The Sanatorium

I love suspense, and this is a scary book that grabbed me early and never let me go.

Set in an old sanitorium refurbished as a minimalist hotel in the Swiss Alps, the book is creepy, fast-paced, and atmospheric. I read feverishly to find out if Elin, the fragile detective, would come out okay.  

Everyone loves a page-turner.

The Sanatorium had me on the edge of my seat. The suspense builds. The story expands. The plot thickens.

While it’s challenging to write non-fiction suspensefully, it is possible to write in a way that holds the reader. That is my goal, although I don’t deal with double-crossing agents, harsh winter conditions, and unwieldy architectural structures.

That said, Pearse integrates an historical element into her Sanatorium. She structures her story around the place; the location of the hotel dramatically influences how the action unfolds.

It’s a page-turner, with short chapters and exciting experiences throughout.

We’re back in the Alps—this time in Switzerland—and a storm’s a-brewin’. The Sanitorium follows an uptight detective hoping for some much-needed time away from work. But, lo and behold, the mountainside hotel of Le Sommet is anything but relaxing. I loved the cold and creepy isolation this book offers, and much of the mystery in the book centers on the hotel’s previous existence as a sanitorium for women with tuberculosis. Aside from the landscape, the way Pearse subtly criticizes the historical mistreatment of women in this book is what really hooked me.

This book is a great mystery, the kind with jump scares and chills! The female detective not only tries to solve a crime happening at a hotel, but she must resolve a family tragedy that still haunts her. It’s a story of healing, horror, and facing your fears with a suspenseful ending. I wanted to read it in one evening, but it was very chilling to read!