The Sanatorium (Detective Elin Warner #1) by Sarah Pearse

"Grief is like a series of bombs exploding, one after another. Every house, a new detonation. Shock after shock after shock."

Le Sommet is a horrible place, surrounded by local legends and rumors, the once abandoned tuberculosis sanatorium has found its second life as a five-star hotel. It is as imposing as it is beautiful, and being high up in the Swiss Alps makes it a remote get away. It's also the last place Elin Warner wants to be stuck, having taken a leave of absence from her work as a detective, decides to brave the journey. Especially when her estranged brother and his fiancée reach out and invite her to celebrate their engagement. She arranges in the middle of a terrible storm with her boyfriend, already on edge when they wake the following morning to discover her brothers fiancée has gone missing. Elin is thrust into the case when everyone gets stormed in and the police aren't able to access the hotel, making the guests panic even more. Elin is feeling the pressure when she realizes another woman has gone missing, and she is the one needed to crack the case.

This entire universe is very realistic, and it was such a great story. It fely like something that really could exist in the world. The world building and deep character development in a few short pages was incredible. I read it in once sitting when traveling to Texas, bought it on the kindle and then in paperback when I next went to a bookstore. There is so much backstory that is brought up that describes Elin and Isaac's estrangement and what actually occurred in their childhood. The final twist and the murderer that is actually revealed is extreme. I really love Elin's boyfriend and his ability/willingness to jump in and help. What I'd really love is more information on the sanatorium and the families that were impacted by it.

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