Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Wow! Where to start with this one! This was such an addicting read that I didn’t want to put down! I first just want to acknowledge how well the author approached the topic of addiction and mental health. I feel like these can be difficult topics to bring up in books but Quinn did such a good job with her approach. I was so engrossed in this book but I do have to say that you do have to suspend some belief. I loved meeting all the different characters and learning more about their background. Overall, if you are looking for a quick, addicting psychological thriller, this is definitely the one for you!

This was a solid thriller which did some things really well, but overall did not blow me away; if you’re looking for a thriller/mystery which takes a really compassionate lens on issues of addiction and recovery, and you don’t mind some suspense of disbelief, it might be a good read for you!

My highlights were the aforementioned compassion in dealing with a difficult topic, the stellar atmosphere, and the frustrating-yet-sympathetic main character; lowlights were the final twists, which felt a little bit overwrought and unnecessary (though the foreshadowing was done very well for them). ultimately, a good read if the genre is what you’re in the mood for!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for the advance copy!

My favorite thriller so far this year!! It has the perfect setting, perfect descriptions and perfect ambience. It was spooky and addicting!

Unfortunately, this one was not for me. The characters were one-dimensional and completely changeable. I felt like this story was chaotic and unbelievable most of the time. This was unlike any rehab I've ever experienced (as a therapist) but perhaps it's a different ballgame when you are dealing with exclusive (celeb) rehabs?!

This book was absolutely amazing! So many twists and turns throughout, all the way to 98%!!! Highly recommend to anyone who loves a good who did it story.

This book started off so strong. Loved the premise. The main character Meg, a casino "spy", learns her famous sister has committed suicide in a rehab clinic, and heads to the clinic to solve the mystery, and maybe get some help for herself as she is also addicted to pain pills.

Positives:
The description of the PNW rehab clinic itself
Short chapters from multiple perspectives
The intrigue of an exclusive rehab facility for the uber rich, mixed with ground breaking ideas and treatments for addiction rehibilation, famous clientelle, with a mystery thrown in
There were some strong subplots of childhood trauma, addiction, PTSD, mental health, etc.

Negatives:
The pace started out so quick and strong and then began to drag
The plotline to me just became outlandish after awhile
It was just too long
If I read the word "fugu" one more time I was going to lose it.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced copy of this ebook.

Meg works at a casino flushing out loan sharks and catching bad guys. After one job goes wrong, she ends up with a dislocated shoulder and gets hooked on oxy.

One day after work, Meg finds out her superstar sister OD’d in rehab it’s ruled a suicide. Meg knows Haley would never kill herself. Meg decided to check in to The Clinic and find out what really happened to her sister.

Told in dual POVs between Meg and Cara, the manager at The Clinic, this book sucked me in right away. The short chapters keep the pace moving quickly. I loved the premise and really enjoyed the beginning of the book. Unfortunately the ending kind of stalled for me and the closure just really came out of left field. A lot of build up for a really quick wrap up. Overall the book did keep my entertained and I wanted to know what was going to happen I am just definitely a little disappointed in the ending

Book Review — “The Clinic” by Kate Quinn

Categories — Thriller/Suspense, Mystery, Celebrities, Rehab/Medical, Addiction, Mental Health, 400+ Pages, Multi-POV, Claustrophobic/Trapped, Pacific Northwest Setting

Pub Info — January 23, 2024. Sourcebooks Landmark. Currently has a 3.7 average and 1.7k ratings on Goodreads.

The Author — Quinn is also the author of Black Widows (2021) and Blood Sisters (2021). She made a special note at the start of this book stating that this story was influenced by her personal experience with rehabilitation and sober living.

Quick Summary — Two sisters, one creepy clinic. One sister is a celebrity going into rehab at the clinic and the other is an undercover enforcement against casinos cheats. When her celebrity sister dies in the clinic, she goes in undercover to figure out what happened.

More Info (No Spoilers) & Thoughts ⤵️

• This story is a multi-POV mysterious suspense about two sisters and a slew of weirdo characters in the sketchy rehabilitation center for celebrities with various issues. When one of the patients dies in their care, attention is raised and law enforcement — and a rouge agent, her own sister — are investigating.

• This is a longer thriller, coming in around a little over 400 pages. You have multiple narrator POVs, Meg and Cara. Meg is the addict and undercover sister and Cara is a stringent and half-hearted stooge

• In addition, you get a few fellow clinic goers, all suspects for the crime along with the staff — chiefly the owner, an assistant doctor, and Cara the administrator.

• Addiction and trauma/mental health plays a major part of the themes of this story. Everyone in this story is unhinged and popping something or trying to get someone stuck with a needle of something. It’s a mix of nightmarish trapped/locked-in and creepy doctors doing messed up experimental treatments. I’m not sure how realistic it is, but if I don’t think too much about it, then I’m entertained 😂

• If I had to compare it to something, it would be American Horror Story. Kinda cliche, kinda implausible, creepy for creepiness sake, but at the same time you just want to keep watching. The cover is gorgeous too.

Wow - I was pleasantly surprise at how good this book was. Ticked all the boxes for me..
-Page Turning - Yup
-Who is the Murderer? - Yup
-Characters you love to hate - Yup

I am looking forward to what Quinn comes up with next!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and honestly review The Clinic.

If you enjoy a good thriller that hooks you on the first page and doesn't let go, you will love this book. It has a great storyline and wonderful characters to keep you turning the pages.
I received a complimentary copy from SOURCEBOOKS Landmark via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I loved this book about a drug treatment center and a murder. The author does a wonderful job creating a mystery who-done-it between patients and a crazy doctor at a high priced clinic/rehab center .
Meg has a background in casino security and some interesting stories that occur on the job. The book starts out with giving us hints at a mysterious childhood.
Meg has learned that her sister has committed suicide while staying at a luxurious treatment center for alcohol and chemical dependency.
Meg is also addicted to pain pills and soon she is offered an opportunity to go stay at the same facility. The mystery deepens as we learn about each resident. Lots of twists and turns in the story and another viewpoint is provided by Cera, a woman who heads the administrative department. Complete with a whacky doctor and his sidekick the story leads us through many possibilities for murder.
Great story that kept me interested until the end. Thank you NetGalley for a chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review

Enjoyed this a lot! Thought it was going to be a little creepier than it ended up being but the twist really got me! Had another theory but was pleasantly surprised to be wrong.

This was the first book I've read by this author and will definitely be keeping my eyes out for more.

The Clinic was a twisty suspense novel that had my head spinning! I loved that that the author left the reader questioning "who done it" throughout the story. Defiantly a good thriller!
Meg lives a reckless life working at a casino and over medicating herself. When she gets word her estranged sister has taken her own life at a fancy rehab facility Meg knows immediately something isn't right. Haley might have been troubled but she would never have ended her life. Meg decides to check herself into rehab so she can question the staff and patients, see what they know. What she doesn't expect is that she will have to go along with therapy and treatment so her stay seems believable but this will bring back trauma from her childhood. Meg will make friends with the other patients and discover who she can trust and who she can't. Her sister is gone yet her presence feels so near.....soon all will be revealed and Meg will learn the truth.

This was definitely an entertaining read that I enjoyed. 

When Meg hears that her famous actress sister Haley, has committed suicide while in a posh rehab facility in the remote Pacific Northwest, she doesn't believe it.  She thinks there is more to the truth than what the media is saying.  She's determined to investigate from the inside and find out the truth.  She leaves behind her job in LA at the casino, catching cheaters and checks into the rehab.  Meg has been battling her own additions, and the withdrawal may dampen her plans.  Will she be able to get through in order to discover what really happened to Haley?

This book was told in dual POV of Meg and Cara, who works at the facility.  The plot was intriguing and definitely kept my attention.  All the drama and secrets definitely kept me on my toes.  Addiction, mental health, and past traumas play major roles, and I did learn that the author drew from her own experiences at rehab.  This was a well written twisty psychological thriller, and I would definitely recommend it.

Thank you @bookmarked @netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Meg, a DEA agent whose gig is working undercover in casinos, admits herself to an exclusive (and expensive!) rehabilitation center where her celebrity sister, Haley, was found dead. She knows that someone there had something to do with her sister’s death and wants to get to the bottom of it- but does that mean she’s trapped there with a killer? In this locked room thriller, Meg is stuck inpatient at a rehab that’s so off the beaten path, it’s not on GPS. Isolated in a fully restored old mansion, this state of the art facility has all sorts of luxury amenities, as well as secrets.

This was a well-written thriller that kept me guessing throughout. I loved the super short chapters (115 chapters, to be exact)- I felt that it was the best way to tell this story and keep the reader engaged and rearing to turn the page. With the way that Quinn described The Clinic, especially the spa area, I felt like I could see the building myself. With a single, linear timeline and alternating duel points of view between Cara, the clinic manager, and Meg, a patient at the rehab clinic, the characters in this book were straightforward and it was easy to keep track of who’s who. I enjoyed getting to know Meg as a character and felt that there was decent character development here that let the reader learn more about her (and decide whether to love or hate her). It was interesting to see her journey while in the rehab as she realizes that she actually may need the help that is offered there.

I liked how a lot of the male characters had 3 letter first names and that was a hint from one of Haley’s journal entries. This had me guessing which character Haley could have been writing about. I appreciate the authors note and how she used some of her own experiences with rehab to write this book. I also found the research about blowfish and fugu fascinating and I absolutely took to Google to find out more. 🐡

While this book was full of twists and turns, the major twist was so shocking that I felt it was a bit too unrealistic to be entirely enjoyable to me, which is what kept me from rating this book a full five stars.

The Clinic published January 23rd and is available everywhere now!

The Clinic was a page-turner story that takes place in an ominous rehab clinic for the wealthy. I was genuinely surprised by the plot twists and really enjoyed the character development of most of these characters. (Without giving too much of the story away), the end felt a tad rushed but I was still happy with how it ended. Great thriller!

I really loved reading The Clinic - I thought is was a very well-written "locked-room mystery" thriller with interesting characters. The chapters were short, which made me feel like I flew through the book - definitely an easy read. The ending was a little bizarre for me, though I did enjoy it! This was a solid 4-star read for me, I want to read more from this author.

3.5 stars - a well-written and highly entertaining story!

The author did a great job of creating a tense, mysterious, and emotional atmosphere of a rehab clinic. After reading this, I learned the author was inspired to write this story after her personal experience in rehab. I appreciate that the author chose to write a book about mental health struggles and addiction. She did a great job of humanizing these sensitive issues.

The Clinic is told from alternative viewpoints between Meg and Cara - Meg was my favorite. She advanced the story the most.

This story did not unfold as I thought it would. The twists pleasantly surprised me, even if they were a bit far-fetched. I may have rated this higher if this story was shorter and slightly more realistic. I enjoyed the ride and look forward to reading what this author writes next.

The new year is traditionally a time for fresh beginnings and intentions, and Cate Quinn is starting 2024 with one of the best ways an author can: a new release, and the first in 15 books she has written sober. (Quinn also pens under the names Catherine Quinn and C.S. Quinn.)

Kicking off with an impactful author’s note explaining that when Quinn went to rehab in 2020, her uppermost thought was that she “might never write another book,” “The Clinic” follows Meg, a covert casino ring buster in Los Angeles, as she decides to go undercover at an atmospheric luxury rehab facility on the Pacific Northwest coast. Here, tabloids have reported that star actor Haley, Meg’s sister, has died of an overdose.

However, Meg is convinced something far more sinister has taken place. Alternating perspectives between Meg (a classic unreliable narrator struggling with an alcohol and pill addiction) and that of facility worker Cara, Quinn weaves a superior, creeping psychological thriller taunt with tension and drama. She ends her author note, “ … this is the one that I’m most proud of. ‘The Clinic’ is dedicated to anyone anywhere struggling with addiction.”

A really good, locked room sort of mystery which unfolds through two viewpoints – Cara, the manager of the rehab facility and Meg, sister of the famous Haley and a pill-popping alcoholic. Meg doesn’t believe that Haley committed suicide but was murdered and has entered the rehab to find evidence or the murderer. But someone there knows who she is and is sending her messages telling her to stop looking and leave. When she ignores the warnings, things ante up and now not only has she got to find her evidence, but she also must keep her wits about her to avoid becoming part of the body count.

The author does a really good job presenting addicts in various stages of recovery - made more poignant after reading her special note at the end.

It is a bit of a slow start, but the short chapters help get past that hurdle. Totally recommended.

Thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for an ARC of The Clinic in exchange for an honest review.