Great potential, but the execution was a bit weak and the ending just didn’t live up to the initial promise. Such a shame as it started off amazing!

First book I read from this author.

Steph, a successful psychiatrist and criminologist, has to deal with the arrival of a new inmate, serial killer and rock star, Trent Davis. While trying to cure him, she's involved in a parallel police investigation, trying to solve the murders performed by a copy cat.

I really enjoyed the book, which was a solid 4-stars, until the 1-star ending which was unfortunately a let down.
I’m not sure if it was done on purpose or if pages were missing but this left me a bit confused.
Why all the build up and leaving us with so little to no resolution?

Thank you Netgalley for the advance cop in exchange of my honest review.
#Netgalley #TheTherapist

Dr. Stephanie Fletcher is lead psychiatrist at Pantano State Hospital, treating its criminally insane and most disturbed patients. When new cannibalistic serial killer, Trent Davis arrives, he is assigned to Dr. Fletcher’s patient roster. What follows is a series of copycat killings, in which Dr. Fletcher becomes involved with the investigation.

Dr. Fletcher was not the most interesting main character, and did not come across as a competent psychiatrist. Trent Davis, as the Villain, was perhaps a more intriguing character. He was vile but somehow interesting, layered, and well-developed. His rock-star career was an unexpected background to give a serial killer, and yet it worked well.

The story was perhaps a bit darker, gruesome, and graphic than I was expecting, and without any relief of tension, it was a challenging read.

The premise was excellent, though I did anticipate the ending. Overall it was a good read for fans of more graphic thrillers. But I would trigger warn others about references to childhood sexual abuse, and explicit descriptions of murder victims.

Thank you to NetGalley, author S. A. Falk, and Storm Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dr Stephanie Fletcher is a successful psychiatrist and criminologist at Pantano, a high security forensic psychiatric ward. But nothing prepares her for Trent Davis, a notorious serial killer and canibal. Shortly after arriving at the Facility, bodies start turning up, and the crime scenes are an exact replica to Davis. Is it a copycat. Is Davis the real killer?

A psychiatrist trying to get into the head of a notorious criminal? It was an interesting premise and I was hooked immediately. I wanted to like this book but I couldn't.

Sure, it was fast paced. It was even creepy and dark, with references of sacrifice made to Satan. The descriptions of the crimes committed were gory. It was suspenseful. So why didn't I like it?

First of all, I thought this book had missing pages. I read this on my ereader and when I had reached the final sentence of this book, I was still scrolling. I was literally telling myself this: 𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦. It did! And it was majorly disappointing!

Besides the rushed ending, I realised there wasn't much backstory to Stephanie's past. The author had slipped to us, letting us know that she had been abused during her childhood but that part wasn't explored and explained.

The story became repetitive at around 30% and not much was going on. It was like the plot had flattened.

I wish I could love this but I don't. I'm giving this a rating of 3⭐. Nevertheless, thank you NetGalley @netgalley, Storm Publishing and author SA Falk for providing me with a copy of this book for review

Dr Fletcher works as a psychiatrist with some of the most serious criminal offenders who have been found criminally insane and thus evading the death penalty. Trent Davis, a musician who is suspected of killing six women, has landed under Dr Fletcher’s watch and she is hoping to find out what’s going on in his mind.

Through a number of sessions, Trent has the doctor spinning in circles as she learns about the abuse he suffered (or didn’t), about the demon coercing him (or isn’t), and the bodies he ate (or didn’t). Then packages start arriving for Trent and more bodies turn up – the work of a copycat? When one of the packages has the doctor’s home address as the return address, Dr Fletcher knows she is in danger. Is she too close to the case?

A psychiatrist working with the criminally insane – definitely the basis for a good story. Dr Fletcher’s interactions with Trent were very intense and the way he came across as completely sane in his thoughts but insane in his actions was macabre. His lyrics and convictions were disturbing and I was looking forward to finding out the whys and hows of his killing spree.

But then the concentration shifted. Suddenly it was all about the copycat and the answers about Trent never came. Dr Fletcher became more of an annoying character as time went by and her professionalism certainly fell by the wayside. The book moves from a heightened sense of emotions and a need to find out more, to a slower feeling of acceptance, and then moves into a possible life or death situation and suddenly (when your kindle says there is 9% left in the book), the story ends. And the ending feels like a copout.

The author has managed to convey Trent’s psychological state well, but the “unputdownable thriller with an incredible twist” did not come through.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review the book.

I honestly almost didn't finish this book. I actually just didn't really care what was going on, nothing got me excited. Then about 2/3 of the way in, I got that feeling that I MUST keep going to find out what was next. And by the end I was mad that I wasted my time on this book. None of it made sense. If it wasn't on this platform looking for feedback I would have definitely not finished it, and probably would have been happier if I had made up my own ending in my head.

This was a fantastic thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. The plots twists were great, the final reveal made me go back to reread some parts! I love that the story is through the eyes of a mental health worker. I’ll be posting this book to spotlight as well as recommend for my book club. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read!

'The Therapist' is a very dark and disturbing read from Falk but I absolutely loved it. We read this through the eyes of the psychiatrist and this really allows the reader to try and understand the mindset of the characters. As I have come to expect from Falk, this is a book full of twists and the biggest twist comes at the end which was a welcome surprise.
Despite enjoying this, I do think there are some unanswered plot threads, Falk ends the book quite abruptly and it would have been good to explore these further and see more of a resolution.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advance copy.

A serial killer who is also a musician, and a copycat who follows him. A psychiatrist trying to uncover his history and past. It was so suspenseful and hooked me from the beginning. The only reason it’s not 5 stars from me is I figured the ending out so i didn’t experience that big twist.

loved this book right from the beginning, had me hooked. will be recommending to other people the read

A compelling thriller that explores the human psyche. Even though I liked the first book by this author a lot more (The Patient's Secret), this one was also good. This one isn't an "easy" popcorn thriller by any means! It's kind of dark. The pacing and writing was good, though.

This was an absolutely brilliant read. A difficult read at times but it was a compelling read and difficult to put down. I was hooked from the beginning. I never saw the twist at the end coming. Excellent read.

S.A. Falk's "The Therapist" is a compelling and intricately woven narrative that delves deep into the complexities of human psychology and the intricacies of therapeutic relationships. From the very first page, Falk captivates the reader with a gripping plot and well-developed characters that are both relatable and intriguing.

The protagonist, a skilled therapist, navigates a series of challenging cases that not only test her professional abilities but also force her to confront her own personal demons. Falk's portrayal of the therapeutic process is both realistic and insightful, offering readers a nuanced understanding of the emotional and mental landscapes both therapist and clients traverse.

The pacing of the novel is expertly managed, with twists and turns that keep the reader on the edge of their seat. Falk's writing is sharp and evocative, drawing readers into the story and making them feel every moment of tension, triumph, and heartache. The psychological depth and moral dilemmas faced by the characters add layers of complexity that make "The Therapist" a truly thought-provoking read.

What sets this book apart is Falk's ability to blend suspense with profound psychological insights, making it not just a thriller but a deep exploration of the human mind. "The Therapist" is a must-read for anyone interested in psychological dramas, offering a perfect balance of suspense, emotion, and intellect. Falk has crafted a masterpiece that will leave readers pondering long after the final page is turned.

I received this book prior to publication. All opinions are my own. It was entertaining, but I guessed the twist way early on. Glad I read it. But not sure I would seek out at a bookstore and buy. The title and cover page definitely piqued my interest. This was the authors second book. Her previous one looks interesting as well!

This book really gripped me. I thought the premise of it was really intriguing. It reminded me of The Silent Patient at first but with the added bonus of being involved in a murder investigation.

I did think Dr Fletcher’s character wasn’t always consistent. She switched from being unwilling to help the investigation to to being involved very quickly.

I also thought the twist was very obvious. (POTENTIAL SPOILER) It was really obvious when the medical background was mentioned as that just seemed to be thrown in.

Overall, I enjoyed the way the book was written. It was a quick read as it was gilling and you didn’t want to put it down. But the ending was a bit underwhelming because it was obvious who had done it.

Book description sounded good and it started off well, but part way through it died off. Not for me, sorry, but I see that I am in the minority

I really really REALLY loved this book… right up until the ending. The option was on the cards for a while, but I was hoping for something a bit more unpredictable. Even so, I could’ve enjoyed the ending it it was dragged out a little bit more with further info and detail into the case and evidence and explanation of how it all worked!

Aside from that though, the suspense and description throughout this book was intense and really well-done. I loved the back and forth between each of the characters, “does he know” “doesn’t he know” were two questions going through my head for the majority of this book and I found myself getting giddy during the juicy parts when it seemed like everything was unexplainable!

I loved the characters and the representation of mental health, psychology and trauma. I feel each person in this book was well-thought out and deserved every bit of recognition they got, regardless of how “minuscule” their influence seemed.

I would recommend this to people who like Freida McFadden’s writing, as I found a lot of similarities in their styles.

Thank you kindly to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity of reading this ARC in trade for an honest review!

This is the first book I've read from S.A. Falk and I was not disappointed. I absolutely love books that deal with mental health and crime and this book has that in spades.

Dr. Stephanie Fletcher has just returned to work after suffering the loss of her therapist and friend. She is the head psychiatrist at a maximum security hospital and she works with the most depraved criminals. It all starts when Trent Davis is added to her case file - she obsessively works the case in order to escape her grief. Davis' crimes were horrific, but Southern California is being turned upside down with a copycat. Fletcher's job is to help figure out who the copycat is and help bring them down, hopefully with the help of Trent Davis.

This Psychological thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat. I devoured this book in a matter of a few days. If you like a good thriller - one that keeps you guessing, this is the one for you!

I thank NetGalley, the author and Storm publishing for allowing me the opportunity to read this ARC.

I may be in the minority but, this just was not my favorite. It is very dark [totally okay with that[ but, it made it a bit heavier to read and slowed me down.

Reminds me a bit of Stephen King vibes and kept me on my toes the entire time. I just had a hard time getting into it but, I think it that was more on me. This one isn't for the faint of heart and isn't an "east thriller". Go into it...eyes wide open!

Thank you to the publishing team and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Gosh! This book was amazing! The twists got me ever single time. I never expected that ending. It was so good. I’ll be definitely be getting people to read this book!