The Silent Patient

Alex Michaelides

Synopsis

- THE RECORD-BREAKING, MULTIMILLION COPY GLOBAL BESTSELLER AND TIKTOK SENSATION -
Discover the #1 New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling thriller with a jaw-dropping twist that everyone is talking about - as seen on TikTok. Soon to be a major film.

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.

READERS LOVE THE SILENT PATIENT

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Everything you need from a psychological thriller with a killer twist that is impossible to see coming!'

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Fiendishly clever ... believe the hype.'

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Grabs your afternoon from the start and never lets go'

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A fantastic thriller with an incredible plot twist that I really didn't see coming. I highly recommend.'

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'OMG, my heart is still pounding from the final chapters of this amazing thriller.'

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I'm honestly speechless, best book I have read for a very long time'

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'The twists when they come, wow oh wow!'

CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED

'The perfect thriller' AJ FINN
'Terrific' - THE TIMES Crime Book of the Month
'Smart, sophisticated suspense' - LEE CHILD
'Compelling' - OBSERVER
'Absolutely brilliant' - STEPHEN FRY
'A totally original psychological mystery' - DAVID BALDACCI
'One of the best thrillers I've read this year' - CARA HUNTER
'The pace and finesse of a master' - BBC CULTURE

Alex Michaelides

Summary

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is a psychological thriller novel about a woman named Alicia Berenson, who seemingly has no motive for murder. Despite having shot her husband Gabriel in the face five times, Alicia does not speak a single word and is sent to the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London. The story follows Theo Faber, a criminal psychotherapist, as he tries to uncover the mystery of why Alicia committed this heinous act.

Chapter 1: The chapter introduces the protagonist Theo Faber, who has been driven to find out the truth behind Alicia’s crime for six years. He gets his chance to try and penetrate the silent wall surrounding Alicia when some peculiar events take place and Theo gets an opportunity to work at the Grove.

Chapter 2: In this chapter, Theo meets Alicia and is struck by the deep sorrow that she holds within her. Despite her silence, Theo is sure that she has something to say, especially after he sees her twitch at certain words or phrases. He makes a bold move by asking her to draw her emotions, to which she agrees.

Chapter 3: While examining Alicia’s room the next day, Theo finds a diary that Alicia has been keeping since she was fourteen. It contains a series of entries rifling through her mind, from her early days with Gabriel to the events leading up to the murder. It provides insight into the pain and sorrow that Alicia experienced, but it also provides clues as to what really happened that fateful night.

Chapter 4: As Theo continues to get to know Alicia, he also uncovers the mystery of her past. He finds out the truth about her relationship with Gabriel, along with the fact that Gabriel was having an affair. He also discovers the truth about what happened on the night of the murder.

Chapter 5: In the final chapter, the mystery is finally solved. After putting all the pieces together Theo is able to get a confession out of Alicia. She reveals that she murdered Gabriel due to his infidelity and her own feelings of powerless. Despite finally hearing the truth, the story ends on an ambiguous note, as the reader is left to decide how to feel about Alicia’s crime.