FICTION

The Sanatorium

Books on Tape. Feb. 2021. 1,158p. ISBN 9780593394892. $76. M
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Elin is a detective with PTSD who travels with her boyfriend, Will, to an exclusive hotel in a renovated Swiss sanatorium. They are there to celebrate the engagement of Elin’s estranged brother, Isaac. But shortly after they arrive, Isaac’s fiancée, Laure, disappears. Soon mutilated bodies start turning up. The hotel is isolated by an avalanche, so the Swiss police ask Elin to look into the murders until they can get there, but her investigation puts her in danger and forces her to reevaluate traumatic memories. Pearse’s debut has an intriguing premise that unfortunately peters out into a lackluster, unsatisfying ending and an epilogue that comes out of left field. Elizabeth Knowelden ably narrates Elin’s point of view, though she struggles some with non-English accents.
VERDICT A Reese Witherspoon book club pick, this title will be in demand in libraries, but listeners will likely be happier with recent titles by Ruth Ware or Lucy Foley.
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