A fantastic start to what appears to be a great thriller. Though a little disappointed as I thought it was the whole book. Maybe I should read more! 😁

The extract that I was sent was great – intriguing, well-written, and compelling – and I'll definitely be getting the book when it's published.

Mystery maintained definitely until the end. Fantastic book, loved the characters even though one doesn't speak.
Quite a refreshing thriller with new ideas.
Reminded me somewhat of one flew over the cuckoo's nest,I would be drawn to more thrillers by @Alex Michaelides

It's been a fair while since I sat down to start a book and didn't emerge until I'd finished it (well, except for getting more coffee) but I woke up pretty early Saturday morning and curled up in the armchair in the living room which gets the morning sun and read this week's book with no breaks..


Alicia lives a life most dream of. She lives in a house in one of the most desirable areas of London. She is a famous painter, and her husband, Gabriel, is an in-demand fashion photographer. Her life is perfect.

That is, until one evening when Gabriel returns late from a fashion shoot and Alicia shoots him five times and then never speaks another word.

Theo Faber, a forensic psychotherapist, has been consumed with the case for five years, and is the only person able to unravel the mystery of why.

The Silent Patient is a heart-stopping debut thriller about a woman's brutal and random act of violence against her husband - and the man obsessed with discovering why.


I must admit that by about the end of the first chapter, I was hooked. Intrigued by Alicia, whose story is told through flashbacks to past events, through her diary entry and then later through her present day actions.

This is absolutely what I'd call a slow-burning psychological thriller and when all is finally revealed, you have one of those sharp-intake-of-breath moments. I really don't know how much more I can say without encroaching on the story itself, but the way the plot weaves together so seamlessly would probably make spiders jealous.

This one is due to be released 7th February 2019, so definitely pop it on a wishlist.

This is a totally enthralling book which draws you in almost immediately and holds your interest throughout. The majority of characters are not likeable but their complexities make them interesting and original.

The two main characters interact surprisingly well considering one of them doesn't speak. The use of her diary gives Alicia a voice and her opinions on the people and happenings which devastated her life are enlightening.  The ending was brilliantly done but was almost a shame as I would have happily kept reading.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this novel thanks to Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review and recommend it highly.

A lot of hype behind this title and it delivers a great read. Moving between Theo Faber, a forensic psychotherapist and the diary of the patient Alicia who has remained silent since shooting her husband five times in the chest the author paces this novel well and the twists and reveals are cleverly handled. Impressive.

This novel is a world class psychological thriller. It is in a league of its own, as we weave and pace our way through the unnerving pages which uncover what really happened on the night in question. Theo Faber is a beacon, blindingly willing and capable to draw Alicia out of her verbal darkness. Alicia Berenson is a shadowed casing of her past self, her voice weighed down by the overwhelming death of her husband.
Michaelides has navigated us through two rich narratives of both Theo and Alicia, providing us the ‘knowledge’ to conclude this silenced crime. The legitimacy of those around both Alicia and Theo are put into question, as we realise that those closest are at the best advantage to do the worst to us. The continuity of these perspectives is an aspect of this novel I underestimated, seemingly evading my first instincts.
This is an excellent novel I would wholeheartedly recommend to any individual wishing to satisfy their psych-thriller needs!


https://mycalschapter.wordpress.com/2018/10/12/the-silent-patient-by-alex-michaelides/

Could not stop reading that book! I loved the story from the first chapter. full of twist, the mystery is maintained until the end! Great psychologic thriller! can’t wait to read more Alex Michaelides’s books.

I started reading this as I thought it would be a quick read to whet my appetite for the rest of the book. I was surprised and delighted that the whole book downloaded. I know lots of people have only read the sampler so won't spoil the story for them but it was immensely enjoyable.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
I highly enjoyed this gripping book that proves the psychological thriller genre is very much still alive with new stories yet to be told. This brilliant book follows Theo Faber, a psychotherapist, assigned to treat Alicia, an artist, who shot her husband in the face five times six years ago and since then hasn’t spoken a word...
This was superbly plotted with amazing pace and captivating charactistation. I loved the psychological depths to the character and how deep the writing goes, exploring the character’s psyche.
I’m a crowded genre this was a breath of fresh air and I couldn’t recommend this more. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Have just read a sample and I cannot wait to read some more. So many unanswered questions and I've got to wait until Feb 2019.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for giving me the opportunity to read an exrraxt .

This sampler is making me ITCH for the full story! This is one that I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for and am happy to promote :)

I had heard good things about this book so I was excited to see even a sampler available on Netgalley so imagine my joy when I realised that the whole book had downloaded!

As I first started reading this I was worried that it was going to be like a previous book I had read, The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova. The starting point is very similar, a silent, central, character trying to be coaxed out of their self inflicted muteness by a therapist and the interpretation of their previous artwork to provide clues to the reason behind the crime committed.

This book was a much pacier version of that story and there was plenty of characters here who added layers of interest, particularly as their true selves were revealed. The plot was easy to follow and kept you racing towards the final scenes.

I liked the character of Theo, the psychotherapist but am not sure in real life they would have gone on so many expeditions to uncover information, nor am I sure he spent time with any other patients which seems particularly strange when you work in the NHS!!

I can’t say I particularly liked the central character, Alicia, and was distrustful of her. I guessed the ending just before it was written in black and white and it definitely made me re-think all that I had previously read, plus there was an extra twist to come. An enjoyable read.

Theo Faber starts working at the Grove, a practise which houses patients with severe mental health difficulties. Alicia is a patient admitted after the murder of her husband which the police say she committed. Alicia hasn’t spoken since her husband’s murder and Theo is sure he can help her.

When I started this I was really bored and didn’t have much in me to continue with it but I kept going and I’m so bloody glad I did! The pace picked up and it was such an intriguing read! Absolutely loved it. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Oh this was just so BRILLIANT!! I loved this. The characters, the relationships, all so interesting and deep. This is bound to be a big seller and will be much deserved.
Thanks to author, publisher and NetGalley.

Those of you who follow my blog or are a member of THE Book Club on Facebook will know that I suffer from chronic FOMO and despite having over 400 books on my kindle, when a new book is being discussed over on Twitter and all the bloggers are literally salivating over it and the publishers have allowed some of them to read the sampler and it appears the entire blogging community are involved EXCEPT ME, I immediately contacted the delicious Ben Willis of Orion and said those 6 little words “DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?”. Obviously he does and immediately sent me a copy of this book which I started reading and devoured in a day.

It’s taken me almost a week to write this review because I genuinely don’t know how to put my thoughts down and give this book the justice it deserves so I shall start with the basics. It’s a psychological thriller, so you know to expect a twist or two along the way and therefore I’m not even going to mention twists.

The story is about a famous painter, Alicia Berenson who kills her husband Gabriel, a famous photographer by shooting him point blank 5 times in the face when he comes home late from work (yes I know, we’ve all been there) and then she basically stops talking. Staying absolutely shtum, not uttering a word Alicia is sent to a secure unit in my childhood home town Edgware where she remains THE SILENT PATIENT for years.

Then we meet Theo Faber, a young criminal psychotherapist who is obsessed with this case and feels he can help Alicia talk about her crime and why she did it. So, when an opening at the secure unit comes up he grabs it with both hands and starts his journey to uncover the truth and be the “hero” who can get through to Alicia and get her talking.

The story unfolds through Theo’s point of view and then through Alicia’s journal which she was keeping up until her husband’s murder. A fascinating and totally addictive story which kept me turning those pages (actually I was swiping my kindle but it sounds better the other way) faster than a contestant on Who Wants to be A Millionaire Faster Finger First.

I’m not going to divulge anything more, except there comes a point in this story when I had to STOP reading, take a huge breath and tip my hat to the author and think “Holy Motherf*cker, I did NOT see that coming”, and from that point onwards I read the book with a wry smile on my face, shaking my head in admiration and respect to Alex Michaelides for creating a story which I believe will be HUGE when it is published next February 2019.

Just in case you weren’t sure – YES I LOVED IT. 5 HUGE STARS from me and totally recommend it to everyone who loves dark, psychological thrillers.

Absolutely brilliant! I was hooked from the very start as to why Alicia was not talking and what had led her to behave in the way she had to get to that point. I was also intrigued by Theo's character and his wide ranging attempts to find out what made Alicia tick and what led her to her current situation. The book is largely a mixture of narrative from Theo and diary entries from Alicia. As for the twist towards the end ... wow! Didn't see that coming at all but it was incredibly clever. Couldn't put the book down and read it in less than a day.

Absolutely fantastic sampler, got me really excited to read the whole book! I love the premise, and the cover is stunning.

!!!! I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!

Silence is a fantastic tool, because it adds that element of mystery and unknowning and so you as a reader are filling in the blanks and questioning everything. I loved the idea and the vibe i got from Alicia and i wanted to keep reading to know what was going to happen. Books, at least for me, become that extra level of intense when you can place yourself in the book, or in this case when the book takes places across a number of areas that I am very familiar with. It gave me chills thinking about them. You could feel the tension within the first few pages and you're quickly drawn in to something you know is going to get more and more intense. The narration is strong and open, but Theo's openness also rings alarm bells. Can I trust him. Should I trust him? He's been through some stuff...how is this going to play out ( not well methinks).



I can see this being a big book next year!

Very clever psychological thriller that feels smarter than most. The characterisation is really well done and the story keeps up a good pace as you try to work out exactly what happened on the night in question. It's not often I am surprised by a "twist" in a book these days, but this one was a very satisfactory twist indeed.

Highly recommended.