BLURB
An imposing, isolated hotel, high up in the Swiss Alps, is the last place Elin Warner wants to be. But she’s taken time off from her job as a detective, so when she receives an invitation out of the blue to celebrate her estranged brother’s recent engagement, she has no choice but to accept.
Arriving in the midst of a threatening storm, Elin immediately feels on edge. Though it’s beautiful, something about the hotel, recently converted from an abandoned sanatorium, makes her nervous – as does her brother, Isaac.
But no-one has realized yet that another woman has gone missing. And she’s the only one who could have warned them just how much danger they’re all in . . .
REVIEW
Elin Warner is a detective on prolonged leave from the police force after a traumatic case. She suffers with PTSD as well due to her younger brother dying when she was younger . Her other brother is Isaac, he’s getting engaged in Switzerland at a hotel that was once a sanatorium for TB patients. Elin needs to put some ghosts to rest and needs some answers from Isaac. She decides to go to the hotel with her boyfriend Will and hopefully relax and get the answers she needs.
Lucas Caron his sister Cecile and architect Daniel Lamaitre decided to use the old Santorum and turn it into a hotel much to the disapproval of the local people.
Issac is getting engaged to a childhood friend of Elin’s she is Laure who works at the hotel for the Caron’s.
Unbeknown to the guests a murderer is at large and when an avalanche cuts off the hotel from the outside world this begins the murderers plot. However they didn’t know Elin was a detective and now she must thrust herself into an investigation to catch and clever killer.
This is Sarah Pearse’s debut novel although you wouldn’t know it. This novel is stunning , the characters are entirely plausible. The atmosphere and setting are gothic and as the weather closes in the story closes in too.
The hotels dark secrets and past start to be revealed as the murderer closes in, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up a few times whilst reading this book.
I can safely say I never saw the twist come when the killer was revealed I had thought I knew who it was but soon came to realise it wasn’t them.
Sarah did leave clues along the way but I was so engrossed I never saw them.
As for the epilogue well I actually shouted at loud when another twist needed the story!
Thankfully there is to be a second book, thank goodness as this wonderful book certainly left me wanting more.
I highly recommend you read this thriller and you won’t be disappointed.
It was a well deserved 5 stars.
gilly918 