The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

I first heard about this book over on Book Twitter and everyone was over the moon to read or to have read it. Obviously, I was intrigued. I knew it was a psychological thriller but the only thing I was worried about was the fact that there was just too much hype around the book and over hyped books have never done well with me.

So, the reading of it kept on being delayed.

I am not sure if I have mentioned this before but I am part of a few Book Clubs and one of them had The Silent Patient as the July 2020 read.

So I could not delay it further.

I use the Libby app on my phone to access ebooks and audiobooks from a public library and luckily for me the audiobook was available for borrowing.

The audiobook is narrated by Jack Hawkins and Louise Brealey.

First of all I want to state that I loved the narration of them both. The British accent was like music to my ears. Don’t ask but I have a thing about the British accent.

The story is one first persona and we get the story as experienced a psychotherapist, Theo Faber, who is intrigued by a woman named Alicia Berenson who is admitted to a mental care facility post murdering her husband. Ever since the incident, the woman had not spoken even a word and Theo seems to be attracted to that, believing that he will be the one finally unlocking her voice.

When the opportunity arises to become Alicia’s therapist by joining the facility where she is imprisoned, he leaps at the chance.

Theo’s own life is shown which is not very hunky dory and there are instances when I felt that he too needed some kind of a therapy. There were times when I thought that he may have been in love with Alicia in some point in time in the past and that those feelings had lingered on. Then, there were times I felt that Theo just wanted to prove his worthiness to himself by making the most difficult patient, The Silent Patient.

As for Alicia I believed that some injustice may have been done her for her to go mute. I am not going to go into details here as that may become a spoiler and I generally avoid them in my reviews.

My thoughts changed quite fast as I read more of this fast paced story. I was able to figure out half of the climax before it happened but I must say that the rest of twist left my mouth hanging open.

I was so not expecting that to happen!

Lastly, I just want to add that this book was an amazing ride that I had. Brilliantly penned and narrators did a hundred percent justice to the story.

Highly recommended.