A therapist must face her own worst fear—one of her patients is a serial killer.Danielle Rycroft suspects someone close to her has a dark secret. In the confidential setting of therapy, her patients share their anxieties and fears. Now, with a string of murders in town putting her on edge, Danielle’s own worries come close to eclipsing her patients’. In each case, the pattern is the same: parents … the same: parents killed while their children sleep blissfully unaware in their beds. Her best friend, Detective Tami Sloan, is the only person she has confided in.
Danielle believes that there’s still a secret one patient has yet to share. But which one? Behind a familiar face is a stranger who’ll do anything to hide their worst compulsions. The anxiety brings Danielle to her own therapist’s office, seeking counsel and comfort. But what is she willing to risk, and how much closer must she get, to stop them?
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Wow!! What a ride! This is my first book by Steena Holmes and I absolutely loved it. I will definitely be reading more of her books. The Patient is a suspenseful, gripping, brilliant, psychological, page-turning thriller. It’s a story about Danielle Rycroft, a therapist who suspects one of her patients is a serial killer. The intensity of the story keeps building as Danielle meets with her patients and tries to uncover the secrets they are harboring.
I really connected with and appreciated the complex, client patient dialogue. The conversations and situations felt very realistic. I thought I had it figured out, but boy was I wrong! What a fantastic, mind blowing ending!! I highly recommend this book!!
I’d like to also add…this book inspired me to read another book, Alice in Wonderland, because I never read it as I child (I don’t know why). Once you read The Patient you will understand why. The location is based in Cheshire, and there are many wonderful references to Wonderland Park and the story itself. I really enjoyed that delightful part!
Another amazing read by author, Steena Holmes! This book was a twist a minute. Danielle suspects that one of her three therapy patients is a serial killer. Cleverly placed clues had me wondering which patient it could be, or could it be someone else entirely? Well-developed unreliable characters made this a highly entertaining read!
Really, seriously, WOW!! I thought I was following the patients quite well.. I knew who the serial killer had to be… THEN, oh no!!!
Loved it and audio is the way to go!
Very fast paced and twisty psychological thriller!!
Steena Holmes takes us down the rabbit hole in this tense psychological thriller. Everything is not as it seems in this book. Filled with twists, it will keep you turning the pages. Who is the killer? Parents are being murdered leaving their children with no one. About halfway through the book I had guessed who the killer was, however, it went so much deeper than that. What’s real and what’s not? You will have to read it to find out. I would love a sequel to this book because I want to delve deeper into the mind of a killer who is severely broken inside. This may well be her best book yet.
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2.5 stars
I really wanted to love this book because it’s gotten great reviews – unfortunately, for me, it was only okay. I figured out what was going on a quarter of the way in to the book so the rest of the book wasn’t really intriguing or surprising to me. I didn’t really like or connect with any of the characters. I do think the author did a good job with the setting – the town of Cheshire and it’s quirky shops and statues that are all Alice In Wonderland themed.
Not every woman deserves to be a mother. But every child deserves to be loved, to feel loved.
Children shouldn’t learn to hate their parents. When they do, it destroys their soul. It forces them to become someone they were never intended to be.
She wept at my stories, about how my mother would turn the other way when my stepfather tucked me into bed.
Excerpts from this book…..
This is a very complex psychological thriller. While I did figure it out early on it was one I had a very hard time putting down. I had to know who did what and why. It’s full of so much that if you are not careful you will get a bit lost. It has some parts that made my skin crawl. Children being abused both emotionally and sexually. Nothing explicit but it touches on that. It’s like the context of this story is about children and the parents who do not deserve them.
I thought every single character in this book was likable and they all felt so real. It was set in an Alice in Wonderland town and made you feel like you was there. I felt fear in so many places for the main character, Danielle Rycroft. It seemed like she put herself in so many scary situations. Not of her own making but from her lack of sleep then when she did sleep her sleep walking. It was very intense. Her best friend, Tami Sloan was right there for her through most everything. Tami was a cop investigating the murders.
There are several characters in this story. Each has a key part to play in how things turn out. You should like each one as they appear. The only person that I didn’t like at all was UNCLE!!
You will truly love this book. It will keep you one edge so much and every now and then maybe a tiny chuckle. Mostly it made me angry at the way some parents treated their children.
I think this may be one of Steena’s best books to date and I’m so hoping there is going to be a sequel. I need a sequel bad here.
Thank you #NetGalley #LakeUnionpublisers. This is my honest review of a very good edge of your seat thriller.
I gave this book 4 big stars. I recommend it highly.
From early on in the book, I was pretty sure what was happening. The storytelling is a bit simple and tedious, but at the same time, I couldn’t wait to find out what was real. I would like to have seen the ending drawn out a bit as that was my favorite part. Perhaps a sequel?
Psychologist Danielle Rycroft has recently moved to Cheshire. There have been several murders of parents and a serial murderer is suspected. Danielle has been receiving notes and she suspects one of her patients is the serial killer. Danielle’s favorite book is Alice in Wonderland. This book follows Danielle down the “rabbit hole” in this fast paced novel. For the most part I enjoyed this book. I do think the ending needs a little work. 3.5. Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Beat Down Of The Ages – With Avatar Ending. There is another Lake Union author whose books I *love* and who is known for writing about a particular idea and spinning amazing stories about it. Here, Holmes walks onto that author’s turf and absolutely *destroys* her. That is how much *better* than those other ones this book is – and remember, I *loved* those other books (indeed, I’ve rated all of them 5*). It *does* have an Avatar-style ending though, and it worked it well to allow for either a true standalone book or even the possibility of coming back to this world. Simply an excellent book, and if this represents a new direction for Holmes, I can’t wait to see what else she puts out!
A great Psychological Thriller!
A therapist, Danielle Rycroft, has 3 patients. She is believes one is a serial killer who targets ‘bad’ parents in order to give their children a better life. This book takes you into the mind of a therapist and her patients. Its an eye opening experience to say the least. The author does a good job of leading you down a rabbit hole in this Alice in Wonderland character loving lead. Although the killer is slowly revealed and not so much a ‘wow, I didn’t see it coming’, the ending is worthy of the buildup.
I enjoyed the writing, the story flowed being told over a two week period thru the eyes of Dr. Rycroft and her 3 patients, including flashbacks.
I received an ARC from NetGalley. Opinion is mine alone!
The Patient by Steena Holmes is definitely a departure for this author and it was a departure that I definitely enjoyed.
It’s hard to say a lot without spoiling things, but I especially found the setting, Chesire, and all the things tied to Alice in Wonderland charming. I would love to visit this town!
The characters, as they should be in a book like this, were very different. I found myself getting irritated with some of them, but in the end all came clear and I understood where my irritation was coming from.
If you are used to “typical” Steena Holmes’ books, you’ll be surprised, but give this a chance. It’s well written and quite interesting.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an ARC at my request. All thoughts in this review are my own.
/ 5
So I had a little bit of an idea where The Patient by Steena Holmes was going, but I sure wasn’t planning on the extent of how things turned out.
What it’s about: Danielle Rycroft is a therapist and she thinks one of her patients might be a serial killer. Someone is committing crimes in her town of Cheshire and they all have the same MO, the parents are murdered leaving a small child behind. Danielle is trying to help her clients Ella, Tyler, and Savannah with their issues and insecurities, but any of them may be harboring a dark secret. With only a couple of friends, there isn’t anyone she really feels like she can confide in. But she needs to share her worries, before it’s too late…
I had so many theories as I read The Patient and only one was even remotely close to being right. I really liked how Holmes wrote this book and even though some people might figure out what was truly at play, I didn’t really get all the way there. It was a quick read that took me just over 4 hours to get through, and I found myself having a hard time putting it down.
I really enjoyed the different types of chapters in this book, and it was definitely something that kept me interested. There are certain chapters that really had me wondering whose viewpoints they were and trying to connect them to what I knew about each character. The Patient is a book that will truly mess with your head and have you wondering who the killer is.
Song/s the book brought to mind: Mockingbird by Eminem
Final Thought: The Patient is going to be a binge read for a bunch of folks, and if you like Steena Holmes then there is a great chance you will like this book. I love Holmes’ writing style, and this did not disappoint. I feel like she has the ability to write so many different types of books, and this just further shows how awesome of a writer she truly is.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Wow, Sheena this was a great book. Every time I thought I knew who did it, you would throw in a twist and I would think it was someone else. If you like mystery thrillers this is a must read. Thank you Steena Holmes and Net Galley for giving me an opertunity to read an advance reader copy.
Some twists and many crazy turns will keep you on your toes and turning the pages of Steena Holmes’s THE PATIENT. The characters were interesting, the Danielle’s patients a little scary, and you will keep wondering which patient it is until the very end. Holmes did a great job of keeping the different aspects of the storyline moving and together. I also loved the setting, and the inclusion of ALICE IN WONDERLAND, both in the town and with Danielle.
The story kept me wondering; the writing kept me turning pages. This is a good one to curl up with on gray day with a warm drink and a cozy blanket. Settle in for a wild ride!
Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
#ThePatient #LakeUnionPublishing #SteenaHolmes #NetGalley
The Patient – Wow! When murders start to happen in the Alice in Wonderland town of Cheshire, Dr. Danielle Rycroft wonders if one of her three patients could be the serial killer.. As the intensity of her sessions with her patients increase as well as her own anxiety, Danielle decides to confide in her own therapist. So many twists and turns – every time I thought I had it figured out – another clue or twist came long that made you second guess yourself. I really enjoyed this book!.
Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
This was a twisted, engrossing story that knocked me for a loop. All along, I thought I had everything figured out and then I’d turn the page and I didn’t anymore. So many clues were given. So much deceit that needed to be to covered up. So much confusion.
I loved every minute of this story. It is fast-paced and so intriguing. It will definitely draw the reader in with all the drama swirling around everywhere. I am in awe of this author for being able to weave such a unbelievably believable plot.
The Patient is a must-read and one that I highly recommend if you love edge-of-your-seat thrillers that will have you guessing until the very end.
A well crafted story that will keep you guessing as you try to unravel the mystery.
What would you do if you were a psychologist and you were afraid that one of your 3 patients was a serial killer? Would you trust your best friend who is a cop with the things you uncover? Can you handle the stress as more people are killed?
Enjoyed the way this was written. I loved trying to figure out who was the serial killer.
Dr. Danielle Rycroft, psychotherapist, has a problem – she suspects one of her patients is the serial killer “saving” children from unfit parents. Because none of her patients have actually admitted to the killings and she has no proof, she feels the patient confidentiality rule still applies. How she wishes she could talk about it to her good friend Tammy, a detective who is working the case!
Soon, she begins finding notes saying that she knows the killer and has the power to stop them. Her patients all seem to be unraveling and indicate she might be in danger herself. Can she get the information she needs from her patients to go to the authorities and help them catch the killer?
I’ve read two other books by Steena Holmes and know her to be a good author and one that I enjoy reading. In The Patient, however, so many clues were dropped that I had the killer figured out early on (Chapter Five). I still enjoyed the read to see how Holmes would play it out, but it would’ve been better with fewer overt clues. Three stars for this book from me, but I continue to look forward to reading future books by Steena Holmes.
My thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.