The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is a compelling, thrilling story that grips you from start to finish. This Richard and Judy Bookclub pick and Sunday Times Bestseller follows forensic psychotherapist Theo Faber as he is convinced that he can successfully treat Alicia Berenson who is suspected of shooting her husband five times and then never speaking another word again. This thought-provoking novel is both atmospheric and mysterious as Theo discovers Alicia’s true motivations and faces questions he doesn’t know if he can answer. An expertly crafted psychological mystery that will have you turning pages to uncover the truth. Highly recommend for any reader looking for an engrossing and intense novel!

The Silent Patient is a book that has been hyped about for the longest time so when I picked it up, I was apprehensive. Overall I had a good time with The Silent Patient and I look forward to reading more from Alex Michaelides in the future.

I have to admit that I spent the day listening to the audiobook and although I did enjoy the experience, I did have some problems with it. The narrator is definitely younger than the main protagonist and this threw me a lot as I feel like this does make a difference.

I think the book tries to have an unreliable narrator and the narrator being such a younger person messes with this dynamic. I do think that the character is meant to be creepy but the narrator sounds too nice for this to be true.

The narrator and audiobook also are quite difficult as sometimes the narrator will read the book before they do the reading which can change the way that you read the book. l have seen some reviews where they read the book in one way and I completely didn't get that. I believe this is because you are reading from the narrator's eyes so you cannot make the decision yourself.

One of the reasons why I don't tend to read thrillers is because I normally know the ending. I did end up guessing the ending and I don't think this did have an impact on my enjoyment of the book. It is also made me have sympathy for Alicia and I think we can all agree that Theo is a dislikable character.

While I did enjoy the writing and the characters, there was just something that I did not connect with overall. I have seen the new book from the author so I will definitely check out the Maidens in the future.

The Verdict:

The Silent Patient is worth the hype, being a good thriller that will have you racing to know the ending.

Fantastic novel with a twist I didn’t see coming right until it happened. Really enjoyed the way that both main characters were able to narrate in different ways.

How do you even review a book like this?! The title of this book really hits the nail on the head as it’s pretty much about a patient who is silent. The thing with that though, is that the patient hasn’t always been a patient, nor have they always been silent.

At the beginning of the story, the readers are introduced to Alicia indirectly, by psychotherapist, Theo, whilst also being introduced to him via the man himself.

Psychology is at the heart of this novel, and I thought that it was written brilliantly via different points of view. Alicia is in the spotlight due to the death of her husband, and Theo is in the spotlight due to being the new guy in his place of work, yet somehow their paths meet and fireworks fly.

Before I read ‘The Silent Patient’ I had heard so much about it on social media. I didn’t want to invest too much into what people were saying about it, yet I had everything crossed that I was going to like it. And did I?

Yes, i really did! I wouldn’t say that i was bowled over by it the whole way through, but i certainly enjoyed a good majority of it! The uniqueness of the storyline really grabbed my interest, and the fact that it was full of psychology was even better. Delving into the mindsets of people really intrigues me, so it’s safe to say that I was in my element!

I can see why a lot of people have been raving about this book because it is, without a doubt, a very cleverly crafted novel. I am so impressed by the complexity of each main characters journeys, and the way the author delivered their flaws alongside the positives really made the characters very relatable. Even though Alicia was the one under the spotlight, I found it quite difficult not to feel some level of empathy towards her and the circumstances she found herself in.

I never would have thought a character being silent would be so intense, yet here we are! A brilliantly thought out, unique, intense, and gripping novel. More please!

A spectacular book!!!! I loved the feeling I got when it came along... I had to go back and still sat there with "Wait, what?!".. Well written. engaging characters, and a stellar setting... Fantastic!

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

I read this book in December of 2019 and haven't come back to write a review because I am still undecided on how exactly I felt about the novel. It was one that I didnt love or necessarily dislike, but I will give it points for creativity!

I had a lot of fun reading The Silent Patient when originally approved! It was all types of haunting and for a debut novel, I found Alex Michaelides' words to be completely encapsulating, and I can't wait to see what else is next for him!

So this book is huge. And with all hugely hyped, extremely popular novels, I feel like I'm one of the last people to read it. I'm sure that's not actually the case but, you know how it is sometimes (back to those #bookwormproblems I often mention). I'll be honest, I was a bit dubious before making a start on this one. Will it live up to what I've heard? Will I see the big twist coming and will that dampen the whole reading experience for me? Read on to find out...

Alicia Berenson is a household name for all the wrong reasons. The seemingly happy, contented artist had everything. Then, one day, she waited for her husband to return home where she shot him in the head five times. Stood with a smoking gun and blood on her hands, she was arrested, found guilty and sent to The Grove, a secure psychiatric hospital in London. Never having uttered a single word. Not to the police, not to defend herself in court, nor to her doctors. Alicia remained silent throughout. What happened that night six years ago remains a complete mystery. But psychotherapist, Theo Faber, believes he has the skill, knowledge and patience to get through to Alicia. To break down the barriers and discover the truth about what happened that fateful night...

Told from Theo's point of view and diary entries written by Alicia in the run up to the murder, the reader is thrown straight into this compelling story from the very start. We watch as Theo takes tentative steps in trying to connect on some level with Alicia. Often with little reaction from her, or the occasional aggressive and violent outburst. I couldn't work Alicia out at all. Nothing following the murder is given away in regards to her character or her motivation. What is she thinking, what is she feeling? I had no idea and I think the author has done an absolutely cracking job of writing her so that you are left wondering for a large proportion of the book. The diary entries don't really help as it's hard to relate the shell of the woman she becomes with the woman she was before the murder. Despite all of this, I wanted to like Alicia.

This is a very easy to read book and I finished it in a couple of sittings. There were certain aspects of the story where I found my attention wavering though, but it all made sense when I reached the end of the book. I can't say too much more about that as I'm bound to say something I shouldn't! If you've seen any other reviews of The Silent Patient then you may be aware there's a fairly substantial twist (it's a psychological thriller - it comes with the territory, no?) but I felt oddly let down by it. I can't quite put my finger on what it was that didn't wow me but I felt a little disappointed. The way the story concluded was very satisfying though.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. The Silent Patient is a well-written and highly entertaining novel to wile away a few hours and I enjoyed it. With a cast of interesting characters - some you'll like, others you may loathe - it's a twisty and compelling book which I would recommend to anyone who hasn't read it yet (all three of you, lol!).

My 3* review for The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

"Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.

Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.

Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him"

This was a great pacy book, full of intrigue and mystery and I was swept along with the desire to know more about Alicia, the shooting, what happened that night and what would be the trigger that would make her talk at last. Although the book delivered in most of these areas, I found it a bit longwinded and unbelievable and I could not take to Theo at all and found his character implausible.

What a great story this is, also a very sad one.
Thanks netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this great thriller, and a thriller it really is.
Read it over three days and I never guessed the ending.
Alicia was a great painter until she killed her husband Gabriel, after which she never spoke.
She was then taken to The Grove a psychiatry unit in north London..

I love the name Alicia as it takes me back to my earliest reading as a child of Enid Blyton's Mallory Towers series, So Mr Michaelides has already scored points with me. The book contains numerous interesting characters, all of whom I felt would have captivating back stories and were well rounded and thoughtfully drawn. Theo Faber was particularly intriguing and he aroused my curiosity from the moment he appeared. Although we don't hear much from Alicia, (otherwise the book would have to be entitled The Talkative Patient), I felt as if I knew her. She was certainly an extremely engaging and enthralling person. The dynamic between Theo and Alicia was compelling and they definitely had chemistry, which was so well written you could hear and see it sparking whenever they were together. I would never have guessed this was a debut novel, the writing was classy, sophisticated and sharp. The plot, sub-plots and red herrings were well thought out and entirely appropriate in the setting. Best of all the psychological thriller element was actually psychologically thrilling! Who'd have thunk it? The twist in the tale made my curly-wurly seem as straight as a ruler. The Silent Patient over delivers on all its promise and I'm excited to read more from Mr Michaelides. I'm going to double-dip this book; I've read it and I'm going to get it on audio. Bravo Mr Michaelides! How long will I be waiting for the next book - you can call it The Impatient Reader! 5 stars from me.

Well. Wow.

I approached this with the mindset of ‘Please don’t be another so so psychological thriller ‘. This, my friends, is very far from being so so. It is absolutely fantastic. The characters are so realistic and I was completely hooked from the beginning. The writing style is hypnotic, pulling you into the story so that you can’t possibly put it down and the ending had me with my hand over my mouth as I read. I know it’s a cliché but if you can only read one book this year, it has to be this. A very fabulous book by a very fabulous writer.

Thanks to Orion Publishing and NetGalley for letting me read this in exchange for my honest review.

What an weirdly entertaining book. I almost gave up, because I felt lost, but I am very glad I persisted. When the bad guy was revealed towards the end, a lot of the book made sense. The book was well written and recommended.

The Silent Patient starts with the shocking murder of Gabriel Berenson, tied to a chair and shot in the face five times by his wife, Alicia. The police find her covered in blood, having tried to cut her own wrists. A clear-cut case, it seems. Alicia is taken into custody and ends up in a secure psychiatric unit where she doesn’t speak a single word for the next six years.

Enter Theo Faber, a psychotherapist who has worked hard to get the chance to work with Alicia. He’s convinced that he can make her talk and uncover the truth of what happened on that hot summer night, six years ago.

The Silent Patient is a splendid psychological thriller with some fantastically complex characters and a neat ability to make you think ‘aha! got it!’, only for you to realise a dozen pages later that no, you haven’t. I thought I had it figured out a few times and got kind of close, ish. But the ending is one of those neatly satisfying ones which make you want to flick back and see exactly how it was done.

I really liked the structure of the book too, jumping from Alicia’s diaries to Theo’s perspective, each throwing new light on the events of that fateful night. It was one of those books which you find yourself having to read in one go. Make sure you’ve got plenty of biscuits and a really big mug of tea!

A slow burning but compelling creepy thriller that builds to an ingenious twist. Artist Alicia shoots her husband dead and hasn't uttered a word since. Psychotherapist Theo, obsessed with the case wangles a job at the secure unit where she has been held for the last 5 years. Can he break through her silence? A brilliant debut.

This was a spooky novel that I really enjoyed! I liked the concept of a thriller based on a relationship between a psych patient and her therapist. This book has a meta-level twist that was a surprise to me, but quite honestly, I think I might have enjoyed it more without the "gymnastics." It was a great story, if a bit overly complicated.

There's been such an excited buzz around this book for the last few months that I was almost afraid to read it in case it didn't live up to expectations but from the moment I started The Silent Patient and came into contact with both Alicia Berenson, and her psychotherapist, Theo Fenton, I knew that I was reading something that was a little bit special.

There's a distinct creepiness to the story, and in light of Alicia's incarceration following her husband's death, for which she is held responsible, her silence is made all the more eloquent by her refusal to communicate on any level. Theo Fenton, takes employment at the secure psychiatric unit where Alicia is being held, and with a profound sense of bravado, Theo attempts to unravel the reasons for the silence of the silent patient. And, as we discover, over the length of the novel, there are so many valid reasons for Alicia's silence but the game is on to find out just who is telling the truth, as once the truth is out there, there is never going to be any way back.

For me, the novel works well because it's a cleverly layered dissection of a life which has been traumatised and shows just what happens when the brain tries to protect itself from catastrophic loss. And yet the story is also about so much more than a psychiatric analysis, it's about love, betrayal and obsession on a grand scale, and it's about those secrets and lies which are so huge they threaten to overwhelm everything.

There's so much about The Silent Patient which is better left unsaid, as that way the denouement will be every bit as shocking to you as it was for me. I usually have a good idea of where a thriller is heading, but I really didn't anticipate the ending, which blew me away. Some books leave you feeling a little bit empty when they finish, but not so with this one which was absolutely unputdownable and which had me completely hooked from first page to last

I devoured this book very quick;y - two nights even after super busy work days! The plot was excellent, and the characters evolved and developed, each with a little more intrigue. I love a good thriller and this kept me guessing all the way through. I would recommend this book to those that enjoy a good suspenseful novel. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review #NetGalley.

Theo Faber is a psychotherapist who specialises in dealing with serious criminals, including working at Broadmoor, who takes his dream job. What really thrills him is not so much the job itself but one of the clients he will be working with at a secure unit in North London: Alicia Berenson, a talented painter who has not spoken a word since she shot her husband in the head six years previously. Theo is sure he can break through Alicia's silence where others have failed and we see his efforts interspersed with sections of Alicia's own diary. This is a psychological thriller with all the usual bits and bobs (unreliable narratives, stories told from varying points of view) and the, by now, obligatory surprise ending. Don't let this put you off (although being warned in advance of a twist in the story does mean you are waiting for it the whole way through, which sort of spoils the element of surprise) because it is a really well-told story. And, although I was expecting some sort of twist, it still wasn't obvious exactly what it would be. It was a gripping read and a great debut - I'll certainly be suggesting it to customers who enjoy good psychological thrillers.