"Welcome to Himlafall Clinic, where we use revolutionary therapy techniques to heal you from heartbreak. Whether you are going through a devastating breakup, or can’t seem to stop picking the wrong partners, we are here to help you change your life, once and for all…
Isobel Anderssen has heard rumors. Nestled deep in the Swedish woods, there is a clinic. Primarily aimed at helping women who have gone through devastating break-ups, the Himlafall Clinic is meant to heal your mind and help you move on. Sometimes people are never heard from again.
Armed with a fake story and a contraband phone to record interviews, Isobel is ready to expose Himlafall’s founder and get closure for the families of missing loved ones. But when she gets there, nothing goes to plan. Her contact is missing. The founder, Dr. Martina Hastings, knows how to get under Isobel’s skin in ways she didn’t anticipate. And all the while, the ghosts of the missing haunt her at every turn. It is clear something is going wrong and Himlafall, and Isobel must uncover the truth, before she disappears once and for all."
What Worked for Me:
The premise was really interesting and worked as a great set up. It doesn't take a lot of time for us to get to the actual retreat location and get right into the investigation. There wasn't too much set up, even once MC gets to the retreat and meets all the other characters - we were able to get into the investigation more quickly than I was expecting.
I enjoyed that we got more background information of the situation that lead MC to start her investigation sprinkled into the book as it went along. These interjections are done via forum posts and letters which really helped them stand out from the main plot. There were some that weren't exactly clear how they immediately fit in, but by the end, everything was clear.
The variety of characters was very well done and I enjoyed seeing the full spectrum of the type of people who may be attracted to this sort of retreat. They all had distinct personalities that were very clear so I didn't get them mixed up or get confused.
What Didn't Work for Me:
Based on the build up of the premise, I was anticipating much more of a sinister vibe for the retreat. Instead, it seemed like a very regular place and our main character was the weird one. There are a few moments where things get a little tense, but nothing that I felt matched the vibes of the allegations that inspired our MC to investigate.
There's a particular part of our MC's background that gets mentioned a number of times and I was expecting it to become a bigger plot point. However, it didn't really feel like it was a big deal to anyone outside of our MC and didn't seem like it held her back in a significant way. I think the idea was interesting, but I would forget about it between the different times the MC mentions it.
Overall, this was a good read that really paid off on the premise. I liked how we got right to the retreat without any delay and dove into the investigation. I was expecting a more sinister vibe to the book that didn't really come until very late.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. Expected publication date is June 9, 2026.
