The Sanatorium, a modern, sleek, moneyed resort, is a renovated former TB sanatorium. An isolated location, high up in The Swiss Alps. accessed by a funicular railway. The history of this striking building is further troubled by the sudden, unexplained disappearance of the architect of the renovation.

An intense snowstorm further isolates the hotel, setting the scene for a locked room mystery. The setting is claustrophobic and atmospheric, dripping with unease.
The scene is set with a lot of tension between the main characters, brother and sister Isaac and Elin. There is a complex history between the two, involving the death of their brother, and more complicating factors with Isaac’s fiancée.

The Sanatorium has all the ingredients for a gripping thriller, but I’m afraid the book wasn’t for me though. It didn’t hold my attention, as I had hoped and expected it would. I didn’t gel with any of the characters, and it felt a little far fetched for me.

I’m sure there are many other readers who will love this book. Just 3⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.

The novel set in a remote and imposing hotel in the Swiss Alps presents a gripping tale of mystery and suspense. Elin Warner, a detective on a break from her job, finds herself in an unsettling situation when she reluctantly accepts an invitation to her estranged brother Isaac’s engagement celebration at a hotel that was once an abandoned sanatorium.

The setting of the novel is masterfully crafted, with the Swiss Alps providing a backdrop that is both breathtakingly beautiful and ominously sinister. The description of the mountains as "raw, jagged spikes" and the hotel's isolated location heightens the sense of foreboding and unease from the outset.

This was an interesting mystery to start, with an Overlook Hotel-esque approach to the initial plot. I found the descriptions of the murders were quite good, and perhaps a step above what one would expect from the bulk of generic murder mysteries, which was nice.

However, I did really struggle to connect with the titular character. I didn't feel there was so much development as there was an assumption of the generic detective sort of character that was present. I did enjoy it, but I do feel like I would have liked it more if it had been fleshed out further in that respect.

I think there's room to grow here - but it was a solid mystery, albeit with a bit of a predictable end and a rather funny approach to the way that the killer was caught.

Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy of this title!

I enjoyed this book but felt like the pacing was off at times.
I loved the setting of the book. It was incredibly atmospheric. I enjoyed the closed setting. This is my favourite thing in thrillers

I could not get into this book, ultimately it was not form me and I could not finish it. It may be one for other readers

I thoroughly enjoyed this debut murder mystery by Sarah Pearse. It starts with a chilling prologue and continues in the same vein throughout. It is exciting and spine-tinglingly creepy and the snowbound setting is very atmospheric and well described. The ending was satisfactory and I did not see it coming. I hope there is more to come.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I was very excited to read this book. Sadly, however, it fell short for me.

The setting was beautiful, and the descriptions of the hotel and the location of the hotel were magnificent.

The characters were, in my opinion, wholly unlikeable, and I just couldn't gel with them. I found myself really not caring about the outcomes for any of them.

The pacing was a bit too slow for me, and I found this to be a bit of a chore to read, rather than a book which I couldn't wait to pick up and resume reading again.

The setting is a renovated sanitorium. Now 'Le Sommet', an ultra modern ski hotel, half hidden by forest and overshadowing peaks. Detective Elin Walker has misgivings about going to the remote hotel but she has been invited by the owner Isaac, her estranged brother, to attend his engagement celebrations.
Due to ongoing snow storms and snow drifts, the roads become impassable. When Isaac's fiancée disappears, Elin takes over the search. Is Isaac responsible? The tension builds as the plot twists and turns.
It was probably longer than it needed to be but I enjoyed it.

I enjoyed the setting but in the end the characters and the mystery failed to convince me. I need some more depth from the story and wasn’t able to fully care about the outcome.

Oof... here's a tough one. I feel Pearse somewhere derailed and didn't find her tracks back. It starts off interesting but along the way towards the end the story goes under, and the mystery looses it's interest.
You know those big pieces of fireworks you're really excited about and after lighting, it goes 'psssssssst'? Yes? Ok, you know the feeling...

I had high hopes for this one. The hype is huge, but sadly it didn't meet my expectations.
I LOVED the setting, it gave the perfect creepy, eerie vibes.

It's totally far-fetched though which let it down for me!

I had high hopes for this book, but it ultimately fell incredibly flat for me. Between the absolutely incompetent main character and totally unbelievable villain motivations, this one just wasn't for me.

So apprehensive!
Tense moments combined with a well drawn out plot makes for a terrifying read.
I really enjoyed reading it and would highly recommend.

In an old Sanitorium nestled high up in the remote Swiss Alps; which had been converted to an Uber chic minimalist hotel retreat, a classic closed door murder mystery prevails. Elin is on leave from her detective post with PTSD, so couldn’t really say no when her estranged brother invited her to his engagement party there. Almost immediately his fiancé went missing and storms cut them off from the world. To me, Elin seemed like the worst detective ever, she put herself in danger going alone to follow clues and meeting potential murderers in isolated spaces. They characters were underdeveloped and unrelatable for me and the plot line far fetched and frustratingly unbelievable. It was much like an Agatha Christie or a Poirot murder mystery.

An excellent creepy mystery with twists and turns. You think you know where it's going, but it upends you time and again. Wonderful prose style, excellent setting and believable characters. Am certain there will be a film adaptation before too long!

I have gone back to this book a few times to try to to read it but I just cannot get into it. It just does not grab me. And the old cliché of using the plague mask as a tool to induce fear is a bit old.

A hotel in the Swiss Alps, idylic, so you would think....
When Elin is invited to the hotel to celebrate her brother's engagement little did she know what would happen. I do not want to write any spoilers but needless to say the reader can probably tell from the book title that hotel is still very much remembered as a sanatorium.
I found Elin a little tedious and the story slow to get going so am only giving three stars. It was creepy and atmospheric but not as much as I would have liked.

I really enjoyed this book. I don’t tend to go for creepy thrillers as I mainly read at night. But I made an exception for this one and I’m glad I did. It was exciting. Very well written. The plot was great. Highly recommend

What an immensely creepy story The Sanatorium is!
The fact that an abandoned Sanatorium has been renovated into a luxury hotel is creepy enough. I’m not sure it would be somewhere I would want to stay but I can understand the curiosity it might arouse in others.
When we first meet Elin, she is travelling with her partner, Will, to this very hotel to celebrate the engagement of her brother. His fiancée is one of the managers of the resort. I don’t think it’s somewhere she would choose to go either, but Will is fascinated by the architecture of the place. Elin finds it unsettling. Little does she know what she’s walking in to.
Already on leave from work as a detective Elin has had a rough time, work wise and with the loss of her younger brother. She’s a troubled soul. This break and celebration should be a perfect opportunity to relax and unwind, or so Will keeps telling her. However, when her brother’s fiancée goes missing all hope of a relaxing break disappears. Adding to that a snowstorm cuts off all access to the hotel. They are trapped.
The story that follows is nothing short of terrifying.
This book is so brilliantly written. It had me hooked from the very beginning and I could have quite happily ignored everything else and read it from cover to cover in one sitting. It’s atmospheric, chilling, and heart wrenching. And that ending! WOW! It gave me goosebumps.
I can’t wait to read book 2, The Retreat. Off to purchase now!
** Many thanks to the author and publisher for my review copy via NetGalley although I did end up reading a paperback copy which I won via a giveaway**