The Patient by Steena Holmes

Brief Summary: Danielle is a therapist and when a string of murders with similar characteristics hits her town, she is concerned one of her patients is the killer. This is my first novel by Steena Holmes. As a clinical psychologist myself, I was especially interested to read this given the subject matter. 

Highlights: I loved the Alice in Wonderland references! Because I am a psychotherapist myself, I had a hard time buying into some aspects of this novel, such as her only having three patients, her seeing them out of her home, and the relationships she had with them. I love that she spoke about how hard it was to accept she needed help with coping; especially for psychotherapists. Her realization that “you will never be able to meet all their needs if that’s your goal. You’ll always feel like you are failing” is essential to being a good psychotherapist. 

Explanation of Rating: 3/5: Even with all these interesting plot aspects relevant to my daily work I had a hard time getting into it and it took me forever to finish this.

Psychology Factors: This would be a great example of what not to do to therapists in training: she broke her vow to keep others safe by favoring protecting her patients.

Thank you to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review

The Patient is a twisted thriller. Steena Holmes takes the reader on a roller coaster ride! She never disappoints!

This was everything!!! I absolutely love this book!! A therapist has a patient that could possibly be a serial killer who is killing parents in the town, but she doesn't know which patient it could be? This definitely keeps you guessing what is going to happen, and you have no idea what is coming. The ending blows you away! I definitely recommend this one!!

*Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.**

Thank you for the opportunity to read this. I will be posting a full review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram.

Wow! I thought that this book was really good, it had so many twists and turns that I had to re read a couple of pages and then I couldn't put it down, seeing me through to the small hours.
I thought that the main character was solid and the story was credible.

Steena Holmes has quickly become one of my new favourite Canadian authors. Thanks to Thomas Allen & Son for introducing me last year with The Forgotten Ones and now just recently with The Patient. 


I love a good thriller and I really enjoy multiple point of view books, which this one had in abundance.  I found it so interesting to flip between Danielle, three of her patients, someone who might be the serial killer and some flashbacks. Since we know from the synopsis that one of her patients just might be a serial killer, I found it interesting to try to figure it out along the way with Danielle. Since all three have different reasons to be considered the killer, I found it intriguing for her to try and unravel the truth. 


The fact the she is a therapist and she seeks help and counsel from her own therapist was fascinating to me. I never really thought about a therapist needing their own place to speak out about the stresses of their job, but it makes sense. I'm just not sure that Danielle got what she bargained for with looking for help. Or maybe she did?


The part of the story that really had me was all the references to Alice in Wonderland. From Danielle's strong love of the book that she collects different versions of it whenever she can, to the fact that she lives in a town called Cheshire that has streets named after characters and statues in the parks depicting the different characters in the book. Even the killer gets dubbed the Cheshire Mad Queen which just adds to the Alice theme! We're all mad here seems fitting given the location and what is happening.


I thoroughly enjoyed the story from start to finish as it had me guessing who the killer was, who the flashbacks really were from and how it all fit into this puzzle. I tend to read a lot of thrillers so my mind comes up with fantastical ideas on who the killer could be or what the plot twist might be, so I had part of it figured out but I didn't expect one of the twists at all. I like when a book can surprise me even when I have part figured out. I will say that the killer ends up being a shattered and broken person, similar to the way the image on the cover shows that the picture does not line up completely. I love how the cover depicts that part of the killer.


If you've read anything the Steena before, you'll know this was a departure from her normal genre. I feel that it was a good first thriller for her and hope to see her write more and thrillers are a fave of mine.

A typical psychological thriller well-written, but sadly I found the plot a little too predictable I also found the characters irritating. The twist at the end was surprising, but not ground-breaking.

I like the premises of the small-town counselor, troubled patients, and serial killer on the loose. I figured with this recipe, this book would have to be awesome. I also loved the Alice in Wonderland theme. Unfortunately,  I figured out very early on what was happening and I kept reading just to see if maybe I was wrong, but I wasn't. I truly hoped there would be a twist to prove me wrong, but, it never came, and for that reason, I was disappointed. I did enjoy the journey though, for the reasons I mentioned above. I like books about counselors and I love Alice in Wonderland so I didn't love this book, but I also didn't hate it. I would read Steena Holmes again. Thanks, NetGalley for the ARC!

A series of horrific murders are occurring in Danielle Rycroft's small town. As a psychologist, she comes to believe that one the killer is one of her patients - but which one? 


Rarely do I describe a book as a "roller-coaster ride," but that is the perfect term for Steena Holmes newest book, The Patient. As Rycroft meets with each of her patients she comes to realize the horror that one of them has to be guilty of the brutal crimes in her town. Each time she meets with one of them, the suspicion shifts from one patient to another until finally you feel as though you and Rycroft are a free-fall into madness. This fast paced, taut thriller will have you hanging on for dear life until the very final page!


Homes has proven through multiple books and awards, that she is a very talented and gifted writer and readers of The Patient will understand why she is considered one of the best writers of today. My only drawback - and it is indeed a very small one - is that I knew early on what was happening and going to happen. Perhaps I've read too much crime fiction. This did not stop my over all enjoyment because the who and what is not nearly as important as the Why. If you love crime fiction and suspense then The Patient is definitely a must-read.


Thank you to #netgalley and #LakeUnionPublishing for my copy of this terrific thriller.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.     Thank you NetGalley!

Steena Holmes is such a powerful writer.   I mean, every book she's written has been gold.   The Patient is no different. 
Her writing draws you in and keeps you interested from the start.      The twists and turns were amazing, and I definitely didn't see most of these twists coming.    

This is a book that I will definitely re-read.  And it's now a staple on my bookshelf.

The Patient is a roller-coaster ride from beginning to end.  Danielle Rycroft is a therapist in the sleepy little town of Cheshire.  There have been some murders in this little town, parents slaughtered but, their children inexplicably spared.  She believes that one of her patients may be the murderer,  but she is not sure which one.  As the story goes on, the likely suspects morph from one patient to the next.   Danielle is an Alice in Wonderland super-fan, collecting many  copies of the book.  The story is somewhat of a trip down the rabbit hole as Danielle tries to figure out which patient is the killer and stop them.  

The roller-coaster aspect of the story does not let up until the conclusion and it is a great ride.  I recommend this book!

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this.

This is a story about a therapist who begins receiving mysterious notes warning her about one of her patients right in the middle of a string of murders in town.  Could they be connected?  Was that comment one of her patients made a clue or just a coincidence?  Everything is not what it seems, and sometimes the truth is right under your nose.

This was a bit slow for me at times and I think the "twist" was a little obvious but I did enjoy it for what it was!

The premise of this book is an intriguing one - a therapist with crumbling mental health in a city with a rampant serial killer. The writing itself was good and the plot was original, keeping my reading. While I did enjoy the book, the execution of the way the main character's mental health was discussed fell a bit flat. There was nothing inherently wrong with it, just a matter of personal taste left me wanting more from the ending.

The Patient is an excellent read. If you have ever wondered if coma patients can hear you then this book is for you. And how frustrating would it be if this coma patient couldn't talk!  One of the best books I've read in 2019.

Great book the story and overall plot were original. I found it a bit confusing at times but in the end, everything fell into place. I loved the twist!

You know the old saying, "most therapists are crazier than their patients"?  Well this book takes a good look at that.  Dani is a therapist in a small town, and keeping her patient's secrets is really starting to weigh on her.  So she herself has to see a therapist.  Is one of her patients a serial killer?  Please take a seat to find out.  Don't leave until you get the big twist at the end.  

*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy via NetGalley.

A town plagued by brutal murders… Parents found bludgeoned to death with their young children at home left untouched. A therapist who gets a note that one of her patients is behind the murders… This book was really fascinating! A lot of clues sprinkled through the book and I had about a dozen theories of who was behind the murders. The list of suspects is a long one and I loved the way the book came together!

The setting for this book is a town that is full of references to Alice in Wonderland. Fitting, because Alice in Wonderland is Danielle’s favorite book since she was a child. I loved the town setting—coffee shops based on the Cheshire Cat and town green spaces based on the queen’s gardens. I did a study of Alice in Wonderland during one of my literature courses in undergraduate and I thought the parallels in the book were a lot of fun!

Daniellle—Dani—lives a solitary life and it suits her. She has two close friends who don’t get along with each other. She has a small practice that allows her to really dig into things with her three patients. But as the murders in the town continue, Dani becomes aware that one of her three patients may be behind the murders. But which one? They all have a link to the murders in their own way, and they all have something to hide from her.

As things heat up with the case, Dani’s life feels like it is unraveling. She is having trouble sleeping, and she feels the burden of the murders on her as she tries to uncover which of her patients may be behind it. I’m a big fan of this genre and I felt that there was something off about her patients from the beginning. Not to mention several other characters in the town! 

I had one theory in particular that I felt stronger about as the book went on, but I was completely wrong! I loved the way this one worked out. It had a lot of elements of psychological suspense that kept the pace moving and my mind engaged as I tried to put the clues together.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for my copy. Opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this ARC of The Patient by Steena Homes.

Danielle is a trained counselor, with only a small handful of clients, all of whom suffer from deep rooted issues.  So after a string of brutal murders start happening close to home, Danielle can't help but wonder if one of her patients might be the murderer.  Armed with her two close friends, and a counselor of her own, Danielle digs deep to uncover what her clients might be hiding, and if she's treating a murderer.

I don't want to spoil this book, so I'll just say this, I was extremely frustrated reading this book, like, the whole time.  The characters were so obtuse, and even though there was a good reason for it, I just don't know that the end justified the means.  I liked the idea a lot, but I can't say I enjoyed the read.

I would like to thank NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

I actually give this book 4.5 stars for a couple of reasons. First, it was fairly easy to figure out what was going on and who was doing it. Second, because there were some things that seemed odd to me. A town called Cheshire with an Alice In Wonderland theme read like England at first, since that is where Alice's story takes place. When I realized this story takes place in America it didn't fit. Also, for such a small town there was an inordinate amount of overt child abuse. People in large cities don't smack their kids around for all to see, and even less so in small communities. People tend to hide that kind of behavior.

That being said, I found the book fascinating! I read it in a few hours, completely absorbed in the story, the murders, the complete terror that gripped the narrator. It's difficult to say what I liked about the story without revealing too many spoilers, but those who like psychology, and rare psychoses, will enjoy this book. The intricate layering of complex personalities, motives, and the increasing uncertainty and fragility of the main character give the book an air of unreality. It sucks the reader in, sinking then in a world of conflicting realities and keeps them struggling to breathe. I couldn't put it down.

Some might say using a rare and controversial mental illness as a plot device shows a lack of imagination. It's melodramatic, something you might find on a soap opera or B movie. I disagree. Steena Holmes does a good job of bringing the reader into the disturbed mind of a murderer and carries the reader on a wild ride straight to the end.

If I could have had 6 straight hours to just sit down and read this, then I would have been done in one sitting. I figured it out about halfway through, but I still was enthralled the whole time. Character and plot development were excellent, as was the suspense and complexity of the story. I just think this was very well written.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for a free digital galley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.