The Sanatorium (by Sarah Pearse)
The time had finally come for me to read Sarah Pearse’s The Sanatorium, a book that had been on my TBR for ages. High in the Swiss Alps, Le Sommet—a former tuberculosis sanatorium shrouded in dark rumors and tragic history—has been transformed into a sleek, five-star minimalist hotel. Detective Elin Warner, on leave from her UK police job after a traumatic case, reluctantly visits with her boyfriend Will to celebrate her estranged brother Isaac’s engagement to Laure. As they arrive amid a brewing storm, Elin feels uneasy about the eerie location and the simmering tensions within her family. When Laure vanishes without a trace and a massive avalanche cuts off all access, the hotel becomes a deadly, isolated trap. As more people disappear or turn up dead—often with ritualistic elements tied to the building’s past—Elin must step back into her investigative role to uncover the killer among the guests before the storm (or the murderer) claims them all.
On the bright side, the recent winter storm and frigid temperatures provided the perfect weather to read this locked-room mystery set during a massive snowstorm that triggers avalanches. However, The Sanatorium ultimately fell short of my expectations. I genuinely wanted to enjoy it, as it had several elements that I tend to appreciate in a suspenseful thriller. A renovated tuberculosis sanatorium is a setting ripe for problems, and the presence of missing and murdered people, along with the secrets that come with them, should have been intriguing. Despite my efforts to pinpoint exactly what I didn’t like about the book, it simply didn’t resonate with me. It had the potential to be exciting, spooky, and intense, but it ultimately fell flat. I didn’t care about the characters, the setting lacked the necessary thrills, and I wasn’t invested in solving the murder mystery.
Another aspect that makes this experience such a disappointment is that I had the pleasure of meeting Sarah Pearse during a Zoom author event back in 2023. The event was for Shari Lapena, and Sarah engaged in a conversation about the release of Shari’s book, Everyone Here is Lying. I found Sarah to be very likable, so naturally, I was eager to read her book.
The Sanatorium is the first book in the Elin Warner series. I’ve checked the ratings for the subsequent books in the series, and unfortunately, they don’t perform well either. As a result, I’ve decided not to continue reading the series. There are so many authors I love reading and want to be selective by reading as many books as possible that I enjoy.
I borrowed the audiobook of The Sanatorium from my local library using Libby. Elizabeth Knowelden provides a good narration of the story.
If you’re interested in my author event blog post that I mentioned, it’s linked below for your convenience.
As a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, I earn from qualifying purchases linked back to Amazon. Every penny earned allows me to blog about books and keeps this site running.
