Thanks to Storm Publishing for this E-Arc. This was such a solid read. It was sort of like when you watch a documentary of killers. Psychology was my minor and I'm fascinated by it so this book was just that much more interesting.I was already into it and then that twist that was just chefs kiss.

I'm on the fence with this one. Its a psychological thriller most definitely but it' also felt like a bit of a social study into justice and punishments and guilt. It's very cleverly written and knowing nothing about rel life mental disorders, I certainly found it fascinating. It all maybe felt a bit too real? I like my fiction to be clear cut and escape from the real world and real life questions but these chargers are so masterfully written that it's impossible not to fele the vulnerability and humanity in them. Its captivating and thought provoking but some times I just like shallow, escapism lol.

**A slow build with a heart-pounding payoff, "The Patient's Secret" by S.A. Falk is a psychological thriller that kept me guessing until the very last page.** While the initial chapters took some time to set the scene and introduce the characters, I found myself gradually pulled into the murky waters of Dr. Sharon Stevenson's world. Her mission to assess the sanity of death row inmate Kevin Blackford, suspected of brutal murders, felt initially procedural, but the author's skillful weaving of Sharon's own personal tragedy with the chilling investigation soon added layers of intrigue.

While the opening chapters might leave some readers wanting a faster pace, I found the slow burn to be effective in building tension and suspense. **The payoff, once it arrived, was explosive, leaving me eager to unravel the final layer of secrets.** Falk's masterful storytelling kept me glued to the pages, and the shocking conclusion had me reeling long after I finished the book.

**Overall, "The Patient's Secret" is a gripping psychological thriller that delivers on its promise of twists, turns, and a heart-pounding race to the finish.** If you're looking for a book that will keep you guessing and leave you thinking long after you turn the last page, this is definitely one to add to your reading list.

In this gripping psychological thriller, Sharon Stevenson is not just a forensic psychiatrist evaluating the minds of accused individuals; she's a mother haunted by the mysterious disappearance of her seventeen-year-old daughter, Maddie, who has never been found. As she faces a man charged with the murders of several women, the chilling question lingers: did he also claim the life of her beloved daughter?

This unputdownable tale delves into a dangerous cat-and-mouse game, as Sharon, driven by a mother's desperation for the truth, confronts the killer she believes holds the answers. With echoes of The Silent Patient, Mike Omer, and Freida McFadden, this psychological thriller promises a suspenseful journey through the complexities of justice, grief, and the relentless pursuit of the truth. Brace yourself for a riveting narrative that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Dr. Sharon Stevenson, a prison psychologist, has been called to rural Wyoming to evaluate Kevin Blackford. Given the nickname, the Blue River Strangler, he's accused of murdering 28 women, but the more time Sharon spends with him, the less certain she becomes of his guilt. Part psychological study, part thriller, Falk creates a hard to put down story that fans of "Mindhunter" will enjoy.

With a quick pace, the book introduced all of the main players, and set the story in motion. The actual crime wasn't the focus, but rather questioning the justice of the legal system, especially in cases of severe mental illness. Sharon and Kevin's connection was bittersweet and provided the necessary vulnerability for the read to question Kevin's innocence along with her. I didn't see the twist coming until just before it happened, and the epilogue provided a nice wrap-up.

This was a really suspenseful read! The writing was excellent and full of little twists. It makes you wonder what really is the motivation behind any killer. Is there something physiologically wrong from birth? Or did they get that way from previous trauma? Nature vs nurture. Anyone who likes psychological thrillers, should read this one. It definitely kept me on the edge of my seat!
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this as an ARC. These opinions are my own.

Although I found the outline a very interesting one, I'm afraid once I got into it, it just wasn't for me. I'm sure others will love it though.
Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC

The Patient’s Secret by S.A. Falk

⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒

Thank you to S.A. Falk, Storm Publishing, and NetGallery for allowing me to review an advanced copy of The Patient’s Secret.

Firstly, I have to commend Falk for making my brain and soul so happy with this book. You may or may not know that I’m in graduate school studying clinical psychology. It was so refreshing to see DID representation in a book.

I was screaming “COUNTERTRANSFERENCE” more times than I’d like to admit. I got to live my dream of being a forensic psychologist through Dr. Stevenson. I’m once again reminded that I do not have the strength to do forensics.

The story kept a good pace. Around the 50-75% mark, I predicted the twist ending, but despite that, it’s still a really thrilling read.

I haven’t gotten to read The Silent Patient yet, but I imagine they’re very similar.

If you decide to read this book, PLEASE read the letter from the author at the end of it. Especially if you’re in the field of psychology, studying it, or are just interested in it.

If you enjoyed it, please consider reading When Rabbit Howls, Sybil, Billy Flanagan, or any of the Eve books!!! More DID/MIP representation. I LOVED reading these books during COVID.

Fans of dark criminal series like Mindhunter and Criminal Minds, rejoice! We now have a book to obsess over.

Sasha is an experienced forensic psychiatrist with the task to find out if Kevin, a serial killer responsible for the deaths of 28 young women, has the mental capacity to stand trial. However, as their sessions progress, different questions arise that make her doubt everything.

The story starts at the very end, the jumps back to the beginning so we can find out what were the events that led to that point. It is medium paced but almost fast paced, with every new evidence putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

This was an extremely engaging read that I just could not put down! The author made a great job at making their characters feel real and I found myself thinking about the story even when I wasn't reading. Their background in psychology clearly played a huge role in how believable this book is and I can't wait to read more of his works.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

‘The Patient’s Secret’ by S. A. Falk starts explosively and hauntingly, with a convicted murderer who is about to be put to death surveying the gathered witnesses and focusing on Dr Sharon Stevenson who is a shell of her former self following their interactions. Jumping back to years earlier, Sharon has been engaged as a forensic psychiatrist and tasked with evaluating the competency and mental state of Keven Blackford - a man accused of terrible crimes. As she delves deeper into her patient’s mind, she suspects a shocking diagnosis…

Weaving in Sharon’s grief at having lost her only daughter at seventeen, the book does an excellent job of provoking thought about just punishments. I admired Dr. Stevenson’s determination to find the truth and her commitment to fairness, even if I did question some of her actions. Kevin was an interesting character, and I was captivated by the slow drips of information about his past and about the crimes of the Blue Valley Strangler. I absolutely did not see the twist coming.

Despite being gripped by this book and racing through it in eagerness to know what happened, I didn’t really enjoy reading it and was glad to reach the end. More intriguing than entertaining, this book is perfect if you want a deep dive into criminal psychiatry and to be shocked and appalled by a mind-bending twist…

This book really pulls you in from the beginning. Falk has a really unique approach to a mystery/thriller/crime story. As someone who has always been interested in true crime and psychology, her story leaves me wanting more! The way the story is played out cannot be any better. The amount of times I was second guessing who the culprit is was crazy, but in a good way. The characters are ones that are easy to connect to and sympathize with.

If anyone is looking for an intense crime filled mystery, this book is definitely for you! I, for one, was on the edge of my seat with every page turn.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the psychological crime thriller ARC.

This one was a crazy twisty ride folks! Buckle up it gets a bit wild and out of control in the middle /two-thirds in and the main character starts making questionable/annoying decisions. But then it gets back on track again.

Overall I really really enjoyed it! Loved that it was a bit different than most!

4/5 ⭐️

This book was definitely very different!. It's about a serial killer who basically dupes a Psychiatrist into thinking he has multiple personalities to get out of being put to death! Its a little creepy and different than anything I've read before! It wasn't really for me, the storyline was very interesting but just not my type of book I guess?! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

We follow Sharon Stevenson, a forensic psychiatrist that’s assigned to evaluate the mental competence of the Blue River Strangler – Kevin Blackford – who’s facing death penalty for murdering several women. However, Sharon is facing personal challenges since she is a mother who’s grieving the disappearance of her daughter.

This story was full of twists and turns and left me full of doubts. Is Kevin the actual killer or perhaps was someone else? Does he have a mental disorder or is it all fake? The fact that the main character goes against everything and everyone and made the decisions that she did was fantastic and gave a sense of justice to the story.

I found this story complicated and emotional, touching mental illness and justice while facing death and other life’s tragedies. It has a unique plot and characters that I felt connected with and I was not able to put it down until it was over. For those who enjoys a good psychological thriller with twists and a medical perspective, add this book to your tbr. It was such a tense ride.

Thank you, Storm Publishing and NetGalley, for approving me to read this arc and write this review.

This serial killer guy is in jail for killing over 20 something women and the prosecuting attorney hire a psychiatrist that specializes in patients that are criminals.
When she meets Kevin she is drawn in by his calm kind of slow demeanor and thinks he is one of the few that have multiple personalities or DID as it's now known. No one else believes her and she gets WAAAYYY into his case.

I think this book is a it's not you book it's me case. I just can't with the multiple personalities for some reason and this book towards the end jumps every damn twist it can so I ended up irritated.

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
Sharon a psychiatrist whose daughter disappeared has the job of deciding if Kevin is competent to stand trial for the murders of numerous women. Could one of those women be her daughter?
A wild read to find the answer to the murders with a twist you may not see coming!

I’m not entirely sure how Ifeel about this book so here goes. There came a point where I thought we are never going to get there and then it all changed. Very happy I stuck it out. Really good beginning a bit slow in the middle but for a very short time. Then it picked up again. I guess I really liked this book. I’m looking forward to the next one.
Sharon is a psychiatrist who treats inmates. She ends up talking with Kevin and is sure that he cannot stand trial because of his mental health. Then she brings in a colleague who doesn’t exactly agree with her. I’m going to stop. I’m not very good at not giving the plot away.
I recommend this book!

4.5⭐
Genre ~ psychological fiction
Setting ~ Wyoming in the 1990's
Publication date ~ February 5, 2024
Est page Count ~ 323 (50 chapters)
POV ~ single 1st
Featuring ~ debut, serial killer, psychiatrist

As interesting as it was, I do feel like Chapter 1 should actually have been listed as a prologue because it comes from the accused on death row in the 1st person, while the rest of the story comes from Sharon in the 1st as well.

The Blue River Strangler has turned himself in and confessed to murdering 28 young women. There is no doubt he committed these crimes because his DNA has been linked to some of the bodies.

Dr. Sharon Stevenson is a forensic psychiatrist that evaluates the accused to determine if they're competent enough to stand trial. When she begins the interview process with Kevin she soon realizes there's much more to him then meets the eye.

She strongly believes Kevin has DID, or dissociative identity disorder. DID is said to be very uncommon, so she's having a tough time getting anyone to believe her. Successfully diagnosing him could not only help her career, but also save him from death row, so she becomes borderline obsessed with proving her theory. But is there a blurred line because Sharon's daughter is missing and she might be one of his victims not yet discovered? Honestly Sharon didn't seem too broken up about her daughter because their relationship was already strained before she went missing. She's not overly likable, but seems to be good at her job and she lets you know she's one of the best in the country.

The knowledge put forth in the novel shows since Falk studied Psychology, Neuroscience, and Criminology. During this time, he not only studied serial killers and their pathologies, but he also studied the anatomy and physiology of mental illness. To further gain experience in the field, Falk worked as a mental health counselor at a residential treatment facility for children who were victims of physical and/or sexual abuse.

Overall, I was impressed with this debut. It's fast paced with a couple edge of the seat moments to keep the momentum going. Could I have figured out the twist earlier on, probably so, but it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment. It's well written and I thought I was actually reading about a real case. Maybe because there are quite a bit of real serial killer name drops.

Side note ~ you know how some words just grate on your nerves when you read them over and over again? Well this one was "nuh-uh."

One of the strengths of "The Mind's Verdict" is the exploration of the human psyche and the complexities of mental health. The author delves into the minds of both the accused and the protagonist, shedding light on the fragile line between sanity and madness. This psychological depth adds layers of intrigue to the story, making it a compelling read for fans of the genre.
Overall, "The Mind's Verdict" is a captivating thriller that combines elements of mystery, psychological suspense, and emotional depth. It explores themes of justice, grief, and the lengths a mother will go to uncover the truth. With its well-crafted plot and compelling characters, this book is sure to keep readers engrossed until the final page.
Highly recommended for fans of psychological thrillers and those who enjoy thought-provoking narratives that delve into the complexities of the human mind.

Sharon Stevenson is a forensic psychiatrist assigned to evaluate the mental competence of Kevin Blackford, also known as the Blue River Strangler, who is facing the death penalty for murdering numerous women. Sharon is also dealing with the grief of her missing daughter, Maddie. As she interacts with Kevin, she becomes suspicious that he may have had a role in Maddie's disappearance. The story follows Sharon's quest for the truth, as she embarks on a dangerous cat-and-mouse game with the man she believes has answers.

The book is a fast-paced psychological thriller that tackles the questions of how a serial killer emerges and the nature versus nurture debate. It delves into the mind of Kevin as well as the psychological turmoil faced by Sharon. The book has a suspense filled plot, well-developed characters, and unexpected twist. While some aspects of the story may seem unbelievable at times, it keeps readers captivated and leaves them guessing until the end. Thank you the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.