The Patient

A Novel

By: Steena Holmes

Narrated by: Siiri Scott

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 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?

©2019 Steena Holmes (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Steena Holmes has returned with another compelling page-turner. [A]n all-encompassing journey through the dark side of the human psyche, The Patient is a mind-bending psychological thriller that will leave readers on edge and gasping for breath right up to the final shocking twist. Brilliant!” --Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of The Weight of Silence and Not a Sound

Too predictable

I guessed the ending only 1/3 of the way in. I thought maybe it was going to surprise me, but sadly it didn’t. Not a bad story and I liked the wonderland references but other than that, the story wasn’t unique. The narrator wasn’t the best by any means, but not as awful as other reviewers seemed to think in my opinion.

Red Herrings Abound

Red herrings mixed with subtle (and not so subtle) hints will keep you reading (listening) and guessing! The identity of the patient may surprise you and their sad childhood and subsequent life touches on real issues in today’s society. A good psychological thriller/mystery‼️

person reading book

I could not finish this book because of the person reading it. This was a great story but it was read as if it was a children's story.

Almost quit due to exaggerated narrator, but glad I stuck it out

The narrator was so over exaggerated it reminded me of the children’s librarian reading at story hour, which ALMOST made me quit listening . I stuck it out though., and the story won me over enough that I decided to try to ignore the over-intoned and dramatic reading. Good psychological thriller. Ending makes it seem like the author is setting up for a series.

Great twist!

I really enjoyed this book and breezed through very quickly. The suspects were quite believable and truly had me hanging on until the end. The ending was fascinating, and I learned a lot more about psychology than I expected!