The Silent Patient audiobook

As you will see, it’s an incredible story—of that there is no doubt. Whether you believe it or not is up to you. Ohhhh, I see why this book is getting so much buzz: it is virtually unputdownable.I didn't actually have any plans to read The Silent Patient. I just happened to see it hanging around in the new releases, took a quick peek, and thought-- why not? Well, I'll tell you why not. You absolutely definitely should NOT read this book if you want to go to sleep and get up for real life stuff in the morning. I read this until my eyes were like "nope" and closed on their own.It's very compelling. A psychotherapist called Theo Faber narrates the story and he announces early on that he's pretty "fucked up". He worms his way into a new job at the Grove mental health facility because of his fascination with the artist Alicia Berenson, who murdered her husband in an open-and-shut case and hasn't spoken a word since. But let us not forget that while Alicia Berenson may be a murderer, she was also an artist. Theo finds himself connecting with Alicia and feeling a desperate need to figure out why she did it. And, what's more, he wants to figure out why she is silent. What can't she say? What won't she say? The more he digs into her life, her family, and her past, the deeper in he gets. It's a fast-paced ride with short punchy chapters (oh, how easy it is to think "just one more chapter"). The story has so many threads and little surprises to uncover. More questions arise at every turn. And even those who work out the main aspect of the mystery will probably still enjoy the journey of finding out why, and all the little shocking discoveries made along the way.It is true that those who have read a number of twisty mysteries will likely guess the truth, but I think there's enough goodness here to make it enjoyable anyway. Or it was for me at least. Full of thrills, artistic metaphor, twists and Greek tragedy.Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube

Wow, I'm still reeling from that ending! A mindblowing, to-die for twist! A fast read that kept me intrigued from beginning to end, although the shocker came at the end. Wait......wait......what just happened? This was how I felt as a read the last few chapters!Alicia Berenson is such a mysterious, intriguing character and I was trying to figure her out the entire novel.  I kept asking myself, "What is up with Alicia?"She is a famous, talented painter and happily married to her husband, Gabriel. They live in London and have a cozy life.Why would Alicia murder him and then never speak again? You want to know, right? Well, I did and couldn't stop reading until I found out. It is the feeling you have when you  just have to know why!! The novel is narrated by Alicia's psychotherapist Theo Faber,  He is determined to " fix Alicia ".  I was so invested in learning what the circumstances of Alicia's silence was and had to find out if Theo could save her.  Would she ever speak again?  READ IT NOW to find out!I wasn't going to read this one, and then requested it on NG and I'm really glad I did.  As you can tell, I really enjoyed it! Sure to be a 2019 FAVORITE !Thanks to Celadon/ NG for my arc. Book is out in Feb 2019 Review posted to blog.

** spoiler alert ** 5 shining stars! We finally have a winner. It’s really page-turner, meticulously developed, smartly written book. I liked the final twist and ending of the book. Did my spider sense catch it? In the middle I was suspicious something was wrong but it well played and fooled me once! Shame on me!This is a successful debut novel with different writing technique. It may be sensed that the writer also works for big screen. Fast moving pace, twisty, edgy tricks, reminded me of “Gothika”, “AHS-Asylum”movies landed on Hitchcockian suspicious, dubious atmosphere! Mind games confuse the hell of you and surprises punching your face! There is a character is quite deserved my biggest slap!!! But if I speak about the identity of character, it means I have to give spoiler about murderer’s identity! Great dilemma between revealing unlikable character and getting expelled from GR community because of my big mouth! So mouth zipped. Punches secretly clenched. Just read it and get some pain killers for over usage of your brain cells😊

The Silent Patient knocked my socks off and reaffirmed my love of modern murder mysteries. Alicia shoots her beloved husband in the face five times, then never speaks another word. Theo, a psychotherapist, is captivated by Alicia's story and wants to help her. He thinks he can get her to speak again and divulge why she killed her husband. What follows is a search for truth in what really happened between Alicia and her husband.What I love most about this book is that, at its heart, it's a confounding murder mystery. And like any great murder mystery, it has clues, suspicious persons, and red herrings. And when the big reveal happens, it is brilliant and shocking. Not only did I not see the twist coming, but I was so surprised I stared open-mouthed at my book and reread it multiple times to make sure my brain could comprehend the complete mind bend that I had just experienced.I found this to be a quick read. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. The story grabbed me from the very beginning, and its taut pacing made me want to turn the pages as fast as I could. I ended up gulping the whole thing down in a day.I've been feeling a little jaded lately and didn't expect much going in. Modern thriller/mysteries are always billed as astounding and surprising, when most of the time they just feel contrived and silly with no payoff at the end. But wow, does this book deliver! It's so darn satisfying when the big twist is done right, and I am left speechless.

Alicia Berenson is notorious for an event that happened in the past, but since that horrific incident Alicia hasn't spoken a word. Theo Farber, a psychotherapist, has heard of Alicia over the years through the news and is delighted when a job opening becomes available that would allow him to work directly with Alicia. Will Theo get Alicia talking again? What actually happened all those years ago? Yes, this book really is as good as all of the hype. The writing on this was really top rate. Michaelides knew perfectly how to create intrigue and how to use dialogue with varying short and long paragraphs and short and long chapters to create the perfect pacing for this work. It was incredibly page turning, and the author definitely showed his chops as a mystery writer. He could write a master class in mystery writing. And this is his debut novel! What will Michaelides go from here? Personally, I can hardly wait to find out.Theo is gaining information about what happened in the past, but he is also questioning his own abilities. Can he really get Alicia talking? What are the professional boundaries of a psychotherapist? There was a little bit of internal monologue with Theo, but it wasn't boring or drawn out unnecessarily but raised some deep questions, causing the reader to think beyond just the superficial mystery/thriller. There was also some mention of art and its deeper meaning. It helped to create added depth to this book.Overall, yes, yes, and yes! This book is phenomenal if you haven't read it already! Definitely worthy of a reread.2023 Reading ScheduleJan Alice in WonderlandFeb Notes from a Small IslandMar Cloud AtlasApr On the RoadMay The Color PurpleJun Bleak HouseJul Bridget Jones’s DiaryAug Anna KareninaSep The Secret HistoryOct Brave New WorldNov A Confederacy of DuncesDec The Count of Monte CristoConnect With Me!Blog Twitter BookTube Facebook Insta

Dear Alex Michaelides,Brav-the-fuck-o dude 👏👏👏"Her silence was like a mirror - reflecting yourself back at you.And it was often an ugly sight."And that, my friends, sums up this book perfectly.Dark psychological suspense is my favorite genre and books like this one are exactly the reason why. This book is the very definition of a page-turner. From the very first page I was seduced by the magnetic writing style of Alex Michaelides.Nothing is as it seems in this novel. This story is complex and multi-layered with a labyrinth of characters, each playing their part in the development of the plot.The author never once tries to lead you astray with erroneous clues in an attempt to distract you from an obvious conclusion. I never once felt like I had a grasp on how this story was going to play out, which kept me rapt until the last page.The blurb on the back cover says that the book has already been optioned for a movie and I'd like to put forth my recommendations for casting:Haley Bennett as AliciaandOliver Jackson Cohen as Theo (I expect a casting credit)I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is a 2019 Celadon Books publication. When this book first started to garner a little buzz, I initially shied away from it. I am still avoiding psychological thrillers for the most part. However, the reviews were so overwhelmingly positive I relented, adding it to my TBR list. After a lengthy wait at the library, I finally obtained a copy, and dived in with no small amount of cautious optimism. Was it worth the wait? Did it live up to the hype?The set- up is instantly intriguing-Theo Faber, a criminal psychotherapist is oddly obsessed with the well- respected artist, Alicia Berenson, a patient housed in a forensic unit after shooting her husband five times in the face. She hasn’t uttered a word since. Theo sacrifices better and more lucrative opportunities in hopes of becoming her therapist. As he manipulates his way into Alicia’s life, his determination to unlock the secrets of her heart and mind slowly yields a few surprising results. However, all his probing could have a few unforeseen consequences...Anyone who has read a review for this book has, by now, heard about the stunning twist that apparently caught most readers off guard. But, let’s not get too hung up on the twist. In my humble opinion, a mind -blowing twist is a requirement of any and all psychological thrillers. What makes a twist work in the first place is the mystery. Did Alicia kill her husband, as all the evidence suggests? If so, what was her motive? Why hasn’t she uttered a single word in all these years? This is a compelling mystery. Alicia an enigma, to be sure. This is unsettling enough on its own merits. However, the author also examines some hard truths about institutions that rely on funding, which leads to money and power taking precedent over the welfare and health of the patients. Adding in yet another rich layer is the unique and quite interesting mythological parallel woven into the story. It is easy to step into Theo’s narrative as he slowly walks us through Alicia’s past, dropping hints and clues along the way, introducing us to all the possible suspects, while delving into Alicia’s fragile psyche. But, if I am being totally honest, the plot is not all that plausible, and at times the execution warbles. There are some problems within the story, but in my humble opinion, this is how a pure psychological thriller should be presented. The author relies on paranoia and the emotional instability of the characters to build suspense as opposed to grisly, graphic crime scenes. It’s a mind game from start to finish. Now, about that twist-The most important thing to me was that it was singular. No over the top, unnecessary twists added for mere shock value. A good PT doesn’t need more than one, maybe two, depending on the author’s experience or the situation- in my opinion. In this case, the reader is totally blindsided, tapped on the shoulder from behind, by a revelation so shocking, I’ll bet some of you gasped out loud. I know I did! It messed with your head, right? Now THAT’S what I’m talking about!! Of course, after all that buildup and the success of the big plot twist, the ending had to come together, or all was for naught. I was a little concerned for a few minutes, but honestly, the conclusion was the cherry on the cake. The book was worth waiting for, but I am glad I proceeded with caution and kept my expectations in check. The story is not quite strong enough to merit a five -star rating, but I appreciated the pure, traditional understated approach. The author wisely dialed things back, distancing himself from the oversaturated parodies many current psychological thrillers have become. I hope the popularity of this book with inspire more authors to follow this more authentic prototype and restore the psychological thriller back to its former glory.

5 “this lived up to the hype” stars!!! Brilliant! Shocking! Addictive! Mesmerizing! I’m stunned that this is a debut novel. The skillfully scripted storyline, the truly unforgettable characters, the pulse-pounding suspense, the consistently enthralling pace, the enticing narration – all exceptionally fantastic! This was dazzling perfection! The author, Alex Michaelides, has set the bar extremely high for any follow up novels. Wow! I’m going to keep this short and sweet and avoid getting into any storyline details. Bottom line, if you enjoy psychological thrillers, you MUST get your hands on a copy of this. This has easily earned a spot on my 2019 Favourites list! I am eagerly awaiting his next novel!This was a Traveling Sister read that we all loved. Thank you to my lovely local library for lending me a copy of this fantastic book!

FIVE STARSTHE SILENT PATIENT is a deep, dark tale of murder, love and revenge. This is a contemporary story steeped in a deliciously gothic tone. At the beginning of the book, we have a vicious murder, a frightening asylum setting for the criminally insane, and a suspect who refuses to speak. When Theo steps in to save the day as psychotherapist to the silent Alice, well….you are in for a twisted treat, so I can’t divulge anymore!I went into this book with expectations it would be similar to Alice Feeney’s Sometimes I Lie or one of my old favorites Before I Go to Sleep. I was wrong, it is so much better! The main characters of Theo and Alice are richly layered with just enough reveals leaked out over time that you will constantly wonder “who is the unreliable narrator here?” (You will doubt yourself over and over and I LOVE THAT!!!). Truly, one of the best books I’ve read this year! I absolutely devoured it. Theo takes you into his head, explaining the psychology involved in certain situations, as if the reader is part conspirator, part solution. There are Freudian quotes sprinkled liberally throughout this mystery--pure delight for armchair psychologists!I listened to the Audible version--Outstanding!

Teetering between a 4 and a 4.5Alicia Berenson is a famous painter who has been admitted to the Grove, a forensic unit in North London. She has been charged with murdering her husband, Graham, who is a fashion photographer, after he returns home late one evening. After shooting Graham, Alicia has never spoken again.Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who accepted a job at the Grove in the hopes of working with Alicia. He is obsessed with learning her motive. He knows he can get her to talk. Others have tried - others have failed. Will he be successful?Although Alicia does not speak, the reader gets a glimpse into her life through Theo's discussions with those in her life. Well, more to the point, we get their impressions of her, things they know about her and their own assumptions about her. They seem to have no problem sharing what they know about her but why hasn't anyone been to visit her? The reader gets to learn even more about Alicia through her diary entries. Finally, Alicia "speaks" via the written word. But what could have led her to shoot her husband? Will she ever speak? Why isn't she speaking now? Is it by choice? Is it due to trauma? hmmmm Theo is also an interesting character. Most of the novel is told through him. The reader also gets a glimpse into his life, his thoughts and the inner workings of his mind. I was curious as to why he was so obsessed with learning her motive. Why is he so driven to learn the truth? Is he a fan or her artwork? Will learning the truth advance his career? This is a very clever tale which grabbed my attention right away. I was intrigued to learn what was going on. I had several theories and assumptions. Some were close and some were way off base - as in a mile off base. Of course, there is that shocking reveal - I did not see that coming - AT ALL. It really was the perfect "OMG, what did I just read?" moment followed by an "Aha!" moment. This book was a page turner for me. I kept turning the pages to learn how the book was going to unfold. The ending felt a little bit rushed and I wanted to just a tad bit more. Overall, a very enjoyable read even thought one character really annoyed me. Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com

“There’s so much pain everywhere, and we just close our eyes to it. The truth is we’re all scared. We’re terrified of each other. I’m terrified of myself.” This was a wild ride!I’d been looking forward to this thriller for absolutely ages – and it was definitely worth the wait in my opinion.Theo is a psychotherapist, recently moved to a new institution as he is fascinated by the woman referred to as The Silent Patient.Alicia shot her husband in the face five times, then proceeded to try and take her own life. Since being convicted she hasn’t uttered a single word, and she has been committed.Theo takes it upon himself to get Alicia to talk; to find out why she did what she did. What was going through her mind at the time?I was gripped – there are so many unlikable characters, it is hard to trust anyone. We also have chapters regarding Theo’s home life, his traumatising childhood – which led him to work in mental health, and also his relationship with his wife Kathy. “We often mistake love for fireworks - for drama and dysfunction. But real love is very quiet, very still. It’s boring, if seen from the perspective of high drama. Love is deep and calm - and constant.” I enjoyed the ending – I didn’t see that coming and it felt believable yet surprising. Although after I spoke through it with my mum I did realise that it is slightly far-fetched – but hey, I still found it entertaining which is the main point. (view spoiler)[ So it turns out Theo’s wife Kathy was cheating on him with Alicia’s husband Gabriel – what a small world eh? And Theo follows Gabriel home, ties up both him and Alicia and tells Gabriel he will either kill him or kill Alicia – he can choose. Gabriel chooses to save himself. Theo shoots the ceiling then leaves and Alicia shoots Gabriel in the face. That was all understandable, Alicia is very unstable at this time. What I found less understandable is when Theo begins working at the institution and meets Alicia for the second time. She recognises him (though we don’t know this until the end), and Theo decides that to protect himself Alicia needs to die. So he injects her with a lethal amount of morphine. I don’t get this though… why kill her? She wasn’t speaking anyway until Theo starting having sessions with her – he could have avoided it all….to me it just seemed all rather odd. (hide spoiler)]Nonetheless, it was an entertaining and exciting read and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a fast paced thriller. “Love that doesn’t include honesty doesn’t deserve to be called love.”

5, the debut of the century stars!!!Full review along with a Curry Chicken recipe featured on my blog Recipe & a Read!So first off, can I get a “hell yeah” for Alex Michaelides for this stunning debut of a novel! I ordered this on a whim on Amazon because I didn’t want to wait through the 86 holds at my library and when it came in the mail I decided just to take one little peak. However, what actually happened, was me zooming through this thrill ride at break-neck speed and finishing it in less than 12 hours (I had to sleep ok). So needless to say, I quite loved this book.Alicia Berenson was thirty-three years old when she killed her husband.Alicia and her husband Gabriel are the *perfect* couple. Alicia is an up and coming painter and Gabriel is a noted fashion photographer. They’re young, they’re beautiful and they’re head over heels in love with one another. However, as with all thrillers that quickly comes crumbling to the ground when Alicia is found standing over her dead husbands body – after being shot in the face six times – and covered in both of their blood.As everyone around Alicia grapples with this terrifying series of events and struggle to come up with a defense not just to save Alicia’s life but to understand how this could’ve happened they're met with a brick wall. Only, that brick wall is Alicia and she’s refusing to say a word. Alicia sits idly by in the court room as she is vilified and damned for killing the only man she’s ever truly loved and still, she says nothing. As she’s saved from the death penalty and instead put in a psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane, still she doesn’t say a word. Years and years go by, and still Alicia doesn’t say a word.“We’ve talked about this before. Haven’t we?”“About fireworks?”“About love. About how we often mistake love for fireworks – for drama and dysfunction. But, real love is very quiet, very still. It’s boring, if seen from a perspective of high drama. Love is deep and calm – and constant.” *can I get an AMEN*Theo Farber is a criminal psychotherapist and he’s been following Alicia’s story since the beginning. Coming from a painful upbringing and life himself, Theo see’s parts of him in Alicia and he believes, no he knows that he can help Alicia heal. As he carefully but steadily dismantles his promising career and life in order to get a job at The Grove, where Alicia is being housed he moves his pieces about the chess board of life and gets closer and closer to Alicia hoping to uncover her story and get her to tell what happened between her and Gabriel once and for all.As it turns out, Alicia feels a draw to Theo as well. At a slow, but not tedious and incredibly suspenseful pace, Alicia begins to open up and little bits and pieces of her story are falling out left for the reader and Theo to put together. What follows is easily one of the most suspenseful, exciting, thrilling and surprising stories I’ve read in quite a long time.At the time I didn’t understand. But that’s how therapy works. A patient delegates his unacceptable feelings to his therapist; and she holds everything he is afraid to feel, and she feels it for him. Then, ever so slowly, she feeds his feelings back to him. So first things first, as someone who has an undergraduate degree in Psychology (which means next to nothing in the field) but who has also been a major advocate and participant in therapy I loved the way it was portrayed in this book. Something that irks me to no end is the way the entertainment industry portrays not just people who attend therapy but therapists themselves. The whole “and how does that make you feel” line really annoys the crap out of me because that’s not what therapy is about. I think Michaelides honored the profession and despite being a pretty intense thriller and how easily it could’ve been done, therapy was never vilified but admired.So onto the meat of this story – what initially drew me in was the synopsis of Alicia killing her husband and then never speaking another word. I can’t quite explain why exactly that particular linchpin got me hook, line and sinker but it did. However, what gripped and held me and didn’t let me go from the moment I started it was an incredibly well paced story. Michaelides delivered a stunning and gripping plot, but what made it shine is that every piece of information the reader is given is given to you only exactly when it is needed to move the story forward. Nothing is sensationalized or used to provide cheap jump scare thrills. There’s a sinister undertone throughout the book and to me, The Silent Patient is the prime-o example of what the genre of psychological thriller is supposed to be.Her silence was like a mirror – reflecting yourself back at you.And it was often an ugly sight.I don’t want to give to much away because again, this is one of the most surprised I’ve been in a long time by the final twists in a thriller book. I’ve been interested in reading this for quite some time, and I’m so happy I picked it up sooner rather than later. I guarantee this is going to be one of the top books of 2019 and if it’s on your list – pick it up, if it’s not – add it now. The prose, the pacing, the suspense and development into the story were all a complete slam dunk for me. This is absolutely the type of book that once you pick it up, you’re not going to be able to put it down until you’re done with it and know how it ends – and the ending, is quite the doozie. I’m thrilled by Alex Michaelides and really excited to see future works because this author knows how to get it done my dudes.

I’m giving this novel all the stars! What a freaking ending!!! I absolutely loved it!I listened to the audio. Both narrators were brilliant! The audio might have actually enhanced this novel! The narration was that good! Would make a good first listen. Both narrators made it very easy to follow.Highly recommended!

Once I picked this book up, I couldn’t stop and finished it in two sittings. I was intrigued right from the start and found it to be quite the page-turner. Theo is a psychotherapist who has issues of his own (don’t they all?) but he finagles his way into a job at a psychiatric facility so he can work with Alicia, a patient who was found guilty some years earlier of killing her husband, Gabriel, by shooting him in the face 5 times.  She has not spoken a word in the years since the murder and Theo is convinced he can help her. I’m not going to go into details of the plot as it’s best discovered by the reader. But, what follows is a twisty tale that took me by surprise. Sometimes an ending or twist comes out of nowhere, without warning. But, the author gave us all the clues, I had just failed to put them all together. And that is my favorite kind of mystery book. There were no rabbits pulled from a hat and no twists just for the sake of shocking the reader. In the end, I found myself smiling and thinking "well-done". 
Is it perfect? No. Are there a few plot holes? Yes. Did I have to suspend some disbelief? Yes. Did the author tend to over explain things at times when we can figure it out on our own? Yes. Did I care? No. For a fun quick and addictive read, this fit the bill quite nicely. This is a fantastic debut and I can’t wait to see how he develops as an author. I’ll be sure to read his next book. This book will make a terrific movie if Hollywood does it right.  This was another great buddy read with my friend Marialyce!

recently, ive realised that i feel quite jaded when it comes to mysteries/thrillers. they have started to lose their ability to truly shock and surprise me; and im not sure if thats because the more you read them, the more aware and better you are at picking up subtle hints as a reader. but its starting to require a really unexpected twist to make a thriller/mystery memorable for me. and thankfully i found that in ‘the silent patient.’i really enjoy how this story weaves together theo fabers work with the famous murderss, alicia berenson, with his home life and his wife. it makes for a really dynamic and intriguing story. and like i said, there is a twist and it surprised me in the best way possible. i thought the reveal was handled in a very intelligent way and it made for a great reading experience. there are a couple of things i found to be over the top and too dramatic but, overall, this is a dang good story and a very impressive debut! michaelides has definitely made it onto my radar for authors to watch!↠ 4.5 stars