The Devil’s Sanctuary

Alfred Hitchcock meets the cult TV series The Prisoner in Swedish author Hermanson’s twisted thriller, her first to be published in English. When Daniel Brant hits hard financial times, he accepts a tempting offer from his identical twin brother, Max, who was raised separately from him. Daniel is to visit Max at Himmelstal, a high-class Swiss psychiatric facility located in a remote valley, and get a cheap vacation in the bargain. At Himmelstal, Max reveals that he’s in debt to the Mafia, and proposes that the twins swap places for a few days so he can slip away and collect the cash to pay off the debt. In his brother’s absence, Daniel comes to suspect that there’s more to the facility than meets the eye. Returning to his normal life won’t be easy Daniel eventually realizes. Hermanson makes the most of this intriguing concept, and the secret Himmelstal hides will surprise most readers. (Sept.)