This was my first time reading this author’s work and I absolutely loved the writing style! As someone who enjoys psychology and criminology, this book was the perfect read for me. My mind was working in overdrive trying to figure out where the story was going and I loved the twist, did not see that coming! I was also very interested in reading about the author and I enjoyed how he used personal and educational experiences to draw inspiration and bring awareness to certain subjects. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to reading his other work.

THANK YOU to Storm Publishing, Netgalley and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

What can I say except for WOW. This book sucks you in from page 1. The story keeps you constantly guessing and changing your mind each time
I would say 5 stars and read it as soon as you can.

I am so excited about how much I LOVED this book! I just finished this and I immediately had to get all of my thoughts out. This thriller kept me guessing the whole time, every step of the way.

I read this in less than 24 hours, what a psychological journey!

This book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. On the one hand, it was twisty and creepy and filled with dread. On the other hand, I found it kind of repetitive at times and I didn't really connect with any of the characters. I also saw the twist coming early on. That isn't always a bad thing. I always feel like the best twists come on slowly and have a solid foundation. I just didn't particularly like the one in this book. I feel like it would've worked better if it hadn't felt so rushed.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

This is a thrilling psychological tale following Fletcher, a psychiatrist who specializes in working with the criminally insane, and her patient Trent Davis, who's not just any patient—he's a rockstar and a serial killer. It's like peering into their minds and seeing what makes them tick.
At first, I was totally hooked. The story grabbed me from the get-go, and I couldn't put it down. But somewhere along the way, maybe around the halfway mark, things started feeling a bit repetitive. The conversations between the characters seemed to circle back on themselves, and I found myself losing some of the initial excitement.
Still, there's no denying the intrigue of diving deep into the characters' psyches. I wish it had more thriller, and I saw the twist and ending coming.
Big thanks to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and S. A. Falk for giving me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Therapist begins with us meeting Stephanie Fletcher, a psychiatrist working at the Pantano State Hospital. Dr. Fletcher is assigned a new patient named Trent Davis. He is admitted to the hospital because he murdered six female hitchhikers, drank their blood, and removed their organs. Sick, right?

Trent believes a demon named Larua has possessed him and made him commit the crimes. Falk’s writing of Trent’s dialogue is creepy. He often speaks of Satan, and murder, likes he’s talking about what he ate for breakfast. There were several moments where I wanted to stop reading because the subject matter made me very uncomfortable.

As Dr. Fletcher and Trent continue their sessions, they begin to develop a sort of trauma bond, and she starts to empathize with Trent. Girl... Just as she thought she was beginning to make progress with Trent, strange packages filled with human organs begin arriving at the hospital for him.

Is Trent using one of his fans to continue his heinous crimes? Or is it a copycat that wants to taunt Trent with their superior murderous skills?

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for a copy in return for my honest review.

Wow what a thriller! A brilliant twist at the end that I did not see coming at all! I finished this within 24 hours, I could not put it down. Recommend highly if you enjoy thrillers and fans for Freida McFadden.

5 stars without a doubt!

If you loved “The Silent Patient”, you'll love this one as well. It was simply a page-turner, I never wanted to put it down, and wanted more at the end. It had me guessing all along, and my jaw was on the floor with this ending. I liked the length of the chapters and how we could sometimes see the killer's POV.

I also recommend checking all the major TWs (such as SA of a child, suicide, mental illnesses, graphic descriptions of physical abuse and crime scenes, etc.)

*Thanks to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and S. A. Falk for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Please, for the love of God, can we acknowledge that a psychiatrist is a medical doctor??? The book gets all the medical jargon down, even prescribes palliperidone, which isn't first line but hey, it's an atypical antipsychotic but just one time!!!! The author goes through all the trouble to explain to us how our doctor came to this job as a forensic psychiatrist: oh, I did an internship at a correctional facility, blah blah - there's also medical school involved!!! Please!! I'm begging you!!

From: someone who is quite literally training to be a forensic psychiatrist and yes, also goes to correctional facilities

*Deep breath* Okay. Clearly Falk is someone who has worked in corrections and worked with mental illness. Truly, the way in which our doctor thinks sounds relatively reasonable, if a bit dramatized. But certainly the general wording is there. I read this book because sometimes, I just want to dissociate and read a fun thriller and have it be a twisty psychological bit. But this author really does have most of the accuracy, even if sensationalized. I'm curious why he chose schizoaffective, specifically over schizophrenia, for example.

There is a twist. You see it coming by halfway. I am not a fan of the twist.

From: someone who is quite literally training to be a forensic psychiatrist and yes, also goes to correctional facilities

Thank you to S.A. Falk, Storm Publishing, and NetGalley for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

It’s my first day back at work, and the grief I’m carrying is still with me, but I file it away and put on my professional face to greet my new patient.
As a successful psychiatrist and criminologist, I’m used to working with damaged minds. But I’m not prepared for Trent Davis. Sitting across the table from me, his warm brown eyes shine. He laughs easily and part of me can’t help but like him, despite what his file says he’s capable of.
Then a package arrives for Trent, with my home as the return address.
And everything falls apart…


The synopsis says this is for fans of The Silent Patient and Frieda McFadden and I love both of those, so I thought I would give this author a try and I was very surprised to have another author to add to my "must read" list. Since I'm in the medical field, medical thrillers are always fun for me to read. This book follows Dr. Fletcher, who is accustomed to working with the criminally insane and is going through some mental issues of her own, and her new patient, Trent Davis. He is unlike her typical patients; a twisted and cunning serial killer, who is known as The Bakersfield Vampire....you can't even imagine why. Once the copycat murderer appears on the scene, the story takes a deliciously deviant turn. Are they trying to impress Trent, make a name for themselves, or get revenge on Dr. Fletcher?! Only one way to find out!

Oftentimes I find that most thrillers don't deep dive into the depraved minds of a killer, but this is one story that is super dark and disturbing and adds something special to the suspense and overall feel of the book. It is the definition of a psychological, mind bender thriller that is vicious, terrifying, and yet you can't stop once you start. I didn't want the story to end and the ending came so suddenly and felt rushed. I wanted just a few more chapters to draw it out and give full closure. Overall this was a fantastic book and everything I could have asked for in a thriller. Truly a job well done for the genre. This book publishes on 4/25/2024 and if you're tired of predictable, mundane "thrillers", this is the book for you!

No, thank you. The therapist is sympathetic to a murderer and even says he was self medicating, but then says things like junkie or "ugh, what a mess. " There were other things that rubbed me the wrong way, but this was the worst. Also, the amount of times the author used ruminate or a variation of it was wild.

OBSESSED. I could not put this book down!

There are some major tw's in this book including: SA of a child, physical abuse of a child, drug abuse, mental illness, religion, self harm, graphic descriptions of crime scenes.

"The Therapist" follows.... you guessed it, a therapist but not just any therapist. Dr. Stephanie Fletcher works with the criminally insane. The story begins as she returns to work after losing a mentor and close friend. Amidst her grief, insomnia, and resurfacing PTSD she receives a new patient. Trent Davis, the new patient, has recently been sent to Dr. Fletcher's hospital after murdering and possibly consuming multiple people. It's not long after they meet that a copycat emerges and they have Dr. Fletcher in their sights.

My favorite part about this book was that it had me guessing until the last page. I suspected every last person in this book except the actual killer. I also loved Falk's ability to slowly make the narrator more and more unreliable as she falls victim to stress, lack of sleep, and her past trauma. I sincerely hope Falk writes fast because I need more!

The Therapist tells a story about Stephanie, a correctional facility psychiatrist with a history of trauma who recently lost her own therapist and mentor. Stephanie has a new serial killer (Trent Davis, a controversial heavy metal artist) on her caseload and during his time there, a copycat emerges.

The book definitely had me wondering the entire time I read it. Who is the copycat? Is the therapist dreaming? Is she the one killing? Is it someone on the force? I had my suspicions and theories (which ended up being true) but the author does a good job of keeping it implausible until the end. Although I wish we would’ve gotten more closure with Trent and Stephanie’s past and wished the story could’ve continued, I loved this book! Definitely looking forward to reading more from S.A. Falk.

tw // cannibalism, murder, childhood sexual/physical/emotional abuse, neglect

Thank you NetGalley, S.A. Falk, & Stone Publishing for my ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this eARC. The premise of this book piqued my attention right away. Stephanie, a criminal therapist with her own traumatic past is tasked dealing with one of the most notorious serial killers. Suddenly a copycat killer is on the loose and it looks like Stephanie will be his next victim. The plot twist at the end definitely surprised me. That being said, the vast majority of the book felt like the characters were going around in circles replaying the same information over and over. I felt frustrated a lot of the time. A solid 3 star thriller read.

Book: The Therapist
Pub Date: April 25, 2024

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️(3/5)
Review:
Sadly this book is put down able. It was incredibly boring to me. I love thrillers, but this lacked that. I saw the twists and ending coming. No likeable charters. Just blah to me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, & Author S. A. Falk for this ARC. #TheTherapist #NetGalley #StormPublishing

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy.

I started this book very very intrigued but quickly became boring and I found myself skimming through the whole middle. Interesting ending that was a good twist but definitely not a book I enjoyed.

The Therapist
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Ya’ll this book was kinda batshit crazy! A little The Silent Patient, Ward D (Frieda McFadden), Criminal Minds, and dark true crime serial k!ller stories and poof! you have The Therapist. This one may not be for everyone, you have to have a certain stomach to read it. It’s creepy, disturbing, and totally crosses the gross line, but you won’t want to put it down, you can 100% binge read this one. I read the first chapter and was like “okay it’s time to get comfy, let’s go!” I know this is going to sounds weird, but I have always been fascinated with the minds of serial k!llers and criminal psychiatric therapy so this book was right up my alley. I wish the ending just had a little✨more✨ but honestly this author may become an auto buy for me after just reading one book! There would a long list of trigger warnings with this one so be aware of that going in. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
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Thank you NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and S.A Falk for this E-ARC. Run to the store April 25 when The Therapist hits the shelves!

Oh my goodness, this book was incredible!! I was so so drawn in by the plot and the characters I could not stop reading it and when I wasn't reading it I couldn't stop thinking about it!

Stephanie is a forensic psychiatrist who just got Trent Davis, a serial killer, as a patient. One day, a copycat killer appears and she throws herself into the investigation through her work with the detective and her sessions with Trent. As the story progresses, the murders get worse and her work with Trent continues to regress.

I absolutely loved the psychology part, I thought it was so interesting to read about their sessions and to analyze Trent and Stephanie's traumas from a psychological perspective. Admittedly this wasn't a super realistic scenario, but it felt very real and was very intriguing.

The characters were amazing, I thought each of them was a suspect at different times (still not convinced it wasn't <spoiler>Navarro </spoiler>) and the twists kept me guessing. I got just enough of a hint of what happened with each person that I could have believed it was them.

The book had a great pace throughout, remaining very fast-paced and not really having any dull moments. The ending too! I knew it would be a crazy end but this exceeded my expectations.

My one warning to people who may want to read this book is that it is extremely dark. Trent Davis is a serial killer who brutally murdered his victims and canabalized them. There are several graphic depictions of abuse (physical and sexual) as well as of the victims.

Overall, I really really loved this book, I think I liked it as much (or more) as any Freida McFadden book I've read and it's definitely on par with Alex Michaelides books. I am very excited to read more from this author!

Dr. Fletcher specializes in psychiatric disorders within the criminal justice system, working with those considered criminally insane and spared from capital punishment. One day, the infamous Trent Davis, known for a brutal string of murders, is brought to her facility. Eager to explore his psyche, Fletcher anticipates unraveling the deep-rooted traumas from his past, suspecting a history of abuse similar to her own experiences. Shortly after Trent's arrival, a series of similar crimes begin outside the facility. Fletcher, along with law enforcement, repeatedly interrogates Trent for information. Clues emerge, including cryptic messages that add a layer of complexity to the investigation.

Despite some repetitive themes and predictable plot twists, the book manages to maintain engagement. It presents a fast-paced narrative with well-developed characters, immersing readers in a suspenseful tale set in a contemporary backdrop. While the storyline unravels predictably, the journey towards the final revelation is gripping, keeping readers on edge throughout. Exploring the concept of an unreliable narrator, the story challenges readers to discern hidden truths within the narrative. Despite some foreseen outcomes, the book concludes with a sense of realization regarding the unfolding events.

Overall, the book offers a compelling read that provides insight into the human psyche and delivers a refreshing narrative experience. I recommend this novel and this author. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Dr Fletcher is a criminologist and psychiatrist returning to work with the criminally insane after a bereavement. She begins to work with a new inmate, Trent, who is a serial killer. A series of copycat murders begin while Trent is inside, and Dr Fletcher is intent on finding out who it is, and what Trent knows.

This book was not what I was expecting by the synopsis, but I got pulled in for the first half and was very engaged. I really enjoyed the psychology and uncovering what goes on in people's minds.
The second half got extremely repetitive, and I felt it was bordering on the horror genre. I wasn't expecting such a dark, gory read, which felt unnecessary at times, but I stayed until the end in which the twist did totally surprise me.