The Clinic
The Clinic
By: Cate Quinn
[On my list of Most Anticipated Books of 2024]
[Fulfilled ‘A book set in the Pacific Northwest’ prompt as part of Shelf Reflection’s 2024 Reading Challenge]
(Also, in case you need this reminder: Cate Quinn is not Kate Quinn)
“‘Please. Call me. I need to tell you something about when we were kids. I need to tell you before it’s too late.”
That’s the last voicemail Meg has from her sister, Haley, before she sees on the news that Haley committed suicide at a luxury rehab clinic.
But Haley died of heroin injection and Meg knows Haley would never do that. Something is amiss and she is willing to commit herself to the same rehab clinic to find the answers. She doesn’t need a cover because she has her own addiction (to oxycodone) that she needs to kick anyway if she’s going to keep her job taking down the loan sharks at casinos.
A shark among sharks, Meg’s priority is to find out what happened to Haley, but her own trauma and addictions might keep her from getting anywhere helpful.
“You’re not going to like this, Meg. But to solve your sister’s murder, you might need to solve yourself.”
That’s the set-up of this very good thriller and if it wasn’t for all the f-words I would say this would be a definite must-read.
The book gives a bit of a Shutter Island vibe in its setting and characters.
“Someplace in the Pacific Northwest with plenty of rain and cold so they can all feel good and miserable, paying megabucks for the privilege while some shaman channels their auras or something.”
(Okay, a bit different era, but you get the idea)
Meg enters rehab with a bunch of addicts who are willing to lie, steal, and cheat for their addiction. Add to that withdrawal symptoms like hallucinations and the side effects of the treatment methods they undergo, and we’ve got some hard to read, unpredictable and untrustworthy characters.
And Meg isn’t necessarily in her right mind either. To stay in the clinic and investigate she has to take part in the treatment herself— which means unlocking the trauma of her own childhood that Haley alluded to in her call.
Her only confidant is Harry who is waiting for her ‘on the outside,’ wanting her to get better, but also worrying about her safety— trapped in a remote clinic with a killer.
“That’s the problem with you, Meg. You’re not afraid of anything. And you should be.”
I love the setting because the unreliability and eeriness adds to the mystery and makes you second guess what you think you know. Even though I figured out bits and pieces early on, there were some good surprises waiting for me at the end!
It’s one of those books that when you finish you want to re-read to see what you missed.
The book begins with the scene right before Haley’s death: “Haley knew no drug could help her now. This would be the room she would die in.”
Then we alternate between chapters told from Meg’s POV and Cara’s— the newish manager of the clinic.
We also have the director/owner of the clinic who I picture as a cross between the dad on The Prodigal Son TV show and Daniel Hartman on Suits with the voice of Daniel Hartman because I don’t know what a Swiss accent sounds like. He’s got that smooth but sketchy demeanor that is intelligent and slick but you just always feel like they have ulterior motives and that they’re tricking you somehow.
Sure, the characters aren’t super loveable, but I didn’t find Meg and Cara annoying at least. Plus Meg is going through a lot so you give her behavior and attitude a little grace because of her mental state. Of course she’s not going to be cheery and super friendly.
I’m not sure we fully got to know Cara well. Some of her past was hinted at but we don’t really get into it; and even though we’re in her head she still feels like she’s held at arms length from us readers.
The treatment they receive at the clinic is ‘cutting edge’ which can also be read: fictional (well mostly… you can google it). So it’s a bit out there but it didn’t distract me from the story, I think it enhanced it. I don’t need books to be medically realistic all the time and in this case it was integral to the whole plot so it made sense to me that Quinn wrote things the way she did.
I read this book on the kindle app which means I was not very aware of the page amount as I read. Some reviewers have commented that it’s too long of a read, but when I looked on Goodreads and saw it was 448 pages, I will say it didn’t feel that long to me when I read it! The short chapters really helped.
I thought it was really cool that the author, Cate Quinn, shares in the author’s note and in this article about her own experience with her alcohol addiction and attending rehab where the idea of this book emerged.
She was afraid that she wouldn’t be able to write a book without alcohol. This was her first book sober which is a feat and a very good one at that! It adds authenticity to the rehab experience she depicts and the physical and emotional feelings of withdrawal she felt to some degree herself as well as the trauma that induced her addiction to begin with.
“I entered rehab broken, using alcohol as my armour. When I left, I wasn’t alone and afraid any more. I had taken my first steps towards asking other people for help when I needed it.” (Cate Quinn)
I think it will probably be hard for some people to read if they have/had their own addiction journey, but at the same time, maybe it will inspire readers with addictions to acknowledge that they have one and that there is help and hope to overcome it!
I would definitely recommend this book, but again, there are over 100 f-words so that makes it hard to recommend to some. Maybe some day the kindle app will develop a feature to give the option to censor swear words for those of us who care about that!
[Content Advisory: 112 f-words, 24 s-words; trigger warnings for drug addiction and rehab; no sex scenes but Meg keeps seeing a lady in lingerie]
**Received an ARC via NetGalley**
This book just released January 23, 2024. You can order a copy of this book using my affiliate link below.
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