Thrilling, suspenseful and daring, Alex Michaelides’s debut novel “The Silent Patient” explores art, love and evil from a bold perspective. 

Set in modern-day England, Alicia Bernerson lives a seemingly happy life with her husband in North London. She works as a painter, creating graphic works of art that describe the perils of her everyday life. 

Everything seems perfect in the Bernerson household until one fateful evening when Alicia’s husband is found with multiple gunshots in his head — and Alicia’s fingerprints on the gun. The crime seems clear cut: an upset wife murders her husband. However, Alicia has not spoken a single word to anyone since the murder and refuses to say anything to shed light on what happened that night. 

Her silence is interpreted by authorities as an omission of guilt, and Alicia is sentenced to life in a forensic unit known as the Grove, where she soon becomes infamously known as the “silent patient.” Everything about the case seems to be fully resolved, but psychotherapist Theo Faber soon becomes fixated on Alicia’s case and quits his job to work closer to Alicia, thinking he will be the one to break her silence. 

This page-turning mystery dives deep into Theo and Alicia’s personal lives, producing a novel of the same psychological dimensions as a Gillian Flynn mystery. With intermittent entries from Alicia’s personal diary to break up Theo’s narration, Michaelides carefully builds suspense throughout the novel; each page contains a bit of information to unlock the secret to Alicia’s silence. 

A surprising technique that elevates Michaelides’ writing is his use of allusions to classical texts. While many contemporary authors chose to place such references amongst their characters subtly, Michaelides boldly inserts allusions to works like Shakespeare’s “Othello” into the thoughts of Alicia and Theo. 

While sometimes appearing to work too hard to elevate the text, these allusions ask clever questions about the mystery being dissected before the audience. Additionally, the intersection of these allusions with contemporary themes asks important questions about marital struggles, mental health and the construction of new art. 

While speckled with literary technique, “The Silent Patient” is mainly a novel built around plot. The story of Alicia is what drives the novel and emerges as the most complex and well-thought-out aspect of Michaelides’ storytelling. 

Although the story is mostly conveyed through Theo’s narration, it is carefully constructed to articulate the misrepresentations that accompany a male retelling of female experiences. This careful messaging, which underscores the Greek tragedy of Alicia’s experience, is what separates “The Silent Patient” from many thriller novels on the market. 

Not to mention, the surprise twist in the last few chapters is jaw-dropping and makes the reader’s perspective on the entire novel change dramatically. 

If you’re looking to pick up a copy of “The Silent Patient,” make sure to check your local bookseller’s website to see how you can obtain a copy.