After the murder of her husband, Alicia Berenson stops talking. She is found standing by him, he being tied to a chair with his head blown off, holding the gun and covered in blood. Did she do it? It sure looks that way. Dr. Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who is fascinated by this case. He takes a job at the hospital she is in to see if he can get her to talk, to see what she remembers. It isn’t an easy job but he seems to find a way to get to her. She gives him her diary and we read along as to what was going on in her head and life. We also read about Theo’s wife and her affair. Theo is consumed by that as well.

This book was slow-going for me at first but let me tell you, when it picks up, it will not let you go. I stayed up late to finish it last night and that ending! I had no idea where it was leading me but what a journey! This is an incredible debut and perfect for anyone who loves a good psychological thriller. As much as I felt it was dragging in the beginning, the slow boil was a perfect starter to all that followed. I think I might have even said “Holy crap” a few times. I look forward to many more books from Mr. Michaelides in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley and Celadon for a copy of this book.

An artist, Alicia was married to a fashion photographer, Gabriel Berenson. One evening when Gabriel comes home, Alicia shoots him. Afterwards, she never says a word. She is sentenced to a secured facility where she will hopefully be “cured” in the sense that she will talk again. A psychotherapist gets hired at the institution as he wants to get Alicia well and talking. However the psychotherapist, Theo Faber must find a way to get her assigned as his patient. Will he be able to?

Much of the story is told through Theo’s perceptions of Alicia. However Alicia’s diary is interspersed throughout the novel. It made me want to know what Theo would learn about Alicia and if he could make her talk again. In some ways, I felt the book was a tad slow in telling the story. I do realize this was the author’s first novel so I think it is a well written novel. The ending was not what I expected. It did surprise me.

Darkly compelling and with a twist that will shock you!

This is a top contender for best psychological thriller in my book—I absolutely am blown away that The Silent Patient is a debut novel for Alex Michaelides. When an act of unspeakable violence leads the main culprit to fall completely silent, everyone assumes that it’s an act. But years later, she still hasn’t spoken a word. With skilled writing and narrative structure and a standout twist, this is sure to be a must-read for 2019. Outstanding!!! A book I want to read again, even knowing the twists!</p>

Reflection

A silent siren, that is how chief psychologist Diomedesrefers to Alicia Berenson. A woman who was once so vibrant, she could bring energy to any situation now sits completely mute and subdued. But in a way,
this contrast makes her even more attractive. Theo thinks he can help Alicia, just as many psychologists before him have tried. But Theo is sure he can be the one. Theo himself comes from damage. He knows what it is like, and he knows how the right person can bring someone back to life.

Alicia was certainly the silent siren to me as the reader as well! I loved the way Michaelides described the feelings Alicia was able to convey through her eyes, even while silent and motionless. There’s still a
person in there with fire inside, but outwardly she has turned to stone.

Steeped in a fascinating Greek tragedy that I hadn’t previously heard of, this story is dark and addictive. I could scarcely put the book down! I loved the particular tragedy that was used as the catalyst and
sort of allegory for the broader story. I won’t even tell you which Greek tragedy though, because I don’t want it to spoil anything! You’ll have to read to find out. But suffice it to say, it gave me a lot to think about as I read.
It’s perfect, the way it melds with the story!

Theo is like this child that was left forgotten at after school pickup. He’s so sweet and caring, but also sort of brushed aside. He is incredibly damaged and not without flaws. But he is also so grateful for the
kindness of others. You sort of just want to give him a hug! But don’t let any of that fool you into thinking he doesn’t know how to help Alicia. He might be just the person that can get through to her!

I was really captivated by the setting around therapy. Throw in a good discussion of countertransference any day and I’m a happy PhDiva (in psychology, no less!). The setting and the primary characters being artists and
psychologists really added a rich context to the story. The introspection was spot on. Both professions are ones where the search for meaning in the ambiguous are prominent. I’d imagine most readers will be complete fascinated by the discussions of what is meant and what is being conveyed by the characters and the artwork.

I don’t want to say much more, because I don’t want to spoil this book. But I highly encourage any psychological thriller fan to add this to their list! I received a copy from the publisher, but then purchased a copy as well, because I wanted to have a hardcover. That is how much I loved it!

"The Silent Patient" by Alex Michaelides, Celadon Books, 336 pages, Feb. 5, 2019.

Alicia Berenson is a famous painter. Her husband, Gabriel, is a fashion photographer.
One night, Gabriel comes home late. Alicia kills him and then doesn't speak for five years.

The evidence against her is clear. Gabriel was tied to a chair. Only Alicia's fingerprints are on the gun.

Theo Faber is the narrator. He is a forensic psychotherapist who is determined to get Alicia to talk. He works at another hospital, but applies to The Grove in North London, where Alicia is a patient. Faber convinces the medical director to let him work with Alicia. Faber's own marriage is collapsing.

The boundary between therapist and patient becomes blurred. Faber's narrative is interspersed with writings from Alicia's journal.

People are already calling "The Silent Patient" the thriller of this year. It is intricately plotted and it has an amazing ending that I didn't see coming, even as it started to unfold. Alex Michaelides has written an outstanding thriller.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My first FIVE (5) star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ book of 2019… I read this entire book in less than 24 hours… well actually, less than 16 hours if you want to get technical. Being a Nurse, the title is what caught my attention… And. I. Loved. It!

Alicia is THE SILENT PATIENT. A woman who has been let down by EVERYONE in her life, everyone that is until she meets Gabriel, the man of her dreams, the love of her life. They Marry. They are happy. They have it all. Then one day Alicia shoots him FIVE (5) times point blank in the face and never speaks another word.

Theo Faber is a criminal psychologist who accepts a position in the facility where Alicia is being treated. His hope is to solve the mystery behind why she killed her husband and to help her begin to heal and ultimately speak again.

This story grips you on the first page. It’s unputdownable and VERY easy to read. The chapters are intertwined with Theo telling us about his childhood and marriage along with the obstacles he must face to help Alicia recover when EVERYONE (her family, friends, and other medical professionals) all feel that she’s incapable of living a normal life ever again ~ to reading the many journal entries made by Alicia herself in her personal diary. Journal entries made just days before the horrific shooting.

I LOVE a good book that focuses on mental health issues. We all have them, right? Some of us medicate to keep them from surfacing. Some of us are just plain good at keeping them at bay without the need for medication. AND some of us can’t control them at all ~ making us capable of the unthinkable! The ending totally sneaks up on you so don’t even bother trying to figure it out, just enjoy the ride…

I... I... I am not sure where to start, what to say. This book didn't follow a path I had thought it would, but it followed a path that still left me shaking my head and mad at myself for not figuring it out sooner. The clues were ALL there. The pieces were waiting to be picked up...

I just don't know what to say. I have all of the words to say, but they will ruin the book for you if you are planning to read it. This definitely wasn't a book I was expecting. The characters and plot slowly clicked into place. Then came the ending. I just... I should have seen it. I did question it beforehand. I had an inkling because of how the story was told. But I just didn't quite connect the dots.

This one is definitely one that will keep your mind going, questioning, always on alert. The whodunit and what actually happened are the big question. Even through the slow parts, I was anticipating finding out what was really going on.

Devoured this book in one day--couldn't put it down!
A very clever psychological suspense thriller with a stellar twist toward the end. I liked that none of the characters are exactly who they seem to be on the surface, which makes the novel overall more compelling and intriguing.
The plot is quite original and never slowed down for a second. If you think that it will suffer from one of the main characters being silent for the great majority of the book, then think again. The book's themes are deeply rooted in psychological pain and made me think about how our pasts shape us in ways that we might not even be conscious of on the surface.
This is a fantastic debut and I look forward to reading additional books by this author in the future, especially if they are all as fresh and intricately twisty as this one.

Alicia and Gabriel Berenson were married for seven years. Gabriel was a world famous fashion photographer, and Alicia was an incredible artist. They were blissfully happy. Until the night Alicia shot him. Five times. In the face.

And then she just stopped speaking.

Six years later, psychotherapist Theo Farber is absolutely certain he can get through to her. He takes a job at the crumbling facility where she's been silently housed and sets about attempting to break through the walls she's built, to get to Alicia's voice. To her truth.

Why did Alicia murder her husband?

When people say they want to read more thrillers, I get super excited. Because I LOVE a good thriller. But in the last year, I think I've read maybe five decent thrillers, and maybe two actual good ones?

This right here. This is the one I'm going to be recommending for months and months to come.

Told in alternating view points between Alicia's journal leading up to Gabriel's murder, and Theo's clinical point of view, we slowly work our way to the answers we are so desperately craving. This isn't a red herring situation, you're not led to believe it could be any of the other players. Slow, methodical, but never boring, we're led through the tiny papercuts of Alicia's life, and her rapidly deteriorating mental state. And we think we see where this is going.

And lo and behold, we know nothing.

I did not see the ending coming, and that always makes for a good thriller to me.

Don't miss out on this one, thriller lovers. It's one for the record books.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, features an artist, Alicia Berenson, who murders her husband one evening and then never speaks again. She is sent to live in a psychiatric hospital where she is treated by psychotherapist, Theo Faber. He has transferred to the hospital in hopes of helping Alicia and to determine why she killed her husband and the reason she continues to live in silence.

This novel is unlike any thriller I have read in the past. It has you on the edge of your seat and filled with tension, but without the violence or sense of danger that many thrillers rely on. It really plays with your mind, questioning what is real and what is a lie or imaginary. It doesn’t have the “dime a dozen” feel that most thrillers published have now. The plot is well thought out, and the characters are well developed. There are some great twists in the story and at one point my jaw truly did drop I was so shocked! I will say that it is a bit slower than a lot of the best selling thrillers, but in a good way. There is more depth and development in the story, and it was a bit more sophisticated in the way it is written than the average thriller.

There are so many “whys” to consider when reading this novel. Why did Alicia kill her husband? Why did she stop talking? Why is is so important to Theo to help her? It is worth the read to find out!

I'll admit that at it took me at least 50-100 pages before I was really invested in this story, but once I was in it, I was invested. It's pretty interesting to have a character who isn't speaking a word in their own defense- who isn't speaking a word at all- and I was very curious about Alicia Berenson. Is she a traumatized victim, or a stone-cold killer? From snippets of the diary she kept leading up to the death of her husband, readers get to know Alicia a little bit, but even her private musings can leave readers wondering who she is, as she seems a bit sad, a bit lonely- but murderous? Her psychologist, who tells the story, is a bit of a strange character as well, seeming pretty obsessed with his famous patient and pursuing endless methods to get her to speak. I'll even admit that I was taken by the ending, but in retrospect it probably should not have felt like such a surprise.

I read a ton of psychological thrillers, and most fall short of the mark for me. Granted, the continued exposure does mean that it is increasingly harder and harder to "get" me with that required big twist. Then, along comes this debut from Alex Michaelides.

The story is a slow build, and in the beginning, it feels almost like two separate stories. Most of it is told from Theo's point of view, but we also get glimpses into Alicia's life through her journal entries, so there's Theo's personal life, Alicia's inner turmoil before the murder, and their interactions together. I'll admit that I was a bit confused at first about where this tale was headed, and it does take a while to get there. Despite that, there's just something thoroughly compelling about this story. Whatever that special something is that pulls a reader into the story and doesn't let go - this one has it in spades.

Then we get to the twist and I was gobsmacked. It came out of nowhere - but it really didn't, not when I looked back at everything I'd absorbed to that point. So, I was thrown for a loop, yet it all connects and makes sense. Everything, from the how and why of the murder to that jaw-dropping reveal, it all just works.

To sum it up, The Silent Patient is dark, twisted, and filled with not so likable characters that still managed to draw me in completely. Slow build or not, I kept turning those pages and finished it in one day - Well, one sleepless night because one chapter turned into two, and so on. And this debut has put this author firmly on my radar.

Alicia Berenson is a well-known artist married to Gabriel, a well-known fashion photographer. They seem to have an idyllic life in London - until one night Alicia shoots Gabriel 5 times in the face. Her lawyer manages to get her committed to The Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London. as she has never spoken one word since that night. Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has long wanted to work with Alicia and when the opportunity arises, he manages to get a job at The Grove. He then manages to get himself assigned to Alicia’s case. His mentors have trained him to believe that he will succeed when he becomes “one” with his patients. And this is exactly what the reader will see him do until......... This debut novel brings a new talent to the genre. Thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This book has everything I could ask for in a psychological thriller- twists and turns, interesting characters, a plot that keeps me guessing, an ending that I liked- and more shocking still- a female protagonist that I liked. I'm also starting to pick up on a plot device being used in recent years in these sorts of books- repeated reference to an obscure book or movie. In this case it's Euripides' play Alcestis. I'm always up for a recommendation for a good book (or movie- thanks to The Woman in the Window I have a whole list of film noir to catch up on) so I think I'll add it to my list.

This book kept me hooked from beginning to end. When I was forced to put it down to deal with reality (Doing dishes and the such) my mind stayed with the story. I certainly was not expecting the twist at the end! Alex Michaelides did a fantastic job crafting this tale.

Wow this book really surprised me! It kept you guessing the whole time and just when you thought you had it figured out it threw you a curve ball. Excellent writing and story telling!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Alex Michaelides for the opportunity to read this amazing debut novel - this one deserves all the buzz it is getting! It hits the stores on February 5th - order it now, clear your calendar, stay inside and read this book! 5 glowing stars for an incredible read.

Alicia is a painter and her husband, Gabriel, a photographer. As the story opens, Alicia is standing with a gun near her husband who has just been shot in the face. Alicia is brought to trial, deemed unstable, and sentenced to The Grove - a psychiatric institute for severely troubled people. From the time she was discovered immediately after the shooting, Alicia hasn't said a word - for years. Psychotherapist Theo has read and followed Alicia's case and is determined to get her to speak. He transfers to The Grove to begin therapy. But who is helping whom?

Enough said about this one because the twists and turns will make your head spin! I couldn't put this down and will be telling everyone to read this book - loved it!

What an excellent debut novel! Alex Michaelides has what it takes to write a psychological thriller. Definitely a "didn't see it coming" ending to a story that hooks you from the beginning and compels you to keep turning the pages. Alicia Berenson is a famous painter and is married to Gabriel, a fashion photographer. From all accounts, they are deeply in love. Then one night Alicia is found standing in front of her dead husband with a gun. Gabriel was shot five times in the face. Alicia refuses to talk, she goes completely mute, all throughout her trial and sentencing she is mute and gives no explanation. The case becomes a mystery that captures the public imagination. She is sentenced to a secure psychiatric hospital. Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who seeks to unravel her mystery. But this compulsion to unravel only entwines their lives in ill-fated ways. Oh, what an evil web that is woven . . .

“As you will see, it’s an incredible story-of that there is no doubt. Whether you believe it or not is up to you.”

This story hooked me immediately. And the ending…WOW…didn’t see that coming! Highly recommend for those who enjoy thrillers. Sure I had to suspend belief, a psychotherapist who acted more like a criminal investigator and a silent painter who seemed more like a novelist in writing her diary. But even so, I sure enjoyed the ride.

*will post in additional online venues once published

Thank you @celadonbooks and @netgalley for granting me access to The Silent Patient for review! Publishing February 5, 2019.

The Silent Patient is best read with very little known about it so I will not go into too much detail in this review.

I did find The Silent Patient moves a little slower than I personally prefer. I did understand why by the time I had made it to the end but I still wish it was paced slightly faster.
The ending truly was inspired though, a giant shock but also then made total sense to me. It also was a realistic ending once you thought about it and revealed in such a way that even if you had guessed it by some miracle, I think you still would enjoy the way it was done.

Alicia Berenson shoots her husband in the face 5 times and then never speaks again. Theo, a psychotherapist, is determined to help Alicia recover her voice and unravel the mystery of why she did it.
My curse seems to be figuring out the twist a chapter before it happens - too late to be surprised, too early to feel clever. I was hoping for a un-put-downable page turning thriller, but this was too slow. I did think the big reveal was well done, but it did confuse the timeline for me a bit. Overall a mediocre read.