Description
**THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER** “An unforgettable―and Hollywood-bound―new thriller… A mix of Hitchcockian suspense, Agatha Christie plotting, and Greek tragedy.” ― Entertainment Weekly The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband―and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive. 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….
Sharon Thérèse –
The Silent Patient is, without a doubt, the best psychological thriller I’ve read this year. Love me a plot twist that I know is coming and makes me want to crack it. I had suspicions galore as the author cleverly wove in a trail of clues, but talk about being way off the mark isn’t in it. When it eventually came, I could have given Michaelides a standing ovation for leading me up the garden path and for the excellent tension-building., So, well before the shocker, the narrator took me on his fast-paced and suspenseful journey. Theo is a psychotherapist and grabs the chance to work at a psychiatric hospital where a patient who’s fascinated him for a long while is. He delivers his inner thoughts with little compunction, giving me a clear understanding of how he felt about his co-workers. I also got an insight into his marriage, and observing him try to work out what his patient had previously had in hers is where I was thrown off-kilter., Alicia slowly revealed her feelings in a diary, helping me comprehend why she’d chosen not to defend herself in what appeared to be a cut-and-dry crime. She’s surprisingly tenacious, and if there were one person I rooted for, it was her. Get your thinking caps on, folk! Alicia’s reflections are not only thought-provoking but also candidly told., Magnificent character family-staff development, but what I enjoyed the most was Michaelides’ writing style. Hopping his protagonists’ POV and events back and forth in short chapters, truncated sentences, and flowing dialogue between all those concerned melded tortuously together when I’d virtually given up hope of finding out who was or wasn’t the culprit. Someone whom I won’t mention holds one card, and what a card it was., I found this author because of a book club I’m in and dived straight in without having any idea that this was the author’s debut novel. Goodness me, if this was his first, I cannot imagine what is to follow. With the right scriptwriter, this riveting read would be a blockbuster. Simply bravo, Michaelides!
Sharon Thérèse –
The Silent Patient is, without a doubt, the best psychological thriller I’ve read this year. Love me a plot twist that I know is coming and makes me want to crack it. I had suspicions galore as the author cleverly wove in a trail of clues, but talk about being way off the mark isn’t in it. When it eventually came, I could have given Michaelides a standing ovation for leading me up the garden path and for the excellent tension-building., So, well before the shocker, the narrator took me on his fast-paced and suspenseful journey. Theo is a psychotherapist and grabs the chance to work at a psychiatric hospital where a patient who’s fascinated him for a long while is. He delivers his inner thoughts with little compunction, giving me a clear understanding of how he felt about his co-workers. I also got an insight into his marriage, and observing him try to work out what his patient had previously had in hers is where I was thrown off-kilter., Alicia slowly revealed her feelings in a diary, helping me comprehend why she’d chosen not to defend herself in what appeared to be a cut-and-dry crime. She’s surprisingly tenacious, and if there were one person I rooted for, it was her. Get your thinking caps on, folk! Alicia’s reflections are not only thought-provoking but also candidly told., Magnificent character family-staff development, but what I enjoyed the most was Michaelides’ writing style. Hopping his protagonists’ POV and events back and forth in short chapters, truncated sentences, and flowing dialogue between all those concerned melded tortuously together when I’d virtually given up hope of finding out who was or wasn’t the culprit. Someone whom I won’t mention holds one card, and what a card it was., I found this author because of a book club I’m in and dived straight in without having any idea that this was the author’s debut novel. Goodness me, if this was his first, I cannot imagine what is to follow. With the right scriptwriter, this riveting read would be a blockbuster. Simply bravo, Michaelides!
Ashley –
I saw this book advertised and discussed so many times, so I was really surprised that I wasn’t enamoured right off the bat. With that being said, it did eventually capture me and turn into a page turner. It was not my favorite, but it was a well constructed and thought out story (with a plot twist, that I did not resolve myself). Overall I definitely reccomend the story, and look forward to friends reading it so we can discuss the ending, because I feel a little cut off with how quickly it ended!
Ashley –
I saw this book advertised and discussed so many times, so I was really surprised that I wasn’t enamoured right off the bat. With that being said, it did eventually capture me and turn into a page turner. It was not my favorite, but it was a well constructed and thought out story (with a plot twist, that I did not resolve myself). Overall I definitely reccomend the story, and look forward to friends reading it so we can discuss the ending, because I feel a little cut off with how quickly it ended!
Richard E Sepcic –
I enjoyed this book a lot and recommend it. It combines elements of a murder mystery and psychological thriller into a taut, fast-paced story. The main characters Theo and Alicia, as damaged as they are and trapped in their respective silences, drive an intriguing and unusual cat-and-mouse plot. The author’s previous work in a secure psychiatric unit adds great depth and credibility to the descriptions of the therapeutic process that provide important background in the novel. If the reader pays close attention to the various threads of the story and keeps an open mind about the narrative, the full reveal at the end is not a complete surprise, but the denouement is very well crafted and welll written.
Richard E Sepcic –
I enjoyed this book a lot and recommend it. It combines elements of a murder mystery and psychological thriller into a taut, fast-paced story. The main characters Theo and Alicia, as damaged as they are and trapped in their respective silences, drive an intriguing and unusual cat-and-mouse plot. The author’s previous work in a secure psychiatric unit adds great depth and credibility to the descriptions of the therapeutic process that provide important background in the novel. If the reader pays close attention to the various threads of the story and keeps an open mind about the narrative, the full reveal at the end is not a complete surprise, but the denouement is very well crafted and welll written.
Jazmin –
I just recently picked up the habit of reading 30 minutes every day and this book was the first victim. I enjoyed the pace at which the plot develops and the unexpected climax., Theo Faber is a psychotherapist at a new location: the Grove. He voluntarily treats a rather famous/not famous artist (painter) Alicia Berenson who happened to land at this psychiatric facility because she has murdered her husband Gabriel Berenson. Alicia has fallen silent and refuses to communicate in a way at every scheduled visit with a professional which are set up in hopes to get Alicia to speak again. Her actions are referenced to Alcestis, a heroine of a Greek myth. As the story unravels, the same situation (Gabriel’s murder) is seen through different lens of different people throughout the book. Towards the end I could not put the book down, a definite must read. 9/10 stars for me, way to go Alex Michaelides!
Jazmin –
I just recently picked up the habit of reading 30 minutes every day and this book was the first victim. I enjoyed the pace at which the plot develops and the unexpected climax., Theo Faber is a psychotherapist at a new location: the Grove. He voluntarily treats a rather famous/not famous artist (painter) Alicia Berenson who happened to land at this psychiatric facility because she has murdered her husband Gabriel Berenson. Alicia has fallen silent and refuses to communicate in a way at every scheduled visit with a professional which are set up in hopes to get Alicia to speak again. Her actions are referenced to Alcestis, a heroine of a Greek myth. As the story unravels, the same situation (Gabriel’s murder) is seen through different lens of different people throughout the book. Towards the end I could not put the book down, a definite must read. 9/10 stars for me, way to go Alex Michaelides!
Ivan –
The author, Alex Michaelides, wrote this book perfectly! The main twist was so subtle and it just shocked me at the end!! I read lots of suspense books because I want to write one myself! But this book… there’s no way I can write as good as Alex!!! It’ll definitely be made into a movie!!
Ivan –
The author, Alex Michaelides, wrote this book perfectly! The main twist was so subtle and it just shocked me at the end!! I read lots of suspense books because I want to write one myself! But this book… there’s no way I can write as good as Alex!!! It’ll definitely be made into a movie!!