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A review by jesscoast
The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Right from the beginning, this story is a fast paced page turner. A classic closed-door mystery, a cast of unlucky hotel guests and staff are trapped at a luxury ski resort during a storm with no way out, while a killer is on the loose.
I've been missing a story this action packed for a while. Pearse sets up every character so that the reader keeps guessing as to who is the suspect - and who the next victim might be. Though she relies on tropes, it's not necessarily a bad thing. If you had your "Mystery Novel Bingo Card" out, you might have filled it by the first half.
The story is complex enough, and made good use of Gothic elements - hidden tunnels, trap doors, secret rooms left off the plans. From the first few pages I expected the hotel building itself, and it's past as a tuburculosis clinic with a perhaps sinister past to play heavily into the plot, and I wasn't disappointed. The story unfolds in a number of threads, with red herrings and false starts knitted in throughout. Although a cover up and conspiracy are revealed, I wish it had gone a little further with that storyline. I found the systemic mistreatment of women a much more intriguing plot than petty personal motives, but the mix was nice.
In the end, I'm not entirely convinced every thread was satisfactorily wrapped up. There was a little too much going on to keep track of, and tying in Elin's past with the present was a bit messy. Some bits of the writing were choppy and awkward but it was mostly an easy read.
I can't complete my review without mentioning my annoyance with Elin. As a seasoned detective, she came across as naive and easily fooled and clumsy. She didn't play any of her leads close to her chest, she botched her investigation by not being able to keep her mouth shut. She didn't come across as reliable or professional, I found her approach very cringe. Also, who is narrating the epilogue? That didn't click into place at all for me.
I've been missing a story this action packed for a while. Pearse sets up every character so that the reader keeps guessing as to who is the suspect - and who the next victim might be. Though she relies on tropes, it's not necessarily a bad thing. If you had your "Mystery Novel Bingo Card" out, you might have filled it by the first half.
The story is complex enough, and made good use of Gothic elements - hidden tunnels, trap doors, secret rooms left off the plans. From the first few pages I expected the hotel building itself, and it's past as a tuburculosis clinic with a perhaps sinister past to play heavily into the plot, and I wasn't disappointed. The story unfolds in a number of threads, with red herrings and false starts knitted in throughout. Although a cover up and conspiracy are revealed, I wish it had gone a little further with that storyline. I found the systemic mistreatment of women a much more intriguing plot than petty personal motives, but the mix was nice.
In the end, I'm not entirely convinced every thread was satisfactorily wrapped up. There was a little too much going on to keep track of, and tying in Elin's past with the present was a bit messy. Some bits of the writing were choppy and awkward but it was mostly an easy read.
I can't complete my review without mentioning my annoyance with Elin. As a seasoned detective, she came across as naive and easily fooled and clumsy. She didn't play any of her leads close to her chest, she botched her investigation by not being able to keep her mouth shut. She didn't come across as reliable or professional, I found her approach very cringe. Also, who is narrating the epilogue? That didn't click into place at all for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Child death, Murder, Medical content, and Blood
Moderate: Rape