This is dark and twisty thriller had me sucked in from the start. It relies on a fair bit of medical jargon but don’t let this put you off! It’s a really well written rollercoaster of a ride!

This book is about a patient and therapist relationship, featuring DR Fletcher who is a psychiatrist in a hospital for the criminally insane. It started off well but very quickly became just a bit repetitive. I struggled to finish the book but persevered to the disappointing ending. Sorry, not one for me. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

The Therapist is a gripping medical thriller. The troubled psychiatrist Dr. Fletcher wanted to treat her new patient Trent Davis who was a reowned, dark and clever serial killer. It’s interesting seeing how their doctor vs patient relationship and struggles developed. And things got even messier after a copycat murderer appeared out of nowhere. And the final twist was rather good too.

If you are a fan of The Silent Patient you should try The Therapist.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of The Therapist by S.A. Falk!

I was a little skeptical in the first few chapters of this book, because it seemed a little more on the dark side than I am used to. There was a lot of religious references, with one of the characters delving into a bit of satanism and demons. I’m a little bit of a scaredy cat, so once I powered through that aspect I really enjoyed this book.

I was not expecting the ending at all, but seeing into the psyche of the different characters was kind of exciting and it was such a refreshing read to be honest.

HOLY F balls, this was twisted, dark and clever. What did I read? I jumped in blind to this one and am so glad I did . It was absolutely a Mind F the entire book. WOW

It should've been classified as horror. Very disturbing book. The story is too slow-paced for my liking and the expectations for a 300-page. I don't like how many chapters are 1-2 pages even though I can understand why the author made this choice. The beginning of the book shows the author did good research and knows the topics well. I lost interest midway through because of the pacing I mentioned earlier. The characters are interesting. The writing style is original. I would only recommend it to a specific audience. Overall good start but falls flat.

Characters ⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛
Writing Style (It's unique) ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛
Plot ⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛
Pacing ⬜⬛⬛⬛⬛
Unputdownability ⬜🔲⬛⬛⬛
Enjoyment ⬜⬜🔲⬛⬛
Tension ⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛
Twists ⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛

☆ Synopsis
After a sudden bereavement, lead psychiatrist at Pantano State Hospital Stephanie Fletcher reluctantly returns to work. On her first day back, her team welcome a new inmate, cannibalistic serial killer Trent Davis. A series of copycat murders begin to occur after Trent’s arrival and Stephanie sets out to discover who is behind them.

☆ My thoughts

I really disliked this book, I found it incredibly boring and started skimming pages just to get it over with. There were no likeable characters, a half-hearted attempt at a random romance subplot, predictable twists and turns, and the whole thing was utterly unrealistic. It was also unnecessarily gory and lacked the suspenseful writing I expect from a thriller. I didn’t care about anyone or their motives. I was tempted to mark as DNF at 30% and I honestly wish I had. Overall, just a really disappointing read.
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･･:*.ೃ࿔⋆❀°
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When it comes to psychologist any psychiatrist books, I’m there! They are so enthralling to me. The mind is a fascinating thing.

Dr Fletcher is a psychiatrist who specializes in psychiatric disorders in the criminal system. So basically, she works for the ‘facility who takes in the criminally insane. People who avoid the death penalty.

One say they bring in the notorious Trent Davis, he has brutally murdered six women that they know of. Fletcher can’t wait to crack his mind. As if this man will magically rehabilitate after a few sessions. She knows there has to be some deep seeded abuse that stems from his childhood. She too was a victim of abuse.

Shortly after his arrival, there appears to be a copycat out in the real world. Fletcher and another cop continuously pull Trent into interrogations to see if he knows. Then the riddler comes. Many pages were of a bunch of mumbo jumbo. Not really necessary for the enjoyment of the story. There were sentences as an example like

‘Do you think there’s a copycat?
I don’t know
‘Do you think he knows who the copycat is?

Over and over. I tried to finish this on a 3 1/2 airline flight only wishing I could have napped.

The pros - Started out suspenseful, who doesn’t want to know what goes on in a killer’s mind?
Bit repetitive. The characters went round and round in circles. The ending, you see it a million miles away.
I wish I could say that I loved it. However, it did hold my interest.
Thanks so much to Storm Publishing, NetGalley and the author. All opinions are my own.

This was such a tense read and from the moment I started it I was hooked. It definitely kept me guessing until the end.

What was this book ?? As a Psychology student, I enjoyed this story a lot ! All the twisted vibes were insane! Some parts were a bit disturbing but this book got me addicted !!!
The only reason I didn’t rate it a 5 star book is because I thought the final part was way to rushed. I got the feeling like “is this over already? Where’s the rest of the book?”.
Though I really recommend you this book! It is way too vicious!

The book is about a rock star who is also a cannibalistic serial killer and a psychiatrist at a state hospital. She works with the criminally insane. The story is gory and creepy, with many twists and turns that kept me engaged throughout the book. Although it has some good thriller elements and suspense, the ending is not very surprising. I believe readers can easily predict what the outcome will be. Additionally, the book contains content related to child abuse that may be triggering for some readers. While I enjoyed reading "The Patient's Secret," this book was not as good as the former.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for the eARC.

The Therapist follows Steph, who works with the criminally insane. The arrival of a new patient is followed by copycat murders and things turn dangerous for Steph and those around her...

This book was quite heavy at times! I have mixed feelings about it. I'm not sure who I'd describe the overall theme... perhaps something like "1990s metal music". Definitely a very 1990's / early 2000s vibe. The final chapters were confusing and I had to read them a few times to "get" the ending but I think that's just me. It was well written and a quick read, which is why I'm giving it 4 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC**

Dr Stephanie Fletcher is a psychiatrist working with the criminally insane. She gets a new patient, renowned serial killer and rockstar Trent Davis. A copycat begins to emerge and things turn dangerous quick. It is gory and had twists and turns that kept me wanting to keep reading. The ending was great and I wasn’t able to guess it which is an added bonus!

Stephanie Fletcher is a psychiatrist at a State hospital. She works with the criminally insane. Her therapist has recently passed away, and Stephanie has barely slept since.
A rock star who is also a cannabilistic serial killer is admitted to the hospital, and he seems to be able to pull the wool over Stephanie's eyes as to how sick he is.

I read The Patient's Secret and felt that there was something 'off' about the writing.
I feel the same way about this book.

I did, at about the halfway mark, have a suspicion about the twist, and I was right.

I found most of the book tedious, and just too gory.

Like the author's previous book, this one was just not my cup of tea.

Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

I would like to say this was not a horror book, but it did contain demonology which is not my forte. However, the lyrical prose was excellent! I did not predict the ending which was a bonus, but the ending was cut short. Thank you Netgalley for the free arc!

Stephanie Fletcher is lead psychiatrist at Pantano State Hospital. After a sudden bereavement, Dr Fletcher is reluctantly back at work, though she feels she needs more time to grieve. First day back and her team are expecting a new inmate, Trent Davis, rock star and a serial killer who has admitted his crimes but pled insanity, and it’s Steph’s job to assess him.

After The Patient’s Secret, which I really enjoyed I looked forward to this new book from Falk.

I know I’m in the minority here, but this was no where near as good or gripping as the previous book. A slow burn that had a lot of reiteration, though the characterisation was good. I liked the evil Trent, and needed more of him in the last part of the story. I have taken some time in reviewing as I felt I had missed something, so did reread. But no, it was, for me, a garbled ending. I did appreciate the twist but felt it lacked ooomph and clarity.

I do recommend this book, with the proviso that the ending needs work.

2.5*

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing.

I liked this offering, but it took me a little while to warm up to it. I especially appreciated the musical connection with heavy metal and one of the patients -- I thought that integration was effective and well-done. This had a good twist, which is always appreciated. I would read more from the author. I didn't like that that character essentially disappeared from the last quarter of the book.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

Addictive thriller that hooks you from first to last. The psychiatrist versus the brilliant/enigmatic psychopath trope gets a good workout and keeps the tension going. Even if you think you've figured it out, still a tense read and definitely worth it.

The Therapist was a slow burn at times but is a good psychological thriller with an interesting premise. Steph works as a Doctor in a facility that houses people who are incompetent to stand trial or have severe mental health issues and are convicted of crimes.

Travis is a Marilyn Manson type of musician who is confined for committing heinous crimes. Those chapters are dark but add to the suspense and mood of the book. He is a megalomaniac and weirdly reminds me of the cartoon character Trent from Daria Ifykyk. The lyrics are terrible which made me laugh at times.

It had a fun ending. I would read more from this author. Thanks for the advance review copy.

Dr Stephanie Fletcher is a correctional psychiatrist working with the criminally insane. But when her life is shattered with the death of her mentor, friend, and therapist, she finds it difficult to keep everything on track. Add to that a new patient, renowned serial killer Trent Davis, and all seems to be unravelling. She may be trying to help Trent, but when a copycat begins to imitate him, things take a dangerous turn. The Therapist is a dark and deeply disturbing tale. It is a terrifying, utterly compelling, psychological thriller. It is an absolute page-turner that will keep you gripped until the very end. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.