In the isolated Swedish wilderness sits the Himlafall Clinic, an ultra exclusive psychological sanctuary promising to cure vulnerable women of their devastating heartbreaks. Intrigued by whispers of malpractice and traumatized patients, investigative journalist Isobel Anderssen goes undercover armed with a fabricated backstory. She intends to expose the clinic’s popular founder, Dr. Martina Hastings.
Upon arrival, Isobel’s investigation quickly unravels. Her inside contact has not shown up and someone steals her hidden phone. Worst of all, Dr. Hastings displays a predatory ability to get under Isobel’s skin and starts battering her psychological defenses by exposing her relationship issues. It’s as though the doctor is manipulating her and the others in therapy there. The unorthodox methods seem dangerous and Isobel starts to feel threatened as the other women crumble under the strange cult like treatment.
This premise was good but the execution stumbled because Isobel made some really reckless and frustrating choices. It made me question her journalistic integrity and competence in her pursuit of an expose. The writing really forced that sense of doom as the author focused on creating an atmosphere involving bad weather, isolation, mistrust, the lack of outside communication, and no free will. I struggled to connect with the characters, especially the other patients. I never felt any emotional stake. Definitely the reader will have to suspend a lot of disbelief through some of the melodramatic turns and the over the top conclusion. The wrap up didn’t deliver the payoff I’d hoped for nor any revelations about the whole clinic process.
I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator, (in her debut performance) Payton Mader, did a fabulous job of voicing the characters and bringing them to life. She wasn’t overly dramatic and her smooth tone and pitch brought a welcome change to audio books where the narrators sometimes sound overwrought and screechy in tense situations. I enjoyed listening to her and the production definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the book.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre and tags: psychological thriller, treatment, clinic, therapy, murder, unhinged characters
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