The Silent Patient: The record-breaking, multimillion copy Sunday Times bestselling thriller and TikTok sensation Paperback – 12 Dec. 2019

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! Couldn't stop! Compelling read and keeps you thinking constantly!Looking forward to reading m9re from this author!

This is a book about murder and psychological misdirection. It constructs a descent into the minds of the woman who doesn’t speak and the therapist charged with making her. The story begins as a quest for answers but warps into something more complex as therapy, obsession, and art blur into an unsettling picture.Why does her therapist only have one patient throughout the book, and why do they overlook his obsession with her? What’s the story? It was compelling enough to keep me reading. I’d have liked a more exciting conclusion and thought it was a bit safe, and I found the explanation of ‘A therapist understands this … and a therapist should see that….’ a bit lecturing. But overall, it was a good read.The novel plays with perception, and the narrative keeps the readers off balance enough to question what they think they know. I had two theories—both of them wrong. The final pages deliver the explanation we’ve been waiting for, and it all ties up nicely.I enjoyed it.

wonderful story keeps us intrigued right up until the very end i did not want to put it down keeps us wanting to know more but is teasing us in a way superb book and well written thank you

A well written thriller that is interesting enough to keep you engaged with the plot but I found "the twist" to be a bit predictable I had kinda sussed out what was going on from fairly near the start of the book. It does try to keep you guessing by muddying the waters with a few possible red herring type characters but I felt it was fairly obvious what the ending was going to be. Still a good and pretty easy read.

Loved the idea of a silent murderer receiving therapy to breakdown her silence. The way the story flowed throwing in several red herrings, to keep the reader engaged. A novel with a satisfactory ending too. Well worth sitting up til the early hours to finish. Can*t believe this is an author's debut novel.

**4.5 Stars**I finished reading this book a few days ago, but I struggled to find the right words to write a review. It was incredibly addictive and captivating. It’s hard to believe that this was Alex Michaelides’s debut novel.We have Theo, who appears to be intrigued by the case of a woman who shot her husband. He is in the process of becoming a psychotherapist.Alicia Berenson, a painter with a rare talent for capturing images almost like photographs, creates a range of paintings —some grotesque, others beautiful. We catch glimpses of her past relationship with her husband and she persistently claims that a man is watching her.When the unthinkable life-changing event occurs, Alicia remains silent. She hasn’t spoken since being confined to an institution six years ago.Theo eventually ends up working in the facility where Alicia is being held. His goal is to make her talk. However, everyone has given up on the idea that she will ever speak again.Will Theo succeed in making her talk? Whose can of worms will be opened? There are some with a vested interest in her remaining silent, but there’s a twist I didn’t see coming.There are references to a painting that Alicia named Alcestis.I was curious about the name. It’s a play by Euripides. A quote I saw online“The story concerns the imminent death of King Admetus, who is advised that he will be allowed to live if he can find someone willing to die in his place. Alcestis, his wife, gives up her life before she recognizes that the fact and manner of her dying will blight his life.”

I read a lot of thrillers/ mystery murder stories and I invariably get the twist long before it's revealed. Not here, I really didn't guess the ending, which was very satisfying.I'm also a psychotherapist and this was a very good representation of the job, although I'm not sure how ethical it is for a therapist to "play detective" .I'll be recommending it to my colleagues.

This was an immersive read from start to finish; with a gripping plot line and hard-to-read characters. Very well written - couldn’t put it down!