The Devil's Sanctuary - by Marie Hermanson (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A chilling novel of psychological suspense from critically acclaimed and internationally bestselling Swedish author, Marie Hermanson.

When Daniel arrives in Himmelstal -- a private Swiss psychiatric facility -- to visit his twin brother Max, he has no idea what's in store for him. He finds himself unquestioningly accepting Max's plea for help and the brothers swap places in order for Max to take care of some business. All he claims to need is a couple of days in the outside world to settle his debt.

But soon Daniel realizes Max isn't coming back, and that the clinic is far from a place of recovery. Struggling to get anyone to believe who he really is, Daniel finds himself trapped in a cruel and highly secretive prison: this is no sanctuary, it's a living nightmare . . .

Review Quotes

"A well-executed suspense novel...If you enjoy high quality suspense literature you should definitely read THE DEVIL'S SANCTUARY."--Dagens Nyheter

"A Piranesi prison of a story....a workably nightmarish premise, which Hermanson exploits cleverly, doling out the odd glimmer of hope only to enmesh her hero, and the reader, more deeply in the no-exit web she's spinning."--New York Times Book Review

"Alfred Hitchcock meets the cult TV series The Prisoner in Swedish author Hermanson's twisted thriller... Hermanson makes the most of this intriguing concept, and the secret Himmelstal hides will surprise most readers."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Extremely well-written with a skilfully structured plot, solid characters and vivid settings."--Göteborgs-Posten

"Hermanson builds up a tension that appears increasingly Kafkaesque and claustrophobic...THE DEVIL'S SANCTUARY shapes up to be a contemporary gothic horror, with characters straight from the totalitarian wax cabinet and with an unexpected lunatic running the show....a chilling pageturner."--Gunder Andersson, Aftonbladet

"I'm hooked already from the first page. The atmosphere that builds is hard to resist. Even when I have finished the book the sinister mood lingers."--Kommunalarbetaren

"She knows better than most how to combine the thought-provoking with the suspenseful...THE DEVIL'S SANCTUARY is both important and entertaining."--Gefle Dagblad

"The claustrophobic atmosphere is perfect...I wish there was a way to stay in the suspenseful state. It's simply exquisite."--Tidningen Vi

About the Author

An author and journalist, Marie Hermanson published her first book in 1986. Her novels are huge bestsellers in Scandinavia, and Musselstranden (Clam Beach) is considered a modern classic, with over 250,000 copies sold. Mannen under trappan (The Man Under the Stairs) was adapted into a TV drama in 2009. She lives in Gothenberg, Sweden.