The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides - September 2022

[Gem , Moderator & Admin]

Hello fellow Crime, Mystery & Thriller readers,

Welcome to our discussion about The Silent Patient, your discussion leader is Rachel.
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about spoilers

Please note: If you have not finished reading the book spoilers are permitted in this discussion from the start. If you would like to use the spoiler formatting it can be found on the top right of the comment box in the "(some html is ok)" menu.
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Summary

Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.

Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.

Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....

[rachelsbookshelf]

Hi I’m Rachel and I will be the discussion leader for the silent patient! I’m so excited that this book was chosen as book of the month because I loved this book. As I’m guessing most of us in this group are, I am a huge crime, mysteries and thrillers reader my favourite including a good girls guide to murder, s.t.a.g.s, a silent patient and verity. I love books with plot twists and I must say that the plot twist in this book is phenomenal. I had to reread the page a couple times before it sank in. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I did and happy September!

[LTJ]

Hey everyone! Just grabbed my copy and will join you all for this in September, I can't wait :-)

[Beth]

I am afraid I wasn’t too crazy about this book. Here is my review of it. I avoid spoilers.

Although you’ll find THE SILENT PATIENT in bookstores on shelves with psychological thrillers, it isn’t. THE SILENT PATIENT is a character study.

The silent patient is Alicia, who refuses to talk since she shot and killed her husband. Her psychotherapist, Theo, is so interested in Alicia that he managed to get a job at the hospital where she is now being kept, and then he managed to be assigned to her case.

Theo learns more and more about Alicia's life by means that are certainly unbelievable, i.e., by interviewing her friends and family in their homes and offices. At the same time, we also learn about Theo’s life.

So, unlike a psychological thriller, THE SILENT PATIENT is a study of these two characters. But this book is also not a psychological thriller because it contains no twists and turns, which I expect when I read a thriller, until nearly the end.

For a psychological thriller to be literary, as the best of them are, it is character-driven as well as plot-driven. But I would not say that of THE SILENT PATIENT. I will not give a book a high rating just because it finally grabs me near the end.

Give me more than character study, and grab me right from the start. That is what I require of a highly rated book.

[Kemuel]

I’ll be reading this one too:)

[Gabbie]

I just ordered mine from the library! Can’t wait to join in!

[Chelsea]

I’m about halfway through it now!! I think we’ll all have A LOT to discuss!

[Kitha Pola]

I really love this one and this is my most recommended psychological thriller. I'm excited to know the thoughts of y'all <3

[Madison]

I realllllyyyyy enjoyed this. There’s a huge plot twist in the last 20-30 pages of the book that you will not see coming!

[Karen]

I was looking for a definition of psychiatrist (C.West) and psychotherapist, Theo, but none was explained in the book.

The closest I could come was a psychiatrist can prescribe drugs.

I am off to the dictionary to see if I was correct.

[Karen]

Psychiatrist
a medical practitioner specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness.

[Karen]

Psychotherapist
a person who treats mental conditions by verbal communication and interaction.

[Karen]

So my next question is why could Theo inject Alicia, and where did he get the drug?

[Gina]

I read this book earlier this year and enjoyed it. While I thought the ending was somewhat predictable given the clues being dropped towards the end, the story was entertaining.

[Pam]

I read The Silent Patient in November 2019, and gave it a 5-Star rating.

[Karen]

Pam wrote: "I read The Silent Patient in November 2019, and gave it a 5-Star rating."

do you remember why?

[Kelly]

I loved this book! I wish I was reading it for the first time. I did not see the twist coming and loved it.

[Gem , Moderator & Admin]

I am so bummed. I ordered this book from the library at the end of last month but I'm still 3rd on the list so I don't expect to get a copy before the end of this month. This has been on my TBR list for ages. I hope everyone is enjoying this selection.

[Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while)]

I had a grandfather who was very fond of saying 'Believe nothing of what you hear, little of what you read, and only half of what you see.' And it applies perfectly to this book, which I devoured in less than twenty-four hours.

And at the end, I sat like a stunned mullet thinking, 'What the? That shouldn't have worked.' But it did. Beautifully.

I didn't like the characters. None of them. Well, except for Ruth. I thought Alicia a nervous ninny, Theo pompous and self-righteous, and don't even get me started on the supporting cast.

But I couldn't put it down. And not once did I have any idea of the ending. Well done, Mr Michaelides.

[Pam]

Nice review, Sandy! 🥰

[Karen]

This was a very interesting plot.

Theo wants to know why Alicia has stopped talking, even to defend herself on charges of murdering her husband.

There is a lot of silence in this book.
Gabriel, Alicia's husband, walks silently.
Many of Alicia's friends and relatives are silent when Theo questions them.
Alicia's silence in The Grove where she is receiving treatment is contradicted by her diary, which she slips to Theo at one point.
Theo himself is silent when he deals with his wife's infidelity.
Carl is silent when Alicia is moved to The Grove, despite having treated her privately.
Gabriel is told to be silent when tied to the chair before his murder.

Is silence a defense or an offense? Often is it used as both.

I was interested in the difference between
Carl West, the psychiatrist and
Theo, the psychotherapist.

I found these definitions:
psy·chi·a·trist
a medical practitioner specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness.
psy·cho·ther·a·pist
a person who treats mental disorders by psychological rather than medical means.

So any drugs would have been issued by Carl not Theo.

There is a very interesting twist at the end of this novel, that I did not see coming.

Delightful.

[Florina]

What I like about the book:
- The plot in general with the Greek mythology reference
- The exploration of the main characters' past/childhood
- How each part starts with Alicia's diary to give a sneak peek of what actually happened before the murder

What I dislike about the book:
- There are many supporting characters that act like "suspects" and in the end, it feels like they just come and go when there is potential to dig a bit more into what they mean to the main characters.
- The ending feels a bit rushed after the plot twist.

Overall, I think it is an entertaining read, but there are some loose ends that could have been more well-addressed. It feels like the author is trying to make Alicia a sympathetic character, but it is a bit difficult when most of the time she is silent and I personally get very confused about her paintings. I was able to guess the twist from the hints but it is still satisfying to see how it is executed.

[Jess]

I loved it so much, I added it to my favorites...I just couldn't put it down. His writing drew me in and didn't let go! Like the rest, I didn't see the end coming. I was like a deer caught in headlights, "Like did I just read that right?!" But that's also why I love backstories...it sheds the light on a very un-predictable climax. I hope his next book flows like this one

[Keli]

I really liked this book. I'm in the same boat as some of you, and did not see the twist coming. I think the twist worked very well with the story. I enjoyed it very much.
@Karen - that is an interesting question you've asked. I didn't even think of that but you are right about Theo. He would not have had access as a psychotherapist. Good catch!

[Kimipip]

A good book but not great. A little too unrealistic and too many hints for the twist. Theo was just too obsessed with her from the start, and it was bizarre how he played detective interviewing everyone she knew - how did noone really question this?
Carl I thought was a tad one dimensional and I wondered how he ever got his degree/job.

[oLiViA fRy:)]

Bro I was into it in the beginning but the plot twist was the stupidest plot twist ever. The whole book was for nothing. Tell us she doesn’t talk and then go through her story and then tell us it was him. Make it through her point or the plot twist will annoy me forever. Thank you very much for nothing.