Book Review: The Silent Patient

From last few months, I had been seeing The Silent Patient everywhere on social media. The reviews were so overwhelmingly positive that I decided to pick it up as soon as possible. Was it worth the hype? Of course, yes!  Alex Michaelides’ terrific debut, The Silent Patient is a compelling tale of murder, love and revenge.

The artist Alicia Berenson is accused of murdering her husband. He’d been tied to a chair and shot in the face five times. Alicia gives no explanation and refuses to speak. It’s been six years and Alicia is living in a mental care facility called The Grove. Her silence continues to baffle the doctors. Enter Theo Faber; a psychotherapist who announces early on that he’s pretty ‘fucked up’ due to his traumatic past. He leaves his secure job elsewhere and takes up a job at The Grove (even though it is a sinking ship) because of his fascination with Alicia. He is obsessed with helping Alicia and solving the mystery behind the murder. Along the way, we get snippets into Alicia’s diary narrating the events leading up to the murder and also Theo’s point of view.

The Silent Patient is a fast paced psychological thriller. From the very first page, I was hooked by the magnificent story telling of Alex Michaelides. The story has so many twists and little surprises to uncover. So many questions arise at every turn. The plot kept me intrigued from beginning to end. The twist at the end left me flabbergasted.  The use of Alicia’s diary entries coupled with Theo’s investigations kept the readers on the edge. Adding yet another touch of mystery is the unique and quite interesting mythological parallel woven into the story.

The storyline is skillfully scripted and keeps a consistent enthralling pace. Alicia and Theo- both are truly remarkable characters. Each is flawed in their own way. The enticing narration and the pulse-pounding suspense add to the charm of the book.  If you enjoy psychological thrillers, you MUST read this.

My Rating 5/5

Title: The Silent Patient

Author: Alex Michaelides

Original language: English

Genres: Novel, Thriller, Mystery, Psychological Fiction, Suspense, Psychological thriller

Originally published5 February 2019

Publisher:  Celadon Books

Page Count: 325

©2020 Shaloo Walia All rights reserved

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