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Unbelievable. Masterfully written. Mesmerizing. Addicting.

These are just some of the words I would use to describe Alex Michaelides’ debut novel and now I understand all the hype behind this true compelling book. The Silent Patient is told from the perspective of psychotherapist Theo Faber, who applies for a position the Grove where convicted murderer Alicia Berenson is held. Alicia, whose life had appeared so perfect on the outside, was found by the police after shooting her husband, Gabriel. But that isn’t the most unbelievable part. From the moment she killed her husband Alicia has not said a word. Nothing. No explanation. No defense. Not a single word, leaving many unanswered questions. It is those questions that has driven Theo to the Grove and to Alicia. Theo is obsessed with the case and determined to not only learn the truth but to free Alicia from her silence.

From the first chapter I was hooked on this story and this is mainly due to the writing. Mr. Michaelides’ writing is simple but also complex in a way that is hard to describe. He writes as if you are having a conversation with his narrator, and boy does Theo Faber have some things to say.

Arguably the biggest reason why I loved this book was because of Theo. Told from his perspective, Theo drags the reader into the story, all told from his perspective and while Theo seems like a good guy with a few bad experiences that he has surely shaken off by now there is something lurking, something that Theo is hiding from us. In other words he’s a Nick Carraway. An unreliable narrator. And that is intriguing.

In between Theo’s musings and detective-like determination to find out why Alicia not only killed her husband but why she doesn’t speak is excerpts from Alicia’s diary. A picture is painted of a woman trapped, with hardly anyone to turn to and someone who is slowly losing their sanity. Or is she? Between Theo’s investigations and Alicia’s writing, the reader is left wondering if Alicia is truly insane after all and, if she is, what pushed her over the edge? Was it the husband? An overly aggressive brother-in-law or the unreadable longtime friend who Alicia has grown apart from? Everyone seems to have a motive to do Alicia harm, but do any of them act on it? These are just some of the questions the reader will be asking themselves as they speed through this fast-paced novel.

As more answers and questions are revealed, I found myself guessing nearly every possible explanation but when the reason is suddenly revealed I found myself gob smacked and shocked. Never could I have guessed the ending and that’s why I highly recommend this thriller. I am sure that not only will this book be one of my favorite reads of 2023 but will be one of my favorite books of all time.

5 out of 5 stars