I couldn't put this down and when I did, I was suffering from whiplash from the ending!

It's a psychological thriller set in the world of psychology, I have no medical knowledge but found the setting itself fascinating. I was almost as gripped as Theo to discover Alice's story, and was on the edge of my seat in their sessions. It was one of those books that I needed to know but didn't want it to end!

The Silent Patient is an immensely readable psychological thriller with a flowing storyline and a cast of well rounded characters.
Six years previously artist Alicia Berenson shot dead her photographer husband Gabriel. From the moment she is arrested she refuses to speak and when found guilty she is confined in The Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.
Theo Faber a psychotherapist who was fascinated with the case has obtained a post at The Grove convinced he will be able to help Alicia, as he starts to delve into her past we learn more about Alicia and Theo.
I found it a difficult book to put down wanting to know more and more and had an inkling which way the story was heading but the reveal at the end was whilst not shocking was unexpected.
Well written, an enjoyable read which deserves to do well.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

Wow! This book kept me gripped from start to finish. The story revolves around 2 main characters with others on the sidelines. There is many twists and turns that makes you think something else has happened. This would be a perfect book club book as I felt the need to discuss it with others.

Thank you #Netgalley for an advance copy of ‘The Silent Patient’ to review.

As a counsellor myself I was drawn to the synopsis of this book and was very impressed by the accuracy of the therapeutic jargon.

The plot twist itself was inventive, but in my opinion fizzled and failed to bedazzle.

However, overall the book was very enjoyable and well written.

3.5 stars


Really nicely done.
A woman in a psychiatric hospital who can't or won't speak and the man who ways to work with her to bring her voice back.

Interesting to hear the back history and mental health problems of both characters.
Even more interesting was building a picture of who Alicia was based on what others said,and how she wrote in her diary.
Either could be true.
I suspected things were not quite as they seemed early on,but not quite to the extent they were.
That's why I say nicely done.

I was keen to read ‘The Silent Patient’ by Alex Michaelides given the number of plaudits this novel has already received. It begins promisingly enough: respected artist Alicia Berenson kills her much-loved husband, Gabriel, and then tries to take her own life. On being discovered she is incarcerated in a psychiatric unit where she elects to become mute.
The narrator of the story, a forensic psychotherapist called Theo Faber who is working at Broadmoor as the story opens, is appointed to a position at The Grove, the institution where Alicia lives. Because he has followed the case, he is very keen to work with Alicia in the hope that he might persuade her to talk.
Given the genre the reader knows that the murder outlined at the beginning of the novel is not as straightforward as it first appears. We are given a clue to Alicia’s state of mind through her self-portrait entitled ‘Alcestis’ – a Greek myth in which said girl offers her life to save her husband’s – but this self-sacrifice is not immediately apparent.
As the narrative develops we learn that it is not just Alicia who had a troubled childhood. Theo, too, has been very unhappy but the nurturing of a loving wife and a supportive therapist seems to have given him a more hopeful outlook. It is clear that Alex Michaelides knows something of psychotherapy and mental health issues as the various patients and practices at ‘The Grove are described authentically. In fact, some of the medical specifics appear a little over-worked, almost as if to say, ‘Look! I know something about this!’ rather than weaving every detail in as an integral part of the story.
My real problem with the text, and the reason why I can’t add my name to the list of those who rate this novel as ‘excellent’, is that Michaelides couldn’t get me to care enough about any of the characters. They all felt rather two dimensional: here is the monster mother; here is the creepy friend; here is the corrupt doctor and so on. Some may praise the final big reveal as clever; however, the unreliable narration throughout the novel was not credible enough for me to be either surprised or convinced.
My thanks to NetGalley and Orion Books for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I read to the end to see what happened but I did struggle with the pace of the book. The end, in fact, was rather clever but it didn’t grip me as much as I would have liked.

A very clever book, with a story line that is gripping and somehow twisted.
Alicia in her silence still manages to show you who she is. Theo, ghastly man, is just so egotistical. And half way through I was beginning to have my doubts about him and his reasons for treating Alicia..
I found the other staff at the unit not altogether believable. Would they really have allowed Theo such freedom?
However, it was a very well written book that had plenty of suspense.
Thank you to Net Galley for a preview copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

Brilliant!! One of the best books I have read lately, could not put it down!! Did not see the twist at the end coming at all!!

I was blown away by this book - grabbed me from the get-go and didn’t let go until the end, was completely unexpected. This is highly recommended for anyone with an interest in crime/psychological/thrillers.

Hey....I think there is always a feeling, when a new book is so hyped, that you should be enjoying it more than you are! I felt like this about ‘The Woman In The Window’ and have to admit about this as well
Basically the story is about a woman (Alicia) who is in a psychiatric facility after she is found guilty of murdering her husband, and refuses to speak, she hasn’t uttered a word since the Police arrived....along comes a new psychotherapist ( Theo) who is determined to make her do so and get to the truth
The whole story is then really about him ( in more of a detective role tbh ) looking into her past and her family and trying to piece together her life before the event, much of this is unnecessary to the story and brings nothing to it...although some of the characters are interesting they ultimately just act as annoying red herrings and their stories go nowhere
Alicia was ( is ) a famous painter and theres quite a bit of waffle about paintings and if art is not your interest ( as isn’t mine ) this, although crucial to the story, becomes tedious
Its hard to form an opinion of Alicia until the end as she doesn’t speak and Theo is annoying in his self importance
I found the book drifted off at some points, I found I did too!!
However the ending when everything becomes apparent is clever and blindsided me ( I started to wonder at 90% just before it ‘all came out’), the book then makes much more sense although still left me thinking ‘ all that, for that’
I am guessing a lot of people will love it but for me its an average read with a formidable ‘twist’ but wouldn’t ruffle my top reads this year

Have you ever seen a game of cards which is nothing but a battle of wills where the two players seem nonchalant, but there is this edge in their attitude, just a sliver, which tells you that something is just about to happen?!! And something does happen, one of the players folds, just surrenders!! What does one do then? Believe it to be true and end the game or look underneath this sleight of hand and get to the real truth??

Alex Michaelides, in his debut, has played this chilling hand of surrender making me read and scrutinize every line of the story to try to detect and unveil the hidden truth. And boy!! Was I wrong!!

The concept is pretty brilliant; Alicia a famous painter, ties her husband to the chair and shoots him 5 times, then paints an enigmatic picture and becomes a silent patient forever. Enter this earnest psychologist, Theo, who is kind of obsessed with unlocking her past and getting to the motive, wanting to make Alicia to talk again.

Then comes the game play between these two players and suddenly Alicia talks... What is the truth or is she pretending? Why did she kill her husband or did someone else? Who is the mysterious stranger or is it her paranoia? Hint - Read the book to get to the answers.

The whole book is a series of layers, some intermingling and others hidden. There are clues and red herrings present to sway the suspicions and to speak the truth. There are so many unfathomable characters, each worse than the other. There are a few niggles, the prose can be slightly tightened and some scenes seem implausible in mid story.

But the author then plays his last game, a full flush, which just slid the rug from underneath my feet, sideswiping me till I could do nothing but give in to the exhilaration of the freefall, the sheer pleasure and shock of reaching the truth, the careful way the ends are tied made me go back in my mind, right to the very beginning where it all began. Twisted is all I can say!!!

This book was absolutely magnificent!!!!! I don’t think I can say anything more coherent than “wow wow wow!” The ending was fantastic and so unexpected. I’d go as far to say that this is one of the best books I’ve read this year......and that’s not a term I use freely! An easy and absolutely well deserved ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me! This is a must read for all, absolutely brilliant book

Wow. Hooked from the first page! I am a very discerning reader and usually, if I’m not grabbed by the first couple of chapters then I don’t continue. This book had me from the beginning and I was reluctant to put it down! It’s a great story, riveting, and startling. Told by Theo, the psychotherapist working to help Alicia, it’s a stunning book about why Alicia suddenly decided to murder her husband. A definite must read! I would give it 10 stars if I could!

Thank You Netgalley & Publishers For Granting My Request To Review This Book.

Wow! I Just Couldn't Put This Book Down And Those Are Always My Favourite Reads. The Author Had Me Gripped From The First Page. It Was My First Time Reading From This Author And I Can't Wait To Read More.

I Loved That The Author Wrote This Novel With Two Narrators; Theo, A Psychotherapist & Alicia, Theo's Patient. I Also Enjoyed How Many Of The Chapters Dedicated To Alicia's Story Were Written In The Style Of A Diary.

This Has Got To Be One Of The Best Books I've Read In Terms Of The Main Twist. I Had To Go Back And Read It Twice As It Was So Good.

I Hope Other Readers Enjoy This Book As Much As I Did.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC.
This book is an incredible psychological thriller. Cleverly and deviously written - I have never before felt quite so 'taken-aback' by an exceptional major story twist.
Alicia, an artist, was married to Gabriel - that is until she decided to murder him one night, - after which she remained silent. Before incarceration in a psychiatric unit she paints one final enigmatic picture. The story is narrated by Theo Faber, a psychotherapist determined to work with her and get her to speak about the murder; learning from him about his personal story and how this work came about. Along with the narration are pre-murder entries in Alicia's diary giving us insights into her state of mind, her fears and her relationships.
Bring together the final painting, the diary and the psychotherapist and you have an astonishing story. A very definite MUST-READ for its sheer brilliance.

One of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long time! I literally couldn’t stop reading until I’d finished it and I didn’t see the end coming at all. A brilliant read!

This is a gripping thriller, no doubt about it. I was supposed to be getting an early night but simply had to finish this.

The premise is essentially that a psychotherapist becomes very interested in a notorious case in which a woman shoots her husband five times in the face for no apparent reason and then remains absolutely silent following the event. The doctor then follows her background and events leading to the shooting with increased fervour, rather more a detective than an impartial therapist.

It’s impossible to say much more without giving anything away. I absolutely did not see what was coming and thought it was a rather neat and clever conclusion. The writing was very good, as it held me and I was desperate to find out what had happened. Clearly the author’s work at a secure psychiatric unit assisted in the realistic portrayal of the goings-on in such a place.

There were a couple of moments that stretched the fiction a bit too far for me and there were moments that caused me confusion, for example, we are told:

“Kathy was American. She was born and brought up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Her English mother gave Kathy dual citizenship - but she didn’t seem remotely English. She was determinedly un-English - not just in the way she spoke but in how she saw the world and how she approached it.”

Then later regarding Kathy and her work as an actress:

“Maybe it was just an acting exercise...She has spent six weeks speaking in an American accent when preparing for All my Sons.”

In a thriller like this in which you’re on “high alert” for clues as to what is happening, these little things stand out.

Having said the above, it certainly didn’t stop me from completing the novel within 24 hours and I am excited to read future work by this new novelist. His studies and work in psychology really add a new and exciting element to this kind of fiction.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Orion Publishing Group and Alex Michaelides for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Very hard to say specifically why I enjoyed this terrific debut so much without giving away clues. Lets just say it is engrossing, filled with detail, clever and convincing Highly recommended.

This book is truly outstanding. It is by far the best thriller that I’ve read this year. The writing is very accomplished, so much so that I can’t believe that this is a debut novel. I loved every page and I’d recommend to anyone.