The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read part of this on my Kindle, but listened to most of it on Audible. I enjoyed both formats. The story is told alternately between a psychotherapist, Theo, and his (silent) patient's diary, so his parts are read by a man, and the diary is read by a woman. The writing is great and I don't want to say much more for fear of giving anything away. I look forward to more from this author.

*** POSSIBLE SPOILERS ***

Debbie, if there's any chance you're going to read this book, stop reading now.



Stop.  Stop now, I tell you!



Okay, you've been warned.

Here I go....

I'm glad I didn't read any reviews of this book before I picked it up.  As I read the reviews after the fact, people say things about the "big twist" and the "twists and turns" in the book.  Reading that kind of review, even if it doesn't tell me what the twist is, builds anticipation, so I'm just waiting for "the thing" to happen, and when it does, I'm often disappointed. 

Even though this is called a "psychological thriller," it's really not that.  I was glad to hear an interview with the author at the end of the audiobook where he says other people put that term on the book.  He was surprised by the word "thriller."  He thinks of it as a slow, suspenseful story.  The lady doing the interview points out that there's a real richness to the characters and their lives.  I agree with that.  It's not so much a thriller--there are no jump-out-of-your-seat moments, that I usually associate with thrillers.  Instead, it's more clever and I found myself grinning when all was revealed.  The author said he had Alfred Hitchcock in mind as he was writing it, and I can see that. 

And now a word about potential spoilers.  As you see, I didn't really give away any plot points here.  However,  I've written before about inadvertently spoiling something for my sister, hence my warning to her above.