With about fifty pages left, I had told my husband that this book was going to get five stars as long as it didn’t muck up the ending. As you can see by the rating I gave, it prevailed. The unexpected turn of events in The Silent Patient caused me to gasp aloud, “NO WAY!” I’ve read enough mysteries and thrillers to have a good sense of what is to come based on foreshadowing and common plot elements, but this was one twist I did not see coming.
Famous artist, Alicia Berenson, shoots her husband five times in the face and then remains silent. Through her arrest, trial, and stay in a secure psychiatric unit, Alicia continues her refusal to speak until a psychotherapist named Theo Faber joins her care team. Theo is determined to save Alicia, but his search for what happened reveals an astonishing truth.
There is a really good reason this debut novel was a New York Times Bestseller. When I read a book I love, I will look up the author to get a list of titles to pursue. Unfortunately, Alex Michaelides hasn’t published anything else yet, but as soon as he does, I will certainly be in line to snatch it up. There is also a lot of buzz about a movie based on the novel. It is currently listed as in development on IMDB, and I’m certain the COVID pandemic does not help matters. Time will tell, but if the film is anything like the book, it will be a must-see!