The Blurb:
The brilliantly gripping, world record-breaking 2019 thriller that everyone is talking about - soon to be a major film.
ALICIA
Alicia Berenson writes a diary as a release, an outlet - and to prove to her beloved husband that everything is fine. She can't bear the thought of worrying Gabriel, or causing him pain.
Until, late one evening, Alicia shoots Gabriel five times and then never speaks another word.
THEO
Forensic psychotherapist Theo Faber is convinced he can successfully treat Alicia, where all others have failed. Obsessed with investigating her crime, his discoveries suggest Alicia's silence goes far deeper than he first thought.
And if she speaks, would he want to hear the truth?
THE SILENT PATIENT is the gripping must-read debut thriller of 2019 - perfect for fans of THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW by AJ Finn and THE GIRL BEFORE by JP Delaney.
The Silent Patient was published by Orion as an eBook on 5th February 2019 and as a hardback on 7th February 2019. You can purchase it from Waterstones, Amazon UK and Amazon US.
My Review:
Oh gosh, where to begin! This is an excellent book, and I really can't believe it's a debut!
Theo is a psychologist who is intrigued, obsessed maybe, by the case of Alicia Berenson who hasn't spoken a word for six years. Hasn't spoken since she murdered her husband, the husband she loved and adored. Theo gets a job at the mental hospital where Alicia is being held, and begins to try to treat her, to make her talk.The
This is a real slow burner and, initially at least, not a lot happens. But don't let that fool you or put you off. The writing is such that from the beginning we are completely drawn in as we follow Alex's sessions with Alicia, learn about his life outside work and read Alicia's diary from before she was hospitalised. I felt I was in that room with the two of them through the sessions, watching their relationship develop, hoping to see some improvement in Alicia.
It's a rare talent to feature a main character who doesn't speak and hardly displays any emotion, but get people to care about her. But Michaelides achieves this. I was really invested in Alicia,and keen to find out more about her, why she did what she did. I wasn't entirely sure what to make of Theo, and his determination that he could make Alicia speak, and my feelings on him changed at various points in the book. The supporting cast are all wonderfully described, but I must make special mention of Diomedes and Jean-Felix, who I felt were particularly colourful.
I can't say much more as I want you to discover it for yourself! I devoured this book, and it held me completely from beginning to end. It's an extraordinary debut that's original and unusual, and I can't wait to see what Alex Michaelides has up his sleeve for us next!
The Author:
Alex Michaelides was born in Cyprus to a Greek-Cypriot father and English mother. He read English at Cambridge University and received a MA in screenwriting from the American Film Institute. He wrote the film Devil You Know, starring Rosamund Pike, and co-wrote The Con is On, starring Uma Thurman and Tim Roth. The Silent Patient is his first novel.
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