Initially, this book was a struggle for me. I picked it up and put it down several times over the past few months. I just couldn’t get into the story and seemed like it was going to be a very slow burn. I decided that this time, I would read it and not deviate from the story (I am not someone who can DNF a book). I am glad that I persevered as the story picked up quite quickly after the initial quarter of the book. While I had an inkling of who the antagonist was, I was very pleasantly surprised at the conclusion of the story and the extra reveals within the final quarter of the book. I had read many reviews that painted the main character Rachel in a negative light stating that she was very unlikeable. However, I really felt sympathy for Rachel; while she made some poor choices and could have reacted better to some situations, her heart was in the right place and she didn’t deserve the treatment she received from the other characters. It was a decent read, you just need to plow through the first part to get to the good stuff.

A good book with good pace that keeps you asking questions and wanting more, good twists and turns in the book.

Despite being well-written, I found it a bit slow going. I will certainly try more of this author's books but this one wasn't for me.

I quite enjoyed this book. As other reviewers have said, it was a little slow paced and a little unbeatable times but overall it kept me reasonably entertained. 3.5 stars

I quite liked this book but it does take ages to grip you- slow burn for me. However the plot was cleverly constructed and interestingly multi-layered. Twisty story of murder in this twisty, well crafted story with a satisfying denouement.

After some problems with a recent patient, Rachel is being overly cautious with Luc and feels drawn to him in a way she does not usually feel about her patients. Perhaps she is feeling neglected by her husband and her daughter is not interested in her or perhaps there is something a little more with Luc if she allows herself to be drawn in.
Some months pass without seeing Luc but then Rachel discovers he is the new neighbour who has moved in with his wife and brother-in-law and she is not able to keep her distance.
I enjoyed the unpredictability of this book, this went to places I had no idea it would and I loved that.

I quite enjoyed this but it was really slow to start and I kept expecting a twist which never came.

Dr Rachel is underwhelmed with her life and falls unexpectedly for a visiting patient, the charismatic Luc. Set in Salisbury UK, the descriptions of the area are good but the plot is slow in places then has some wildly outlandish things happen, which felt a little unbelievable.

Took a while to get through but appreciate the chance to read and review for my honest opinion. Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author.

An easy read thriller, not too fast paced.

A doctor becomes involved with a patient and also has a stalker. It’s one of those stories that’s not quite believable but you have to keep reading to see what happens. A mixed bag for me.

This was my first read from this author and I did really like the writing style, the depth of descriptive passages is very good and made the scenes vivid, but I didnt really feel like I knew or could invest in the characters, I didnt feel like I knew them or could understand why they were behaving in a sometimes bizarre way!
A good, interesting read, but a little difficult for me to engage with the characters.

Mixed feelings about The Patient, I have enjoyed the author's previous books but I found this one a little hard going.

An interesting premise but I didn't really gel with the characters.

A domestic thriller about a doctor who finds herself getting involved with a patient, while at the same time dealing with a suspected stalker and struggling with her home life. I have previously enjoyed Jane Shemilt's books, but I struggled a bit with this one. It was quite slow burning but the writing itself felt very rushed, and you had to suspend your disbelief in places to accept that certain things were happening. It was hard to follow what the characters' motives were, and it felt a bit too focused on trying to deliver a surprising twist rather than focusing on plot. I have seen lots of really positive reviews of this title, though, so I think it's most fair to say that it wasn't for me personally.

Well this was a bunch of ridiculousness. Not one of the characters was likeable, there wasn't really a back story, and I'm not sure if have cared if there was. There is no way a menopausal married doctor would have reached that way to most of the story, and don't even get me started on her relationship with her daughter! Sorry, this book was not for me.

The Patient is a slow burn mystery and an easy read. I did not like the characters and the interactions between them seemed unrealistic. However, I liked the settings of Salisbury and the description of Lucs French house and the Van Gogh colours off set any misgivings I have about this book.

Easily the most fascinating book I have read in years, utterly gripping and unputdownable! Likeable characters, fantastic suspense-filled plot, beautiful descriptions of locations and ambiences - what a gem. I can‘t wait for Jane Shemilt‘s next book!

The reviews on this are mixed, and I am kind of on the fence... It was a slow starter, numerous characters who really didn’t fit together well, but yet making towards a better ending than I anticipated... The difficulty with a book that starts slow is that it doesn’t always keep the reader with the book and anything else can so easily distract.....it would be a book that some might happily put on their ‘did not finish’ pile... A book I enjoyed overall but not one I’ll be raving about...sorry
Many thanks to NetGalley for my ARC, this is my unbiased opinion.

The Patient is a psychological thriller that drew me in slowly, ramped up the tension and had me intrigued - it is certainly one of those books where there is much more to the story than at first appears, combining intrigue with interesting explorations of mental health, middle age and relationships.

Rachel Goodchild is a 49 year old GP who has hit a point where she is feeling a bit “invisible” - her relationship with her husband has got a little stale, and her daughter doesn’t seem to have much time for her. An encounter with a new patient and a seemingly instant attraction proves to have devastating consequences for both of them.

Shemilt’s skill lies in crafting well-developed characters, not all of them likeable, and ensuring that the setting, be it in Salisbury, where the descriptions of the cathedral city are used to great effect, or in Provence, leaps off the page. A feeling of unease pervades the book as it flips between Rachel being interviewed by police and the events leading up to that. Secrets are revealed and the twists kept me on my toes as it headed to a dramatic conclusion.

I did really enjoy this book. I found it was more a mystery than a thriller due to the pace of the book. There was some psychological suspense to the plot as well.

I thought this plot was gripping, I was eager to know more about what was going to happen. I did find there was a lot of build up to the actual event and I found this book was a slow burner. I initially thought it was going to be a fast paced read but the book being slow fit with the characters. I did think there could have been a bit more suspense throughout the book and maybe even some twists.

The characters were good. Rachel, the main character, was very secretive and snuck around her family. I thought she was a very strange in the way she acted throughout the book, although I thought she was vulnerable. The book was from the point of view of Rachel and the way she spoke about the other characters made me unsure of who to trust. They all said or done something which made them seem suspicious. The ending was good, I did feel we were left hanging a bit with the characters but I suppose the reader is to make up their own mind to what happened with them.

I enjoyed the writing style the author had. I am eager to see what this author has written before. I liked how the writing was easy to understand and was a quick read. The author made you want to finish the book because of the writing style. I did like this book and I would recommend it to those who enjoy a slow paced book!

Firstly thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley. I have enjoyed her previous books.

I whizzed through this.

There’s a heavy sense of foreboding as the story unfolds.

Suspense,tension and packed with twists and turns.

Who is telling the truth and who can be trusted?

Published 28th April

I can’t wait to read more by Jane. This was intriguing, engaging and thrilling. The plot was cleverly unravelled as the story progressed.

I was really intrigued by the premise of The Patient but unfortunately it just wasn't a book for me. It was waaaayyyyy too slow burn and I just didn't connect with Rachel, the main character. Rachel has a seemingly great life on the outside, a loving Husband, a wonderful Daughter, and a fantastic career as a GP. But when she meets Luc in her GP surgery she feels an instant attraction. Will Luc be the key her downfall or will he rescue her from her mundane life?
It took me a while to read the book as other books kept grabbing my attention more. In the end I had to just make a conscious decision to finish the book so that I could get it done and stop having it nagging in the back of my mind. It wasn't that I hated it at all, just that it wasn't particularly interesting. I did like how the timeline jumps to present time would appear every so often to give us little teasers as to how things end up towards the end.