heidi’s book review

heidi’s review

BY

Heidi Pederson

My name is Heidi Pederson. I am a single mother who works and lives in Pullman, WA. I grew up with a grandma who was an English teacher and volunteered at the Moscow Public Library. Through my grandma I gained a passion for reading. I hope to instill the same passion in my daughter. Over the last year reading has really helped me get through the pandemic. Through reading I have been able to dive into an alternative universe and become part of the book, at times helping me clear my head of the challenges the pandemic has presented. I will read just about any type of genre. Some of my favorites are thrillers, mysteries, criminal, law, and historical fiction. I was recently gifted a membership to Book of the Month Club that provides a wide selection of books to choose from. Through this membership I have been able to read books that I wouldn’t normally read and have found some of my favorite books. I look forward to sharing reviews of various books with you and who knows, maybe you will find your next favorite book through one of them.

Half-Hidden forest, threatening peaks, abandon sanatorium turned five-star minimalist hotel, high up in the isolated Swiss Alps is where we find Elin Warner in this whodunit Gothic Thriller. Elin Warner is currently taking some time off from her job as a detective, when her estranged brother, Isaac, and his fiancée, Laure, invite her to Le Sommet to celebrate their engagement. Elin decides she has really no reason not to attend and accepts.

When Elin arrives on the midst of a threatening storm she immediately begins to feel on edge. There is something about this hotel that is making her nervous. The next morning when she wakes up to discover Laure is missing, and the storm has closed off all access to the hotel, Elin must trust her instincts if there is any hope to finding her. Little does anyone know, there is another woman who has gone missing and has yet to be reported.

If you are looking for a haunting thriller to read during the fall/Halloween season this is it. From the first sentence to the last Sarah Pearse leaves you wondering what you just read. With vivid descriptions of the hotel, surrounding atmosphere and weather, you will feel like you are sitting in the hotel watching the whole story unfold.

Elin is an amazing character with her own quirks and you grow to really become invested in her and what she will do next. Sarah also does an amazing job of making the hotel become a character on its own. You grow to wonder what secrets it holds. If the walls could talk would you want to know what they had to say? Or would you be scared?

Short, fast paced chapters help this plot-driven story move quickly. You won’t want to put this book down. Where is Laure? Why is this hotel so creepy? Who are these other people missing and what do they have to do with the hotel? The Sanatorium is very plot driven in that the overall theme is solving the mystery of where Laure is, but starts telling things from different character views and makes you really start to wonder what is going on in this Hotel. Where is Sarah taking us on this wild story?

I rated this 5 books out of 5 books. I have been in contact with the author directly about when she plans to release another book and can’t wait to read future writings of her. She is truly an amazing author and human. One of the nicest I have ever talked with. This book is fast paced and a good “whodunit”. I have shared this book with my friends and plan to continue sharing it with anyone who is looking for a good, keep them up at night book. With Fall and Halloween almost upon us, grab this book, curl up on the couch and be prepared to stay up all night. Until next time fellow readers. Happy Reading!