the truth is in there

Meg has done everything she can think of to leave her childhood behind. She still talk to her sister some, but their relationship is strained. Now she works in casino security, outing bad guys as a master poker player through her intelligence, her ability to change up her looks, and her sheer bravado. She can get herself out of most jams, but she does pay a heavy price. An addiction to opioids, usually getting washed down with Jack Daniels means that she can’t let anyone get too close.

But Meg did let someone get too close. A coworker, an ex-NYPD cop, named Harry. Their romantic relationship didn’t last, but he still keeps her close. He tells her she needs help. And Meg refuses. Until she saw on the news that pop singer Haley Banks killed herself in rehab. Suddenly, Meg is interested in nothing more than going to rehab. Because Haley was her older sister. And Meg knows in her bones that there was no way Haley would kill herself.

Haley had been murdered in rehab. And Meg is going in to find out who did it.

The clinic is an elite rehab facility in a remote area of the Pacific Northwest, created with celebrity patients in mind. The remote location keeps paparazzi and fans away, and the opulent facility, complete with gym, spa, pools, cryotherapy, and salt therapy along with a top level chef on top of all the usual talk therapy, art therapy, and group therapy. There are also mysterious treatments by the man who created the clinic, Dr. Lutz.

All of the practical matters at the clinic are managed by former hotel executive Cara. Cara spends long days taking care of the patient schedules, the housekeeping, the menus, the deliveries. She keeps everything running smoothly, and even helps type up therapy notes from Dr. Max. But the more time she spends digging into the background of the facility and those in charge of it, the more doubts she as about the work they’re doing.

Meg, meanwhile, has checked herself in as a patient and gets to know the other patients—an aging male actor, the front man of a popular rock band, a former model and party girl, the singer in a Latina pop band, and a young English actress who is trying to keep custody of her daughter. Meg snuck some oxycodone in with her, so she’s not hit with withdrawal symptoms right away, giving her a clearer head to try to find her sister’s killer. But through phone calls to Harry, and challenges from Dr. Max and the other patients, Meg is finding herself wanting to unlock the trauma that lead her to her addiction. She finally gives up her pills and faces her addiction head on.

And her body is racked with pain. As Meg battles with the pain in her shoulder that got her hooked on opioids in the first place, as well as the physical symptoms of withdrawal, she struggles to put together the pieces of her past. But slowly, she makes progress on her memories and on her mystery. But solving the question of her sister’s killer puts her in the sights of a dangerous person. Will Meg finally get her addiction under control, just to find herself in mortal danger?

The Clinic is a captivating, atmospheric thriller with lots of juicy secrets and breathtaking twists. Author Cate Quinn has crafted a stunning novel with layers of danger and a stunning ending. The elegance of this clinic hides so much darkness, and the fog of the Pacific Northwest adds a cloud of confusion to this locked-room mystery.

I loved The Clinic and just wanted everything to stop until I could read it to the end. Like Meg, I got distracted and failed to see what was right in front of me, so I couldn’t guess at the ending, but I didn’t even care that Quinn outthought me. I was thrilled with her masterful storytelling and loved every page of this book. It’s got some genuine darkness to it, like the cover implies, but it’s an amazing story if you’re willing to face your deepest secrets.

Egalleys for The Clinic were provided by Sourcebooks Landmark through NetGalley, with many thanks.