I found this book to be very dark and at times, confusing to follow.  I've read books by this author in the past and enjoyed them, but this book just didn't work for me.

I've read other books by this author and really enjoyed them so I had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately I figured out the killer pretty early on because the clues were so obvious. The whole Alice in Wonderland theme didn't really add much to the story and the therapist sessions were a bit clunky. I'd read more by this author based on previous books but, if this was my first introduction to her, I wouldn't be rushing back unfortunately.

Danielle is a reserved woman. She is a therapist and seems on edge. She is worried that out of her three clients, one of them is a serial killer.

Cheshire a rural area has been plagued with murders. Parents are killed but the children in those homes are left untouched. Though we were told several times in the story that these parents were abusive ones, the police (according to what we read) never cottoned on to the fact that this was the common thread connecting the murders. We have detectives on the story and one of them is a good friend of Danielle's but this is never mentioned.

At the end of course it becomes obvious as to why so many salient facts that should have been noticed were not.  Like most reviewers I knew very early on that the plot revolved around Danielle herself but I could not figure out how.

My first read of this author. This is a genre I like though I did find this particular story a bit too convoluted.

This engrossing book will keep you on the edge of your seat as you try to figure out who are behind the murders. By the ending of the book, I was shocked to say the least to find out who it ended up being! The way it was brought together at the end was so well done. This is one of those stories where the characters will stay with you much longer after you are done reading this. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 star rating from me. It is hard for me to put in words how much this book affected me. Thank you Lake Union publisher, Steena Holmes, and Netgalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great first suspense novel for Steena! I would like to thank Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of The Patient, all these thoughts and comments are my own. First I have to say I was sure I had the book figured out about 40 percent through and was not entirely sure how the Alice theme tied in! I will say I was not correct! The theme does entirely tie in by the end of the story and it is entirely correct that things are not at all as they seem half way through! The last half of this book has amazing momentum and is a page turner! I have always recommended Steena’s other genres of writing and I can say I completely recommend this! It’s a knock out!

Danielle Rycroft was a therapist, working in a small town with three patients. They all had problems and Dani was doing her best to help them. But continually she felt a failure as the issues kept bouncing from small to large and back again. She was feeling stress, her migraines had returned and her inability to sleep was getting her down. Dani knew her patients had secrets, but with the violent murders that had been occurring in town and her best friend Detective Tami Sloan only giving her basic information, Dani was beginning to think one of her patients was a serial killer.

Dani finally, reluctantly went to see a local therapist to help her cope. She also wanted to ask her advice about her own patients. But could she? Patient confidentiality was always something she was mindful of, but she needed help…

The Patient is my first in a while by Steena Holmes and it’s different to how I remember her writing. The chapters were headed with the three different patients; the killer; memories - mostly with Dani narrating, but it was a little choppy. Nevertheless, the plot was good, and the twists done well with the ending unexpected (unless you’d figured it out) An intriguing psychological thriller, The Patient is one I recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Dr. Danielle Rycroft, psychotherapist, has a problem - she suspects one of her patients is the serial killer "saving" children from unfit parents. Because none of her patients have actually admitted to the killings and she has no proof, she feels the patient confidentiality rule still applies. How she wishes she could talk about it to her good friend Tammy, a detective who is working the case!

Soon, she begins finding notes saying that she knows the killer and has the power to stop them. Her patients all seem to be unraveling and indicate she might be in danger herself. Can she get the information she needs from her patients to go to the authorities and help them catch the killer? 

I've read two other books by Steena Holmes and know her to be a good author and one that I enjoy reading. In The Patient, however, so many clues were dropped that I had the killer figured out early on (Chapter Five). I still enjoyed the read to see how Holmes would play it out, but it would've been better with fewer overt clues. Three stars for this book from me, but I continue to look forward to reading future books by Steena Holmes.

My thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

I really wanted to like this book. The premise is fascinating, but the delivery is all over the place.
I called what was going on from the beginning, as it is pretty obvious if you're any sort of thriller reader or movie watcher (or even if you just slightly pay attention to the clues). It's a very overdone premise and I found myself wanting something to actually happen instead of revisiting the same exact things over and over again. I get it, Danielle is tired, Danielle doesn't sleep, Danielle has a migraine. There's actually not much to the story overall plot-wise, and what is there is quite convoluted.
That said, I pretty much figure out every book or movie that supposedly has a shocking twist, so it takes a LOT to surprise me. Maybe other readers won't have the same issues I did with this book if they just go with it rather than analyze every clue.

The chapters are written in such a way that each one teases you with an extra bit of information that you can use to solve the confession in chapter one.
Danielle, an Alice in Wonderland fanatic, is a therapist who has moved to Cheshire, a town that has an Alice in Wonderland themed park across the road from her house.
First impressions of her is that she has baggage from her childhood - stuff that scares her. When we meet her three patients we discover that they too have secrets and morsels of these secrets are dropped for us each chapter.
When Danielle's friend Tami, a police detective tells her about the murders rocking the quiet town, things take a strange turn with anonymous notes showing up at Danielle's house hinting she may know the murderer.
Its a clever tactic to have the Killer voicing some chapters - it keeps you guessing, trying to find hints in what he/she says or does to identify them.
The characters are well-defined for me:
Danielle, the sleepwalking therapist; Tami, the dedicated police detective; the three patients - Tyler; Ella and Savannah; and Danielle's only other friend - Sabrina, the tea shop owner whose fondness for Alice in Wonderland brings her and Danielle into a good friendship.
What I especially liked about the character descriptions was that you immediately "got" their personalities; their presences. You could conjure up your own images of how they physically looked  but you got their presence immediately.
I also found elements of Danielle in her patients too - call it reflections of sort, which adds to the suspense and mystery.
The "Memory" chapters could be any of the characters and boost the story even more. The identity of the narrator of these is revealed near the end and was interesting to say the least.
The ending snuck up on me so fast that I had to check if I hadn't accidentally skipped some pages. I was distraught that it had ended. 
This was one of the best mystery/thrillers that I have read this year, if not the best.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me the chance to read this book. Thank you to the author too for such a brilliant read.

An amazing book with a phenomenal twist at the end!! Lots of red herrings for you to work through. I'm recommending this book very highly. It kept me guessing right to the end.

I was sent this ARC by NetGalley to review. I've done this truthfully with no incentive given.

An unusual story or at least not the typical tale that I read. A difficult subject of child abuse and murder. It kept me guessing. Clever, but also confusing.

'The Patient' was an enjoyable read and although there were one or two parts where i seem to have lost the plot, the story as a whole was very good.  It's the first time that i have read a book by Steena Holmes and i'm sure it's not going to be the last.  I rarely write what a story is about as i prefer one to read the book for themselves, but i do recommend, especially if you enjoy psychological thrillers.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy.  This is my honest review, which i have voluntarily given.

This was a very interesting book.  Lots of twists and turns but very good.  A little darker maybe than Ms. Holmes usual fare.  Seems like there may be more coming.  We can only hope and wait.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher and voluntarily chose to review it.

If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers, you’ll want to pick up The Patient by Canadian author, Steena Holmes. After a series of brutal murders plagues a small town, psychologist Dani Rycroft begins to suspect that one of her clients may be a serial killer. As the truth begins to surface, and the paranoia and fear of the small-town residents rise, readers are taken on a tension-filled ride that will leave them questioning the motives of multiple characters.  

As an avid suspense reader, I did figure out 'whodunnit' fairly early on but I still enjoyed seeing how things panned out. This darker read is a departure for the Kincardine, Ontario native who typically writes lighter fare. But with her well-crafted plot and strong character development, Holmes proves she can hold her own in the popular thriller genre by providing her audience with a non-stop, deliciously chilling suspense novel that will keep them riveted until the shocking and satisfying ending.

Other Steena Holmes books I recommend: The Forgotten Ones

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher for providing me a digital copy, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

How does one review a book that has such an original story line without giving away details that will spoil it for the reader? I highly recommend this clever psychological thriller that takes you on a ride where nothing is as it seems until all is revealed.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review.

Therapist Danielle Rycroft receives some anonymous letters following several murders in her neighbourhood. Beginning to suspect one of her 3 clients she struggles with the knowledge one of them could be a murderer..
Steena weaves this story around the therapist, her clients and the murderer..
This book is very different from Steena’s usual style and whilst I did enjoy it I found I had guessed the murderer before the reveal but maybe this was intended. The clues were all there from the beginning.
I also felt like there could be more to come,

Thanks to Netgalley and Steena for the opportunity to read and review

Danielle is a therapist who has a serial killer as a patient. But which patient is it? The lien between reality and fiction is blurry as you are trying to figure out who is who and who is safe! The twists and turns are wildly crazy. It’s an edge of your seat thriller ride.

2.5 stars

I really wanted to love this book because it's gotten great reviews - unfortunately, for me, it was only okay. I figured out what was going on a quarter of the way in to the book so the rest of the book wasn't really intriguing or surprising to me. I didn't really like or connect with any of the characters. I do think the author did a good job with the setting - the town of Cheshire and it's quirky shops and statues that are all Alice In Wonderland themed. 

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing a copy for review.

An original concept in this fast flowing psychological thriller. Twists and turns that keep you guessing who submit.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of this book.

I was interested in reading this book because of the psychological thriller aspect of it. After reading the first third of the book, I did figure out the entire plot. That does not happen often, at least that early in a story. Many clues were presented. The constant jumping from main character to clients to memories to the mind of the killer was distracting. 

I found the constant references to the lack of sleep, exhaustion, and headaches to be boring. The dialogue was simplistic and not believable. “Why?” Is not a question a therapist would ask with regularity as it makes a client/patient defensive. The dialogue between this therapist and the clients mostly consisted of “whys?”.

Unless this book is the first in a series, the end of the book left many unanswered questions. 

This book may be one that many would like. However, it wasn’t a good fit for me.