A therapist with several patients... one of them is a serial killer...

Well written, well developed storyline with interesting characters. Good pace, captivating, not boring.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I rather enjoyed this book and that might be surprising since I also was pretty suspicious of who the killer was about half way through. And, yet, the author had so many threads in place that I was always wondering whether I might be wrong and be totally surprised. I don’t do spoilers so I won’t talk much about the actual story except to say that I found the references to Alice in Wonderland quite fun and will probably read the story again to see if there are more that I might have missed and also to see whether I missed any earlier clues since I didn’t “catch” the killer myself till about way through. I was a bit disappointed by the ending. Not by the discovery of the killer but by the specifics of the way the story lines were tied together (or in my feeling somewhat weren’t tied together). I just wasn’t sure what was going to happen next and I felt that not knowing left a bit of a void. All in all, a story that kept me engaged!

A therapist must face her own worst fear—one of her patients is a serial killer.

I found this book to be very creepy and was so full of twists and turns. Just when I thought I had worked out what was happening the author would go ahead and throw another twist in

This book had me guessing throughout it which is the making of a great psychological thriller!

I’m struggling with this review, as my thoughts changed when the resolution came to be. I was so interested in this book, and then when I started to put the pieces together, I liked it even more. The ending, however, got very weird. I found myself skimming the last 6 or 7% because it was just A LOT. A lot of what, I’m not quite sure. The ending makes this a 3.5 read for me, but because the beginning is so strong I’m leaving it at a 4.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

At first the story felt disjointed, jumping back and forth between four people's story until suddenly it became crystal clear.. I did not see that twisty ending coming! Stunning book.

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!

"Fear is a wonder drug. The chain reaction it creates within our bodies is amazing. Prepare and protect...Fear doesn't control me. I control it."

Someone in the town of Cheshire is killing parents and leaving behind the sleeping innocent children after the bloodbath. Everyone is on alert, suspicious and desperate for the "Mad Queen of Cheshire" to be apprehended and punished. Because of the name, this little hamlet has a huge interest in all things "Alice in Wonderland" and has many themed shops and activities. Dr. Danielle Rycroft, a therapist, is no exception and has a huge amount of books and collectibles as well. This psychological thriller opens with Danielle disclosing that she is finally ready to admit that one of her patients might be the serial killer. The only problem is, she's not sure which of those she's treating is the one.
All of them have major issues with their childhoods and all seem capable of violence. NO SPOILERS.

Although the theme is interesting, I would have liked this novel more if I hadn't immediately seen through to the obvious conclusion. So much of the story required immense suspension of disbelief and my irritation with Danielle as a character was extreme. There is so much more I could say but to do so would give away the denouement and I don't want to ruin the guessing game for anyone. Note that this book contains references to childhood sexual abuse in case that topic is a trigger for anyone. I know that others have really enjoyed this and I'd love to discuss certain elements further where spoilers aren't an issue.

2.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this e-book ARC to read and review after I spotted it on Facebook.

There is a killer on the loose who is targeting families. The un-sub breaks into homes in the middle of the night and kills parents, leaving the kids unharmed. Danielle, a therapist, suspects that one of her patients is behind the killings.

I can’t resist a good serial killer angle in thrillers. In this case, I was curious to know which of Danielle’s patients was behind the murders. Unfortunately, I was able to correctly guess the baddie’s identity a bit too early and this took away the suspense. It also made the ending a bit of an anti-climax for me.

What I enjoyed about the book was the characters, especially Danielle’s friends and patients. I also liked the small town setting and the inclusion of Alice in Wonderland in the narrative.

In the end, this was a good read but I didn’t love it like I thought I would. However, anyone interested in the story should definitely check out other reviews. I seem to be in the minority since most reviewers enjoyed it much more than I did.

This is a great story that kept me guessing until the very end! I’ve never read anything by Steena Holmes before, but I can’t wait to read more. The chapters do jump from day to day and often focus on one of Dani’s patients-this can be a little choppy but after a few chapters I got used to it. Grab this book-it’s fun suspense at just the right time of year

This was my first time reading anything by Steena Holmes in several years. I read her 'Finding Emma' series in 2013 but as I remember enjoying those novels - and because the plot of this one really had me drawn in - I was eager to start The Patient. I love how fast-paced The Patient is; right away, we're introduced to the main character, Danielle Rycroft, her close friends and patients and as soon as I'd met her patients, I needed to read on to find out who the serial killer was. I liked how the book was split up, making it clear who the patient was, and although I found some of the dialogue to be repetitive and unrealistic, enjoyed the back story for each. I guessed the twist only a couple of chapters ahead of the reveal, which for me means it was a great one, and unlike some novels, knowing the twist didn't make it any less enjoyable. While reading I kept thinking that Danielle's character was a bit lacklustre, with no back story and no real connection to the world, but the twist did explain why that was. Mostly I felt that when the twist was revealed the ending came far too soon and it only made me want to know more about Danielle - can I hope for a series? Overall I really enjoyed this and read it quickly; it was a tie between 3 and 4 stars and I've only marked it down because of how I felt about some parts of the characters - the lack of relatability and somewhat flat personality of Danielle at times - but the twist not only made up for this but explained why this was. I'd definitely jump at the chance to read more about Danielle.

*I received an advance review copy of The Patient from the publisher through NetGalley.

This book was certainly different. I do think that it made think. Trying to figure out the killer was not easy. I did not figure it out on my own. My first Steena Holmes book and now I will read more. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to an arc!

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!

Also review on Amazon and B&N.

Danielle Rycroft is a therapist in Cheshire who is left with suspicious notes saying one of her parents is a killer. Her three patients: Tyler, Elle and Savannah are complicated with insecurities upon their sleeve. With the string of murders happening in the town, Danielle goes down in her own rabbit hole due to all the burdens and secrets on her shoulders until she seeks out professional help. The plot moves on and Danielle must be ready to face all the secrets gone ignored and the demons out now from their cages while she has to determine who to trust.

Writing description for this book turned out to be challenging than I expected because I do not want to spoil this book. This psychological thriller with a gripping, compelling and eerily creepy story line messes with your mind in a big way. Last time, I had a read like this was Caroline Kepnes' 'You'. Every character of this book is crafted with perfection and the slight creepiness. Throughout the read, I was timidly frustrated for the end to come because everything felt too much and I loved that! I will not describe this book as fast-paced or slow-paced because I felt the pace was just right. I loved absolutely everything about this book. When I finally picked this book to read, there was an ember of fear gnawing in the corner of my mind about what if this book didn't live up to my expectations. After the first few chapters, I got even more afraid that what I dreaded the most was coming true but as the book progressed, I am glad that it didn't live up to my expectations. It just reached a level higher with its final twist. Do you know what is more creepy? That this book is based on something I have been intending to research on and has been on my mind since the past month. So, the psychological aspects of this book, made this more appealing to me! Steena's storytelling is quite amazing with the tendency to make the tiniest aspects interesting and I am all here for it.

Do you know what is special about this book apart from everything? The fact, how this is my first ever arc I requested the publishers for! I remember nervously typing the e-mail and Amazon Publishing has been generous to me since then. Not only did they provide me with this arc, but they also gave me access to arcs I requested on NetGalley! And, what overwhelms me more is the fact this is 25th book review on NetGalley.

I will be definitely be rereading this book as a reference and also because this book just became one of the best and interesting reads which kept me frustratingly hooked from the first page to the very last!

Recommended: Just go for it. Trigger Warning included Child Abuse, Murder and Psychological Trauma.

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.

This is a great psychological thriller where Danielle works as a therapist in a town that loves Alice in Wonderland. She sees several patients there and after a while she begins to believe that one of her patients is the one committing crimes in the community. This is a great novel that keeps you guessing til the end.

#The Patient #NetGalley

Danielle Rycroft is a therapist and has to think and rethink her patients, their lives and histories and to go over every eerie detail revealed in their therapy sessions. A string of strange murders are occurring in her small town, and she has reason to believe the murderer is one of her patients. As the story progresses, Danielle becomes more and more frightened for her patients and eventually for her own life. As more people die, Danielle, a complex person with her own problems becomes obsessed with finding the killer!

She has three patients and each one is sinister, with secrets and hidden pasts. The characters are all well defined and you can feel the evil? creepiness? danger? that each patient brings to the story. I found that I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to discover the identity of the killer. Ms. Holmes moves the plot along masterfully as each little detail is revealed in the story. I thought I had it figured out several times, but was I surprised!! The ending is a mind blower!! I highly recommend this atmospheric and exciting psychological thriller to all who love to curl up with a good book and become immersed in a great story!!

Many thanks to Steena Holmes and to her publishers, Lake Union Publishing for my advanced review copy of The Patient! All opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I happily give it 5 big stars!! I look forward to reading more books by Ms. Holmes.

Wow, this was one hell of a creepy and suspenseful thriller! After a string of local murders, psychologist Dr Danielle Rycroft starts to wonder if one of her patients could be the killer. The story that follows is full of so many twists and turns that I just could not keep up - I thought I had it figured out so many times, but I really didn't! Excellent fast-paced read, would recommend.

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