This is the psychological thriller of the century. I’m no Agatha Christie but I know a thing or two about a good mystery novel and this one was superb. I was completely spellbound until the final page. Michaelides knew perfectly how to create intrigue and suspense. The twist was so unexpected that I was completely blindsided. The ending was such a shocker that I still think about this book months later. I had few working theories while reading this novel but none were remotely close to the actual ending.
Oddly enough, when I read the reviews for this book before reserving it from the Greenpoint library someone wrote ‘Not Silent Enough’ (I loved the play on words) and not surprisingly gave this book a 1 star rating. So I guess you really can’t win them all but I thought it was brilliant.
Below is a short synopsis of the book:
Alicia and her husband Gabriel are the perfect couple. Alicia is an up and coming painter and Gabriel is a distinguished fashion photographer. They’re young, successful and in love. However, their perfect life comes crumbling to the ground when Alicia is found standing over her dead husbands body – after being shot in the face six times – and covered in both of their blood. Did she kill him? What was her motive? Was she set-up?
As everyone around Alicia grapples with this terrifying series of events and struggle to come up with a defense not just to save Alicia’s life so as to avoid the death penalty but also to understand how this could’ve happened, they’re met with complete silence from Alicia. She is then placed in a psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane and the mystery surrounding the death of her husband casts her into notoriety.
Theo Farber, a criminal psychotherapist, seizes the opportunity to work with Alicia, the silent patient, when a job position opens up at the secure psychiatric unit where she resides. Theo is determined to help Alicia and in doing so uncover the mystery surrounding the fateful night 6 years prior. Theo’s determination to find the truth sets him on a path of self destruction that threatens to consume him.
I was quite surprised to find out that this was Alex Michaelide debut book! The skillfully scripted storyline, the truly unforgettable characters, the pulse-pounding suspense, the consistently enthralling pace, the enticing narration – all exceptionally fantastic! ‘The Silent Patient’ has one of the best plot twists for an ending I have ever read in a novel. Ever. It completely and utterly blew me away. This is a must read!
