The Silent Patient

Alicia Berenson and her husband Gabriel seem to have the perfect life, until one night Alicia is discovered standing over Gabriel's body holding a gun. It seems unbelievable, but Alicia's prints are the only ones on the gun and there is no evidence of another person being in the house, so the police have no choice but to conclude that Alicia murdered Gabriel. The one question on everyone's mind is - why? It appears that they will never know, as what makes the case extraordinary is the fact that Alicia has not uttered a single word since she was found that night.

Theo Faber is a psychoanalyst who is drawn to Alicia and is determined to find out her story and help her break her years-long silence. He gets a position at the psychiatric facility where she has been since her trial and begins working with her. He soon finds himself ensnared in the tangled web of Alicia's past, and the lines between professional and personal start to blur as he becomes more and more desperate to make Alicia speak again. Will he be able to get answers before too many lines have been crossed?

After the Gone Girl craze of years ago I got somewhat tired of psychological thrillers, but I devoured The Silent Patient in one sitting while on an airplane and had to spend a few minutes absorbing everything when it ended. It's impossible not to get drawn into the lives of Alicia and Theo and the mystery of why Alicia killed Gabriel as well as why she has never spoken a word since. I can't say much without risking spoilers, but the story is intricately plotted with a mind-blowing twist at the end that I did not see coming. I recommend this book for fans of psychological thrillers and suspense!