I received this title from NetGalley for an honest review. It was fantastic. This is my kind of book. Who done it with a twist. The story was fast paced and kept me interested. I finished it quickly.
The main character was likeable and a bit annoying. Under the circumstances I think that she is allowed. I would like a prequel with Meg and Sol how she got the job etc.
I liked have the pov from the Cara and Meg. I thought that was a great touch. Getting more detail from a different perspective is always nice. Especially when you’re trying to find out who the bad guy is.
Meyers was a great add to the story. Her character was fun and made the small town feel more believable. Her description by Cara was so funny to me.

****UNPOPULAR OPINION TIME****

I wanted to love this book but could not get there. This author struggles to grasp gothic fiction like Sylvia Moreno-Garica, whose books are all the same (and predictable). I understand the author probably was going through addiction and rehab herself, glad you are safe and happy now. But this book was heavy on that content and the rest of the plot was an after thought.

The one star was for the cover. I honestly skim-read most of this to get to the good parts. IMO, a forgettable book. I do not feel good leaving a bad review because I enjoyed previous books but this one is a miss. Cannot recommend.

Thanks to Cate Quinn, Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an honest review in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 1/23/2024

I really wanted to like this one more, but there was no connection to any of the characters for me and the premise a bit over-the-top.

Remote, ultra-expensive addiction facility in Pacific Northwest where the death of a celebrity leads to an undercover stay by her sister (also with her own issues).

Writing was fine, just not what I had hoped for.

My thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing the free early arc of The Clinic for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

DNF @ 35%.

I really try not to DNF ARCs and rate books that I've DNF'd, but since it is an NG ARC, I'm kind of forced to give it a rating. And I'm devastated that this turned out to be a DNF, because I was really looking forward to reading it. I was hoping for the gothic vibes of The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse on American soil with more of a thriller to it, and with all the drama and secret-keeping that comes along with people being in rehab. I know about the drama and secrets from having worked in a substance use rehab facility, and it seems like the author didn't even do the bare minimum of research for this book, or it wouldn't have been a DNF, and might have just been a poorly rated book instead.

To start with, it's tough to connect to the characters. Cara is extremely type-A, standoffish, and a stick to the rules kind of woman. It makes no sense why she would consistently bend the rules for the clinicians at the practice if she's as much of a stickler for the rules as she is everywhere else. Meg isn't easy to like either. So much of what comes out of her mouth isn't truthful, and she's combative and unfriendly to basically everyone unless they can help her in some way, which isn't really a pleasant personality type. This makes it kind of hard to care about what happens to either of the characters.

By far, the biggest issue for me was the glaring inconsistencies in the clinical information that is presented that makes it seem like the author didn't bother to do any research at all, and took me out of the story. I was fuming when I saw these things, and it gives the wrong impression about people with substance use disorders and mental health, as well as treatment, potentially keeping people who need help away from life-saving care. Maybe I only noticed these things because I worked in the field, but I'd like to think that some are just common sense.

For example, early in the book, Meg is gambling at a casino in Vegas, and notes:

"The Viking takes naxolone spray out of his shirt pocket and sniffs."

I can only assume they're talking about naloxone, which is the same as Narcan. You know, the drug that reverses an opioid overdose, and has no other effect on the body. Which means that either "the Viking" is in imminent danger of an overdose (which he isn't because he isn't displaying any signs of it) or the author is trying to make it look like he's taking a drug that's going to have an effect, which it isn't.

Next up, we have the central issue in the story that starts off everything, Haley's death, which is attributed to a heroin overdose. But not just any heroin.

"'Medical grade. For extreme pain relief...'
Hanson is shaking his head. 'Still can't get my head around why a rehab would keep heroin.'
'It is perfectly standard for a medical facility,' says Dr. Lutz, his accent thickening. 'We keep a federally approved pharmaceutical supply of licensed drugs. as do all professional rehab facilities.'"

Um, I don't know where Cate Quinn is from, but this book is set in the Pacific Northwest, and there is absolutely no circumstance in any situation in America where heroin is approved for medical use. There is no medical grade heroin in the US. So there's no federally approved pharmaceutical heroin. If you've ever been in a situation where you've had extreme pain, chances are hospital staff will give you morphine, dilaudid, or fentanyl. But never heroin, because it's illegal in America. Two seconds on Google could have informed the author of this.

But it doesn't end there - we also learn that this facility doesn't have to provide informed consent before performing any kind of procedures (unlike every other medical and psychiatric provider in the country), are able to outright lie to clients about drugging them, and utilize experimental treatments (despite accepting insurance) without telling their clients. Not only is this unethical, it's SUPER ILLEGAL! The psychologist outright tells a client that withdrawal is mostly psychological (just ignore the well-studied and known physiological withdrawal syndromes that occur as brain chemistry works to restabilize). The doctor wants to promote a completely untrained staff member to clinician (also illegal). And apparently thinks that opioids are neurotoxins (they aren't).

I couldn't figure out for the life of me why a character who is there going through alcohol withdrawal (which can be fatal if untreated), and is being heavily dosed with benzodiazepines (without their knowledge, of course), which is the standard treatment for alcohol withdrawal, is still having alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Ultimately, this became too ridiculous to sustain, and I just couldn't manage to focus on the story itself. I can't imagine that the story would be much more believable than the rehab itself, which wasn't atmospheric enough to be quite gothic, but wound up just being a foggy mess.

The premise of this book proved strong, but it didn't grip me the way I love a good thriller/murder mystery to do. The multiple POVs brought dimension to the story, but the characters felt flat. I wanted to have the opportunity to dive deep into what made each of them tick, and how that connected to the overall point of the book. My favorite part of the book was the afterward-- and I do not say this in jest! I appreciated the author sharing that this is the first book she wrote sober (congrats to her!). I only wish she wove more of her first person experiences into the characters and their struggles. I am looking forward to future books by Cate Quinn. This one just felt off.

The Clinic by Cate Quinn……. Where to begin. It had lots of things I liked, dreary atmosphere, unreliable characters, two POV’s, flashbacks. But it had many things I didn’t like, the main one being it was just too long and a fair bit of repetition. It also started out fast and kind of went off the rails at the end or maybe I was just bored by that point. It wasn’t bad but it could have benefited from some editing in my opinion.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a advanced copy in exchange for an honest opinion.3⭐️

Over time I’ve learned I’m not really a fan of the slow-burn thriller, and lucky for me this one was the complete opposite. I was excited by the time I finished the prologue!

I really enjoyed the pacing, short chapters, and overall vibe of this book. It kept me entertained and guessing, and I feel like it depicts heavier themes of trauma and addiction in a respectful manner.

There were however some issues for me in regard to some of the medical aspects of the book, which required me to suspend belief a little bit in order to move on with and enjoy the story. I don’t usually mind doing this, but because this story felt more realistic in a lot of ways, these discrepancies stood out more than they typically would for me.

Overall this was a good thriller with twists I didn’t see coming!

Thank you so much to the author and Netgalley for my e-copy to read and honestly review.

Thank you to Cate Quinn, Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

2.5 Stars
Dual POV

This book started good, but by the end it got ridiculous. It was very very slow.

I honestly didn't like any character. Meg walked around the rehab on a smuggled-in phone and was not once sneaky about it and yet didn't get caught? Also, she smuggled in drugs and didn't get caught. Let's not forget the urine test that they didn't supervise.

The whole "what happened to Haley" and the outcome was a little too out there for me. I have a lot to say about it but don't want to give anything away.

I do want to commend the author for sharing her own story at the end of the book. It takes a strong person to admit they have a problem, and do something about it. I know I don't know you, but I am proud of you.

This one was just ok for me. The concept of Meg going inpatient In a rehab facility to find out what happened to her celeb sister Haley initially seemed like it was promising. Especially given Meg’s issues she dealt with herself. I was also interested in the sisters’ dynamic in relation to one another. To think that Meg ignored her sister Hayley’s cry for help and then Hayley ends up dead. However, along the way I sort of lost interest. There were times that I would feel a connection coming, but it would then fizzle out quickly. I’m not sure if it was the specific characters or what? I will say though I was interested in how it would end and what really happened. I had a few theories that I came up with, but I was so wrong. Kind of way off.

The cover alone makes me love this book--so creepy and intriguing! Inside is just as good. I absolutely loved the characters and the clash of the sisters and the asylum. Everyone loves an asylum thriller!

3.75 ⭐️ - Some of my favorite things rolled into one book - murder, mystery, multiple POVs and short chapters! I didn’t know how this was going to end up going, but I can tell you it got wacky. I’d recommend anyone give it a go!

I was super excited to read this book given the title and description, and it was a good read. The book is told through alternating points-of-view: Cara and Meg. Meg's famous sister Haley commits suicide while in an upscale rehab clinic (with questionable practices), so Meg decides to enter the rehab to discover what really happened.

This book is long, 400+ pages, and although that is not an issue, I had a hard time with the constant drama, so there was no time to absorb what was going on. I was immediately drawn into the book, a little exhausted by the middle, and glad when I got to the end and the questions were answered.

There are multiple mental health issues presented in this novel and there are triggers which will be disturbing for some people. Overall, it was a worthwhile read, and I will definitely read other works by this author.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishing company for providing me the opportunity to read it.

The Clinic is a psychological thriller based inside a resort-like rehab for celebrities and the like. The Clinic is told through three characters: Haley, Meg and Cara. Meg fits the bill for the "unreliable addict protagonist", but there's depth too. While Meg could come off as extremely unlikeable, the author paints Meg in such a way you can relate to her and her trauma.

"You're not going to like this, Meg. But to solve your sister's murder, you might need to solve yourself."
👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻

Cara's character begins as this seemingly one-dimentional naive hotelier that doesn't push past "if it seems okay, it must be" facade. As the story progresses, Cara sheds this notion which is a relief because I was getting really irritated with her.

The pace is good and so are the twists. Every time I thought I had the answer, I was proven wrong. I am kinda meh on the ending, but no spoilers will come from me. Altogether, I liked it and would recommend it to other readers.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing an advanced reader copy of the book for an honest review. Any quote(s) used in my review have been uncorrected.

Do not let the number of pages in this one stop you from reading it. I first requested this because of the awesome cover and may have cried a few years when I realized it was almost 450 pages.
But, I am so glad I read it. This book offers so much, multiple POV's, some flashback scenes, and unreliable narrators.
Haley Banks died by suicide in rehab but she sister, Meg, doesn't believe it. Meg should already be in rehab due to her dependency issues and believes going under cover to find her killer.
We meet everyone in the clinic, including the owner and head doctor. Each chapter someone else seems like they could be the killer. It's so nicely done too, there isn't a character that is more focused on than another, trying to trick you into thinking it's them.
Read this one and enjoy the ride!!

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 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• 
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.
• 
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.
• 
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. 
• 
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). 
•
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!