The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse was a rollercoaster ride. The story follows Elin Warner on her vacation to a secluded sanatorium turned hotel in the Swiss Alps. Elin is currently on a leave from work after a bad judgement call. Elio is trying to decide whether to return to being a detective or if she needs to move on. The reason for the visit to Le Sommet was for her brother, Isaac’s, engagement party to her old friend Laure. She takes this trip with her longtime boyfriend, Will, hoping to get some clarity. She continues to get flashbacks of the day her little brother died and is starting to think Isaac isn’t innocent. Then she has Will who wants to finally take the next steps in their relationship, but Elin continues to hold back. Laure goes missing and a storm pulls through the mountains and their trip is cut short when they are told they need to evacuate the hotel. As they are getting ready to leave a body is discovered in the pool. Elin turns on her deactivate mode to try to assist local police, who cannot make it through the mountain, in finding the killer. With people trapped in the hotel and precautions in place this should be an easy task. Elin is working against the killer, time, and her own personal issues in order to find the truth. You will guess who did it, and you will continue to change your mind throughout the book. This is a thriller that gives you some chills and will make you wary of secluded hotels. This is a whodunnit read that will keep throwing curveballs at you. If you are in the mood for thrills and chills pick up this book.
Favorite Quotes – “Il faut bonne mémoire après qu’on a menti’
A liar should have a good memory.”
“Grief is like a series of bombs exploding, one after another. Every hour, a new detonation. Shock after shock after shock.”
“The ego always wins. It’s a weakness in everyone, the desire to know the most, be the hero, the one to save the day.”
Books Upon my Nightstand 