A very slow burn with boring characters, holes in the plot, and zero surprises or twists. Could not get into this at all.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by William Morrow and #NetGalley for my honest opinion. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

I couldn’t get into this one. I didn’t find anything interesting the pace in the story.

Luc, a suicidal man, comes to Rachel’s hospital at the end of her shift. Something about him hooks her, to a point that when their paths cross soon after, she finds herself blurring the boundary of patient and doctor. While attending a medical conference in France, he sends her a train ticket to his inherited estate in the south of France. Despite knowing it was wrong, she hastily packs up and leaves to meet him. What happens in their five days together is too special to describe as an affair. He also shares his love of art with her and sends some of his work as well as one gifted to him by his great great grandfather. When she leaves, she takes the canvas with her and places them in her bedroom, hidden by her clothing so her husband didn’t ask questions.

Upon returning home, Rachel’s safety is threatened. She hears footsteps behind her, but never sees who it is. She tries to piece together who is following her. Then a colleague and patient end up being murdered and Rachel finds herself in the middle of the crime, accused as an accessory. How will she prove her innocence?

This book didn’t hook me as thrillers I’ve read recently have. I found the character of Rachel to be a bit flat, as those of the supporting case as well. I completed the book in a short time, but it didn’t keep me awake or guessing too much. Was I able to figure out who was the villain? Yes, but it was more of a “oh it was this person” instead of one of surprise and shock. I also felt there were some gaps in the book, like Rachel’s relationship with her daughter, but by the time the book wrapped up, it wasn’t of great importance to me. 2.5⭐️


#netgalley #arc #thepatient #harpercollinspublishing #janeshemilt

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher’s for a copy of this book.

This book is definitely a slow burn and somewhat repetitive in parts. Although, I prefer page turning thrillers the twist in this book was satisfying enough.

If you l enjoy slow burning thrillers, you will want to check this one out.