Alicia Berenson, a famous painter, shoots her fashion photographer husband in the face 5 times, killing him and then never utters another word again. Theo Faber, a criminal psychotherapist, has been obsessed with Alicia and her silence for years and he finally works his way onto the staff of at the Grove, a secure forensic unit and then manages to secure the position of Alicia's psychotherapist. Very little is really the way it seems in this addictive psychological thriller and it had me on the edge of my seat from the first chapter.

Alicia Berenson is notorious for an event that happened in the past, but since that horrific incident Alicia hasn't spoken a word. Theo Farber, a psychotherapist, has heard of Alicia over the years through the news and is delighted when a job opening becomes available that would allow him to work directly with Alicia. Will Theo get Alicia talking again? What actually happened all those years ago? This is all told from Rachel’s first person perspective (past tense, thankfully) and initially I had a lot of sympathy for her, but this dwindled as she makes excuses for her awful adult daughter’s selfishness and rudeness, her husband’s neglect and her own lust-confused-with-love making her sure Luc must be innocent. The murder mystery wasn’t totally convincing, and I guessed who was behind it and some of the reasons why, but probably only because I read too many thrillers. I liked the descriptive passages of Salisbury and Provence, and I did get caught up in the story, but doubt it will stay with me for long. 3.5 rounded down. Alicia Berenson is such a mysterious, intriguing character and I was trying to figure her out the entire novel. I kept asking myself, " What is up with Alicia?"She is a famous, talented painter and happily married to her husband, Gabriel. They live in London and have a cozy life. Celebrity scandal and a haunted lake drive the narrative in this bestselling author’s latest serving of subtly ironic suspense.The blurring of boundaries between a therapist and patient is a no-no for good reasons, as Jane Shemilt's THE PATIENT shows in this twisty tale. Although Alicia is silent, the narrative speaks to us in a way that she can’t or won’t, throwing the spotlight on the minutiae of her life as a talented artist, and ultimately what led to the events of that fateful night. This story follows a series of events in the life of Rachel, a successful GP in which her life begins to unravel. Clearly unhappy at home, detached from her daughter, Rachel is lonely, menopausal and disillusioned with life. I will stress again, especially because I know that many are rating this one highly, that my criticisms above are just little things that I felt and I know for certain that others won't feel at all. So, don't read my review and go in thinking it is going to rate middle of the road for you, too. You might be one who really gets into it! Nordyke, Kimberly (January 15, 2023). "Critics Choice Awards: Full List of Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 16, 2023 . Retrieved January 16, 2023.

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Three stars from me means I believe the author has achieved all they set out to, but that I personally didn’t fall in love with the book. Stream It Or Skip It: 'Christmas in Notting Hill' on Hallmark, in Which Soccer, Love, and London Collide The book takes place in “The Grove” a private facility for psychiatric patients. Theo Faber transferred from another facility because he is obsessed with Alicia’s case. We do get to know him through his thoughts about his own marriage to Karen who seems increasingly “busy” and coming home late from rehearsals, she is an actress. This is a storyline that is introduced and somewhat developed and then just left hanging. What really is going on with Theo’s marriage? He seems to be spending all of his time at the facility with Alicia.