In a nutshell: The beginning is slow and the characters unlikable. The middle ramps up and gets interesting, though it pushes the boundaries of plausibility. The ending spirals into an over-the-top, ridiculous climax.

The implausibility of this one ruined it for me. If you can suspend disbelief, you might love it.

I'm right in the middle with this one. I felt it started out strong and then the twist at the end was just ridiculous IMO. Although I can see people wanting to do this in real life, especially when they have a lot of money. I expected the "bad person" to be who it was, so that was not a surprise in the least bit, but the other things that happened were just silly. There were other outcomes I kept waiting to happen because they were plausible in my head, but I was wrong. Kind of wish she would have taken those routes though.

A positive for me was that the setting was great. A spooky high end rehab for the rich and famous...who doesn't want a glimpse into the drama and madness that would happen there?

A part of me kind of just wanted the story line of Meg working in the casino world as an undercover cop and the dangers she faces in the process. That might have been a better story overall.

After her sister dies in a remote Pacific Coast rehab clinic, Meg checks herself into the clinic to investigate. She firmly believes that there is no way her famous sister killed herself, and despite their estrangement, she is determined to find out what happened.

I don't often enjoy stories that switch point of view, but in this case it really worked to build the suspense. The focus switches back and forth from Meg to Cara, the manager of the clinic. I had a rough time reading the Cara portions of the story because she wasn't a very likable character (but then again I wasn't meant to like her).

The first half of the book builds the premise, characters, setting and starts the course to suspense. The suspenseful, faster-paced portion of the story starts in the second half. I found myself binge reading because I had to know what happened!

This is a very dark, twisted story. I didn't see the end coming. Definitely worth reading!!

This is the first book by Cate Quinn that I've read. I am definitely reading more by this author!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Sourcebooks. All opinions expressed are entirely my own**

I loved the beginning of this one and it had me hooked right away. I unfortunately guessed the ending rather quickly into the book. The plot was fun and the characters were all so unique and entertaining! I loved reading through this one and it’s a fun thriller for those getting into thrillers!

I stayed up way too late reading The Clinic because putting it down was not an option. I loved it so much! While it's definitely a thriller (with so many good twists!), it's also about so much more. Addiction, trauma, messed-up families, the positives and negatives of rehab. And it was very obvious this book was personal to Cate Quinn, which made it even better. A great story for sure!

Thank you for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.
****spoiler****
I love a good thriller. mystery, suspense. This one did not disappoint. I loved the book all the way until about 75% in when things just became a little too far fetched and fake/unreal. I know a fiction book is not going to be facts and always realistic but The Clinic was just way too much 'out there.' When Haley all of a sudden ended/showed up with a different identity, I just found it too much and thought that the author could have found a better ending!! Sadly this book didn't have a single likeable character while it obviously wants the reader to like the protagonist. The book overall was good. It just should have been a little less dragging on towards the middle with not much happening.
Overall 4 🌟

Meg is good at reading people. It's why she has a track record for catching cheaters at a casino in LA. But after a shoulder injury after a job gone wrong, she's addicted to pain pills and alcohol. When she learns that her sister Haley died in a remote rehab in the Pacific Northwest, Meg decides to investigate. The rumor is that Haley died by her own hand, but Meg knows Haley better than that.

As Meg investigates and digs deeper into her childhood trauma, she learns more about Haley's time in rehab while trying to remain undercover. But the luxury facility has its own secrets, with an eccentric owner and experimental treatments. Will Meg find out what happened to Haley?

I appreciate books that tackle difficult subjects. Cate Quinn candidly mentions in a note at the end of the book that she struggled with addiction after writing her first book, and that her time in rehab inspired The Clinic.

This book had plenty of potential, but I feel like things went downhill after Meg entered rehab. Some of the conversations between characters also felt a little awkwardly worded to me. I liked that the book was a fast read, but some moments were too repetitive for me to fully enjoy the story. Some parts of the plot also seemed far-fetched, but that's what happens with some thrillers.

I'm disappointed that I didn't love this book, but I think plenty of other readers will find it to be engaging.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Don’t let the (potentially) heavy subject matter fool you - The Clinic was such an entertaining read. Considering I work with people who use drugs and have very strong feelings about the rehab system, I decided to put that hat aside while reading this. Despite my closeness to the subject matter, this book really took me out of my daily reality in the best way possible.

The Clinic is a special new rehab at an isolated location, catering to a lot of celebrities. When Meg’s famous sister Hayley is found dead at the Clinic, even though the two were estranged, she decides to go undercover to investigate. Who has something to hide? Or rather who doesn’t?

I read this in less than a day!!! I found the characters really interesting, and combined with slightly sinister vibes of the location and a tad outlandish twists in the last part of the book, it simply worked for me. And it captured many elements of problematic substance use and addictions in a very thoughtful manner. I wasn’t surprised when I saw a note at the end that the author herself had been on a rehab journey - grateful she felt comfortable sharing that info and her lived experience!

I’ve already been recommending this one to my thriller loving colleagues but even without that personal element, this is a fun, twisty read, especially if you’re the type of reader who can easily suspend belief!

Grateful to NetGalley & Sourcebook Landmark for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Mystery/Thriller - 3.5*

Meg learns that her sister Haley has died while at a rehab clinic. Suicide is not a possibility in her mind, so Meg goes "undercover" to the clinic to find out what really happened. Meg isn't a cop, but she helps casinos catch loan sharks by donning a disguise and playing the role of a gambler down on their luck. Meg's friend Harry encourages her to take the rehab part seriously as she, herself, has a Oxy and alcohol habit that isn't healthy.

When Meg first arrives, nothing seems right - the patients are all famous and troubled, the staff seems weird, and they put Meg on the defensive right away. There are events that occur that make Meg think that Haley could still be alive, but that can't be, right?

There is an alternate narrative told from the POV of the facility administrator. I don't think this POV really adds to the story, but it gives the author a way to tell the story from the staff. Things and conversations that Meg wouldn't have access to that help round out the characters and the story.

The story is a good one and I like the plot, I didn't care for some of the characters and some of their roles in the story felt a little clunky.

The author included a note that this was the first novel she has written completely sober. What a brave reveal. Kudos to Cate Quinn on a her journey and another successful story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

This book had a lot of potential, but in the end, it just didn't do it for me. What we are presented with is a novel about a clinic with some disturbing treatment methods. This novel was close to 450 pages with an ending that completely fell flat. Minimal changes and a stronger ending would have warranted a better review.

This book had a great premise. And although I did find myself not being able to put it down a few times. It unfortunately was not the book for me. It felt too rushed, and the characters felt far too fake to me. But, I am sure it will be a great read, for a certain reader.

This is normally a novel I'd pick up. It started off strong, but lost momentum throughout the plot. I love the premise of this novel though. I wanted more character development overall and felt like the opportunity was missed to develop characters along the way. I felt like a lot of the medical aspects of this novel also didn't make a ton of sense. Overall, this novel felt disjoined, but it definitely had potential to be great. 2.5 rounded to 3 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourebooks Landmark for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I really liked this mystery thriller by Cate Quinn. Meg works for a Casino as an undercover poker player who tracks cheaters. She also has an Oxycontin addiction due to some past trauma in her life. Her sister Hayley is a famous actress whom she has a strained relationship with. One day Meg sees a new bulletin on the television with a banner saying Hayley has committed suicide within the walls of her Rehab Clinic. Meg knows there is no way her sister would have committed suicide and the only way to find out what really happened to Hayley is to go into the Rehab Clinic undercover and hopefully to help with her own addition at the same time. Enjoy!!

Haley Banks is a famous country singer who is also known for her addiction. Meg is her sister who is a hard-nosed undercover cop who busts bigwigs in the poker scene.

The Clinic is a “locked room” where the locked room is actually a state of the art celebrity rehab facility.

The sisters rarely speak but when Haley turns up dead at the rehab facility, Meg vows to find out who killed her.

I liked this book, it was suspenseful and kept me guessing. It is told from multiple perspectives and has a wild cast of characters. I was not a fan of the twist, it seemed like you had to suspend disbelief and was a little far-fetched for me.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

This book was a slow start for me but then about 15% in I was hooked. The setting was creepy and the cast of characters all untrustworthy. The ending was shocking to me. I didn’t see it coming.

The Clinic is a special rehab center in the PNW. Only celebrities can afford to attend this specialty center with forward thinking rehab treatments. But when Haley, a famous singer, is found dead of an overdose, her sister Meg is convinced there was foul play. Haley may be self centered and an addict, but she wouldn't commit suicide...Meg heads to The Clinic under cover of an addict, which she is, but determined to investigate her sisters death. What she finds is unnerving...

I loved this book! Cate Quinn knocked it out of the park with this book! And a special congrats to her for writing this book while sober!!

Unfortunately this book didn't work for me. It probably was just me since I usually love this kind of books, but hoping on a reread that it might be better.

Absolutely loved this book! The writing was captivating, the characters were so well-developed, and the plot kept me hooked from start to finish. Highly recommend it to anyone looking for a gripping read!

The Clinic was the first book I have read by Cate Quinn and the description of the book is what interested me in the first place. The Clinic is a psychological thriller that is told from two separate perspectives, Meg and Cara, and touches on a numbers of different subjects from trauma to addiction. It’s a fast paced story that is sure to catch the attention of thriller and suspense fans alike. I look forward to reading more from the author in the future.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me an ARC of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this book. I had high hopes for this book based on the description. It's not your typical murder mystery, but it had a unique premise. We have this fancy, high-end rehab clinic where celebrities often end up. It's in the middle of nowhere and one celebrity (a famous country singer/actress named Hayley Banks) goes, but doesn't leave. Yes, it appears that Hayley has mysteriously died at the clinic and though they say it appears to be suicide, her sister Meg, an addict/alcoholic herself, leaves her job at the Casino to go into rehab to find answers. She tells no one that she is Hayley Banks' sister and vows to find out what happened. Rehab is harder than she thought and though she's not ready to really do the work at first, Meg finds herself doing the therapy sessions and eventually going through detox. Then there are the mysterious treatments that are being practiced at the Clinic. Dangerous treatments with a toxic substance that can be fatal if not used in the right dosage, but a substance that holds a lot of promise for addicts. Meg finds herself immersed in the clinic's methods and starts to get to know the other addicts. She is trying to find out what really happened to Hayley, since she's convinced someone in the clinic killed her. The story takes place inside the walls of the remote clinic and there is a lot of tension building and mystery surrounding the other guests in the clinic. We get to know the staff (the clinic manager Cara, with a tarnished past of her own, Max the resident psychotherapist who truly cares about helping the patients at almost any cost, and the clinic founder/owner; Dr. Lutz who has a dark past and an even darker motive). The story drags a bit and I found some of it to be implausible. But the author keeps you guessing as to what is truly going down inside the walls of this clinic, and the truth being Dr. Lutz, the treatments and Hayley Banks. Meg eventually discovers that not everything or everyone is as it/they seem. There were times when the book really captivated me and other times where I just found it lagging. But it's worth the read to see where things end. Even if some of it is a bit far-fetched. 3.8 stars for me.