Review: The Silent Patient

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“We're all crazy, I believe, just in different ways.” (Indeed we are, indeed we are).

The plot itself - We are introduced to a woman called Alicia Berenson with her picture-perfect life, being married to an in-demand fashion photographer. One day she shoots that same husband five times in the face and goes completely silent.

But her silence is what gives her more time in the spotlight, more than the average 15 minutes in the spotlight a normal person receives. In turn, she's put in a psychiatric center, to be treated. Meanwhile we're introduced to our second main protagonist, Theo Faber, a brilliant criminal psychologist, who's been waiting and watching to uncover the truth behind Alicia's actions and is recalled as the last hope. But what if the truth was more than what he could handle? What if it consumed him to a point of no return?

The characters - Alicia is a brilliant woman, even with her confuzzling silence, clever and never leaves you bored, giving you one hint, a treat one page a time. As for Theo, him with his own recollections of his life, his own thoughts about the case, and his interrogations with each suspect linked back to Alicia and her case, keep you guessing, keep you thinking, and turning pages every time. Definitely these characters are to not be underestimated and even sympathised with, perhaps. But you'll definitely love them, as time passes and so do the pages. Points are given here.

The mystery itself- You don't revisit the crime scene over and over again, but flashbacks do occur, discussions do happen, and links are connected. The interrogations are not dragged out, every conversation with Alicia or any other suspect are relevant and link back to the case one way or another, every move Theo makes, is also connected and connecting the dots too. So basically, what I'm saying is that the writing is clear-cut, fast paced, and leaves you hanging with each chapter's ending. Guaranteed it's a mystery worth appreciating. There go the points.

The end -Mm, the ending. Definitely my most favorite and yet shocking ending. I didn't even see the huge plot-twist coming with Alicia's work, her family, her therapy with Theo. Well done to the author. The lead up to the ending may have been misleading sometimes but the big finish leaves you wanting more for hours...such was the ending, deserving all the points in the end.

An excellent psychological mystery written, one which will have you reading all hours of day and night, desperate for it's conclusion and how it all came to be.

Until the next read,

TMR