The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

On yet another dreary afternoon (see also 19 November!), we met to discuss 'The Silent Patient', a psychological thriller by Alex Michaelides (published 2019).

Let's start with the thumbs up or down right from the start. Five thumbs up and four thumbs down - a divided readership. Most of the thumbs up were given because this was a fairly enjoyable easy read thriller... The thumbs down are because, despite being an easy read, it obviously wasn't an easy write for Mr Michaelides.

There were plot holes and inconsistencies aplenty, the characters were fairly shallow, the research obviously not thorough and the great plot twist was spotted from very early on by at least two of us.

Those who gave the book thumbs up tended to damn it with faint praise as opposed to singing its praises, and those who gave thumbs down just... well - damned it.

One of us decided it read as if written specifically to be made into something for Netflix and her mind kept wandering to the casting. As it's been optioned for filming and allegedly in production right now, she may have a point.

What 'The Silent Patient' did do, however, was bring us all together, united in laughter (and being a group of women, there's not much to laugh about this close to Christmas). Unfortunately we were mostly laughing AT the author's writing and just how confused we all were with the book - even those who hadn't thought themselves confused.

For the record one of us knew they were confused, which was definitely down to the writing. But one of us couldn't remember anything at all about the book, which is possibly the most damning response any book can get.

If you would like a polar opposite opinion on 'The Silent Patient', do read Abby's blog. She works in book publicity for a division of Penguin Random House, is a crime fiction fanatic and thinks this book is 'an outstanding read.' https://crimebythebook.com/.../book-review-the-silent...