Review: The Sanatorium

The Sanatorium has everything a good psychological thriller needs and then some. At one point or another throughout most of the book I thought every one of the main characters -- except the police detective -- was the killer.

The book is set in an old tuberculous sanatorium turned into a luxury hotel high in the Swiss Alps. Elin, the detective, and her boyfriend are there celebrating her brother's engagement when his fiancé disappears.. Because of a snowstorm, several guests and a number of staff members are trapped in the building, and no one can get to them, so Elin offers to work with the local police by phone to work the crime -- and others to follow.

Besides jurisdictional issues -- Elin is from the UK -- there are emotional issues for her. She's been on leave from her department for about year because of something that happened in her last case. She also has issues with her brother and flashbacks about another brother who died years ago.

I don't want to give away too much more but I will say that even when the killer was revealed I didn't see the reason for the actions coming at all. But it makes perfect sense.

What a debut! I'm looking forward to more from Sarah Pearse. 

You can listen to my interview with Sarah here: Sarah Pearse Interview