Rachel, a 49 year old doctor , living in Salisbury with her husband Nathan , returns to her surgery to return records after home visits. Carol on reception tells her that a visitor has been put in a consulting room as he has turned up saying he has been having suicidal thoughts and needs to see a doctor. He had previously been on medication so she prescribes the same tablets and tells him to seek psychiatric help .This visitor turns out to be Luc , half French who has moved into a renovated house just round the corner from Rachel with his wife Ophelia .
Rachel has a regular patient Brian who keeps making appointments for one reason or another who is also possibly stalking Rachel .
Luc and his wife hold a House warming party and Rachel and Nathan attend alongside their daughter Lizzie ( who is blaming her mother for a break up with her boyfriend )..lizzie seems to be getting along with Ophelia's brother Blake , who has overseen the refurbishment of the house .Meanwhile Luc invites Rachel outside to see the garden.He tells Rachel that he has a property in France that he is renovating and says she must visit sometime.
Visiting Paris for a conference she decides to visit Luc and an affair begins .
Back home Carol and also Brian are murdered and suspicion falls on Rachel and Luc and they are questioned by Police but things are not always as they appear and there are many twists in the investigations as they unfold.

A slow start rather than a book that grabs and doesn’t let go. Creepy and atmospheric as it’s set in a Cathedral City. Worth hanging around to finish, but not my best read of the last 12 months.

Like other reviewers have said this book really does start slowly but give it time, it’s well worth a read and I am going to check out other books by the author

Let me start by saying I was really excited to read this. I have enjoy this author before and couldnt wait to get started.

Rachel is a doctor haunted by the death of a previous patient. When Luc appears in her surgery late one evening suffering similarly, Rachel does everything she can to help. As time goes on their lives become more intertwined and thats when things become complicated.

Written from Rachel's point of view throughout the novel, the chapters bounce between several dates in 2017. It is easy to follow and each character introduced is easily identifiable. I know in some stories I will read a characters name and have to scan back to find out who they are again, this was not the case in this book.

I found myself not really connecting with the story and when Rachel feels herself being followed not really caring who it is following her. Despite being super excited to read initially, I found this quite difficult to get excited about, I wasnt drawn in and had to convince myself to read it. A sign of a good thriller for me is snatching minutes here and there to find out a little more and it simply wasnt there for me in this novel sadly.

I know how good a thriller Jane Shemilt can write so I wouldnt be put off in the future.

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow what a rollercoaster of a read. Rachel is a doctor and she meets Luc when he is a patient at her practice and it's the start of a gripping story which holds your interest right to the last page. So many twists and secrets that eventually come out but it's full of drama with relationship problems and terrifying experiences she has to face as she finds herself being stalked. So many interesting characters that make the story come to life and keeps you guessing the outcome right to the end of the book. A physiological thriller that I can't recommend enough it's a brilliant read

For a slow burn this was a good book. The doctor patient relationship was taken beyond the realms of notmal and Rachel knew this was wrong but couldnt stop. Luc the patient appeared and was very disturbed but this was exacerbated and manipulated by others. The story had a good twist at the end and justice was done. It took me a while to read as it was a bit slow for me but as I said a good read. Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the ARC

Rachel believes she has a happy life as a wife, mother and successful GP. However, her daughter blames her for the long hours she spent working and her relationship with her husband is stagnant. When she tries to help Luc, a patient at her clinic who is suicidal, the events triggered will turn her life upside down and risk everything she cares about. A twisting, well-paced thriller, this novel covers crime, mental illness, parenthood, marriage, passion and ultimately murder, with never a dull moment. It kept me guessing to very near the end, and the sense of menace built up well. I did think it descended into a rather complex and melodramatic outcome, but that is to quibble about what is a gripping and sometimes moving read.

A slow burner where the tension builds and builds as you read.

I enjoyed this and finished it fairly quickly as I really wanted to know what was going to happen next.

A very different premise with a doctor and patient relationship and the implications associated with that. Great thriller with a good twist I didn't see coming.

Would definitely recommend. Would make a great holiday read!

I enjoyed this one. It’s a slow burn mystery but has a lot going on. My first read from this author and I liked her writing style. I read it fast and it kept me intrigued for sure. Rachel is a dr who lives in Salisbury and she becomes involved in the life of a patient. Dangerous and safe at the same time, the story unfolds. I recommend this one to the thriller lovers. Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy of this book.

I was disappointed with this extremely slow book. It started well but went slowly downhill. I didn’t enjoy it

✨ This book had a promising start that I enjoyed. The setting was described beautifully. There was tension, it was fast paced, and felt like the perfect suspenseful start to a thriller/mystery novel

✨ However, as it progressed, the book steered away from the direction I expected. I was promised a thriller, and sold a…I don’t know?! 🤔 Was this a thriller or a romance?

✨ The fast pace of the start was totally unmatched by the second half of the book. And the creepy, dark setting of Salisbury by night was totally opposed to the languid warmth of the South of France. Rather than being a significant juxtaposition, it was just seemed…at odds and conflicting?

✨ Also, none of the characters were likeable and I’m sad to say I was not rooting for our MC

✨ I really enjoyed this to start, but sadly it was a bit of a downhill ride from there 😟

Thanks so much to the publishers and NetGalley for the advance copy!

I found this a little hard going in places, and it took a while to build. It was complicated in places and sometimes hard to like the main character. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the story and it held my attention.

I really enjoyed this book, a story starting from the relationship between a doctor and patient. This had a good plot with some unexpected twists, making it hard to put down. Thank you for the advanced copy.

Multi Layered Suspense…
A relationship between doctor and patient is at the root of this multi layered intriguing suspense. Both gripping and tautly plotted, it’s a slow burn but written well with twists and turns aplenty and well crafted characters bringing both tension and an underlying menace that continues throughout. An unsettling read.

Unfortunately for me I found this a bit too slow, certainly not gripping enough for me although it was a well written book but unfortunately I didn't like the characters.

Thank you to Netalley and Harper Collins UK for allowing me to read this book.

I read this book in one sitting, as it really got me hooked. The story is clever, and there are lots of hints about what will happen later, but with an unexpected twist. What looks obvious becomes much more complex.
Everybody in the book is keeping secrets, and as they are revealed, your perception of the rest of the characters changes. Good plot with lots of tension. Recommended.

This was right up my street! it! I liked the premise of a doctor who finds herself drawn to a mysterious patient and is gradually drawn into his world. The characters are well drawn and the writing is excellent and I found it hard to put down. With twists that took me by surprise and events moving to the South of France I loved everything about this book. It was gripping and I’m going to read her other books now I’ve discovered this author so thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this early read

Absolutely loved this book, the story jogged along at a believable pace, with descriptive writing, twists, turns and just enough suspense to keep you turning the pages. Told in two time lines, the story itself was believable and one that could be relevant at any time.
Many thanks to the author and publisher for he advanced copy

This was my first novel by this author, and it was a really solid psych thriller!

A small-town doctor falls for a handsome patient, and people end up dead. It's a great mystery, and I found myself really drawn in to the emotional connections between characters. The only thing preventing it from being a five-star read was the suspension-of-disbelief factor. For me, there were a few twists in the plot that felt a little too unbelievable.

Really enjoyed this read overall, and will absolutely read more from this author! 4/5 stars

My thanks to Jane Shemilt, Harper Collins and Net Galley for the ARC of THE PATIENT.
I wanted to enjoy this novel but I found Rachel a hopefully not very believable character. She is a doctor, apparently menopausal, but this does not excuse her from the decisions she makes when she meets Luc. I'm afraid I wasn't gripped by it and although I accept it is fiction, I must believe in a character if I am to recommend it. As a psychological thriller I'm sure it will appeal to many readers.