I did like the way this book was mostly set in Salisbury - knowing the area, I found that quite pleasant and well done. The characters were quite well formed, although I did find the daughter a little wearisome.
There were some good twists in this story, which kept it exciting and kept my nose in the book!

I absolutely loved this book, it was enthralling from the start and I was dissapointed when it finished, I would definitely recommend this book, one of the best I have read this year

A gréât page Turner and full of twists. A little unbelievable but still a good read that I ran through on a winter’s afternoon

A twisty and gripping book which follows the aftermath of a meeting between a doctor and a suicidal man in a doctor’s surgery. Secrets, family ties and boundaries are explored - who is telling the truth? Recommended.

Rachel is a 40 something menopausal woman. She is also a doctor at her local practice. She is married to Nathan, but her marriage is falling apart and so is her relationship with her grown up daughter Lizzie. The relationship is getting more and more distant.
When the practice is ready to close after a busy day, a patient arrives Luc Lefevre needing help due to him having suicidal thoughts. She helps him as much as possible. There seems to be a connection between them. This connection leads them to an affair and Murder. That also leads Rachel too be accused of accessory to murder.
Thanks, Harper Collins, for a copy of The Patient by Jane Shemilt. I have mixed feelings about this book. Even though I thought that the basic storyline of this book was good and there was a lot of twists and turns. I felt personally that there was a lot of loose ends in this book that didn’t quite come together, and it left me answering questions. 3 stars from me.

When Rachel, a doctor, meets Luc LeFevre at an appointment where he confesses to feeling suicidal, she is immediately drawn to him. Both Rachel and Luc are married, but they are soon embroiled in a passionate affair. But then someone is murdered and when Luc is arrested, Rachel must confront everything she thought she knew about him...and about herself.

This seemed like it was going to be a straightforward whodunnit, but The Patient was so much more than that. What a well crafted, beautifully plotted and genuinely surprising book. I don't want to say too much in the view as so much of the book is revealed gradually and I don't want to risk spoiling anything, but suffice to say it's an accomplished domestic thriller, which also manages to be literary, fun, and ultimately redemptive. I loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for granting me a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"The Patient" proved to be an oddly compelling story. It's one of those stories that thrives in normality. The little details of reality that keep you interested somewhat against the odds. One of those stories that does a lot of nothing, but that nothingness is overflowing with interest.

That's the interesting thing for me. I do like things happening in books. When someone offers me a book labelled Mystery or Thriller I somewhat expect a lot to happen. Ironically, those books often have a lot happen that ultimately ends up as nothing. The twists and turns that lead you down dead ends. Here, we have domesticity. Rachel is a GP basically going about her life. The life of a woman struggling with the relationship she has with her grown daughter. The routine of years of marriage, and the same job with the same faces. And it's all written well, allowing the arrival of Luc to unsettle that life. A story that embraces reality in such a way that the story delivers an intensity with these changes in her life, that allow more normality to seem intriguing and exciting. It avoids reaching too far and that grounding makes it interesting.

And so our story unfolds. Shadows in the night add that thriller aspect. Rachel's relationships with everyone around her are captivating even those secondary characters who are, well, normal enough to be somewhat forgettable. It just makes the ones we should notice more interesting without having to force them into the preposterous. it's a clever balance and one I really enjoyed. It made me invested in people I would otherwise skim over. Everything is written from Rachel's perspective, and you can really feel the dynamics as she interacts with people. They are relatable and familiar.

And layered on top of the suburban domesticity, is indeed mystery. Mystery that involves crimes. And blood. Not gorily, but ya know, a little blood goes a long way to ramp up some tension. And... okay I'll admit this did lead to a slight disappointment. The story has multiple reveals as part of the finale. And the first couple are... okay. They do the job of wrapping up a story but I found them slightly anti-climatic. But my cynicism was soon slapped down. Had the story truly ended there I would've felt somewhat flat, but Shemilt is clearly no fool and kept writing a couple more chapters. Chapters that delivered on the promise of the rest of the book. Push past that slight dip and you're rewarded with an ending that feels much better. One that offers a proper conclusion so you can put the book down and feel sated. And proves that not all endings have to be forced happiness. Sometimes a dose of normality feels right, and much better than a lunge for an unrealistic ending of shiny happiness. An understated pleasure to read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this.book from start to finish. The story was captivating and meandered through scenes and scenarios that I was not expecting from a patient centred novel by a fellow GP. When I started I knew nothing about Jane Shemilt, but after a short while I felt at home with her description of work as a general practitioner and how a practice runs. I had 5o loonher up and found that not only is she a GP but a very skilled and well trained writer.

I loved the way that the story highlighted various patients, leading you to think that they might be central to the plot, only to find the next one came along.

Bringing light and colour in different locations, associated with art and Van Gogh was entertaining and imaginative..

Great book by a skilled author.

I found that The Patient by Jane Shemilt was a bit of a slow burner, and it took me a while to get into it. It begins with Rachel being interviewed by the police, and the story behind this takes a long time to come out. Hints are given, but I felt I was wondering what had happened for longer than I would have liked. There was a lot going on within the plot and the characters were not the most likeable, but it did have a satisfying ending.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

What an excellent, original book, thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. The scenes in France were so atmospheric, I could feel the love between Rachel and Luc. There are numerous sub plots which keep the story line fresh and there are interesting twists and turns throughout the journey. A brilliant read.

I found this book to be perfect for me. The locality....I know Salisbury well. The feeling of a safe haven to live in being violated by an unknown.
The developing relationships, some better, some worse.
There is everything in there, some romance, some murder, and a great story.
Loved it.

This was a very well written book, which I really enjoyed. A little slow in places, bit enjoyable and I would recommend

A gripping read with lots of twists and turns. I wasn't keen on some of the characters but the story line was great. Definitely worth a read.

A book that explores crossing the boundaries between a Doctor and patient. When Rachel crosses that line and has an affair with Luc there is a lot more she doesn't know about going on behind the scenes. Innocent lives get lost and its a twisty storyline that kept me engaged throughout. The ending was a bit sudden for me which is the reason I didn't feel I could award it 5 stars.

I was given this book for free in return for an honest review. Plenty of twists and turns in this thriller. I’m not sure I was comfortable reading some parts, but wanted to find out what happen.

What a great book following a GP called Rachel who has an affair with a patient called Luc. A story of who to trust the doctor or the patient who is very convincing.
Loved how it moved from Rachel to Luc both telling different stories which leaves you questioning who is telling the truth.

I wanted to know how this book would end but was an uncomfortable read and I'm not sure I enjoyed it. But it did keep be reading so the author was compelling in that sense.

I absolutely loved this book. Suspense, murder, love, desire, this book has it all. I hated to put it down. A great story, well told.

A really good gripping thriller, I love the way it starts at the end and then you read back to see how it ended up. Lots of twists throughout the book which keeps you guessing. If you love a good, book about manipulation love and drama then read this. Thanks for my advanced copy.

Rachel is a GP living in Salisbury and feels underappreciated by her daughter and husband. When Luc visits her as a patient one day she has no idea how much of an impact he'll have on her life.
Without revealing anything, this book is a thriller filled with many plot twists, however, a lot of them seemed far fetched. I did not like the protagonist most of the time which made the book hard to read in parts. I kept reading to find out what happened at the end.
I did like the art aspect of it. Do not let this put you off reading this though, I still enjoyed it and would recommend it.