The Silent Patient

Paperback, 352 pages

Published Jan. 12, 2021 by Celadon Books.

ISBN:
978-1-250-30170-3
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4 stars (2 reviews)

Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word. Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London. Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations–a search for the truth that threatens to consume him.

22 editions

A Page Turner

4 stars

The book's story progression kept me guessing and wondering what happened to Gabriel, the murder victim. The writing was engaging and characters are interesting. For that, I gave four stars over three as I was very excited to read the rest. Would have maybe considered 3.5 stars if it was an option.

The only complaints I have about it are that the "diary/journal" entries are written out more like scenes than a diary. Additionally, there are some information I am sure would drive those in the field of psychology mad, very slight story gaps that left me asking why something did or did not occur. These were minor things however IMO.

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rated it

4 stars