Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of “The Clinic” by Cate Quinn. I think I came into this book with the wrong impression. I was expecting a bit more horror aspects what with the reviews comparing it to The Overlook Hotel in the Shining. I can’t say I was creeped out while reading this book. It did keep me entertained so three stars for that! The twists unfortunately fell a bit flat for me. I was hoping for just a little bit more that I didn’t end up getting. I will say I really liked the idea of a thriller set around a rehab and the themes of addiction and trauma.

The Clinic is a suspenseful thriller set in the moody PNW at a remote rehab center for the rich. After Meg's sister dies at this establishment, she decides to go undercover and check herself into the rehab in hopes of finding her sister's killer. Once inside, she realizes there is a lot more going on than she thought. Meg must catch a killer while also staying alive herself.

I loved the setting of this story and found it very unique. It was part murder mystery, part mental health and addiction struggles, part suspense, and part science fiction (sort of). I found the storyline to be very engaging and an easy page turner. I didn't feel bored ever and felt like the pacing was good to keep the story moving. I also found the POV of a drug addict to be very interesting as Meg felt somewhat unreliable but also I felt a lot of sympathy for her and hope that she would recover, knowing people who have struggled with addiction and how that affects themselves as well as others.

I think the only thing I struggled with was Cara's POV. I felt her to be a very unlikeable character personally, and didn't enjoy reading her chapters as much. They served a purpose in the plot and I appreciated the information it gave, but I do wish Cara's personality was a little more likeable. She felt very stiff and a lot of her decisions felt a bit off for some reason.

Overall, I think the Clinic was a very interesting page turner and I will definitely read more books by Cate Quinn!

I wasn't sure what to think about the book at first. It starts a little slowly as the reader is introduced to Meg, who works undercover at a casino to catch cheaters and criminals. When she learns her music star sister has died in a luxurious rehab clinic, Meg decides to go undercover to find out what happened. It's not all an act for Meg since she truly has an addiction to alcohol and pain pills, but she doesn't tell anyone about her connection to Haley.

The story picks up, and gets creepy, once Meg arrives at The Clinic. The clinic is isolated and the patients have little freedom. It seems like something sinister is hiding behind the luxurious facade of the facility. Meg isn't the only one hiding things - the other patients at this exclusive rehab clinic also have secrets, and the staff is intense and sometimes scary! The pace picks up and things get suspenseful, even though some of the treatments seem like something out of a sci-fi novel. However, I was entertained by the twists and turns in the story and enjoyed the character growth of Meg as a result of what she experiences.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

Meg works undercover and struggles with addiction. But she’s not the only one. Her famous sister, Haley has the same struggles and found herself at a state of the art, rehab facility called ‘The Clinic’.

When Meg gets word that her sister has died while attending this rehab, she decides to go undercover to see if she can find out what actually happened to Haley. Meanwhile, Meg actually needs to detox while there. Will Meg find out what happened to her sister before her own ‘treatments’ and therapy get the best of her?

This story is told in two POVs, Meg’s and the Clinic’s manager, Cara.

Meg is low-key trying to solve her sister’s murder, while Cara puts the pieces together of the doctor and his staff’s possibly crooked scheme for this rehab facility.

It is a bit of a lengthy book, however the very short chapters make it a lot easier to keep reading.

It is a slow burn, but you’re trying to figure out who did what before the clock runs out.

There were some plot twists that I didn’t see coming at all! However, there was one part near the end that didn’t quite make sense to me. I can’t get into details without spoiling it. But it did lower my rating.

At the very end you learn that the author, Cate Quinn, actually attended rehab herself.


Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for a DRC. The Clinic is available tomorrow!

The story takes place in a remote rehab clinic in the PNW. Told in dual perspective; first is Meg, a Casino worker who catches cheater and is a pill popper, who’s also trying to solve her sister Haley’s death. The other Cara who is the manager of the rehab clinic.

The whole center of the story is the mystery of Haley’s death. Meg believes that someone at the clinic is responsible, so we take a deep dive into her involvement of finding the answers. Cara isn’t a really likable character. She was a bit overbearing to deal with at times and although she adds to the narrative, she was a bit tedious of a character for me… but again that’s my opinion.

The story as a whole captures your attention, but sadly the ending felt rushed for me and that’s why I didn't fully love it. But definitely addictive if that’s what you’re looking for in a story.

I was so thrilled to receive an advanced ecopy of The Clinic by Cate Quinn. I had never read a book by the author, but the cover grabbed me and then the description did. The Clinic was a locked room style mystery thriller set in a rehab clinic, which had a gothic vibe to me, even if the clinic itself was very modern. The people in charge were all sinister. The patients came off as realistic for the most part, which was unexpected. The main protagonist gets herself admitted to the rehab clinic to solver her sister's death. which has been ruled accidental but she doesn't believe it. It just so happens that she, herself is a bigtime addict who is very delusional about her addiction. There were parts of the story regarding the addictions' hold on the patients that was very difficult to read as they feel very personal. After reading the author's note at the end, I know that they actually were very personal to her, which really elevated this book in my opinion. The book was long, but I never thought it dragged. In fact, as I was reading it, I was reading chunks of 20% at a time or more and got irritated when I had to pause! All in all, I would rate this book 4 stars for the thriller/mystery aspect and 4.5 stars for the addiction drama.

This book has all the elements it needs to be an intriguing gothic thriller.
Old prison turned into high-end, exclusive rehab center with new-age techniques nestled into a misty mountain and removed from all GPS locations for "privacy". - Check
Almost all characters are substance abusers either in detox or still high which makes them highly unreliable and unstable. - Check
Secluded, locked door type mystery elements. - Check
Secrets revealed a little at a time to build suspense. - Check
Secret identities and undercover infiltration. - Check

I was so into this story -- flawed, unlikable characters and all -- until about the 60% mark. It is told in 2 POVs - Meg, the drug-addict sister of a famous (also drug addicted) singer/actress who dies under mysterious circumstances in this rehab center. Meg ends up getting herself admitted to go undercover to discover who potentially killed her sister. Meanwhile, she grapples with the unknown to her (selective amnesia) and the reader childhood trauma that lead her down the path of addiction in the first place.
We also have Cara's POV. She's the naive, non substance addicted manager of The Clinic. She allows us to see the inner workings of the clinic and the police investigation. That's pretty much all I have to say about her. She has some unnecessary backstory that doesn't add to the story.
Without giving too much away, the ending left me entirely unsatisfied. I found the main character really whiny and too much in denial. (She thought "I need my oxy" at least three times a chapter. At least. We get it.) She is also able to smuggle drugs and a cell phone into the clinic even though it is supposed to be state of the art. She's not the only one with contraband stuff either. The pace, although fast through the first part, slows down considerably in the middle while the police fumble through an investigation, Meg fumbles through an investigation, and Cara fumbles through her own investigation. It's a lot of whining about not having access to enough drugs or alcohol even though she "has it under control" (Meg), whining about having four kids and carting one around to crime scenes (police), and whining about whether or not the on-site psychologist likes her or not (Cara). All of which I, as the read, didn't really care about.
Meg is also having some serious trauma flashbacks to a man with playing card eyes and an apparition of a lady wearing pinup style lingerie that visits her in the clinic. These are supposed to be from some major shared trauma from her youth (with her sister). But the payout isn't worth all the set up (IMO). I was like, that's it. After all that. Really?
And the ending... I have lots of thoughts on this particular plot device. If you've read it, hit me up. Am I being too harsh? It was really contrived to me.
I still gave this 2.75 stars (rounded up to 3) because the first 60% did draw me in and I was overall intrigued by the writing. I guess my hopes for a twisty, gothic type story just didn't live up to the execution.
Thank you to NetGalley, Cate Quinn, and the publisher for allowing me access to an ARC copy to review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me a digital ARC of the new book by Cate Quinn - 4 stars!

Meg works undercover at an LA casino, trying to catch cheaters. Nursing a sore shoulder from an incident that went badly wrong, she's now taking too many oxycodone pills along with alcohol. When she gets a report that her estranged sister, Haley, a popular singer, died by suicide at an exclusive celebrity rehab clinic, Meg decides to go in as a patient and investigate what happened. Once there, she trusts no one and suspects everyone.

Told from the POV of Meg and Cara, the manager of the clinic, in short chapters to heighten the suspense and intrigue as Meg tries to figure out which of her fellow patients could be involved in Haley's death. And just what kind of treatments are the patients getting? Is there more going on behind the scene? None of these characters are extremely likable and there are parts where you have to suspend belief, but I was all in, I thought it was a good look into addiction and mental health issues as well.

This psychological thriller is told from a dual POV and takes place in a secluded rehabilitation clinic. The book is heavily character driven which includes a diverse set of characters. They are very interesting and I enjoyed how several secrets were slowly revealed throughout the story. There were so many twists I did expect and it was fun to try and determine what was true and what was an illusion. I loved the short chapters which made it easy to read. There’s themes of addiction, relationships, lies, power, and mental health. I liked that this book was personal to the author and I’m looking forward to seeing that she writes next.

The Clinic by Cate Quinn was a great psychological thriller that makes you question what actually happened to the sister of Meg, the main character of the book. This book certainly had some topics that may be challenging for readers, including mental health, addiction and suicide, but if none of those are triggers for the reader, this was a fantastic book. Meg learned that her sister was in a rehab facility and has been told that she has passed away but refuses to believe the story. Instead, she decides to check into the same private facility and do her own research to see what actually happened. This story is hard to review without spoiling the book, so let’s just leave it at this; don’t hesitate to read this book if you like a good story with lots of twists and turns.

I really enjoyed both the premise and setting of this novel- a mysterious “suicide” in a remote and exclusive rehab facility. I was hooked pretty early on and overall, enjoyed this novel.

However, I also found it to be hard to follow because I felt like important details were left out and we weren’t given adequate backstory; almost like the characters and plot weren’t quite finished.

Meg and Haley’s relationship was the hardest to grasp for me. Meg obviously cared enough about her sister to feel the need to investigate her “suicide,” but then there was a lot of odd disdain for her- like she liked her one minute and hated her the next. I understand they wanted to keep the big childhood reveal until the end, but I still feel like a little backstory on their relationship was important.

In all honesty, I felt most of the relationships in this novel were odd.. very fake and forced? Most of the characters just seemed bizarre- especially the police, Max, and Harry. And the entire clinic itself with all of its rooms and therapies and treatments was a bit hard to swallow and keep up with.

Then the end was just about as bizarre as could be…

Still, The Clinic kept me engaged and turning pages, trying to figure out where we were headed. So overall I’d recommend the read.

3.5 stars out of 5

Initially I was drawn to the cover and title of the book and it helped set the atmospheric mood of this book. At first I was intimidated by the long chapter count (115!), but saw that the chapters were actually short so I didn’t mind that. In fact, it gave me such a huge sense of accomplishment when I finished 60 chapters in one sitting! I would describe this book as a good popcorn thriller although it does deal with heavy topics such as addiction and trauma. It did a great job of capturing my attention. It was hard to put it down because I wanted to solve the mystery. It’s hard to talk about this book blwithoit giving away spoilers so my advice to truly enjoy it is to go on blind and not know too much about it. Thrilling, fast paced and yes you will have to suspend belief sometimes but you’ll have a fun time nonetheless.
Thank you NetGally and Sourcebooks for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Meg just finishes up an assignment, catching cheaters at a casino, when she learns of her sisters untimely death. Convinced that Haley would not leave her, even if her death was ruled a suicide, Meg checks herself into the very rehab Haley was murdered to do her own investigation. Easier said than done while grappling with her own addictions and side effects of withdrawal...especially when someone keeps leaving her notes signed by her dead sister. Is Haley alive or is someone just trying to scare Meg away? And just what hidden traumas will she uncover about herself on her quest for the truth?

Told from two perspectives, Cara the clinic manager, and sister/patient Meg. The patient list is relatively small at this exclusive celebrity rehab so even when combined with the owner, addiction counselor, and those connected to Meg/Haley, it is very easy to keep the characters separate. The manageable size also allows for character development throughout.

I was hooked on this book very early on. Lots of twists and turns, and you know ya girl loves an unreliable narrator. This one hit different though -- even knowing how unreliable she is, I believed her...the whole way through. There is something in her somewhat guarded vulnerability. You can feel how hard she is trying. I hate Haley though; I am not even going to deny it. She is such an unlikeable character, clearly by design. But it makes you feel a certain kind of way about the ending...and I am not entirely sure what way that is yet.

There are so many layers to this mystery and that is what really sucked me in. 4.5 stars from me + 10/10 recommend.

This was such a fun read and I was sucked in from the very first chapter. I was a little hesitant at first, since this was almost 450 pages long and I wasn't sure how a seemingly straightforward mystery would handle being stretched out for that long. However, I think Quinn did a great job of layering a few different plot threads as well as weaving these plots together at different points in the book.

I loved all the characters in this read - especially Meg. She is such an interesting and complex character. I loved how the mystery thread is intertwined with Meg's character development and how, eventually, Meg comes around to the idea that in order to find out what happened to her sister, she'll have to work on herself first.

Obviously, since this was set in a rehab clinic, there is a lot of discussion about addiction of various types. I don't personally have any experience in this area so I can't speak personally to the representation. However, there is a note in the book that says Quinn was inspired to write this book after her own experience in rehab.

On paper, this ending feels like it should be one of those off the rails endings that I absolutely love. However, it didn't quite land right for me. After giving it some thought, I came to the conclusion that while I very much enjoyed the twist aspect (I certainly didn't see it coming), I think it deflated some of the character development we get throughout the previous 400 pages. But as with any twisty endings, results will vary reader to reader.

Overall, this was a good mystery with a great cast of characters. The topic of rehab/addiction is core to the story but felt like it was handled well. I loved Meg and her journey throughout the book. The ending didn't work for me as well as I would have liked, but I can see other readers liking it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC. Expected publication date is January 23, 2024.

In "The Clinic," we follow Meg, a casino employee in LA, whose life takes a dramatic turn when she hears about the death of her sister, Haley, a well-known actress, at a remote rehab facility. Struggling with her own issues, including an addiction to pain pills, Meg can't bring herself to accept the reports suggesting suicide. Determined to uncover the truth, she decides to investigate from the inside by checking into the same rehab facility.

As Meg grapples with her personal demons and faces the challenges of isolation, the story unfolds, revealing the complexities of her quest for the real story behind Haley's death. The narrative seamlessly blends Meg's internal struggles, her relentless pursuit of the truth, and the mysterious secrets hidden within the rehab facility's walls.

"The Clinic" is a gripping thriller that explores themes of addiction, family dynamics, and the lengths one would go to unveil the truth. The author creates a compelling story that keeps readers engaged, intertwining personal battles with a suspenseful mystery. It's a tale of deception, redemption, and the unyielding quest for answers in the face of tragedy.

When Meg learns that her sister Haley, a famous actress, has died at a remote rehab clinic on the Pacific Northwest coast, there are whispers of suicide, but Meg doesn't believe the rumors. Haley had been forced to go to The Clinic to get her addictions under control. Meg, who works at a casino catching cheaters, has been battling her own addictions. She decides that the best way to find out what happened to her sister is to check herself into rehab so she can investigate what really happened from the inside. But figuring out the truth will be much more difficult than she imagined, far away from friends, family, and anyone who could help her.

With its remote and atmospheric setting, dual POVs, and short chapters, "The Clinic" is a bingeable thriller full of twists and turns. I enjoyed reading the story from the perspectives of Meg and Cara, the manager of The Clinic, because I never knew who or what to believe. The mystery surrounding Haley's death and the potential involvement of the other rehab patients kept me hooked, and I had many theories and guesses as to what really happened. At 448 pages, this book is not necessarily a quick read, and I do think some of the subplots could have been eliminated without taking anything away from the main story. Overall, a gripping and twisty thriller that addresses difficult issues in a genuine and thoughtful way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've officially DNFed my first book of 2024.

The chapters were short, so I made it about 40% before I decided to DNF. And I almost pushed through, but I want to spend my time on ARCs more intentionally and I couldn't finish this one just because it was an ARC.

One of the first problems I came across with this book was that some of the characters blended together for me. Specifically Dr. Max and Dr. Lutz and the local police officers. It was also hard to really like any of the characters. Cara grated on my nerves with her constantly thinking that people thought she was stupid. Typically I would have empathy for her character, but just something about the way she was written just did not make me feel connected to her in any way. If it turns out this is how the author meant to write this character, then she did too good of a job.

What finally made me decide to DNF was a specific scene. It just did not seem to make any sense and really just came out of no where. There was nothing inherently wrong with the scene, it just was a final "nope" moment for me.

The Clinic has almost 1000 ratings on Goodreads and it's hanging out at just under four stars. So I'm definitely in the minority for this one. So if you're looking for a thriller, you might still want to give this one a chance.

BOOK REVIEW 📖

The Clinic by Cate Quinn
Pub Date: Jan 23rd
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis: Haley Banks was a famous country singer who died at a remote rehab in the Pacific Northwest. The Clinic labeled her death as an overdose, but her sister, Meg, and the local police think something more sinister is at play. Meg decides to check herself into the rehab undercover to try to find out for herself what really happened to her sister.

Thoughts: This was a super twisty psychological thriller that I would love to see as a movie! The first half of the book was a bit slower paced and took me a little while to get into, but once I got to the halfway point I was HOOKED. The overall concept was smart and unique and not quite like anything I’ve read before. There were a couple points that kept me from rating five stars - as mentioned, the pacing of the first half, and also the unlikable nature of most of the characters. However, I really loved the mystery, the setting, the pacing of the second half, and, most of all, the crazy twists! Highly recommend this to any thriller lovers. TW for mental health and substance abuse.

Read this if you like:
🧖‍♀️ celebrity gossip
🧖‍♀️ locked room mysteries
🧖‍♀️ creepy Pacific NW atmosphere
🧖‍♀️ morally grey characters
🧖‍♀️ twisty psychological thrillers

Thanks to @netgalley and @bookmarked for the eARC!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark, NetGalley and author Cate Quinn for this ARC to read and review!

Holy unreliable narrator, Batman! I absolutely LOVE a psychological thriller trope where the people telling the story are a hot mess with secrets and a dark past and you second guess every single thing! Add in a creepy isolated setting and you got me! I also loved the quick and snappy chapters with dual POV … the writing style kept me flipping pages and totally engaged all the way thru! I had some suspicions to where this was going, but in the end was pleasantly satisfied with a few more surprises in the wrap up! Loved my first experience with this author … excited to check out more of her backlist!

ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ: After finding out her twin sister committed suicide in rehab, Meg goes undercover at the clinic to find out what really happened to Haley.

ᴍʏ ᴛᴡᴏ ᴄᴇɴᴛs: This was such a great fast-paced thriller! The closed setting made everyone a suspect and I really had no idea where this book was going, but I could not put it down.

It takes place in a rehab called The Clinic, and gives a really good look at addiction and the battles people face while struggling to break an addiction.

ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴛʜɪs ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ:
💊forced proximity
💊learning about addiction
💊closed-room mysteries