The Sanatorium: Reese's Book Club (A Novel) (Detective Elin Warner Series)

This is one of the most exhilarating debut novels that I've read in the last few years, an explosive thriller which unravels in a dark, sinister setting in the Swiss Alps, a place familiar to the author, Sarah Pearce, who explored the mountains and the small Alpine town of Crans Montana when she moved to Switzerland after completing her studies in the English language and creative writing at the University of Warwick. The reader gets instantly sucked in the densely plotted story and the ominous setting which is reminiscent of the best works by masters of the thriller/horror genre. In fact, "Le Sommet", the luxurious hotel that used to be a sanatorium hosting tuberculosis patients, is the major protagonist in this astonishing book and the number one reason to read this exemplary mystery. The building's imposing structure and minimalist decoration aiming to "create a narrative", a kind of bond that connects the modern, extravagant winter resort to its grim history, provide the perfect backdrop to the story which unfolds through the perspective of multiple characters, thus strengthening and accelerating the narrative tempo.

The Sanatorium features a multitude of plausible, three-dimensional main characters and the gradual revelation of their shared history throughout the novel explains their strained relationships and tenseful interactions that dominate the first part of the book. Each one of the protagonists is filled with secrets, deeply buried in the past that threaten to resurface and disrupt the normality of their everyday lives. Pearce's prose is captivating as she knows how to create a chilling, eerie atmosphere and weave the plot of her story in a masterful, unforced way which proves that it is not necessary for an author to have a significant writing experience in order to design an enthralling fictional universe. The descriptive parts of the novel are fascinating and the reader feels like inhabiting the space where the story is taking place, while the dialogue is equally credible and convincing making the interactions between the main characters feel natural.

The story begins with the murder of Daniel Lemaitre, the architect who designed "Le Sommet", by an unknown assailant wearing a gas mask. Next, we read as Elin and Will, a young English couple, visit Switzerland and the secluded resort in order to attend Elin's brother, Isaac's, engagement party. Elin hasn't seen Isaac for several years and their reunion is not a happy one as there are many things left unsaid between them. Furthermore, Elin used to be best friends with Laure, Isaac's fiance, and the relationship between them is also a complicated one. When Laure mysteriously vanishes the night of Elin and Will's arrival, Isaac will ask for her help as his sister is a detective, even though she is currently on an extended break from work, and she accepts the challenge. When the body of Daniel Lemaitre is discovered near the hotel's premises the morning after Laure's disappearance, Elin's instinct will tell her that this can't be a coincidence and that the two cases have to be connected in some way.

Elin is one of the most compelling female protagonists in the recent crime fiction history as she is insecure, asthmatic, slightly depressive, prone to panic attacks and carrying many traumas from her past. She's recently lost her mother from cancer, while her brother, Sam, died in an unexplained tragic accident when Elin was only a kid. Sam's death made Elin to become a cop as for all her life she struggled to find answers regarding her brother's untimely demise. Elin's vulnerability makes her extremely sensitive to her surroundings and she instantly feels that something isn't right with the hotel which elicits a visceral response from her right from the beginning. The vast, empty spaces of "Le Sommet", the room which is filled with old artefacts and medical equipment from when the place was a sanatorium, and the glass walls that make her feel exposed at all times do nothing to comfort her. She will have to remember her days on the force in order to get to the bottom of this disturbing case that becomes weirder and more disturbing as the story progresses.

The book is full of twists and surprises and the reader keeps turning the pages to find out what happens next in this seducing thriller that feels like reading a Jo-Nesbø-meets-Stephen-King novel. Fans of Scandinavian crime fiction will definitely love The Sanatorium and especially those who enjoy the thrillers by Lars Kepler, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, and Johan Theorin. I've rarely encountered such a well-rounded debut novel and I truly hope and expect that soon the readers will have the chance to read more of Sarah Pearce's work soon. I am thrilled to read many raving reviews about the book in the various relevant social platforms as I firmly believe that this is a novel that deserves wide appraisal and recognition. It should also be noted that the book was Reese’s Book Club February pick, something that further boosted the hype surrounding it. Thank you Sarah!

This was our February choice for book club. I found this book a struggle to keep my interest. The main character, Elin's character was making a lot of dumb choices in her investigation. Thank goodness some chapters were only 3 pages long as that was about all I could handle at one sitting. Our whole group agreed that it was more of an eye roller than a page turner. It ends with a lead-in for the next book. I won't be bothered.

A rather intriguing tale where there were lots of lies, misdirections, strange murders, a huge storm and isolation. Elin Warner is detective from the UK who is on extended leave from her job. She and boyfriend, Will are having a short vacation at a Swiss ski resort called Le Sommet which is in an isolated location in the Swiss Alps. The purpose of her trip was to attend the engagement party of her estranged brother Isaac and his fiancé to be, Laure. Le Sommet is a renovated building which had a past life as a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients. The site has a somewhat sinister past and there was a lot of opposition to the resort being built before it was finally completed. Access to the resort is via a funicular to nearby Crans-Montana, then bus or vehicular transport to the resort. Things began to unravel when a huge storm caused the evacuation of the resort however Elin and Will, Isaac and Laure, a few other guests and a number of staff including Lucas Caron, the designer and owner of the resort and his sister Cecile, the resort manager, are stranded. The heavy storm caused an avalanche and there is now now way off the mountain. As people start to disappear and turn up dead, and with no hope of Swiss police being able to come to the resort, Elin’s detective instinct kicks in and she reluctantly takes charge. The author throws in various twists as Elin tries to solve the murders. A stormy story in more ways than one.

The setting is the real main character in this thriller about a British policewoman, Elin, visiting a five-star snowbound hotel in a remote area of the Swiss alps. Elin is on leave from her job because a work incident has left her shaken, and she doubts her value as a law enforcement officer. She travels with her boyfriend to visit her estranged brother, Isaac, newly engaged to the hotel's assistant manager, Laure. Isaac's fiancée also happens to be Elin's best friend from childhood. Laure and Elin grew apart after the tragic drowning death of Elin and Isaac's younger brother, Sam. Sam's death was also one of the reasons Elin has remained estranged from Isaac. In flashbacks, she sees Isaac's hands covered in Sam's blood. She doesn't trust her faulty memory of Sam's death, but she also doesn't trust Isaac's erratic behavior since that awful day. The hotel where they're all staying is a former sanatorium for tuberculosis patients, which has been converted by a developer, Lucas Caron, to offer the most in stark minimalism. Expansive windows create breathtaking vistas but also leave guests feeling exposed in both public and private areas. Elin finds the hotel interiors cold and comfortless even though they are supposedly the height of sophistication. Caron himself is decidedly odd. He has hung from the ceiling spaces glass boxes displaying startling remnants of the sanatorium to preserve pieces of its history. Not everyone is enthralled with Lucas's vision. Building the hotel has raised the ire of local environmentalists who have pitched protests against its construction. This atmosphere is hardly conducive to Elin's attempt to reconnect with her brother and former friend. When hotel employees start to go missing, the tension among the staff is palpable. Evidence mounts pointing to a killer triggered by events from the hotel's history. An employee's body turns up with a hideous mask worn by tuberculosis patients and missing fingers in a macabre scene. The relentless snow precipitates an avalanche that cuts off the hotel from the outside to make matters worse. Elin is forced to use her skills to find the killer before other victims are claimed. Sarah Pearse's novel is filled with depictions of a beautiful but unforgiving landscape. Elin's increasing attempts to contain her fright while investigating made me race through the pages. I had one criticism that interfered with my full appreciation of the story. I didn't completely buy the ending. To me, the reason for the murders seemed to be a reach. I can't say more without revealing too much. It still makes a fun read. I think mystery and thriller fans will enjoy the exotic setting, the atmosphere, and the suspense.

This book was full of plenty of twists and turns that kept me interested all the way through. I could guess the killer but the way it got there surprised me. I would like a little less repetitive writing, a lot of sweat beading on foreheads for instance, but overall it was pretty well done. I would also like a bit more competence from the protagonist. A lot of “the killer is __”! Only to be wrong multiple times. Hopefully other books isn’t the series show more actual detective work that isn’t wild hunches.

Update:

Updating to 3 stars. The overall book, ya know, I wanted to like it. I was holding out hope. But it just wasn’t that great. The author should definitely work on making the characters more relatable as well as establishing them more strongly. Plus, the twists and turns really went over board, leaving me more confused, and not in an enjoyable way. 3/5. Wouldn’t recommend but would not recommend. Read at your own leisure but don’t expect too much.

So I’m almost done with the book. I’m tearing through it but somehow making slow progress. I’m not a quick reader but I should have it done by tomorrow and it’s taken me about 3 days total then to read.

Overall the character development could’ve been better. I think the author should have organized her story a bit better, first by opening her initial chapters by framing who is who. It took me a minute to really grasp and for a moment I felt maybe I wouldn’t be able to keep up since it was all over the place in the beginning.

The other thing I have to suggest is the language used. Although I understand the author is from the UK, it feels as if she tried to hard to use too diverse of language in this book. For future books- keep things simple. I don’t want to be reading a thriller and have to sound out words because they’re not common language (such as acquiesce- this was sprinkled everywhere I swear).

Like I said though I am not done with this book but overall it could’ve been a lot better composed. The concept of the book is great, the story is fine, the main character- I can relate to her as she is having PTSD during the book and I can understand why people complained but as someone with the same condition, it was somewhat easier to connect with the character. One thing I will say though, the self depreciation became old. I was hoping her character would grow some semblance of confidence, but I don’t think it’ll happen.

I got this book since I’m apart of Reese’s Book Club, but it made me kind of sad as my first read. Hoping the next book I choose will be better!

Overall I think it’s worth reading if you let go of your expectations. This is a premier novel, so take it for what it is worth.

A worthy first novel. Propulsive plot that keeps you engaged. However there are so many improbable and exasperating twists that the final effect of this page-turner becomes a bit too implausible. At moments the descriptive writing sings. But the ultimate arc of the crime story as finally revealed is disappointingly weak. This author will improve, I believe, with experience.

I had been excited to pick this one up, but ended up being a bit of a dud for me if I'm honest. The setting and premise of the book was stellar - nothing could be an old, creepy sanatorium turned fancy hotel located in the mountains during a dangerous snowstorm while a murder spree is taking place. The ambiance was 👌

However... everything else fell very flat for me, especially the main character, Elin. She left much to be desired. While she was trying to come to terms with PTSD and other traumatic experiences, she was still such a weak character and had absolutely no backbone or gumption, which made her very unlikable for me. And what drove and motivated her character just didn't make much sense to me either, and she was impossible to connect with. I was expecting such a stronger character, especially with her being a detective, and she was honestly just kind of pitiful. I didn't really feel much for the other characters in the book either, and they all lacked a lot of depth. Even with the reveal of the "bad guy", I wasn't all that impressed. The reasoning behind what they did was just kind of lame in my opinion, and once again, just didn't make a lot of sense to me.

Also, I wasn't the biggest fan of Pearse's writing style. She spent so much time on such tiny, insignificant details, that one would think would end up being important, but weren't. Just didn't work for me. Also, I was expecting a lot more scary, creepy things to happen given the setting, but that was also a let down for me. Still had some good moments in it, but overall, not a strong read for me.