The Sanatorium

Reese's Book Club (A Novel)

By: Sarah Pearse

Narrated by: Elizabeth Knowelden

Length: 11 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

Reese's Book Club Pick | A New York Times best seller!

“An eerie, atmospheric novel that had me completely on the edge of my seat.” (Reese Witherspoon)

“This spine-tingling, atmospheric thriller has it all…and twists you’ll never see coming.” (Richard Osman, New York Times bestselling author of The Thursday Murder Club)

Sarah Pearse's next book, The Retreat, is forthcoming.

You won't want to leave...until you can't.

Half-hidden by forest and overshadowed by threatening peaks, Le Sommet has always been a sinister place. Long plagued by troubling rumors, the former abandoned sanatorium has since been renovated into a five-star minimalist hotel.

An imposing, isolated getaway spot high up in the Swiss Alps is the last place Elin Warner wants to be. But Elin's taken time off from her job as a detective, so when her estranged brother, Isaac, and his fiancée, Laure, invite her to celebrate their engagement at the hotel, Elin really has no reason not to accept.

Arriving in the midst of a threatening storm, Elin immediately feels on edge - there's something about the hotel that makes her nervous. And when they wake the following morning to discover Laure is missing, Elin must trust her instincts if they hope to find her. With the storm closing off all access to the hotel, the longer Laure stays missing, the more the remaining guests start to panic.

Elin is under pressure to find Laure, but no one has realized yet that another woman has gone missing. And she's the only one who could have warned them just how much danger they are all in....

©2021 Sarah Pearse (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“CHILLING! The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse is an eerie, atmospheric novel that had me completely on the edge of my seat. Let’s set the mood.... You’re in a remote location - at a hotel - and there’s a snowstorm. The winds are howling, the snow is pelting in every direction, there’s a missing person, and a dead body shows up!” (Reese Witherspoon)

“When guests at a five-star resort in the Alps disappear mid-blizzard, vacation’s over for detective Elin Warner. It’s The Shining but with a full house.” (People)

“Creepy, deeply claustrophobic, mind-numbing, teasing, twists and turns galore, this book is a towering example of a masterful hand at work. If only Hitchcock were still around to film it.” (David Baldacci)

Wow so thrilling!!

The author described the settings and characters in a way that made me feel like I was in the sanitarium. It was very thrilling and captivating as the story unfolded with many many many twists and turns. many times I would gasp out loud in disbelief about where the story was going (a good thing!) highy recommend if you are into thrillers. You will not be able to put this one down!

Amazing!

Such an easy and fun read. I was captivated from beginning to end. Highly recommended.

Gripping story with fabulous narrator!

I was absolutely hooked the entire time! Excellent story made even better by great narration!

Could have been a good book!

The story had potential to become a great book, but the “detective” character was anything but sharp; not even as intelligent and capable of critical thinking as a very average mind. It ruined the whole book.

Chilling and Absorbing!

This was chosen as the February selection for a book club I am in, and to be honest- I wasn’t too thrilled about the choice to begin with. However, I ended up enjoying the book very much! Such a creepy, atmospheric thriller. You feel like you’re there in the hotel. The narrator was excellent- she has such a soothing voice. There were a few things that I wish could have been expanded on, but overall a great read with very real life connections and implications.

It was okay.

To be honest I was expecting more. The story was redundant especially towards the end. I lost track at how many people were guilty or not guilty. The story had potential, but fell short.

Meh

Meh...story and characters were somewhat predictable. The main character had several "revelations" long after I did. Interesting enough to finish but I'm disappointed I wasted my money😐

overall good experience

This book checked the box of a good "who dunnit". It was a entertaining story line with a solid performance from the reader. I gave it three stars because I didn't feel like it was a literary masterpiece however it marked the box for a good listen.

Loved the twists

it had a little bit of a slow start was really good with lots of twists once it got started

Twists and turns

Right when I think I know the answers the story takes a turn in another direction!