View source for The Sanctuary by Emma Haughton

{{infobox1
|title=The Sanctuary
|sort=Sanctuary
|author=Emma Haughton
|reviewer=Sue Magee
|genre=Thrillers
|summary=I needed to know what happened and the location was excellent but the story didn't feel entirely believable.
|rating=3.5
|buy=Maybe
|borrow=Yes
|pages=384
|publisher=Hodder & Stoughton
|date=November 2022
|isbn=978-1529356663
|website=https://www.emmahaughton.com/
|cover=1529356660
|aznuk=1529356660
|aznus=1529356660
}}
It was the quiet which woke Zoey up - or, rather, the absence of the noise which was  a constant in New York.  Here it was silent and the heat was overwhelming.  When she looked out of the window all she could see was the desert.  How did she get here?   Zoey was house-sitting for Uncle Dan and his two Manx cats and she remembered that she'd been out with Franny and Rocco last night.   She knew that she'd had quite a lot to drink but how could she have got to the desert from New York?  She had no memory of getting on a plane but as she thought back, a memory of sirens, flashing lights and of being pushed into a car snagged on the edge of her mind.

The obvious thing to do was to explore.  Her door wasn't locked and the building seemed luxurious and well-maintained.  The double height atrium was stunning.  There were indications of some rooms being occupied - but no signs of any people, until she heard the woman scream.  Zoey was in The Sanctuary, a therapeutic refuge and she's there to avoid being in jail.  She knew that she 'had her problems' but thought that she had them under control.  It was almost a relief to open up about them to the other residents - until she realised that not everyone there had her best interests at heart.

I'm always a sucker for a locked-room mystery and that's what drew me to ''The Sanctuary''.  The desert is a superb setting and Emma Haughton brings it to life brilliantly.  Despite the open spaces, I felt claustrophobic.  The characterisation is good too: most are not completely likeable but I found myself invested in Zoey and Finn and in Zoey's backstory.  If I'm sounding a little wishy-washy about the book, it's because the story didn't really grip me at all until the final quarter or so - and then I didn't see the final twist coming.

I'm glad that I read the book.  Because of the therapy aspect of the story, it's more character driven than many thrillers: if this appeals to you, you could add half a star to my rating.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

If you like the idea of ''The Sanctuary'', you might also enjoy [[The Room by the Lake by Emma Dibdin]].

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