Outside of entertainment and learning, one of the things I enjoy most about reading is discussing and sharing books with others. I especially like it when people share book recommendations with me. Nearly all my most interesting reads have come from recommendations. And while I might not get to all of my recommendations right away, eventually I manage to get to them. I know my daughter Courtney can relate.

Anyway, both Courtney and Amanda read The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides last year. They both liked it, a lot. Since they both highly recommended it, I made it a point to put it at the top of my 2022 reading list even though it isn’t in my primary reading genre of science fiction. I wasn’t exactly sure what I was getting into, but I figured I’d give it a shot.

The premise of the book is built around a woman who is accused of murdering her husband. The catch? Since her husband’s death, she refuses to speak and is convicted of the murder. After her conviction, she is committed to a psychiatric hospital. As such, she is The Silent Patient that the book is named after.

Forensic psychiatrist Theo Faber takes a keep interest in her case. He positions himself to become her therapist with the goal of getting her to speak. As part of his goal, he pursues his own investigation into the murder. It turns the book into part mystery, part thriller as he pursues various leads to get to the bottom of what exactly happened.

For me, the book started a little slow, picked up speed, and then got to the point where I was unable to put it down. I read it over the course of a few days, which is much faster than I usually read a book. Overall, I found the book captivating, loved the story, and was blown away by the twist and reveal. Outside of not being a sci-fi novel, it checked all of the boxes I look for in a good book.

The Silent Patient is a Must Read that I would highly recommend. It draws you in slowly, then it hooks you. Once hooked, you won’t be able to put it down. Bottom line, if The Silent Patient isn’t on your reading list for this year, add it and put it at the top. You won’t regret it.