Loreth Anne White is easily becoming one of my top five favorite authors! I just cannot get enough of her novels, as they ALWAYS, ALWAYS leave me on the edge of my seat, and completely absorb me! The Patient's Secret was no different! This was an astounding thriller, which had a very dark side, but I couldn't put it down. Loreth just sucks you in from the first chapter every time! 5 stars!

Hunka Munka..........This one is like the footsteps you hear outside your bedroom door in the middle of the night. And you definitely know you're home alone. Maybe not for long.

The Patient's Secret is raw, brutal, unsettling, and enough to make you watch your own skin crawl. Why you say? It's inspired by a true crime that happened in Canada some years back. Real people doing horrendous things to other real people. But there's also a story here that bathes itself in normalcy. Until it all goes down the drain.

Story Cove is an upscale residential area populated with professionals. No one here has to worry about paying the rent. But everything will tilt and shift as Arwen Harper moves into a small rental cottage in the area with her sixteen year old son, Joe. Arwen is an artist of sorts and works as a waitress at the local pub called The Red Lion. She becomes familiar with the usual crowd that meets for drinks every Friday night. They know Arwen and Arwen knows them.

Down the street is Dr. Lily Bradley, a psychotherapist who has an office in her home. She's been a sought after therapist and has a regular bounty of patients. Her husband, Tom, is a psychology professor at the local university. They have two children, Phoebe and Matthew. Phoebe is a twelve year old handful with kohl eyes and pink hair. Matthew is a camera buff with a good eye.

These neighbors meet for barbecues, boating, and car pooling. They seem to know each other's comings and goings. A delightful way of life. And then there's that issue when a body is found at the base of a cliff. It's one of them. And what happens next will pin you to these pages like the ink forming words. You won't leave these characters swirling around inside your head. You simply can't.

The Patient's Secret is one of the best true crime sourced/psychological thrillers that I've read in a long time......and I've read tons. Loreth Anne White just keeps the action coming nonstop. It's not for the cozy lovers out there. It's gripping........especially for those who like getting gripped. Highly recommend. Can't wait for more from this talented author. Whew!

I received a copy of this novel through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Montlake Publishers and to Loreth Anne White for the opportunity.

When the battered body of a female jogger is found in their idyllic community, Lily, the idealistic mom, wife, and career professional finds her life irrevocably altered overnight. Getting to the bottom of how that happened, why it happened, and who was involved will uncover more secrets that she is prepared to handle.

Arwen, the new to town, freewheeling, and sensual single mom is the stereotypical enemy number one to the wives of the neighborhood; but does she deserve their ire?

Detective Rue Duval needs to untangle the twisted web this neighborhood weaves, and fast. More may be in danger and it's her job to protect them all, capturing the one bringing terror to the community.

"As the lives of three women become inexorably entwined, one thing is clear: when it comes to survival, ordinary people can do the most terrible things."

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I have been a fan of Loreth Anne White's writing for a long time now, but this book blew me out of the water. I received an advanced copy of the book to read and review last year and devoured it in one sitting. The Patient's Secret is the best work from this author that I have read to date.

My high school creative writing teacher (Hi Lauren Wolk!) taught us about famous first lines. The Patient's Secret understood the assignment! "It's darker in the woods than she thought it would be. The old-growth trees sway and twist in the wind." Hook, line, and sinker; I'm in. You know it will be good when the very first sentences have you deeply ensconced in the story already.

Loreth's imagery is a poetic art, evoking emotion and visualization with every word in even the most unimaginative of readers. I always enjoy reading her books because of this and am continuously impressed and envious of her writing style.

This book has the most amount of highlights and notes that I have ever created in an e-book. I wanted to share my favorite quote though. I hope you enjoy it.
"People don't live in nicely painted heritage homes in pretty neighborhoods. They don't live in modern high-rise condos, or rustic cabins in the woods, or homeless shelters under concrete bridges. People live in the six inches of real estate between their ears-in that three pounds of fat that is the human brain. They live inside their heads. That's where reality resides."
WOW. That's all I can say. In fact, the note I put next to it was simply "!!!"

I should note that this story is based on a true crime. I highly recommend you get this book - I do not think you will be disappointed.

The Patient's Secret
Loreth Anne White

#ThePatientsSecret #NetGalley

3 and ½ rounded down to a 3*

TRIGGER WARNING: As mentioned in the blurb, this is based on a horrific true crime. What I wasn’t prepared for was the amount of detail in the description of this crime.

I am an outlier on this book but I did finish it so here goes:

Story Cove is a wealthy area and this crime takes place along a cliff trail close to a cul de sac, where “supposedly” everyone knows everyone else!! The path which runs along forest and cliff is well used by the neighborhood joggers. On this day Tom Bradley has gone out for an incredibly early run on a stormy wet morning. He returns, immediately going to his shed – does he need dry clothes? Why doesn’t he go straight to the house?

Lily Bradley, a psychologist, is listening to a patient detail their problems in her home office when sirens blast through the neighborhood. A female jogger has been found dead at the bottom of the cliff, her body broken and battered!! Her husband Tom was the one who found her and called the police. The police are in her driveway and now pounding on their door – THEY WANT TO QUESTION TOM.

WHO IS THE JOGGER AND DID SOMEONE IN STORY COVE COMMIT MURDER??? WAS IT AN ACCIDENT?? THE WEATHER WAS RAINY AND COLD, WHY WAS SHE OUT FOR A RUN?

WHAT A LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK:

This is a true psychological thriller, with at least one psychopath and maybe a sociopath or two!

The kids in this book are well portrayed, at least one of them will be a hero by the end! The kids were the only believable characters.

Detective Sergeant Rulandi Duval (Rue) is one tough detective. She doesn’t give up and keeps digging for the truth. She suspects everyone, adult, child, even her own family. She listens to anyone and everyone who has a clue.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT THIS BOOK

So tired of the setting of these thrillers, why always in a wealthy neighborhood??

The number of characters to keep straight and so many red herrings directing the reader to “look here, is this the criminal” ? I didn’t like any of the adult characters, none of them felt relatable and I just wanted to finish the book.

The absolutely blood soaked, gruesome details of a crime committed by one of these characters in the past as a child. Once read, it wouldn’t leave my mind.

I hesitate to believe that true psychopaths, even as children, can be rehabilitated through psychotherapy. Perhaps, but I’m not convinced.

In the end I think this is just a good novel chosen by the wrong person – me!

If vivid descriptions of true crimes are alright for you, then you will probably enjoy this novel.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

In ‘The Patient’s Secret’ Arwen Harper a carefree, spirited women moves to town with her teenage son, only to cause upheaval in the lives of many of the affluent people in the neighbourhood. When Arwen turns up dead at the bottom of a cliff, everyone in the neighbourhood is a suspect because they all have secrets to hide and their own reasons they would want Arwen dead.
Boy, oh, boy this was a great read. Every time I open a Loreth Anne White book I never know what to expect. This story was amazing, awful, creepy, twisted, brilliant and all consuming. I’m glad I read it on my holidays as I stayed up late reading, I couldn’t put it down.
5 stars from me. Great book to start off the new year.

3.5 stars - The plot of this book was a great idea but for some reason it was just a slow burn and will be a book that I won't remember next year.

A Heart-stopping five-star read. The details the author manages to bring to this story, the way they keep it all together despite the alternating voices telling the story, it’s a powerful read and one that will keep you hooked at every page. The way the details are revealed and shown just make this a great story, and one that will stay with me for longer than I would expect and I am thinking of details over and over.

Trust is a word that can bend in different directions. This is a quick-moving detective story that gives the reader a rush of emotion trying to determine the outcome. It's about neighbors that appear to be close but they all have their agendas and now their lives are gearing up for a change.

It starts with the death tarot card that paves the way for what's to come. It's about a lady that was spotted by Tom Bradley during his morning run. She was lying on the beach and appeared to be in trouble. He immediately went to see if he could help her and discovered that she was dead. It was a lady he knew and liked. He left the scene with blood on his clothes and in a panic, he ran home, changed his shirt and then called the police.

Detective Rulandi Duval examined the body on the beach and followed anyone suspicious starting with Tom. She asked him to come to the station for questioning. It was her job to find out if this case was related to a recent serial jogger killer or someone new in this wealthy area near Vancouver Island in Canada.

Meanwhile, Tom's nervous wife, Lily, shoved his shirt in the wash and tried to cover up anything out of place. She was told by her husband's attorney not to say a word to anyone and she asked her two kids to do the same. Lily worked as a psychotherapist in her home. It was her job to get her patients to open up with their deep secrets and help them heal.

The book keeps the reader questioning what's happening with new hints while weaving in a true crime story which happened years ago in Canada. The Detective questioned Tom and a few of his buddies who were all sexually attracted to Arwen Harper -- the waitress at the local pub who was found dead. She, by the way, was a tarot card reader. I guess she didn't see the death card on the table.

I usually have a good idea who is guilty but not with this book. The end made me pause like trying to figure out a magic act. The author kept the story moving with clever twists. The chapters went from now to then with perspectives from the main characters. It worked. I always enjoy learning something new and this fiction and true crime story didn't disappoint. I was the patient reader that had to wait until the end to capture the truth.

My thanks to Loretta Anne White, Montlake and NetGalley for allowing me to read this copy with an expected release date of March 8, 2022.

Wow! This book starts with a bang and doesn’t let up. It’s based on a true crime, but I didn’t do any googling before reading as I didn’t want to spoil the story.

It’s a suspenseful, atmospheric read by an incredibly talented author. The book is written in present tense with short chapters and multiple viewpoints, which gives it a sense of urgency, and I felt as though I was racing through the story.

The mystery starts with the death of a female jogger. During the investigation, secrets bubble to the surface, and the local residents believe the killer is lurking in their community.

There was a lot to piece together, and the author used a non-linear timeline to slowly reveal key details, which really ramped up the suspense. It’s a great whodunnit/whydunnit with numerous false leads and suspects. I had so many characters on my suspect list!

The Patient’s Secret is a dark, compelling story by a master of suspense. Highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Publishing for my review copy.

This is a dark tale with several storylines that ultimately intersect. Reading any sort of spoilers for this book will ruin the unfolding of events and the edge-of-your-seat tension that grows with each chapter. Because nothing is as it seems.

The story begins with the death of a jogger, Arwen Harper, and follows the investigation of her death and its potential link to the Jogger Killer murders. Her death throws the Story Cove neighborhood out of kilter and threatens to ruin the well-crafted mask they each wear.

The plot is multi-layered and the characters are complex. The story is told from multiple points of views and switches back and forth between the months/days leading up to the crime and the present investigation. And each time a new chapter ends, another breadcrumb is left and another secret unraveled. And yet, the last portion of the story will still have your jaw dropping with twists and turns.

Overall, this is a page-turner that will keep you engaged and guessing until the very end. But a word of caution...The level of detail of some of the crime scenes were graphic and involved children.

/I received an early edition of this book. This did not affect my opinion of the book or content of my review./

4.5 suspenseful stars

Inspired by true crime, this atmospheric and tense novel kept me engaged and guessing for the whole story! The book opens with a chase through a forest and a horrible fall.

We move back in time and meet Lily, she’s a therapist working from home. Lily seems to have her life compartmentalized so that it looks perfect, gorgeous house, two lovely children, a promising career. Under the surface we can see the cracks, things are not going well with her marriage, her teen daughter is pushing boundaries, and her son spends too much time watching other people.

Then we meet Arwen and her son, she’s waitressing and working on a project that she claims will be her big break. Arwen flirts with all the married men in town and seems to know things about people in the small community.

We also meet Rue, a murder detective, brought into the case because it might be connected to a serial killer. It seems everyone in this book has some secrets that they would prefer to keep under wraps.

I found the second half of this one to be very dark and it had some twists that truly shocked me. I think I suspected just about everyone in this story at one point. I did love the surprising character that helped to solve the case.

This is just my second book by this author, but I want to read some of her back titles! This book created quite a bit of discussion as we discussed various theories and cemented Loreth Anne White as a must read author for me!

It BEGINS with how it ENDS

NOW
June 20. Monday

This story, (inspired by a true crime which made headlines in Canada) opens with psychotherapist Lily Bradley, counseling a young patient, in her office, Oak Tree Therapy, located at her home in Story Cove. The rain that spoiled, last night’s neighborhood BBQ has not quite let up.

Lily is distracted.

SECRETS had been exposed at the BBQ, and she and her husband Tom had a DIFFICULT conversation following it. In fact, despite the continuing rain, and thunder, he left for an early morning jog to clear his head.

And, the distractions continue as she hears wailing POLICE SIRENS.

Tom returns home, moving quickly, racing into their shed.
The sirens grow louder as they arrive at her home.

Apparently ANOTHER jogger has been found dead, her battered body lying on the beach below the wooded trails.

Now, her story will be shared by the alternating perspectives of SEVERAL neighborhood characters as they chronicle what happened in the days BEFORE and AFTER “SHE” was found.

Is she the latest Victim of a serial killer, known as JK-the jogger killer? Or was she killed for more personal reasons?

And, what does this have to do with Lily and Tom? And, the rest of the residents of this town?

Despite being an avid reader and reviewer of Mysteries and Thrillers, I have to admit that I was not familiar with the work of Loreth Anne White until earlier this year, when I read “In the Deep” in February. I have now read three of her titles and she has been added to my “auto-request” author list!

Always atmospheric, always intricate, and always begging you to read “just one more chapter “, she is an author I have been glad to discover! Have you discovered her work yet?

Thank You to Montlake Publishers for the early gifted copy, provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

Available March 8, 2022

Haha, if you could plot my emotions/feelings about this book while I was reading it it looked like an EKG. Lots of highs and lots of lows. One chapter I was loving it, the next I was disturbed and not liking it. Similarly my heart was pounding especially the last 1/3 of the book. This book will not leave readers with a flatline.
Brief Synopsis: Woman is killed at the beginning of the book while out jogging very early one morning...who did it?
Was it: First off you need to be introduced to the plethora of characters (this was at times confusing with all the POV's and keeping track of who was doing what when)
Lily and Tom Brady, a psychiatrist and psychology professor with two kids (Matt and Phoebe). Tom is the one that finds the murdered woman's body that morning while he is on a early morning run, he returns home acting super shady (Hiding his bloody shirt in the shed.....)Lilly destroys the evidence. Matt the 8 year old kid is obsessed with taking pictures (including his dad), Phoebe is the typical "teen" although she is 12 years old and apparently passes as a 16 year old, drinks like a sailor....this bothered me. Call me naive but really? A 12 year old acting and passing as a 16 year old....hmm little too far fetched. She was a total pill in this book. She gets involved with Joe (see below, I will go ahead and comment, really a 16 year old boy is attracted to a 12 year old.....??)
Hannah and Simon Cody (Fiona is there daughter) Friend of Lilly and Tom's. Simon and Tom go out on Friday nights and drink at the Bar Arawen works at, he arranged for Arawen to live in the cottage. *Insert comment here: what wives would allow their husbands to go out and stay out late every Friday?? Yeah no)
Arawen the "new neighbor" with a son, Joe, who has recently moved to the area because she is trying t uncover a secret.....*Spoiler* She is the dead lady.
Then there are all these Cop characters with complicated names and are also super shady. Rue is one of the cops, and has a son Eb who we learn has a bracelet with some beads on it that were found at the site of Arawen's death.
My brain hurts writing all these characters out and trying to explain who they are. Just now there are a bunch of characters and situations all they are all woven together. So part of my reason for my star rating was the book was somewhat complicated to keep up with. You definatly had to pay attention and keep track of everything. But after 1/2 the book I finally got to know the characters and what was going on from their POV>
This book is very packed with twist and turns and definatly will keep you guessing. Totally didn't see the ending coming, so over all good read. Although WAY gory

Thank you Net Galley for this advanced read copy.

The Patient's Secret by Loreth Anne White

The Patient's Secret was so much fun to read and to discuss with others. A woman is found dead at the bottom of a cliff. Was her fall an accident or did someone push her to her death? Trying to figure out what was going on led down more paths than I can count and my head was full of potential suspects because the dead woman, Arwen Harper, seemed to excel at making herself a target for lust and other unsavory things.

Lily Bradley, a respected psychotherapist, has the ideal life. She lives with her husband, a professor at the local university, with their children, in the "to die for" revered community of Story Cove. But Lily has a dark, horrible secret that she has kept from everyone, including her husband. Her life, her husband's life, and her children's lives would be destroyed if her secret ever gets out. But now she is getting threatening notes that someone knows her secret. She is being stalked, she feels eyes on her, and a distance is growing between Lily and her husband, Tom.

The timeline is all over the place and we have many POVs for the chapters. But the author makes it very easy to keep track of the people and dates. I was never confused about when something was happening or whose eyes we were seeing the story through. It all just clicked along, each chapter had me wanting to get to the next one, and the only thing I was sure of was that this community was filled with a massive amount of men, women, and children doing things they were not supposed to be doing. Did those things include murder?

The most likeable people were "some" of the younger people and I couldn't help being worried about how they might be involved in what was going on. The story hammers home that a parent will do anything for their child but we also see that a child will do anything for their parents. There is so much driving each and every person in the story, no one is black and white, it's clear that even the most innocent might have something to hide.

Once we know some very important facts, there are always more shocks and twists lurking around the corner. This was my first Loreth Anne White book and I plan to go back and read her other stories.

Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for this ARC.

I received an advanced gifted copy and am providing a review. Publishing March 2022.

This was an intense read created around a true crime that happened in Canada. This story captures quite a few underlying stories in relation to the main story … that of a brutally horrid crime that occurred in Glenn Dennig.

Lily, Tom, Phoebe, Matthew Bradley. Seemingly the perfect family living in an eggplant-colored house with green trim.

Arwen, Joe Harper. The new neighbors who moved in down the street from the Bradleys and right across the lane from the Cody family.

Hannah, Simon, Fiona, Jacob Cody. The house where the annual neighborhood barbecue takes place. This year, though, there was an argument of extreme proportions.

Rue, Eb Duval. The detective on the case and her son, Eb.

The intertwining of lives and lies are found within the pages of this tale. Lily and Tom have the biggest secret past lives of all of these characters. Phoebe, their daughter, is a bit of a rebellious teen and falls for Joe, the new neighbor. Phoebe is 12 and Joe is 16. This brings all sorts of memories up for Lily, Phoebe’s mom. Matthew, the Bradleys’ son, is a future photographer, stealthily sneaking up and taking photos … sometimes in places he shouldn’t be, capturing images he shouldn’t capture. Matthew is an integral part of this tale.

Arwen and Joe, a mother and son, always moving. Arwen is the one who was working on a “secret” project to give her and Joe their “big break.” She is the one who ties this story together as it is told in a “then” and “now” voice, amidst the newspaper reports of the crime that happened many, many years ago.

Hannah and Simon … Hannah has her suspicions about Simon having affairs. Simon has a man shed that Hannah has been in, but Simon doesn’t know that. Fiona and Jacob are their children and have minimal parts in this tale.

Rue and Eb have their own story intermixed in this tale, Rue has a troubled marriage, and she suspects her son did something he shouldn’t have.

This is the first book I have read by Ms. White. I found this to be quite an intense read, the brutality of what happened back in 2006 is indescribable and I suspect has been somewhat toned down for this story. It is not for the faint of heart. The question still remains to this day – what really happened in that room? Only two people know and neither one of them are talking.

Psychology Today.

And yesterday, the day before, and… what day is it now?

A woman has been found dead at the bottom of a cliff dressed in athletic wear. And it’s suspicious.

Enter Detective Rue Duval, head of the Jogger Killer task force to investigate whether this death is related to three other females assaulted in the area.

I loved this story with numerous details to piece together and a non-linear timeline adding to the effect. Intricate mysteries with intersecting pathways are my favorite because of the seemingly limitless possibilities.

It’s more manageable than it sounds as all chapters are labeled giving the reader a reference. So the only guess work is figuring out exactly what happened, who did it, and what was going on in this neighborhood.

As if.

I was at eighty five percent and my field of suspects hadn’t narrowed and still hadn’t an inkling as to where this was headed. Just the way I like it.

Another favorite feature was a sordid neighborhood complete with a quirky eight year old sleuth and photographer. I could envision this little fellow with his camera and the trouble he could cause…

This is my third book by Loreth Anne White having read her recent two and I’m a fan!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Montlake Publishing for my electronic review copy.

Scheduled for a March 22, 2022 publish date.

Loreth Anne White is a master of the atmospheric. From the opening pages of this book the atmosphere is thick. You know there’s something rotten in Denmark!

A jogger is found dead at the bottom of a cliff run by Psychology professor Tom Bradley. His actions when he returns from his run to report the death are very suspicious. His wife, Lily, a therapist, is on edge about something. The affluent little enclave these people live in, in Story Cove, is set to get a major shake up. Detective Sergeant Rulandi Duval is on the trail of the Jogger Killer. When she hears another jogger has died she is like a dog with a bone. That is until she realises that this one could sail closer to home than would be comfortable.

Arwen Harper and her 16 year old son Joe arrived in town a few weeks ago. Arwen is waitressing at the nearby inn but Arwen also has an agenda - she is also a very troubled woman.

Everyone in this enclave has secrets they would rather keep, well, secret - even some of the children. At one point or another I think I suspected just about everyone, including the children! As the story progresses and the police conduct searches and arrest people and photos are produced the tension curdles into something thick and ugly. It’s a bomb waiting to go off.

This was so well written. The pacing was perfect and the characterisation was excellent. These were not ‘nice’ people but who is hiding the worst secret? Actually that one is a bit of a toss up in my book! The story was based on real life events from some years ago. Its a pretty shocking crime. The book addresses the issue of whether redemption is possible with the right treatment. I’ll leave you to make up your own minds on this. Thanks to Netgalley and Montlake for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

Shocking, brutal, and unputdownable. A 5-star stunner!

Lily Bradley - a respected therapist, her professor husband, and two children live on a quiet cul-de-sac in the quaint Story Cove community. Although Lily is used to hearing other people’s secrets - given her profession - she hopes none of hers get out.

Arwen Harper and her 16-year old son, Joe, just moved to town. Arwen gives off bohemian vibes, and walks with confidence and sensuality. Not everyone is happy about the new addition to Story Cove...and this is before they know the secrets that Arwen is privy to.

After a female jogger is found battered and dead, Detective Rue Duval is on the case. She wonders if this may relate to the “jogger killer” she’s been hunting down.

Little does anyone foresee the events that will unravel. I know I didn’t.

I’ve read two other books by Loreth Anne White, and loved both of them. However, she KNOCKS IT OUT OF THE PARK here! I was impressed by all the story threads, secrets revealed / to be revealed, and fully dimensional characters with haunting pasts. She ties it all together seamlessly. It’s highly atmospheric from start to finish.

I couldn’t put this book down, nor could I stop playing detective the whole way through (a failing detective in this case). This book is very dark, disturbing, surprisingly emotional, and thought-provoking in more ways than one. This will hook you in from the very first page and through many twists! Highly recommended!

NOTE: The Patient’s Secret is based in part on a true crime that is both horrific and ghastly. I strongly advise against googling that crime until you finish reading this one. Otherwise, some secrets may be spoiled.

Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 3/8/22.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

THE PATIENT'S SECRET is a good standalone story from a favorite suspense author. The story is told from many points of view which normally I don’t love but the way the author did it added to the story and in my opinion it wasn’t confusing, where many times too many narrators can make it hard to follow. The majority of the book we spend with two of the main characters the therapist Lily and one of the detectives, Rue. For me this was a fast paced exciting read for the most part, so much going on with everyone that it kept my interest the whole time. Almost everyone in the story was connected somehow and it kept me guessing the whole time. I really wanted to know what happened to the jogger in the beginning of the story. There is a bit of a slowdown in the middle of the book; but towards the end It kind of picks back up to complete the story. Lily's husband Tom’s character was inconsistent as far as his personality in my opinion, almost like he was a totally different person in a lot of the book and then in the end it was like he was another person. He just came across much differently in how he was presented. Initially his character seemed weak or like a pansy especially in comparison to his seemingly strong wife, then later I feel he comes off smarter and stronger, almost smug. Good story from a good author. Recommended for fans of the author and those of quality suspense.

A really well written thriller that keeps you guessing. White does a fantastic job of weaving different POVs and allowing the reader to get involved in the story. It's fascinating that even though this is fiction, it is grounded in a true story.