I had heard and read so many great reviews for this debut novel, so I was very excited to buy the edition with beautiful yellow sprayed edges. When it became top of my reading list I just couldn’t wait, starting it the same night I finished my previous book. All I can say is I believe its worth the hype!
The Sanatorium follows Elin as she attends her estranged brothers engagement party in a remote hotel in the Swiss Alps. Although this isn’t any normal hotel, it is a renovated sanatorium. As a horrendous storm passes over, access to the hotel is blocked and all guests and staff are stranded. If things weren’t bad enough, people start going missing and re-appearing dead, in the most mysterious ways. Elin must figure out who is to blame, who is hiding the biggest secrets and who she can truly trust.
I must admit I was a bit confused in the beginning. The book gets straight into the action, starting off years before Elin arrives at the hotel. It took me maybe the first chapter to realise what was happening. However, I do think it helps set the tone for the full book. Its straight into the obscure spookiness and the mystery, and it forces you to continue reading because you need to know what the hell is going on.
The first thing I loved about this book was the short chapters! If you’ve ever read any of my reviews you will know I love short chapters. I just think they are way easier to read as you feel like you have accomplished a lot more, and I’m able to convince myself to ‘just read another one’ much easier!
With a lot of thriller / mystery books I find the second half way more entertaining, and The Sanatorium was no different. The second half was much more fast paced and there was constantly something weird or mysterious happening. That by no means takes away from the first half. The first half of the book has its fair share of mystery but it’s more focused around setting up the characters, atmosphere and overall story.
By the end of the book I was left questioning everyone, my mind constantly switching between who I thought was behind it all. But I was never able to guess who it actually was which shows how well this book is written, or I’m just terrible at figuring it out! I also loved that the book ended on a cliffhanger, which could lead perfectly onto another book. It just makes me want to pick up the next book so badly.
The Sanatorium is a great balance between mystery, gruesome and suspense. A wonderful debut novel for Pearse. I am very excited to read more of her work in the not so distant future. And thankfully I am not put off from going to the Alps, I may just chose to stay in a different hotel!
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