Combining elements of Greek mythology, psychological sciences, and crime, The Silent Patient weaves these elements together to create a web of clues the reader will enjoy untangling, playing the role of detective. Michaelides appears to seamlessly segue his previous themes of crime and secrecy into his first novel, The Silent Patient, which is an intense and shocking psychological thriller. I would recommend this to all readers looking for a thriller with good character development and insight.You may already have heard of writer Alex Michaelides due to his previous success in screenwriting for the films The Devil You Know (2013) and The Con Is On (2018). There were small reveals throughout the book, but the ultimate reveal still surprised me. This mix of mythology, psychology, and mystery flowed perfectly together. I appreciated the diversity of the side characters, although many of them were underdeveloped.The book interweaves the details of a Greek tragedy that I was unfamiliar with. I can usually predict twists, but I wasn't able to see past cleverly placed details. There was a number of violent and disturbing behavior described as the mystery unfolds.

There's so much pain everywhere, and we just close our eyes to it. It added further suspense and intrigue to the disturbing details of this violent murder. Theo's psychological analysis throughout the book was insightful and refreshing. The opening chapters describe a disturbing final painting that Alicia completes after the murder and I was hooked immediately. The book alternates between Theo Faber, Alicia's therapist, and Alicia's diary which was written in the months before the murder. I could not stop reading this book, I desperately wanted to know what happened next. 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.Ĭontent Warning: Mental Illness, Graphic Violence Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. 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. 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.Īlicia’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.

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. ~Amazon~ Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect.

The silent patient analysis