The Sanatorium - Sarah Pearse

After an intense few weeks of romance and fantasy, I wanted to break things up with a something a little darker. The Sanatorium has been sat on my bookshelf and TBR for a little while now so I figured now would be as good a time as any to jump right in.

Elin is on leave from the police force following a case that left her emotionally, physically and mentally scarred. Invited to her brothers engagement celebrations at a new hotel in the Swiss Alps, she and her boyfriend Will take the trip to the middle of nowhere in the midst of one of the worst storms the area has seen in decades.

As well as the complex family history that Elin has to overcome, the threat of evacuation due to the weather is made that much more urgent when her soon-to-be sister in law goes missing.

What I loved most about this story wasn't the "thriller" aspect surprisingly, though it was done very well. It was the history of the building itself. The way the medical practises were described and the feeling I got when reading about it was perfectly creepy - Pearse did SUCH a good job in projecting that sense of unease.

And the imagery of the Swiss Alps? Stunning.

Whilst it was set in a completely different part of the world, the scenery gave me series Misery vibes. And the layout of the story was similarly paced to that of Lucy Foley, but the historical element REALLY set it apart. I'd highly recommend this for any thriller fan.

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