Today I’m thrilled to be part of the blog tour for The Silent Patient to mark its publication in paperback. I’m re-sharing my review from way back in early 2019, in my review I wrote ‘this book is going to be HUGE’ and I wasn’t wrong. The Silent Patient has been sold in 38 territories and Brad Pitt’s Plan B Productions has bought the film rights. The book made the New York Times bestseller, a couple of weeks after publication.
Alongside my review I’m also giving away my unread ARC (I already own two copies, yes it really is that good!), you can find more about the giveaway at the bottom of this post.
Alicia Berenson lived a seemingly perfect life until one day six years ago.
When she shot her husband in the head five times.
Since then she hasn’t spoken a single word. It’s time to find out why.
Now and then a book comes a long that causes a huge stir and unless you’ve been living on a desert island for the last few months, then you will know The Silent Patient, the debut novel from Alex Michaelides is the book everyone is talking about. I must admit I can see why, it’s a unique and a very disturbing character based psychological thriller, but how I loved it. The author sure knows how to weave a tangled web, and then keep the reader in his clutches with a well- plotted story. It’s one that pulls you in from the shocking opening chapter and keeps you captivated all the way to it’s explosive conclusion. I literally read this book in a day, the tension mounted as each chapter ended making this an impossible book to put down. Mark my words this book is going to be a HUGE hit.
Alicia is a Patient in The Grove a secure forensic unit for the murder of her husband, she has not spoken a word since his death and Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who believes he is the one to make her speak of what happened on that fateful night. The author uses an intriguing concept As Alice refuses to talk after her husband’s murder, the reader is reliant on Theo’s interpretations of her thoughts and emotions, although the reader is privy to Alice’s journal which explores her life before Theo’s Murder. Even without a voice Alice is a strong protagonist, rather like Theo, you the reader are desperate to hear her voice and hear her side of the story. Theo is a man with his own secrets and troubled past, which make him an compelling character. The scenes between Theo and Alice crackle with tension, at times it felt like a battle of wits, as Alice battled to stay silent and Theo’s dogged determination to make her speak, these scenes give a sense of unease which grow as the story unfolds.
Anyone who reads psychological thrillers will expect there to be “twist” or two, after all isn’t that part of the reason we read these type of books? It’s the element of “surprise” that I always look forward to, it can turn an “enjoyable” read into a “OMFG I loved this book” type of read, so take a bow Alex Michaelides The Silent Patient definitely took me by surprise in fact I’m sure my jaw hit the floor at some point! I had an inkling where the plot was heading, but I guess I do not have the same twisted imagination as the author, he well and truly hood winked me, but so brilliantly executed. The Silent Patient is an assured debut from Alex Michaelides, he’s definitely an author to watch out for. Highly recommend if you enjoy a dark, shocking psychological thriller that will leave you speechless (excuse the pun!)
- Print Length: 352 pages
- Publisher: Orion (7 Feb. 2019)
Buying links: Amazon UK 🇬🇧 Amazon US 🇺🇸
It will come as no surprise but I’m giving The Silent Patient my shiny Book hangover award, It’s given to a book I feel is particularly outstanding, a book that covers every aspect of what I look for in a read, an original plot, great characters and a storyline that draws me in from the first page and keeps me in its grips until I reach the very last page.

About the author
Alex Michaelides was born in Cyprus in 1977 to a Greek father and English mother. He studied English literature at Cambridge University and got his MA in screenwriting at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. He wrote the film The Devil You Know (2013) starring Rosamund Pike and co-wrote The Brits are Coming (2018), starring Uma Thurman, Tim Roth, Parker Posey and Sofia Vergara. THE SILENT PATIENT is his first novel.
To win my unread ARC of The Silent Patient either leave a comment on this post or retweet my pinned post @reviewcafe. Competition closes Monday 16th, sorry but this giveaway is open to UK residents only and you must be following my blog. Good luck 📚📚
My thanks to the publishers for my ARC in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.
Follow the blog tour……..
I’ve been looking for a book for my choice when I host my book club group and this was on my shortlist. This review might just help push it to the top! 🙂
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I’ve been looking for a book for my choice when I host my book club group and this was on my shortlist. This review might just help push it to the top! 🙂
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Aww thanks Sarah, it’s comments like this that make my day 😘
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It’s on my “to read” list but I haven’t bought it yet! Fingers crossed x
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Fingers x for you Sheila x
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This sounds intriguing, and it’s always better to read the book before the film comes out, isn’t it? (A not so subtle hint.) 😀
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I like your style Voinks, I never thought for a minute it was a hint 😂
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