3.5 stars

The Patient’s Secret by S.A. Falk  is a psychological thriller about a doctor who thinks her new patient may have killed her daughter.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Storm Publishing and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

 
My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Dr. Sharon Stevenson is a forensic psychiatrist, hired to determine whether Kevin Blackford is sane enough to stand trial for murdering twenty-eight people.

Something is wrong with Kevin, she knows that.  But even though she is sure that he is guilty, she is not convinced the death penalty is the answer.  A life-long move to a mental facility would be better.

In the back of her mind, the good doctor wonders if Kevin also killed her own daughter, who ran away from at 17, and hasn't been seen since.

It soon becomes evident that her career of over 30 years will be questioned, as she fights for the fate of both Blackford, and herself.  Is she willing to risk everything over her obsession with this case?  Is she being duped by Kevin Blackford....and is she allowing herself to be duped?
 

My Opinions:
First, I've never been one of those people who have to check the last chapter to see who did it....and I really don't want to start now.  That's why I was somewhat disappointed when the first chapter told us how the story would end.  I think that took away from the suspense.  However, this was not at all what it looked like.  The twist was really good (although it became obvious a few chapters before it happened).

Among other things, the book looks at the criminal justice system, and how it deals with mental illness.  It is also about murder, obsession, and a woman's determination to find the truth.

As a debut novel, I was very impressed.  The writing was good, and the characters intriguing.  I didn't particularly like many of them (including Sharon at times)...but I liked Kevin (go figure).  I felt the ending was a little rushed, but overall the book was quite good.  I will watch for more from this author!

This book mainly follows Dr Sharon Stevenson, who is a forensic psychiatrist and has been asked to assess the mental competence of Kevin Blackford accused of being the Blue River Strangler. If found guilty he will be facing the death penalty for murdering over twenty women.
This book is full of twists and leaves the reader and Dr Stevenson confused as to whether Kevin has a mental illness or is it all an elaborate act. She becomes emotionally involved in the case and makes decisions that are perhaps against her professional guidelines in her search for justice.

A thought provoking storyline with well drawn characters that's a great psychological thriller.

The patients secret was a very intriguing read that had me hooked from the start, tense, thrilling and unexpected!
The relationship between the forensic psychiatrist Sharon and her death row patient Kevin was an extremely intense, one , complicated by Kevin’s multiple personalities and memory loss, whilst Sharon herself has her own issues!
Diagnosing Kevin is a complicated and traumatic experience for Sharon and drives her to make very emotional , questionable decisions , not helped by her colleagues opinions!
The twisty tale takes the reader on an extraordinary journey as Sharon tries to get justice for Kevin, putting her career and life in jeopardy!
A very detailed, complicated, twisty plot covering hard subjects such as murder, loss, mental health and an overriding obsession to seek justice , but at what cost!
Thank you NetGalley for this early read.

A unique twist to the usual serial killer story line. The killer has turned himself in, but his ability to aid in his own defense is questioned, so a forensic pyschologist has been requested to determine his sanity. The psychologist is the mother of a missing teenager whom she suspects may have been one of the killer's victims. This back story takes readers into some unexpected territory as she uncovers the killer's history. As a debut, SA Falk has tackled a difficult, questionable part of the investigation into the why of a serial killer's actions.

Dr Sharon Stevenson is a top forensic psychologist, well known for her ability to make a learned opinion on a patient's ability to stand trial for their crimes. In THE PATIENT'S SECRET, she has been assigned to the trial of the Blue River Strangler. Her patient has confessed to the murder of almost thirty women, and that's just the ones he remembers. She suspects that her missing teenaged daughter may have been one of victims but feels confident she can set this aside and make a fair assessment of his sanity. This story takes readers into some unique situations as the killer's history is revealed. The twists and turns are many and surprising, leaving readers questioning exactly whose story this is. As a debut, SA Falk has set his bar high for his next book. It's going to be interesting to see where he'll go from here.

I found ‘The Patient's Secret’ by SA Falk an interesting and entertaining read. The plot kept me engaged, moving along at a pace that kept me turning pages, and the twisty ending left me feeling satisfied. Dr Sharon Stevenson is a forensic psychiatrist engaged to assess whether an arrested suspect/the patient is mentally fit to stand trial. The patient presents a case of Dissociative Disorder with four distinct personalities, which had me scratching my head a bit as I tried to keep track of them. The whole Dissociative Disorder angle was the book’s central dilemma - is it real or just a ruse by the patient to dodge the death penalty? Meanwhile, the backdrop of serial murders, mostly of marginalized young women, adds another layer to the story, especially since Stevenson's own daughter fits the victim profile. I wished there had been more exploration of this subplot, though. And the big question that kept nagging at me: If the patient's so savvy as to juggle four personas, why'd they let themselves get caught? Even though Stevenson's job isn't to play detective, both she and I couldn't help wonder if the patient (or any of his 4 personalities) was the real killer. And let me tell you, the best twist in the book comes right when you least expect it. If you enjoy reading suspense with a twist, this one's definitely worth your time.

Absolutely, jaw-droppingly tense and packed full of twists. I adored this amazing, stand-out thriller. Loved, loved loved this one. A brilliant read, one I very highly recommend.

What an excellent read! I ate this one up in a day.

Dr. Sharon Stevenson is a forensic psychiatrist. She has been tasked to determine whether Kevin Blackford, aka the Blue River Strangler, is mentally fit to stand trial. Kevin is awaiting trial for the murders of 27 women. This case hits close to home for Dr. Stevenson. Her young daughter left home over ten years ago, never to be seen by Dr. Stevenson again.

As the novel unfolds, the reader and Dr. Stevenson battle with the psychiatric assessment of Kevin - is he actually mentally ill or is he just messing with Sharon?

This was incredibly well written. I enjoyed the overall complexity, characters, and raw emotion that the story provoked. You will not be able to put this one down! I could not wait to get answers to this riveting story.

I am a sucker for true crime, serial killer stories, etc. What I really liked about this novel is the different POV the reader is provided. Kevin is already in jail when the novel starts. We know about the crimes. However, we learn about the inner workings of a potential serial killer and the psychiatric composition. If you are a find of the Netflix series Mindhunter, you will LOVE this one.

I cannot wait to read more by SA Folk. What an incredible debut novel!

Thank you Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A gripping thriller which follows an intriguing female lead on her search to know the secrets of her patient. Albeit a great read, the pace felt slow at times.

One of the most intriguing psychological thrillers I’ve read in a long time. S.A. Falk’s The Patient’s Secret pulls you in and won’t let go, from the first masterfully crafted pages to the final shocking twist. A terrific debut from a talented author.

dr Sharon Stephenson, a forensic psychiatrist, with a missing teenage daughter. Kevin Blackfield, in prison, charged with multiple murders of women and known as the blue river stranger. Their paths cross as Sharon is asked to assess whether Kevin is of sound mind prior to his sentence, indicating either the death sentence or a psychiatric unit. Against the rules, Sharon feels personally drawn to proving Kevin's innocence and seeks the help of colleagues in her quest.

I found this book addictive and didn't want to put it down and had massive twists along the way. However at times I did get very lost with Kevin's character. Having said that I would highly recommend reading this.

Wow! I really enjoyed this.

We follow Dr Sharon Stevenson a psychiatrist that has been asked to evaluate a man that has been arrested for strangling numerous amounts of women in the area. Sharon meets with Kevin to assess his sanity,to see he if will be sentenced to death. When she diagnoses DID nobody believes her she is even beginning to doubt herself or has she just been duped by Kevin.

I have never read a book that delves into DID before, as the author notes DID is complex to diagnose and not fully understood. I liked the way the author made us doubt Sharon...a credentialed psychiatrist.
There was lots of doubting, twists and turns that I thought I knew the story....I was wrong!
I will gladly read anything else this author writes.

Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this one. I’ve always been interested in psychology and even more so in criminology. The psychiatric points were so well done due to the authors background in this area. It was fascinating and held my attention the entire time. I did not see what direction things were going until the twist that changed everything. I really enjoyed this one a lot!

Absolutely amazing. This book had me absolutely hooked from the first page. In the story, we meet Dr Sharon Stevenson, about to be tested mire than ever before as she is asked to pyschoanalyse Kevin Blackford, a simple man who has been charged as the infamous ' Blue River Strangler'. With overwhelming DNA evidence, Sharon just needs to prove he was sane enough to be put in trial. However, through her time with Blackford, she realises that not only does not deserve to be put through a trial due to a rare metal condition, but actually should he be in this situation at all?

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc read.

Sharon is the psychiatrist tasked with determining if Kevin is is of sound mind and can be held responsible for the killing of two dozen women he has confessed to killing.

The story starts out with a bang and I was fully hooked. Then the story slows down and reveals the many interviews of Kevin. This part dragged on for too long in my opinion. Then suddenly we are nearing the end and it felt rushed.
Less drawn out earlier on and a slower ending would have been better overall read.

I admired the doctor's determination to get to the truth and come up with the correct diagnosis. Others tried to discourage her but she kept to the task. I had my suspicions on what was really going on, and I was partly right and partly wrong.

Not a bad read but not phenomenal either. Middle of the road book for me.

Thanks to netgalley and Storm Publishing for the arc.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #StormPublishing for the book #ThePatientsSecret by #SAFalk. This book was non stop suspense and mental illness, grieving and abuse. This thriller will take you by surprise in the end.

I graciously received an e-ARC of The Patient's Secret by S.A. Falk. This is my true and unprompted review:

The Patient's Secret was a book that I have been waiting to read since I started to hear more and more about it, so I was over the moon when I was given the opportunity to read it early! The book has a good amount of twists and turns throughout; some expected and some unexpected. I think that it has potential to be a 4 or 5 star read for somebody, however, for me, it was a 3-star. I was able to figure out most of the twists ahead of time, however a couple still got me. There were points where I felt like the story was unnecessarily dragging out, however it still kept me engaged. I'm someone who will DNF a book if it's not keeping my attention, but this kept me on the edge just enough to keep going when it did get a little slower. Overall, I'm pleased with the book, would suggest it to people, and am thankful to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read it ahead of the release.

A forensic psychiatrist enters a prison to interview a man suspected of being one of the most prolific serial killers in the area killing upwards of 28 woman. However, the suspect is not what she expected. Is he lying? Does he had Dissociated Identity Disorder?

Sharon is now in a race against time to prove his innocence and potentially prove her expertise in her field.

This psychological thriller is slow in some parts and then too quick in other areas. The first chapter makes it pretty clear whom is being executed and takes away from the book. It is also not clear why Sharon is so attached to the case. While the book is set up to be a good read, I felt like by the end I was forcing myself to read it.

What a great read - a huge difference from the usual thrillers we find in this category. This story follows Dr Sharon Stevenson as a forensic psychiatrist whose job is to deem if someone is able to stand trial guilty or they are not of sane mind. Sharon is drafted in to decide if Kevin - the accused Blue River Strangler , is mentally competent to stand trial. With 28 victims found dead with kevins dna found on the bodies this really is a twisty tale and almost reads like a movie
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the advanced copy of this book.

Thanks to Storm Publishing, NetGalley, and S. A. Falk for one of the most compelling thrillers I have read in awhile. The Patient’s Secret begins with an execution but we don’t really know who is the prisoner only the witnesses and then we take a step back and begin to learn who these characters are and WOW! I ended up staying up late because I was shocked by who was the actual killer and what had been done to others. I was amazed at how much evil one person could do to one person and yet appear perfectly normal to others. I’m always a fan of well written serial killer novels and this is definitely one of my new favorite books. If you enjoy a twisty plot that keeps you going in circles this one will be just what you need.

The Patient’s Secret by S. A. Falk had one of the best opening chapters I have read. After the opening it was a slow build. It dove into the human psyche as the pressure builds and the tension grows. I had Mindhunter vibes as I read this book. One of the best series I have seen btw.

It’s a cat and mouse game between a serial killer, Kevin and a renowned psychiatrist, Sharon. Has Sharon met her match? Has she finally reached the end of her career? Or is she after a truth she has searched for everyday for so long? Maybe Kevin is just that good at manipulating others.

Publish date - 2/05/24
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Happy reading, y’all! 📚❤️📚