the Swiss Alps. Elin and her boyfriend arrive just ahead of a storm and Elin finds the hotel unsettling. In the morning, Laure has gone missing, and the storm has cut the hotel off from help. Elin knows the longer Laure is missing the more the other guests will panic. And they don’t yet know that someone else is also missing…

The setting for this novel is fantastic; bleak, harsh, creepy and the author makes full use of both the hotel and its geographical setting to create atmosphere. The characters were less effective for me. Elin is the stereotypical emotionally damaged yet dogged detective; she is also the most well-rounded character. She made some odd choices which made me question her judgement but I think that may have been to highlight that she might not be ready to return to work. Erin’s boyfriend is completely perfect whilst Erin’s brother is the polar opposite; no shades of light and dark to add realism to these characters.

The plot is well-conceived with several interwoven plotlines concerning Elin, Isaac and the history of the Sanatorium. The plot was overshadowed at times by Elin’s emotional issues and overall although believable it lacked rhythm and enough tension for me. The somewhat ambiguous ending made the conclusion a bit weak and confusing. Great idea, but for me, sadly less-than-great execution.

An interesting enough thriller. Was hoping for a little more history on the actual sanatorium the hotel was built on but didn't get much of that right to the end. The mystery was intriguing, my biggest issue with the novel was I didn't really like an6 of the characters at all, however the story was compelling enough that I wanted to know what was going on. A few good red herrings thrown in and to be fair I didn't actually guess who the killer was.

Absolutely ADORED this. Author has another one out next year and I’m already excited. A new author who can write. Who has excellent characters and just has IT! Recommending to EVERYONE!

Oh darn it. This started so well.

The premise is great. Le Sommet is a former sanatorium with a questionable history. Located in the Swiss Alps it has now been turned into a exclusive hotel. Elin and Will are there to celebrate her brothers engagement but arrive just as a storm hits. Elin is on edge as it is but next day her brothers fiancee is missing and they're stranded by the storm. But bad weather and avalanches are not the only threat to those stuck at Le Sommet.

So great premise, great characters,a really good start. But all too quickly things become predictable. A genuinely creepy threat is wasted on a frankly quite lame reveal. A shame because this promised so much but just didn't deliver.

I enjoyed the concept of this book but I was surprised it wasn't creepier, this story was more of a 'who done it' rather than a creepy story which I was expecting from the cover. Still an alright read just not one of my favourites.

Firstly thank you to Sarah Pearse and Transworld Publishers for allowing me to read this through NetGalley.

Published on 18th February 2021.

I buddy read this with a fab group of people - I’ll tag them in the picture!!🥰

Elin has taken time away from work as a detective, and goes away to an isolated hotel in the Swiss Alps with her boyfriend to celebrate her estranged brothers engagement. Elin feels constantly on edge, whilst it’s beautiful, the history of the Sanatorium is clearly making her feel anxious. And when her brothers fiancée disappears, others begin to go missing, and the past terrors of the abandoned Sanatorium start to come alive again.

So to begin with, I really really struggled with the book, it wasn’t gripping me and I didn’t find myself wanting to pick it back up. And with a thriller, I personally expect not to be able to put the a book down! But once I’d hit around 10-15% - the game changed!!!

From that moment I was completely freaked out, I didn’t read much at night because I’m a huge scaredy cat - and it was freaking me out at mid morning let alone night! Pearse has a way of completely pulling you into the story, and at points makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. I honestly could not have predicted the ending, I changed my mind on who the culprit was about 20 times throughout - and not once did I guess it correctly - and that’s the sign of a good thriller for me. It was completely unpredictable - and I loved that!

Not once did I feel like the characters were flat, Elin is definitely the typical detective taking time away from work due to personal reasons, but ends up helping on this case. That is the way a lot of stories go, but that does give the author a chance of giving them a back story and makes them more dimensional. It’s always interesting when a character has a past, as that tends to play a huge part within the story, and if done well, it can really work!

And the revelation of everything with her brother, and what really happened that day on the beach - I have to say THAT was kind of expected! But again, that didn’t ruin the story at all for me!

The gas mask elements also completely gave me the creeps, I don’t know about anyone else, but gas masks just scare the hell out of me?! So when I read about them or watch horrors with them - I just can’t! I mean - I even got scared watching The Incredibles 2 in the cinema with the “Screenslaver” so what hope do I have really?!🤣.

But I have l read many many good thrillers, and this has got to be up there with quite possibly being in my top 10?

And oh my god, that epilogue. A second book?! I personally thought that was it for the story, but there’s more?! Again, I cannot put my finger on who it is - but I can definitely say I’ll be picking up book two!!!

I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a fab, fast paced thriller - and honestly I’m already buzzing for book two!!

Intriguing twist on a police procedural novel. It’s a whodunnit & a why they dunnit alongside a family drama and historical facts. The story is well written & I could really feel the cold of the mountains. The reasoning and the end were an unexpected surprise. The novel is well thought out but I didn’t feel emotionally invested in the characters. Worth a read though.

The author is incredibly successful in communicating the remoteness of the destination and it leads to a very atmospheric novel. The main character is engaging, as she is traumatised by her past and this clouds her judgement, leading her to question her own abilities as an investigator. However, I felt that the mystery itself was fractured and the supposed motives were confusing.

Disturbing setting in an isolated location. Hostile weather conditions, and snow trapping a mixture of characters in close proximity, one of whom is a murderer... What a great premise!
And the setting and description of the hotel and the mountains is fantastic! Creepy in a quite refreshingly not-quite-Gothic way!
But I found the characters were generally unlikeable and disagreeable, including Elin the detective with PTSD (who had what jurisdiction here exactly?) and the final reveal was distinctly underwhelming.

An excellent read, definitely will keep you hooked and up all night to find out what happens and whodunnit. Soon every character becomes a suspect

Extremely fun horror, gripping from page to page. I’d recommend for anyone who enjoyed The Water Cure or similar films.

great whodunnit thriller in winter conditions, my favorite. Highly recommended!
Thanks to NG nad the publisher for this copy.

Hotel high up in the Alps which used to be a sanatorium. Bad weather is coming and someone goes missing. What’s not to like about that setup? Unfortunately quite a bit! Setting great, cover too and bad weather coming. But it was all a bit far fetched and limp and so were the characters and it just left me cold. Shame as it should’ve been a great, gripping story - the ingredients were all in place.

What a brilliant debut!

For a debut novel, I think this book is excellent, I loved it. It is set, as the title suggests, in a Sanatorium however this one has been converted into a luxury hotel. It is an isolated spot and as soon as all the guests have arrived an avalanche occurs meaning they are all cut off from civilisation.

Elin and her partner Will have come to celebrate the engagement of her brother Isaac to Laure. Elin and Laure have been friends since childhood but have not been in touch for some time. This is mainly because of the strained relationship between Elin and her brother. Many years ago Elin’s young brother drowned in an accident but Elin still feels that it was Isaac’s fault and is haunted by her memories. This has led to her taking a long leave from her job as a detective and it also seems to be impacting her relationship with Will.

This trip to Switzerland is supposed to be a chance to break the barriers between Elin and her brother, to rekindle her relationship with Will and enable her to go back to her job.

However, as soon as she arrives the atmosphere of The Sanatorium affects Elin. The hotel has been constructed using a lot of the artefacts and decorations of the old sanatorium but this feels Elin with foreboding and dread. An avalanche then cuts off the hotel and the guests from the outside world and Laure disappears without a trace.

This is one of those books that you just cannot put down, so many people appear to be the culprit and no one can be trusted. As a detective, Elin is trying to deal with the crime as the Swiss police are unable to get to the hotel. This makes her realise why she did this job in the first place but also involves her in actions not only from her past but also the past of the hotel.

I always enjoy a book when I cannot work out the ending and this one is brilliant. However, right at the end, there is a strong hint that all is not finished and that another story is brewing. All I can say is that I want the next book to review if it is as good as this one!



Dexter

Elite Book Group received a copy of the book to review

A new hotel has been built high on the Swiss Alps. It was once a sanatorium housing TB patients and its new architect kept to the original stark lines, minimal décor, and imposing windows. These features were thought to be restorative for the patients and now they can perhaps have the same result on the holiday-goers who flock there. One individual in particular does not find the space an inviting one though.

Elin is making a reluctant journey there to visit her estranged brother after news of his engagement. She is using her holiday as both a celebration and as a break from the anxieties plaguing her life. Less than twenty-four hours in and neither proves possible after an avalanche holds all hostage inside the hotel's walls, her brother's fiancé disappears, and another body is unearthed from the snow.

Whilst I loved the concept, adored the setting, and appreciated the sinister atmosphere that permeated each scene, there was a little too much occurring for me to fully bond with the plot. The current mystery battled for page space alongside two differing ones from Elin's past. I remained eager for all to be solved but never fully invested in any of them. Further distance was created by the intrusion of small chapters from other perspectives, which also resulted in a separation formed between myself and the protagonist, Elin.

What a great whodunnit style thriller, I throughly enjoyed reading this. Strong characters and interesting twists.

Elin arrives at a remote hotel in the Swiss Alps with her boyfriend to celebrate her estranged brother's engagement and to find some answers to the secrets from their childhood that haunt her to this day. But with a blizzard on the horizon, the atmosphere is tense, and then Laure, the fiancée - and former good friend of Elin’s - disappears. With the hotel isolated and police unable to attend the site, Elin, who is a detective (currently on extended leave), steps in. “The Sanatorium” is unsettling – the hotel used to be a sanatorium in the past, its history displayed as a part of the new architecture, its isolation the perfect setting for a crime. The relationship between Elin and her brother Isaac is equally troubling, as she does not believe him and his explanations. There is also the question of Elin’s own fragile state – as she is battling anxieties connected to her last case. And this was perhaps the weakest point of the story, a detective questioning her each and every move while trying to resolve the case and I could not warm to her. The ending itself was also a bit long winded and I was not convinced by it. But I liked the storyline between Elin and her brother, even though I thought Isaac was not a nice person! I think this book will appeal to readers who like novels set in isolated locations and with tense atmospheres.