The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is about a therapist obsessed with a patient and her motives behind murder. Alicia Berenson’s life is almost perfect; a famous painter married to a fashion photographer living in a gorgeous home with not a care in the world. Sounds almost perfect, right? One evening her husband, Gabriel, comes home late from a fashion shoot and Alicia shoots him five times in the face; never speaking again after the shooting. Sentenced to The Grove; a psychiatric hospital, she sits and stares in silence.
Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a lifetime to work with a patient such as Alicia. He is determined to get her to speak again. Despite each silent session he has with Alicia, the mystery of why she shot her husband slowly unravels when without speaking she hands Theo her diary. While Theo reads it reveals bizarre twists and turns that has him sorting feverishly through the madness to reach the truth. A truth that smacks at him and takes control at unexpected times.
The story is not fast-paced with big happenings or scary moments. Instead, there are short chapters that will keep you enthralled and wanting more. You will want to keep reading. The ending is full of suspense and surprise. A definite twist that you never saw coming. I thoroughly enjoyed ‘The Silent Patient’. A popular read right now. Make sure you add it to your TBR list.
