This book was absolutely 5 stars for me. I don’t think I can articulate well enough how much I enjoyed it, and it was exactly what I’ve been craving lately. It is about Kevin, an individual whom is arrested and suspected of being the serial killer that had been tormenting the area for years. He targets young women and always they are found a specific way. It discusses his case, his mental illness, or “lack there of,” and those in charge of defending and prosecuting him. He has very few people in his life and we learn their involvement, if any, that they have in the case.
Some take aways are that not everything is black and white, this examines some of the “gray” areas in our justice system from the very start. In the beginning, it allows you to consider where you draw the line when someone has committed such terrible crimes; how they go about assessing for mental illness, if the insanity defense applies, and how he could get out of the death penalty if it went down that road. The prosecutor seemed so “set” on that and her career, that she had no regard for him as a human being.. which was appalling to the psychiatrist. The psychiatrist wanted the insanity defense because of his mental illness, and was willing to risk everything trying to prove it, but absolutely everyone and everything was standing in her way. It got to the point that even she was getting a little sloppy and she was second guessing herself, but I think that’s when her personal life and work life began to blur and she crossed the line. I still think it’s important to go with your gut, and when you think something is wrong, it probably is.
My mind was wandering of course, even when I wasn’t reading, about what my opinion is and how the book seemed to debate whether they knew all the true facts, is it morally okay to give him the death penalty when he truly wasn’t aware of any of it? Is he psychotic and just manipulating her like the prosecutor says? Even the psychiatrist was unsure for part of the book. Is it okay to execute and end one person’s LIFE when it’s for the “greater good” of the community like the prosecutor stated? It is unnerving to think about honesty alone when it comes to cases. Regardless of one’s role in a case, there’s no way to ever know if someone is 100% telling the truth, whether it’s the prosecutor, defendant, or witness unless the evidence can support whatever their truth may be without question. I liked that in the author’s note he included that although everyone may not have the same opinions, his goal is to get people talking and for the book to resonate with you long after you read it.
This book was absolutely the most thought provoking book I’ve read in a some time. With each of the characters, I took time to reflect and absorb what was being discussed and consider my own thoughts and morals regarding what was going on and how my opinion may have changed as the book went on. I feel like this book took me a little bit longer than a thriller typically would in the first half because of that, but in the second half when the suspense picked up and my heart began to race, I just needed to know the outcome quicker.
My power and my weakness is my empathy so I can totally relate to his psychiatrist in that aspect. However, I feel like hers was more so driven by her grief and wanting to find answers, and whether this case led her to her own answers or not it didn’t matter, she just couldn’t let this rest without success because she was unable to be successful when it came to her daughter, so she had to be everywhere else.
I cannot wait for other books by this author! I can’t believe this is his debut! 5⭐️
Publication date for this book is February 5, 2024. I was given a DRC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to S.A. Falk, Storm Publishing & NetGalley!

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC.

I personally didn’t love this book. Chapter 1/the prologue made it very clear that the ‘accused’ Kevin was not the one to be executed. What followed was another 40 slow odd chapters of Sharon acting like a dog with a bone and there being no real substance into what had done it. The last 5-10 chapters are the reason I’ve rated it two stars vs one.
I really struggled to get through this book knowing so much time was being wasted on one character and nothing else going on.

This book was quite the psychological rollercoaster. It was fascinating to see a psychiatrist working with a convicted serial killer. The whole time I was flip flopping on whether or not to believe him. I guessed the big twist shortly before it happened but it was a great twist. This unique page turner was a great read. Thank you to NetGalley and storm publishing for my advanced copy!

Dr Sharon Stevenson is a forensic psychiatrist for the prosecution in a murder trial of several women.
I really liked the way the opening chapter was written.
I liked the character of Dr Sharon Stevenson.
I did not remember the various geographical areas, but this did not distract me from following the story line or my enjoyment of the book.

I'm really not sure how I feel about this book. It was a good interesting story of a man committed to death row in Wyoming for multiple killings and a psychiatrist who was initially trying to find a reason to find him sane for the prosecution, then she swops sides and tries to find reason to declare him insane.....that's the American justice system for you! Then it all gets a bit complicated. The psychiatrist starts investigating the murders herself and I'm afraid believability all went a bit downhill from there on for me. Despite this, I enjoyed The Patients Secret but felt it probably bore very little connection to reality. I suspect the psychiatrist would have found herself on gardening leave long before the murders were solved if she'd behaved like this in real life.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

This one just wasn't for me. I felt it was rushed and some parts were not explored enough and others to much,it left me very underwhelmed.
Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC

Wow. 4.5 rounded up to 5.

“The Patient’s Secret” is a psychological thriller that will have you captivated from page 1. The story begins when a serial killer, The Blue River Strangler, is put to death by legal injection. One of the few people watching is the woman, Dr. Sharon Stevenson, who is a psychologist that deems whether or not people are fit for trial.

The rest of the book is the story of the Blue River Strangler, and Sharon’s work. This book explores mental illness, DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder,) and how doctors put their careers on the line to give the right, but not always the popular diagnosis.

The characters were very well developed, and there is a fun twist you won’t see coming. I was gripped from the beginning, and very satisfied at the end by this original story.

Thank you to the publisher, and NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

If you are a sucker for thriller then you will be sucked in. Mind you, this isn't just a thriller, it is murder with possible multiple-person personality disorder. We get to meet the character they believe murdered more than 20 women and has 4-5 different personalities inside!
If you have read "The Silent Patient" by Alex Michaelides then this will be your new favorite book. The Patients Secret is not allowed on the same shelf. The way Falk pulls us in during the first chapter is unreal. Normally, I get sucked in 3-5 chapters in. But Falk, she is on a pedestal for crazies!
Our main character Kevin is the "so called" Blue River Strangler who became so bored with the FBI not being able to find him that a letter with DNA was sent to essentially make fun of the police force for not being able to do their job. I don't know about you but I thought that was amazing all on its own. The prison psychologist, Sharon, refuses to give up on Kevin as she wants to give him the chance to escape death row. Sharon is the only person who Kevin allows to speak to his other personalities.
This book was great. No other words to say other than amazing and unable to put down once you begin. This is a 5-star rating and will be talked about! Yes, it was that good. If you don't like thriller, read this book and you will!


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This was a great thrilling read that I devoured from the first page. At times I wasn’t sure where it would go, it’s quite a read and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

If you enjoyed the Silent Patient, The Perfect Marriage, or any of Freida McFadden books, you’ll love this book!!!!

The Patient’s Secret was incredible!!! It was not a slow book at all. It got to the story right away, which I love!! Most books have a super long story line, this one doesn’t make you wait! I love the characters in this book, I could hear all their different tones/voices each time they “spoke”.
This book had me questioning all the characters, so many twists, I LOVE IT!

If I could change, one thing, it would probably be a little more explanation of what happens to the two characters at the end of the book. I was left with a few questions, but some people enjoy that, I on the other hand am not a fan of cliffhangers if there is not going to be a second book.

The cover of the book, I think an image of the doctor speaking to Keven through the jail bars would be more eye catching.


This was my first book using NetGalley, thank you for allowing me to read this fantastic book and leave my honest review!

4.5 stars rounded up. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
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I’m so grateful for books like these that make you just want to read without stopping until the very end. The Patient’s Secret is about Kevin, an inmate accused of killing 20+ women. Kevin doesn’t remember doing anything he is accused of and Dr. Stevenson is trying to prove that he is mentally unfit for trial. Her task isn’t easy, especially when more bodies are found with his DNA. Did kevin do it? Is he lying about everything?
Honestly, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It involved psychiatry and law. It really keeps you on your toes as a psychological thriller. I will say, towards the end when it hit the plot twist, it started feeling far fetched but then went back to normal. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers.
Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Patient’s Secret by S.A. Falk will be released February 5th, 2024. 📚

A psychological tale of murder, grief, childhood trauma and mental illness. I guessed the twist, but a great thriller nonetheless!

This was a thriller like no other I've read before. I was gripped from page one, and I found myself hooked throughout the book. It's a whodunnit, and as I guessed correctly, it dropped a star from me - but in fact, this made me even more determined for Sharon to find justice for the 36 victims (spoiler free review here!)

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my eARC of this one!

The Patient's Secret is a fast paced, page turning thriller that delves into the psyche of not only the criminal mind, but also of the professional evaluating him, which creates a thought provoking and unique story.

Good high paced thriller. Love a good medical thriller. Wasn’t my favorite but still a good read. Pretty predictable

4.5 Stars

FINALLY! An ARC that had me engaged the entirety of the story. Falk really had me guessing until the big reveal. As someone who reads their fair share of thrillers, I can whole-heartedly say that the plot twist and ending really shocked me.

While I enjoyed the whole story, I found an immense appreciating for the seamless integration of real-world happenings. Falk’s way of weaving a fictional story into a very real field full of cases similar to the one he created was very impressive. I am just about to graduate with my degree in Criminal Justice/Forensic Psych and I really enjoyed recognizing the references that Falk made. For those that crave both a captivating narrative with a touch of genuine world experiences, this is truly a great read. I highly recommend!

Oh this was so nearly a 4 star or even 5 star read. A beautiful set up where we start at the end of the story where a serial killer is being executed, witnessed by the forensic psychiatrist who’s job it is to evaluate killers and see if they are of sound mind or insane. The difference between life in a psychiatric hospital and a death sentence.
Narrated by the killer, he gives his final thoughts and smiles when he sees Sharon Stevenson, the psychiatrist whose reputation he has ruined having apparently fooled her about his diagnosis.

After that first stunning chapter we go back to when a man has been captured and charged with the killings of over two dozen women. Sharon is called to evaluate the accused after he more or less gave himself up with letters to the police confessing.

Sharon soon finds out that the accused says he has no recollection of the killings and has huge memory losses. He then presents with multiple personalities and Sharon wonders does she have one of those extremely rare (and unproven) cases on her hands, thus definitely excluding the accused from the death sentence, or is she dealing with an extremely intelligent and manipulative sociopath who, if she gets her diagnosis wrong could see her reputation in tatters or conversely send a mentally ill man to his death.

That’s the gist of this intriguing story. It’s a whodunnit at its core as, even though we begin at the end, we don’t get the name of the killer in that opening chapter so we don’t really know if it is the accused or not.

The first half of this book is great. Real page turning stuff. The only negative is Sharon who, with a background in psychology makes some rather bizarre and emotional decisions. This is kind of explained away by the disappearance of her daughter many years ago but it feels an awkward and forced plot device to explain her somewhat questionable, obsessive and irrational decisions.

The final quarter of the book jumps the shark and loses it completely. It just gets ridiculously silly to the point where I considered not finishing the book after being so invested for so long.

There is a really good book and story in there somewhere. You’ve got maybe two thirds of a great book and a final third that is truly awful.

I think 3 stars is about right overall. Loads and loads of promise in this one and the author. It just falls apart eventually and spectacularly so.

Many thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.

I felt like I was reading an outline, not a finished book. There were scenes I wanted more detail from and it would have been amazing to know more about Maddie and her relationship with her. The court scenes were rushed. This book is majorly underdeveloped and needs a lot of work.

Unputdownable and thought-provoking read. The author has written a compelling thriller that makes you think about the justice system and mental illness. The book kept me on the edge of my seat and the twists and revelations made me second-guess everything. It's not just a thriller about a serial killer, it's also a deep-dive into the human psyche. Highly recommended!

Wow this book was so good I loved the mental health aspect of it all and the twist ending omggggg I was so surprised I loved it. I kept guessing who the killer was and I didn’t think it was the death row inmate but man I was off. 5 stars all around

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This book was a really good read. I enjoyed the concept and the execution (no pun intended) immensely, and there were just enough twists and turns to keep me guessing. I found myself rushing through to try and get to the end of the story to find out more about the characters and the concept. The characters were well written and the dialogue flowed beautifully - the conversations were really natural and I think everything sensitive in the book was handled really well.

A couple of improvements could be found in the back and forth with Kevin and his system - I did feel this started to get a little too repetitive, but I also acknowledge that this was part of the lengthy diagnosis. I think too that there could have been a little more padded out in the end of the book at the climax, instead of so much build-up, but in the grand scheme of things, this was a small issue.

Another thing I really enjoyed was actually how little of the personal lives of the main character and sub-characters we got. This book was almost solely focused on the concept of the main storyline, and there were no romance sub-plots or other distractions to irritate. It was fantastic. A really good read!