This was an interesting thriller, I wouldn't say it was heart pounding but more of a locked-room mystery. The book is almost entirely set within a drug rehab, The Clinic, and focused a lot on addiction and detox. The amount of chapters in this book is overwhelming but they are VERY short. The switching of the POVs also really helps with keeping the pace up, while not entirely fast paced there were times the story moved quickly. I enjoyed the dual POVs, one is Meg, who's sister died at the rehab, and enters herself to solve her sisters suicide/murder. The other POV is Cara, the clinic's manager who starts to question what is really going on behind the scenes of her workplace. The end was a bit lackluster for me, I felt like the story built up so much and it just kind of fell flat. That said, this book was full of twists and you never know what is going to happen next.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I had high hopes for this and unfortunately it was aggressively mid. Set in a rehab clinic, we follow Meg, a patient “undercover” trying to unravel the mystery behind her famous sister’s death at the same clinic, and Cara, the manager of the clinic.

While I appreciated that this book dealt with mental health and addiction (and seemed personal to the author), it just couldn’t hold my interests. All of the big reveals felt very implausible to me as well.

More about this book:
📖short chapters
🌧secluded setting
🌀twists and turns
🧐no one is who they seem

Meg's sister and singing star supposedly commits suicide at an exclusive rehab center. Meg can't imagine this isn't murder and goes to investigate. Perfect as she battles her own drug and alcohol addictions! But nothing at the Clinic is as it appears (of course), and what is actually happening is so much worse than anything one can imagine. At 448 pages, it is a bit too long as the author squeezes out every detail resulting in a bit of a lagging story in the middle. But it is worth sticking around for the dramatic ending.

As someone who is looking to dive into more mystery/thrillers this year, this was a great way for me to dive in and I will definitely be reading any Cate Quinn books I can get my hands on.

Cate Quinn had me hooked from the beginning with her choice of location, descriptive writing, and her diverse (and often secretive) cast. Her ability to set a scene, dropped me right alongside our cast, and I felt more invested in these characters than I have previous thrillers that I have read. The short chapters (which I love) allowed the pacing of this book to remain constant and engaging.

Watching everything unfold from Cara and Meg's perspectives provided insight into our entire set of characters. Cara, who is the Clinic's manager, allows us to see both the professional and personal sides of the staff, while Meg, our patient who believes her sister was murdered and has checked herself in, gives us a glimpse into the lives of our patients and the more professional side of the staff. Even with the insight we get, the constant tension amongst the characters and revolving door of secrets had me guessing and in the dark the entire time.

I am only knocking a star because so much of this book dealt with such real issues and I was unable to suspend my belief of reality for the ending.

If you are looking for a psychological thriller set in a innovative and pristine yet still creepy facility full of characters with unclear motives that will have you on your toes the entire time...this is for you!

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Jan. 23, 2024
Cate Quinn’s “The Clinic” is a locked-room mystery, with a twist!
Meg works in a casino in Los Angeles, helping to catch those who try to cheat. She’s good at her job, maybe too good, but it takes its toll on her and she resorts to alcohol and opiates to cope. Her sister, Haley, is a famous pop star and although they’re estranged, Meg suffers a blow when she discovers her sister is dead, taking her own life during her stay in the secretive rehab clinic for the rich and famous. Meg is convinced her sister would not commit suicide and she is determined to find out what happened- even if it means checking into rehab and dealing with her own demons. At “The Clinic”, everyone is a suspect and no one is who they claim to be but Meg is convinced that at least one of them is a murderer.
“The Clinic” is a remote estate tucked away in the countryside. This is not an entirely unique location and a suspicious death among the select few residents is also not new. But what Quinn manages to do with this? I was beyond impressed.
Meg narrates part of the novel and Cara, the Clinic manager, narrates a portion. Both women are tied to the Clinic in very different ways and both are hiding terrible secrets. Cara is a far more subtle character than Meg is as readers know right from the start who Meg is and what she’s searching for. Cara’s character serves to help readers understand the inner workings of the rehab facility, and the who’s-who of the administration, which comes in handy as the story progresses. Both women are very different and yet they both have their own individual charm that serves to make them relatable and likable.
Nothing is as it seems from page one and once the twists start coming, they don’t stop. Everyone has a secret and Quinn keeps the tension high until the final pages. The conclusion was unexpected, and slightly less believable, although it was thoroughly satisfying.
I loved the inside look at the devastating and traumatic world of addiction (as well as learning about the surprising effects of the Blowfish poison). Quinn has taken an overdone trope and an overused setting and somehow managed to make “The Clinic” refreshing, unique and deliciously unique! Quinn is now moved swiftly onto my radar and I will be keeping an eye out for her future works!

3.5 stars

Main Characters:
-- Meg – works undercover at casinos catching cheaters
-- Cara – manager of an upscale rehab center for the wealthy called The Clinic, former manager for Beaumont Hotel Group
-- Max – award-winning psychologist, therapist at The Clinic
-- Dr. Lutz – designer and founder of The Clinic
-- Jade – an up-and-coming English actress, in rehab so she won’t lose custody of her child
-- Madeline – actress famous in particular for a Diet Coke commercial
-- Sierra – famous lead singer of a girl band
-- Dex – famous front man to a rock band
-- Tom – legendary Hollywood actor

Trigger Warnings: suicide, substance abuse

Talk about an unreliable narrator and a myriad of suspects….

The Clinic revolves around the death of famous singer Haley Banks while she’s in rehab, and the book shifts perspectives between Meg and Cara. While The Clinic reports Haley’s death as a suicide, Haley’s estranged sister Meg refuses to believe that Haley would inject heroin (although we never find out why) and thinks Haley has been murdered. Under the pretense of getting clean herself, Meg checks herself in to The Clinic to investigate Haley’s death. What she discovers are unorthodox treatments focused on past trauma that, in Meg’s case, she does not want to relive.

An addict and alcoholic herself, Meg knows she won’t be able to drink, but she sneaks in oxycodone in her bra. I felt like this was a bit of a plot hole. I find it more than a little unbelievable that a rehab clinic wouldn’t completely search patients because, as is referenced several times in the book, addicts tend to be untrustworthy when it comes to talking about their drug use.

It also didn’t ring true that Meg was able to sneak in powdered urine for the drug tests she knew she would have to take. Even if The Clinic doesn’t search the person, I would expect them to search the bags for contraband. Finally, the other patients at one point mention that Meg didn’t seem to go through the physical symptoms of withdrawal like they all did, but the staff didn’t seem to notice. Wouldn’t that be suspect enough to really look into what Meg brought with her when she checked in?

On the flip side, we have Cara, recently recruited by Dr. Lutz after an adulterous scandal resulted in her leaving the Beaumont Hotel Group. Cara waffles between believing everything Max tells her about what a great person Dr. Lutz is (to be fair, he seems a bit of a whack job) and being suspicious of what The Clinic is doing because of what she is or is not able to see in the patient files. In one moment, she seems ok with being kept in the dark about how The Clinic is run (even though she’s the manager), and in the next moment, she snoops into files that she’s told she doesn’t need access to and questions everything.

Cara gets a lot of information from Max throughout the book, and I was a little confused about their relationship. Actually, I think I was just most confused about Max. Sometimes he acted cold and a bit suspicious, sometimes forthcoming, and he was always a bit awkward. I wasn’t sure if he was a good guy or a bad guy. There are books where that uncertainty works, but I didn’t find it effective here.

Everyone is a suspect, with the exception of Meg. I appreciated the twists. I figured out a couple of things early on, but there are definitely surprises I didn’t expect. I went with 3.5 stars on this one because I felt it was a little bit more than “just ok” but not anything I would call a great read.

Meg works in a casino catching cheaters. Her estranged sister, Haley, an actress, is currently in rehab for drug and alcohol abuse. When Meg learns that her sister has committed suicide while at the treatment facility, she immediately goes on alert because, although they haven’t been close in years, she knows her sister would never commit such an act. Meg, also an addict to both drugs and alcohol, gets herself admitted to the same rehab facility to try to figure out what happened and how Haley really died.

Strange things are going on at the rehab facility and Meg doesn’t trust anyone. Can she figure out what happened on her own or is she in over her head?

An intense and entertaining novel by a new-to-me author.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you're looking for a mystery/thriller with a strong plot and character points of view, this book is for you! We follow Meg, a poker player who works at a casino to catch cheaters, and Cara, who works at the office of a rehab facility that Meg's sister Haley was staying at. Things go awry when Haley ends up dead and Meg takes the opportunity to check herself into The Clinic, where not everything is what it seems.

Cate Quinn does a great job going between both point of views. I was never confused going back and fourth with them. It is clearly stated at the top of the chapter which character it is. Both have different personalities and the writing flows very well! Seeing both points of view of a person working at the Clinic and a person checked in was really interesting to read. It has a medium pace, which was great for a book over 400 pages! It does not take too long to get to the actual point of the plot. The chapters are short, but precise. I really got into the characters and was interested to see how everything would fall into place.

There were some twists and turns that I didn't think were the greatest. The build up to the end was so good that I was a bit disappointed with how it ended. It just wasn't something I would have went with. I do think that the beginning and middle of the book more than make up for the end. However, that made it more of a 3.5/4 stars for me instead of a solid 5. I do think this is a good read! There have been many other books in this genre with nearly the same type of plot/location and this is definitely a better read than those.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for this eArc in exchange for an honest review!

An eerie, refurbished mansion, in a remote area of the Pacific Northwest, is the backdrop to Quinn's latest novel. The Clinic is a slow-burn mystery as Meg investigates the death of her sister in the facility. A addict herself, Meg must face her demons as she goes undercover to find out what's going on in the facility. This book is told from multiple points of view, Meg's and Cara's, the facilities operation manager.

The Clinic's walls hold secrets but someone doesn't want them out in the world, including the ones that haunt Meg's dreams. The novel deals in addiction and mental health in its atmospheric setting. The ending was a bit farfetched, but overall a good,fast-paced thriller.

Thank you, Sourcebooks Landmark.

The Clinic is a rehab facility for the rich and famous.

When Meg's actress sister, Haley, dies in the clinic, Meg checks herself in under cover to find out what happened. She does not believe the suicide findings.

The cover of the book sets the stage perfectly. A remote clinic with unique techniques, creepy staff and interesting residents.

I loved the setting, the quirky characters and the sense of foreboding throughout the story. I could not guess where this one was going.

A good read for anyone who loves a creepy, locked in vibe.

Thanks to netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the arc.

When Meg’s famous sister Haley dies in rehab, she decides to investigate from the inside. It alternates between perspectives and it just went on a little too long for me. The cover is breathtaking through!

I received an advanced copy from netgalley in exchange for a review and opinions are my own.

A thriller that left me breathless to the last page.

So honored to have been given the eARC of this novel. From page one I was crashing through this fast paced mystery and sucked into the lives of the characters within.

Quinn is an incredible storyteller. Her use of short chapters and shifting character points of view gave this read a very movie-like feel. I could see this play out on the big screen effortlessly.

The location of the story- from the Clinic itself and the geography also felt like supporting characters in this story, aiding in the mood and feel of the book.

The afterwards speaks to the author writing this book sober, for the first time. I hope she realizes the incredible gifts she has uncovered in her writing with her journey.

Well worth your time to stop what you are doing and read this book.

Meg is working at a casino, tracking and finding cheaters, when she finds out about the death of her famous sister. Apparently, Haley was in rehab for drugs and took her own life, but Meg doesn’t buy it for a second. Dealing with her own addictions and PTSD, Meg goes to the clinic looking for answers about her sister’s death. “The Clinic” by Cate Quinn is a fast-paced thrill ride you won’t want to put down.

This book was one of those books that I couldn’t quite peg. I thought I knew what was going on, but I was never quite certain if I was right, or if I was as delusional as some of the characters. The Clinic is an interesting premise, because we assume the more you pay, the better your treatment, but there are also liabilities about getting the “Hollywood treatment.”

In the end, I enjoyed this thriller a lot. It had a quick pace that kept the story moving, and kept my interest throughout. Overall, a four star read for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book comes out January 23rd!

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this DRC and the chance to offer my opinion on The Clinic by Cate Quinn.

This was a good solid read for me. Never having read a book by CQ prior, I had no idea what to expect. What I got was a kind of “locked door” mystery that I finished in about eight hours. Written from two differing points of view, those of Cara the clinic manager and Meg the sister of Hayley who had committed suicide while in the clinic for drug rehab. These chapters were short and switched with the ease of a traffic light. Never a doubt about who we were with at what time. Both building to a culmination that was well-crafted and surprising to me.

The large cast of characters, patients and staff, helped keep the story moving and made a great list of suspects. At the same time they were each uniquely written so that I never got confused or lost track of who was who. Very skillful! You won’t want to miss this book in the tradition of an Agatha Christie mystery.

I really enjoyed this thriller set in a rehab. The story did not give itself away and even when I suspected someone, new facts quickly came to light and changed my mind. I do wish the setting was a bit spookier to match the cover, but overall a good psychological thriller!

The Clinic
Cate Quinn
January 23, 2024

Meg grew up under the guidance of her sister Haley. Her mother was wealthy not a caring parent, in fact she did horrible things to her girls with verbal threats and physical punishment. Haley had quite the talent and began singing on stage at an early age in the Country Western front. When she went professional there was money, drinking and drugs. Meg went a different route and via a talented gentleman neighbor learned to play poker. She too found herself hiding in one casino or another to turn in the ‘bad guys’ in her job with security. In that came money, drinking and drugs.
The Clinic shows us a different side of treatment centers for addicts. The expensive out of the way rehab is for professionals only, who want no one to find them.
The Clinic will be published on January 23, 2024 by Sourcebooks. I read the ARC for Cate Quinn’s latest novel via NetGalley. It’s a long intricately woven tale of one sister’s search for who murdered her sister. It’s not a delicate read however a very suspenseful plot woven among the minds of six highly addicted entertainers who are on their last rehab run. I can see it on the best fiction reads for the winter, very well written, worth exploring.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up liking this book! Yes, it is long (448 pages!) and really could have been shortened a bit, but I was so immersed in the story and the characters that it didn’t bother me as much as it usually would. I loved Meg’s character and was rooting for her from the beginning. This was a 5 star read for me until the ending when things started to get a bit too unbelievable for me. I think fans of Stacy Willingham will enjoy this read!

Told from two different POVs this thriller will hook you from the start until the very end. Full of secrets and twists this was overall a fantastic thriller. Cate Quinn does a fantastic job taking the experience she had in rehab herself and turning it into an amazing book.


Thanks to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, Sourcebooks Landmark for a digital ARC.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
I had fun with this one, from the unreliable characters, to the spooky isolated setting of The Clinic which made for the perfect atmospheric setting. The only downside is that this book seemed way too long and drawn out, and I feel like it could have been cut down a lot. The first part of the book is really addicting and hard to put down, but it is also a slow build up. I really enjoyed the characters, Meg and Haley, who are estranged sisters. One of them suddenly dies while she is a patient at The Clinic, which is an isolated rehabilitation center in the Pacific Northwest, and the other sister goes undercover to The Clinic to investigate her sister’s death. The story flows back and fourth between multiple character POVs, but my favorite of them was Meg’s and her journey of growth.
This story was the definition of a psychological thriller! I really enjoyed the built up suspense and tension, the drama, characters, mystery, the unreliable narrators, the atmospheric setting, the short chapters, and the fun story line. The ending was fun and twisty, but I felt that it was a bit rushed & too unrealistic.
I think that the author did a fantastic job with tying in mental health awareness, struggles with addiction and recovery-as well as relating it to her own personal struggle (per the author’s acknowledgements)-this really made the story relatable & realistic.


𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞?
For anyone who enjoys an entertaining psychological thriller, isolated settings, and unreliable and sketchy characters should give this one a try!

𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5

Would you check into rehab to investigate a sibling’s death? In The Clinic, Meg, who does have substance abuse issues checks into The Clinic after her sister dies/overdoses/commits suicide at the location.

Told in alternating perspectives with an unreliable narrator, The Clinic is a gripping whodunnit right from the start.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher, for the chance to review an advance copy.