The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse

 "Revenge in its most brutal form, tipping the power balance back the other way."

Elin Warner, on leave from her job as a detective in the UK, and her boyfriend, Will, travel to a new luxurious hotel on a mountain plateau above Crans-Montana in the Swiss Alps. They've been invited to Le Sommet by Elin's brother, Isaac, to celebrate his engagement to Laure Strehl. Elin and her brother are estranged because of an event that happened in their childhood, so things are a bit awkward as they settle in. There's a storm coming that threatens to interfere with the reunion and party, but that's not the worst of it. The day after they arrive, Laure goes missing. Elin's past as a detective kicks into high gear despite her insecurity about her abilities, and the search is on. From this point on, after an avalanche closes the main access road to the hotel, Elin is on her own as first one, and then another, body is discovered. Are these murders connected to the hotel's controversial history as a sanatorium for TB patients, or is this more personal? NO SPOILERS.

The atmosphere surrounding the renovated sanatorium and all its creepiness is perfect for reading on a very frigid winter day. Although I've read about 4 other books in similar settings, I still find the details of this locale quite fascinating. I found it a bit difficult to warm to Elin as the main character as she's a bit of a hot mess but her instincts kick in and she gets right down to business. Although it's a bit of a stretch to imagine that the Swiss police would not be able to get to the hotel to help investigate the murders, I just suspended my disbelief and went with it. I found this hard to put down as I kept trying to guess who was behind the murders and the motive so the climax and revelations came as a bit of a surprise after all. I enjoyed the story in all of its convoluted meandering despite some little irritations along the way.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Viking Pamela Dorman Books for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - thriller, mystery