The Silent Patient

Michaelides, Alex. The Silent Patient. New York: Celadon 2019. Print

First Sentences:

Alicia Berenson was thirty-three years old when she killed her husband. 

Description:

There is no doubt in anyone's mind that Alicia Berenson, the famous painter, has shot killed her photographer husband, Gabriel. She is found standing in the room with his dead body when the police arrive. Only her fingerprints on the rifle left beside his body, And she is covered in his blood as well as her own.

But she is completely silent during her arrest, trial, conviction, sentencing, and then during the six years of her commitment to a psychiatric ward. Why doesn't she talk, plead her case, or at least tell everyone what went on? It will be up to Theo Farber, a forensic psychotherapist, to try to convince her to speak and reveal the events surrounding this murder.

Thus begins Alex Michaelides' intriguing new mystery, The Silent Patient. The criminal psychiatrist Farber has been intrigued by the Berenson's case since it first appeared in the newspapers. He applies for a position at The Grove psychiatric unit where Alicia is being held in hopes of having her assigned as his patient.

But his efforts to win her trust, to get her to even acknowledge his presence or change her deadpan expression, prove both fruitless and controversial for other staff members. Can Faber get some results before the board of executives for The Grove shut down the facility as non-profitable?

This is a very quiet mystery despite the underlying violence of the opening murder. It presents the struggles that medical staff have with conflicting treatment methods, publicity, and funding. While the murder itself seems an open-and-shut case, Alicia and her motivation behind the act are complete blanks. She continues to appear unable or unwilling to make a sound either as a confession or plea for innocence.

But then Alicia's diary comes to light, and it is her writings that we, as readers, have been following in the story all along. Slowly, we begin to unravel the truth. But will Farber and the staff of The Grove be able to piece together her ramblings to understand all the events? And if so, what happens to Alicia?

And believe me, there are some unexpectedly delicious surprises in store, right up to the final pages. 

Loved the suspense, the mystery, the unreliable voices, the silent character, and especially the final solution presented by author Michaelides. A really compelling, interesting read. 

Happy reading. 

Fred

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If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Lutz, Lisa. The Passenger  

In the opening sentences, we meet Tonya who is looking down at her husband's body after he had fallen down the stairs. Pushed? Fell? It is unknown, but Tonya decides to take off, not willing to answer to the police. She travels across the country protecting this and other secrets, taking on new names, jobs, and fellow travelers right up to the unexpected revelations in the last pages. Highly recommended. (previously reviewed here)