First things first, can I just say that I was drawn to the premise of this book and the book cover? Good, now, my take on the story is that it was a great read, not as thrilling as "falling off the edge of my seat," but thrilling the kind that "little goosebumps" all over me.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.

I really thought the atmosphere of Alice and Wonderland was quite intriguing. Danielle has three different patients that she is counseling and begins to believe that one of them is committing the crimes in the area. She seeks the assistance of a therapist to help her rationalize what was going on to better understand why she is feeling the way she does. I thought that there was really good suspense and I was kept guessing until the very end. This book was very atmospheric and I would love to read more from this author. Thanks for the ARC, Net Galley.

An enjoyable read that kept me busy for a few hours..

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I tried really really hard to get into this book. Fineally at 50 % and 18 days later i gave up. This book was just not interesting to me. Thanks for giving me the chance to read It though.

This book was completely different from anything else of Steena’s I’ve read. There were twists, there were turns and every time I thought I had it figured out....nope. I did figure out the “who done it” but could never have imagined how it played out. There were lots of clues but it was not overly obvious. The end of this book is crazy but a little more open ended than I like. It left lots to the imagination. The characters are fantastic and the plot line kept me interested throughout. I really enjoyed this author’s first entry in the thriller genre.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union for the chance to read this book. All opinions are my own.

*Thanks to NetGalley , the author and Lake Union Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I love Steena Holmes and have read everything she's written, but The Patient is different from her other books. And for me, in a good way.
A therapist, with a love for all things Alice In Wonderland...and a possible serial killer for a patient are the subjects of this dark twisted mystery/thriller. I have to confess, I thought I had it figured out early, but it didn't take away from the thrill of the read for me.
The plot and the writing were Steena Holmes perfection but where this story differed from her others were the characters. They were dark, damaged, weird..sometimes borderline sociopathic which I loved! And that ending....BANG!!!! It blew me away! I love that she tried different and for me successfully!
4 stars!!

Freaking Fantastic! I loved this thriller and it kept me up very late flipping pages and wanting more. Steena Holmes is one of my go to authors and this novel seals the deal yet again. Fascinating characters, twisty, creeptastic un-put-down-able goodness. Read this book! 5 stars.

Danielle Rycroft is a psychotherapist living in the sleepy town of Cheshire, a town where nothing terrible ever happens. But now it has and the residents are rocked by a series of killings, each with the very same characteristics. Danielle finds a note in her home meant for her eyes only. It suggests that she knows the serial killer. Dannielle is really worried by this and goes over her client list carefully. She feels sure her three current patients are not capable of savage attacks where only the parents are slaughtered and the children are left alone as unhurt, but now orphaned as such a tender age.
Her best friend Detective Tami Sloan is tasked with bringing the perpetrator(s) to justice, and quickly too, before more children are left behind. She asks Danielle for some professional input, namely a profile of what traits the killer is likely to have. Danielle willingly cooperates, underlining characteristics a person capable of such extreme violence and lack of mercy could have. She does not mention her anonymous letter and straight up defends each of her clients. She has client confidentiality to consider. She has privileged information about each of them. But she cannot help feeling uneasy because one of her patient may be responsible, but as to which one, she cannot even guess. She sets out to investigate for herself so that she can, at last, feel certainty about her decisions. After all she is guardian of their secrets, secrets that they do not want spreading around. They are already damaged and must by handled with care and sensitivity. This is Danielle’s compelling story.
This novel is quite unlike any other that Steena Holmes has written. It is all smoke and mirrors, red herrings and blind alleyways. It is tantalising, intriguing and the action runs at a mile a minute. I was totally drawn in by this uniquely tremendous novel and literally couldn’t put it down. I loved the tension, the mystery and the chicane of a journey Steena had prepared for the reader to undergo. The storytelling was superb, the characters well-crafted and totally believable. Never once did I guess how the story would end. This is a high quality novel with plenty of thrills and spills and a quirky lead character who is obsessive about collecting Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ paraphernalia.
I received this excellent novel through my membership of NetGalley and from Lake Union Publishing, all in return for an honest review. This is my 4.5* review. All the opinions are my own, with no influence from other parties and a very highly recommended crime fiction.

The Patient is a well written , complex psychological tale. It’s not a beach or airplane read, because it requires your total focus, as it weaves a twisted route through the life of Danielle, a councilor to several disturbed patients. Their stories have a profound affect on her mental health, as she struggles to care for them, while caring for herself!
Steen Holmes has a talent for developing,interesting complex characters, as I discovered, reading some of her previous novels. I’ve found them very entertaining, but this one still stay with me, still trying to shake off the very mind boggling ending. I’ve got to process that for a bit.
But, if you’re into psychological thrillers, this one is for you. My thanks to Net Galley, Lake Union Publishing for the ARC. It was a trip into darkness!

THE PATIENT by Steena Holmes is a riveting psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Dr. Danielle Rycroft is a therapist in the magical little town of Cheshire. Despite having to deal with her own crippling anxiety, she sees three patients regularly and tries her hardest to help them through their psychological issues. When a string of brutal murders rocks their small community, Dani becomes increasingly concerned that one of her patients is the serial killer. Afraid for her own life and unsure if she can help put a stop to the murders, Dani confidentially confesses her fears to her own therapist. As the story unfolds, all the characters reveal secrets from the past that keep the reader wondering who the killer might be. I don’t want to say anything more about the plot to avoid spoilers. There were definitely some twists and turns that I never saw coming. I enjoyed this chilling and suspenseful book and look forward to seeing what comes next from Steena Holmes. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy.

2.5 Stars - Clever, chaotic and understimulating.

I had trouble getting through this book. Although it was a clever premise, it took a really long while to get to the point.

Pros: I really enjoyed the premise and connecting theme. The ending tied it together well.

Cons: I felt myself checking my reading progress for the first half of the book. The conversations felt choppy, with many stops and starts and babbling as if a sitcom. I wanted to be thrilled, but this book didn't satisfy that need. The main characters unprofessionalism as a therapist also struck me as annoying/unlikely, but I can understand if that was the point.

Suggestions to improve story: Edit some of the fluff conversations. Put some crazy mysterious hooks there closer to the beginning. More verbal fluency.

Special thanks to NetGalley, the author and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I highly recommend NetGalley if you'd like to read & review the latest books for free! The best new hobby within a hobby for book lovers!

I read the beginning and had a feeling I already knew exactly what would happen. Once reading the end, I was correct in my assumptions. I feel it was given away very early on in the book. The story and its premise had great bones. There really was a foundation there for an amazing thriller. Unfortunately, once I had an inkling, I just couldn't get into the story, as I felt I knew everything that would happen.

Though, not everyone reads the same book. For others who do not often figure books out and love a good suspense, this might be right up your alley and a perfect choice. Holmes is a wonderful author and while off the mark for me, others may love it.

Because of my rating, this review is for Netgalley only and will not be shared elsewhere.

Within a couple chapters I has figured it out. I kept reading hoping I was wrong or that it would be written so well I would forget how quick I figured it out. Sadly that did not happen. Some decent plot holes and editing issues that really did a number on likeability of this book.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy. SERIAL KILLER
Dr. Danielle Rycroft suspects one of her therapy patients is a serial killer in an intense psychological thriller that will blow your mind.. This book was a whirlwind. I didn't suspect the killer until the end. Kept me on the edge of my seat with my heart racing. I really enjoyed this. book.

This was a good book! I love these types of story lines with therapists and crazy patients or even crazy therapist scenarios so this book spoke to me. I was not disappointed and really enjoyed this book. Kept me guessing and wondering. Thanks NetGalley.

thank you netgalley and the author for my ARC copy in exchange for my honest review! WOW this book kept me on the edge of my seat and couldnt put it down! With so many twists and turns I recommend you read when you can devote ALL of your time to this amazing page turner! Dont give up on this read as the end will be woth the wait- and will surprise you!!

This book kept my interest throughout, but I wasn't crazy about the writing. I was not expecting it to end the way it did. Overall, it was a good read.

𝓘 𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓾𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓯𝓲𝓷𝓲𝓼𝓱𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝔂𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓭𝓪𝔂

But I just had to pick my jaw up from the floor, put my eyes 👀 back in my head 🅱🅴🅵🅾🆁🅴 I could write this review.
I wasn’t expecting that ending. Not until the last two chapters did it 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐲 go through my mind.

I was totally engrossed with Danielle who was new in town and only had a handful of clients/patients.
Most of them were oddballs in my opinion and all suspect.
As a therapist I thought she came across pretty good and experienced.

I 𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮 this authors works and she never ceases to amaze me with her storylines.

A very enjoyable read, rounded characters and some pretty mixed up and weird which made it very interesting.

This is my only Steena Holmes book I've read and I just couldn't get into this story. It just wasn't for me. This is my opinion only. Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for my honest review

*Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* I have read a number of Holmes' other books, including 'Finding Emma', 'The Memory Child' and 'Saving Abby', all of which I have given 4 stars and really enjoyed. So I was surprised to only give 'The Patient' 3 stars and not love it as much as Holmes' other novels. I think I found it a little disjointed and messy. It was OK and held my attention, but just wasn't as tightly crafted as her other books - but then, the messy nature of the writing may certainly appeal to others. The novel focuses on Danielle Rycroft, a psychologist in a small town called Cheshire that has been rocked by a series of serial murders. Danielle starts to think that one of her patients may be the killer. Can she discover who it is before it is too late?