The Clinic
by Cate Quinn
Pub Date: 23 Jan 2024

The Clinic takes you through an engrossing journey of addiction, mental health and psychological issues while still trying to figure out what happened.

I really enjoyed The Clinic even though it started off a bit slow, you quickly find yourself engrossed in the characters and trying to determine who is lying. It has many twists and turns. The Clinic is a roller coaster ride through some dark and twisted minds.

Overall, it is an intense, gripping and unputdownable psychological thriller that I do recommend

Many thanks to #NetGalley, #TheClinic & #SourcebooksLandmark for the E-ARC.

What a story! It took me a few chapters to get absorbed into the story. But once I did, I finished the book in one sitting. It was the perfect read for cold and snowy winter day. There was a lot of suspense built up in the book. There were lots of clues scattered in the story. I really was shocked by the ending in a lot of ways. There were a lot of twists. I haven't read anything from this author before, but I will keep an eye out for her other books. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Ⓑⓞⓞⓚ Ⓡⓔⓥⓘⓔⓦ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℂ𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕔
𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗻
Thriller
448 pages

𝑷𝒖𝒃 𝑫𝒂𝒚: 𝑱𝒂𝒏𝒖𝒂𝒓𝒚 23, 2024

Sʜᴏᴿᴛ Sʏɴᴏᴘsɪs
After Meg’s famous sister dies mysteriously at a rehab clinic, she decides to be admitted using her real addictions to get in.

Her interactions with the other patients lead her down a slippery slope, knowing one of them is the murderer. The staff have their hands in the pot as well. Who killed her sister? Will she figure it out?

Mʸ Tᴴᴼᵁᴳᴴᵀs

This book is a chunker at 448 pages! I enjoyed the atmosphere of this ritzy clinic for the rich and famous. Its background made it even more intriguing.

The characters were an odd bunch. Each had their own set of addictions that came from early trauma in their lives. They looked out for one another, but one of them was a killer. I had no idea who it was.

The staff that were front and center in the story were teetering on the edge, as I was unsure if they were playing a part or being sincere.

Finding out the answer to the crime was superb. I certainly didn’t see it coming. What came after that was a bit odd to me. I think I would have preferred it to end when the murder was solved.
All in all, I liked the book, which strung me along, making me change my guess as to who the killer was more than once.

💕Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing this ebook for me to read and review.

⛰️ The Clinic - Cate Quinn

3.75 ⭐️ - Phew. This had me sweating. Secluded rehab, drugs, unreliable characters.. sign me up! BUT this one won’t be for everyone. I definitely recommend checking out the trigger warnings before you read!

Meg works in a casino in LA catching cheaters and popping a few too many pills to cover her pain of her past, relationship with her mom, and sister Haley’s fame. But when sudden reports of Haley’s death in a remote rehab facility come to Meg’s attention, she decides the best thing for her to do is to investigate and find out what really happened to her sister. Meg checks herself into this remote, extravagant rehab center and is forced to face her own addiction issues, skeletons in her closets, and a whole room of patients who cannot be trusted.

This was a wild ride. With short chapters, it was easy to binge and follow along. This story is told in 2 different POVs; Meg, our sister with a drug addiction and Cara, the manager of the remote rehab facility. With a remote location, unreliable and creepy characters, and lots of sketchy therapy tactics, this book paints a perfect image of our setting. Think Nine Perfect Strangers and Ratched. I did feel it was a taaaad long and the ending was a little far fetched but it does come together with answered questions and a nice little bow. If you’re into thrillers/mysteries with remote locations and sketchy rehabilitation techniques, this one’s for you!

2.5 - A very fast pace thriller that takes a look at the drug rehabilitation industry and addiction. I enjoyed the insights into the links between trauma and addiction and the highlighting of some of the more corrupt rehabilitation schemes going on today. The actual story, however, felt too messy for my personal taste. There was absolutely 0 down-time. There was always something happening or a new revelation being made that there was never any time to settle into the story. Due to the nature of the story and characters involved, there were a lot of “hazy” or dreamlike sequences where the reader and the character can’t determine if what they’re experiencing is real. This is typically something I don’t enjoy in books.

I’ve read from Cate Quinn before and enjoyed their work, so I’m thinking this is just a flop for me personally and would be interested in trying another book by them! The authors note tells us that this story was inspired by the authors experience with addiction and rehab and I admire the resiliency and courage this type of story probably took.

Rating: 4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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The Clinic is a medical thriller, dealing with rehabilitation from addiction and this story is told in a dual POV between Meg (a patient) and Cara (the rehabilitation manager). It starts out a bit slow, but soon enough you are hooked into this story, just wanting to know what is going on at that place and just what Meg is getting herself into.
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The characters are easy to love/hate for many reasons which will have you constantly questioning motives and who could possibly be the killer. Not to mention, Quinn constantly shifts the focus onto different characters which makes this one super fun to read. It is such a fast paced and suspenseful read that you won’t want to put it down. Also, the chapters are super short so of course your constantly saying “just one more chapter”! I guessed the ending very very very early on, but I had no idea the route that the story would take, I loved it. The Clinic takes a bunch of twists and turns and I loved all of them and also all of the very serious topics that are brought up, which I definitely believe is a root cause of a lot issues within the habilitation programs.
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This one would have been a five star read for me but I really struggled with the inaccuracy the medical aspect of this one. I was a bit upset with the lack of research done in order to make sure that this was correct. There was a lot of inaccuracies/contradictions with medications, dosages, vital signs, positions and so on. As a nurse that works in ICU and has a lot of experience with withdrawal patients this ending required a bit of a suspension of belief but I was on board with how it ended. 
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This was a buddy read with @fashionably.bookish, @books_by_the_bottle, @the_towering_tbr and @bookybethw and I loved having them to vent, even if I did annoy them with all of my medical jargon complaints (sorry guys haha). 
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The Clinic releases on 1/23, be sure to check this one out! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Cate Quinn and Sourcebooks Landmark for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

“The Clinic” by Cate Quinn was an enjoyable read. Diving into the world of addiction, alcohol and painkillers, suicide, and abuse. Each issue was briefly touched on as Meg goes undercover to the rehab clinic, where her Hollywood famous sister died of an overdose, to find out why they think it was suicide. Meg herself is an oxy addict from an old injury so she figures she’ll fit in. Maybe even get helped.

The story is told by Meg and Cara, the clinic's administrator. Meg's life could be in danger as she encounters suspect after suspect in what she feels is the reason her sister is dead.

The book moves fairly well, I appreciate the short chapters and the two POVs, and you won't guess the ending I am confident, I rated it three it can even be 3.5 mainly because it was not plausible but it was a good read.

I do recommend this book as a good who-done-it and I will read more written by Cate Quinn. I appreciate her story shared.

Thank you NetGalley, Cate Quinn, and Sourcebook Landmark for this ARC this is my honest review.

The Clinic is a gripping thriller until the end. I couldn't put it down, I wanted to know the end. I love how it's told from two different points of view, Cara - the well mannered Clinic administrator, and Meg - the sister of the pop star who died at the Clinic. This novel has a lot of details, and I connected with the characters, especially Meg. Her addiction and struggles really make you want her to win, and to figure out if her sister was murdered or if it was in fact suicide, as the Clinic staff try to make it seem. I would recommend this novel to anyone who loves a good thriller and "who-done-it:. Thank you netgalley and Cate Quinn! Looking forward to reading more from her in the future!

A wild ride that goes over the top but keeps you turning the pages. Did Haley die at the Clinic where she'd gone for rehab? Her sister Meghan doesn't believe it so she gets her boss at the casino where she works spotting scammers (and helping to catch loan sharks) to get her sent there. She has an oxy and alcohol problem so it's plausible (unlikely she could have gotten a place so fast but go for it). Haley and Cara, the manager of the Clinic tell this story of, well, no spoilers. Something's not right here- not just with the mystery of Haley's death (especially when she seems to be communicating to Meghan- or is she) but also with the other patients. There's a kindly doctor and a mysterious Director and a group of interesting patients. Then there are the police who are investigating Haley's death (gotta admit these two were favorite characters). What happened to Haley? Will Meghan manage to get out of this nightmare? No answers from me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Topical issues and a mystery all in one.

Oh, boy.... tons to say about this ones. First, let me say that I love the premise and the way Quinn touched on mental health issues, addiction, and trauma is moving and appreciated (especially since many authors breeze past this issue or poorly reflect mental health and addiction issues).
With that being said, I had several issues with several unrealistic portions of this book. Starting with art therapy (no spoilers, I promise). The descriptions of the paintings by the clinic patients are vivid, detailed, and unbelievable. I understand using art to express yourself, but none of the patients are professional painters but their paintings are described as beautifully detailed works of art. I'm sorry, but no one is just that randomly talented no matter how much they've struggled in their life. There's also a lot of unrealistic parts of the clinic and rehab process. The way the check-in process is described makes Dr. Lutz, and honestly Max too, seem careless at best and guilty of malpractice at worst.
I was also more then 40% into this story before I really became interested in the plot or the characters. And speaking of being motivated to read, once I got past the 50% point I couldn't stop, however, once I finished this book, and I was so disappointed. Unrealistic, unlikely, and frankly completely impossible scenario after scenario. The ending was good, albeit totally non-plausible.
I don't want to completely bash this story because I do really appreciate when an author attempts to speak to mental health issues and the massive mental health crisis we have in the United States, however this book really didn't work for me. I wanted to love it, I really did. But I just didn't. I didn't completely hate it, but when I finished I sat back and realized how bummed I was.
I did really connect with and care about Meg and I was rooting for her throughout the novel. I think she is a good representation of battling addiction, childhood trauma, and mental illness and I appreciated that portrayal more than words can say.

Please note:
This review is posted on GoodReads as of now

Like that this grabbed my attention from the beginning! I enjoy the twists and turns. I would definitely be interested in reading more from this author.

My first Cate Quinn book, and it won’t be my last! “The Clinic,” simply put, is addictive. It grabbed my attention from page one and I did not want to put it down.

The story is told from two persepctives. Meg, who is a hot mess with a cool job going after bad guys in casinos, and Cara, the manager of a rehab clinic. When Meg’s sister allegedly dies by suicide at the clinic, Meg feels like there is more to that story. She decides to go to the clinic herself, and find out what happened to her sister.

I was very invested in Meg’s story, but Cara is overall more likeable. I just preferred the chapters about Meg.

The ending of the book is a little far fetched, but it’s fiction and it’s supposed to be! Overall, it’s a very fun ride. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

DNF at 15% I just couldn’t get into this one. The writing was strong but the story line was just kind of fine. Not a great read and just sort of a fine mystery

I absolutely loved this book. It was really well written and it was also surprising. Thank you for the arc. I really appreciate it.

3.8 out of 5

The Clinic is a suspenseful thriller exploring the dark side of addiction, rehab, and family secrets.
The story follows Meg, a casino worker (and painkiller addict,) who, following the mysterious death of her sister, Hayley, decides to infiltrate a remote rehab facility. Meg quickly discovers that the clinic is not what it seems, and that her life may be in danger.

Recommended for readers who enjoy short chapters, multiple POV’s, and well-rounded characters. Admittedly, there were slow sections and some plot points which were a bit over the top, however, the author brought it together with a thrilling plot twist and clean ending.

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark, the author, and NetGalley for this ARC.

The Clinic is a mystery thriller about Meg, a woman who grew up in Hollywood with her abusive mother and her older sister Haley, and now works as an undercover agent at a casino. Meg’s sister Haley is known to be an addict, so Meg is not surprised when Haley checks into a luxe rehab center on the West Coast. However, when Haley overdoses on heroin, a drug she has always stayed away from, Meg suspects murder. Meg has her own substance abuse problems, so she checks herself into the same rehab center to investigate Haley’s death. She has no intention of getting clean, but her friends at the casino insist that she needs the help that she can get in rehab. Meg, though, isn’t sure she can do both – and is afraid of what memories might return if she does get clean.

There was some really strong character development in this novel, and I strongly feel like the characters alone could carry it. Meg is complex – she is clearly an addict, despite her insistance that she doesn’t need help, and I was ready to follow along with her story if only to see whether she would finally get off oxy and start recovering from years of emotional avoidance. She makes some profound mistakes, especially in the beginning, but I never found her unlikeable – she is strong and determined to find out what happened to Haley, and it’s clear that she’s been through some profound trauma that she’s doing her best to suppress. It’s important, too, to note that she never does any direct harm to anyone – she might be self destructive, but she doesn’t directly lash out at her loved ones. The rehab manager, Cara, was also an incredible character, and definitely cast as the hero of the story, even if she was fairly passive through most of it. Cara has a suspicion that something is wrong in the rehab, and is willing to risk her position to uncover the truth about Haley’s death, and the other activities she is noticing. I really liked how hard Cara works to do the right thing – and I actually loved the conflict between Cara and Meg. It perfectly demonstrated both of their strengths and weaknesses, and showed that they could both be ultimately good while working against each other.

There was so much attention put into the details of the clinic – the various treatment rooms, what they looked like and how they worked. It sounded beautiful and certainly expensive, but it also set up tension for later plot points: the way the pool snaked through different rooms, making it easy to get lost in it; the room with low oxygen for working out; the room that drops below freezing. The reader knows from the beginning that this is a murder mystery, and can anticipate the problems that might come with some of the treatments, whether from malfunctions or someone altering the settings. I loved the way this built a man vs. nature conflict, even if it was all manmade.

In all, I’ll give The Clinic an 8 out of 10. This book doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it doesn’t need to – it’s a compelling mystery with a great cast that kept me invested from start to finish. I think anyone looking for a good mystery will get something out of this one.

This was one of those rare thrillers where I had no ideas or indications of who did it or why. There was never a point where I thought “Oh I know where this is going!” And honestly I kind of loved being clueless! It kept me very interested in turning pages. This was a VERY atmospheric read, perfectly eerie and ominous. I enjoyed the look at childhood trauma and addiction. I thought both subjects were done really well. I liked getting both Meg and Cara’s POVs, one as a patient and one as an employee of the rehab facility. As much as I didn’t see it coming though, the big twist didn’t feel that big to me and what started out as excitement for what was going to happen turned into “…really?” The ending felt a little ridiculous to me and overly complicated. To me, it hinged on everyone being a complete idiot for it to be pulled off correctly. I’m still glad I read it because it had a lot of good commentary about addiction and the ways addicts are handled by the medical community.
CW: drug abuse, alcoholism, murder, suicide attempt,

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

4,5 Stars

This was a real page turner. With the captivating setting in the PNW and a mystery that twisted at every turn, I simply couldn't put it down and finished it in a day. The storyline was riveting and it was an excellent read!!

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks publishing for the digital ARC copy of The Clinic!

I was hooked with this book for the first 75% - in fact, I stayed up until midnight trying to finish. The characters were compelling, the story was interesting and I loved the setting of a mysterious rehab with questionable practices. But then the ending started and we went off the rails. Too much was thrown in and so many of the twists made absolutely no sense. I just couldn’t suspend my disbelief and ultimately felt like Quinn wasn’t sure what to do so she did everything. I only rated it three because of the ending, but I have seen many glowing reviews and I’ll definitely read more from Quinn.

Freaky, creepy and with hints of Chris Boyajian's "Princess of Las Vegas" meets Nellie Bly, The Clinic was a creative and eerie story about what happens when you try and face your demons. Made me fear for my mental sanity!