Joey R.'s Reviews > The Sanatorium

2.5 stars —“The Sanatorium” by Sarah Pearse is a book I have wanted to read ever since I first read a summary of it. I guess I should have looked at its Goodreads’ rating before I invested so much time reading it. “The Sanatorium” is similar to both Shari Lapena’s “An Unwanted Guest” and “One by One” by Ruth Ware, but the story ends up going so far off the rails into the land of “how can the author expect the reader to believe this” that I stopped enjoying it about half way through. The book begins with Elin’s arrival at a luxury hotel that used to be a sanatorium in the early 20th century. She is there to meet her brother Isaac and his fiancé (who used to be a good friend of Elin’’s). Her arrival coincides with the murders of various staff members and guests at the hotel by a strange masked figure by horrific means. Elin is also a disenchanted detective on an extended leave of absence that due to the weather and avalanches is forced to help solve the disappearances and murders at the hotel. I won’t spoil the plot but the author overreaches again and again to make certain characters suspects, to make Elin’s actions and reactions as a trained investigator ridiculous at best, and worst of all, making “evidence” magically appear in places that it would never be found (nail varnish under a carpet anyone). There were just too many plot holes to make this book one to recommend.