Book Review: The Silent Patient - Alex Michealides

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I haven't given a book 5 stars in a while, but this one is a deserving candidate. I romped through it, transfixed by the unusual angle of the storytelling, as the therapist attempts to coax a silent and hostile patient into revealing exactly what happened in the lead up to the murder she's accused of commiting.

But it isn't as simple as that.

Hidden undercurrents lurk as we observe the therapist getting in deep and overstepping the boundaries in order to peel away layers of the truth - and what the patient might be able to recount.

There's a sense right at the start that things are not all as they seem and it becomes clear that the lens through which we see everything has been tilted by the author! It is very clever and a great tale with plenty of twists - especially the cracker at the end! Highly Recommended!

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Book Reviews - Us by David Nicholls

 Us by David Nicholls
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Story
Douglas Petersen may be mild-mannered, but behind his reserve lies a sense of humor that, against all odds, seduces beautiful Connie into a second date and eventually into marriage. Now, almost three decades after their relationship first blossomed in London, they live more or less happily in the suburbs with their moody seventeen-year-old son, Albie; then Connie tells him she thinks she wants a divorce. 

The timing couldn’t be worse. Hoping to encourage her son’s artistic interests, Connie has planned a month-long tour of European capitals, a chance to experience the world’s greatest works of art as a family, and she can’t bring herself to cancel. And maybe going ahead with the original plan is for the best anyway. Douglas is privately convinced that this landmark trip will rekindle the romance in the marriage and might even help him bond with Albie. 

Narrated from Douglas’s endearingly honest, slyly witty, and at times achingly optimistic point of view, Us is the story of a man trying to rescue his relationship with the woman he loves and learning how to get closer to a son who’s always felt like a stranger.

LOVED this book - I mainly read psychological thrillers and it was refreshing to have a change of genre. Having enjoyed 'One Day', I new this author would not disappoint. A tale of pursuit - encapsulated within a 'Grand Tour' of Europe, but with deeper layers involving the search for happiness, forgiveness, faded love and nostalgia. Some beautiful poignant moments, delightful wit, cringe-worthy descriptions of Douglas and his clumsy handling of various travel and domestic incidents that I'm sure many will relate to! A gentle book - sad, hopeful and with lovely philosophical resonances. Highly recommended!

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Mini Book Review: The Keeper of Lost Things - Ruth Hogan

Sometimes, I need a break from reading thrillers and dark mysteries. Here's my antidote to the  twisted and chilling underworld of crime I usually read and write about!

The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A joyful, feel-good story with unusual non-heroic characters. There's a tender, bittersweet storyline about collecting and returning lost random items: umbrellas, hair clips, buttons. Each item has its own little story and there's a second entirely separate thread which comes together, poignantly, with the first, at the end.

I love the writing style; gentle, thoughtful, unusual and exquisite! I spread my reading of this beautiful book out so that every day, I looked forward to re-entering the world of lost things as a refuge from everyday life! Completely transporting.

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