The Sanatorium

Wow. I loved this book. It was creepy and atmospheric and nuanced and utterly compelling. I couldn't stop turning the pages. I loved the backdrop of the cold and creepy Swiss Alps during an avalanche. I also loved the dark, spooky and unnerving choice of an old Sanatorium turned luxury hotel as the setting for this thriller.

The main protagonist Elin, a British police officer on a period of leave due to personal circumstances relating to a case she was involved in the previous year, is invited to the luxury hotel for the weekend with her partner Will to celebrate her brother Isaac's engagement to Laure. When Laure who works at the hotel goes missing days after Elin arrives and the body of a member of staff is discovered, Elin is forced to investigate the murder mystery in the hotel and the mysteries that plague her own personal life too.

I loved the isolated close circle mystery element of this novel. All the characters trapped in the hotel during a terrible winter storm and avalanche and the police can't get to them. I also enjoyed how the Sanatorium because like an additional character in the plot, enhancing the bone chilling components of the novel. This book is full of secrets from the past being brought to the surface. Full of twists and turns. It's impressively plotted and paced. I was completely on board with the story from the first page.

The characters were intriguing and I found the ending left me on tender hooks. This is a new author that people should watch out for.

This was one of the best thrillers I have read in a long time. And perfect for this time of year. A cold creepy story to curl up with during the cold winter nights. I can't wait to see what this author writes next!

Thanks to Penguin Books UK, the author and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.