To The Last Page

Obsession, betrayal, paranoia, madness, murder, mystery; there’s a lot going on within the first few chapters of The Silent Patient . Not content with it using these elements to be a just a run-of-the-mill female-in-distress thriller, Alex Michaelides layers in references to Greek mythology, Freud and psychoanalysis into the novel. What this suggests is that there are subconscious elements at play here with the unsuspected secrets and troubled personal histories lying beneath the surface hiding dark motivations that are capable of springing unexpected twists. There’s definitely nothing ordinary about this murder case. It’s not going to be easy to get to the truth of the murder of photographer Gabriel Berensen however, because his wife Alice hasn’t spoken a word since his violent death in their home, having apparently shot him in the face five times while he was strapped into a chair. Alicia, a painter of some renown, has remained silent and impassive throughout her trial, leaving the c...