Author: Alex Michaelides
Publication Date: 5 February 2019
Publisher: Celadon Books
Page Count: 336
Reading Method: Audiobook
Synopsis:
Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. 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….
Review:
Okay, so for the past year any time I have seen this book mentioned, the reviewer has always said something along the lines of “OMG THAT ENDING.” So of course I was expecting something mind blowing. Sadly, I didn’t find it all that surprising. That’s not to say I wasn’t surprised by the ending, but I definitely wasn’t left with the same feeling as others.
I will say that while the ending wasn’t what I was hoping for, I did really enjoy this read. The writing was solid, the characters were interesting, and there were enough details littered throughout that the story kept me on my toes. The dual POV felt authentic to the characters, and I enjoyed how the truth of the situation unfolded.
You can purchase a copy of The Silent Patient here
