The Silent Patient
Author: Alex Michaelides
Publisher: Celadon Books; May 4, 2021
Language: English
Kindle, 308 Pages
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Back Cover Summary:
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.
ATTWB Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
ATTWB Review:
There was so much hype surrounding this book and I was so excited to start. I love psychological thrillers especially ones with an unexpected plot twist and this one seemed to check all the boxes. The end ended up not being a plot twist for me because about halfway through I got a hunch of where the story was going. I will say that it was unique in the way the author laid it out. It is a dual point of view between the two main characters and once you finish you realize that there was too much unnecessary information. I’m assuming the author added it as red herrings but it would have been better if it was shorter because it made me lose interest and I had to force myself to finish. It was a good premise, it just wasn’t for me.
Alicia murdered her husband 6 years ago and hasn’t spoken a word since. Over the years many have tried to get her to speak but fail. In comes Theo, a psychopath, I mean a psychotherapist who’s obsessed over being the one that saves her. Like I said, it’s a dual point of view, between Theo and Alicia’s journal and his quest to save her. If you read The Silent Patient I would love to know your thoughts!
Amazon Link to Books: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/32UL953DAJH94?ref_=wl_share
