Just like any typical 20 -something I seem to be drawn to psychological thrillers these days. Not to brag, but I can usually see all of the “unexpected plot twists” coming from a mile away. I am also notorious for predicting the ending of a movie 10 minutes in and whispering to my boyfriend “she did it”, which he is obviously really fond of.  I started reading The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides with the expectation that I would be able to use my amazing skills to see the ending coming early on. However, I am pleasantly surprised to report that this was not the case.

 The Silent Patient is the story of a psychotherapist, Theo Faber, who takes a job at a high security psychiatric hospital in the hopes of triggering a breakthrough in one of the most notorious patients there, a woman who shot her husband five times without any known motive. Alicia Berenson has not spoken one word since she was charged with the murder of her husband. She is a well known local artist and her last attempt at communication was a self portrait entitled Alcestis.  To provide some background Alcestis is a lesser known Greek play in which the Queen Alcestis volunteers to die in the place of her husband Admetus. She was rescued by Hercules and brought back to life. Alcestis is the epitome of a selfless woman/wife in the setting of ancient Greece. Alex Michaelides uses Alcestis to help build Alicia Berenson’s character and to set the stage for the events leading to her husband’s death.

Theo Faber has a personal history of mental illness. He uses his experience with depression, child abuse and PTSD to help foster meaningful bonds with his patients. He is determined to help Alicia come to terms with her crime and speak out about what happened to her. As the novel unfolds we slowly learn that Theo has some unresolved issues of his own that still haunt him, and that he relates to Alicia’s situation on a very personal level.

The author does an excellent job at periodically introducing less significant characters that may or may not have played a role in the crime. This led to numerous moments where I thought I had figured it all out- but alas, I must admit I did not accurately predict this one.