The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

"It's been six years since Alicia Berenson was tried for the murder of her husband, Gabriel, and sent to the Grove, a facility for the criminally insane. Theo Faber, a therapist, has just transferred there, eager to work with Alicia and try to get her to open up, to actually speak, after six years of absolute silence. Michaelides kept me guessing, and the twist at the end was pretty surprising. Though this wasn't the best mystery/thriller I've ever read, it did keep me on my toes."

⭐⭐⭐

Pros: I was curious to see why/if Alicia killed her husband. The chapters were short, which I appreciated since they offer convenient stopping points.

Cons: Everyone is in love with Alicia, of course/It all escalated rather quickly.

Full Review:

Alicia Berenson is a moderately famous artist. Her husband, Gabriel, is a fashion photographer. They’re a seemingly happy couple. That is, until Alicia is found with her husband, who’s been tied to a chair and shot five times at point-blank range in the face. Alicia has cut her wrists and is rushed to the hospital and saved.

She’s put on trial for the murder of her husband, but she never speaks a word. She’s found guilty and is sent to the Grove, a mental health facility for the criminally insane.

Theo Faber is a psychotherapist who’s given up a solid career and transferred to the Grove, hoping to work with the famous Alicia Berenson. Six years have passed since the trial, and she still hasn’t uttered a single word.

Theo is determined to crack the case and figure out what will make Alicia speak again. He starts digging around in her personal life, contacting friends and family. She's struggled with mental health issues since childhood. Alicia survived a car accident that her mother did not. When her father killed himself, Alicia also attempted suicide, not out of grief but, apparently, because she hated the man.

None of it makes much sense, but Theo is determined to learn as much as he can about Alicia and try to break her silence. Even as his own life begins to unravel, he's devoted to Alicia and figuring out what is behind that silence.

The ending caught me off guard, but I appreciated how Michaelides untangled all the threads and smoothed everything out. I must say, I was pretty surprised at how things turned out.

Comments

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