Last Updated on November 26, 2023 by Louisa
If you love deep, psychological thrillers with a bit of murder crime thrown in the mix, then you have probably read or are thinking of reading The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides.
In this suspenseful story, the reader is taken on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, and with jaw-slapping twists that leave you hanging on the edge of your seat, it’s no wonder this was the most anticipated book of 2019.
But while Michaelides had succeeded in bringing an incredible and enticing thriller to the literacy world, he is not alone. There are many incredible books similar to The Silent Patient that don’t get as much recognition.
Until today…
If you loved the works of Alex Michaelides, then you’ll love these dark psychological thriller books like The Silent Patient.
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Summary of The Silent Patient (Without Spoilers)
The Silent Patient was written by Alex Michaelides and is about a famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer who seemingly had it all, a perfect marriage and a good house.
Only when Alicia Berenson, is held guilty for the murder of her husband and Gabriel Berenson. Alivia pleads “diminished responsibility”, and so she is sent to a secure forensic unit called the Grove and declared criminally insane.
Theo Faber is a forensic psychotherapist at the Grove. Since he has taken a keen interest in the Berenson case, he is placed in charge of Alicia, who has decided to stay silent since the day of the murder.
Although she remains silent during their therapy sessions, she gives Theo her diary, where she describes how she was being watched in her home by a masked man for weeks up to the night of the murder.
Theo then embarks on a journey to discover more about Alicia’s life and help her recover from the trauma of her past. Only, the journey shows that the pair may have more in common than they first thought.
With dramatic twists and lots of suspense thrown in, you just won’t want to put The Silent Patient down.
Related Reading: The Best Quotes From The Silent Patient
Books Similar to The Silent Patient
Now that you know what type of novel to expect, let’s take a look at the top books like The Silent Patient.
1. Verity – Colleen Hoover
From the New York Times Bestseller, Colleen Hoover, is the international sensation, Verity.
Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer going through a financial breakdown. Jeremy Crawford, known for her best-selling author wife, Verity Crawford, offered the job to Lowen.
Soon circumstances changed, and Lowen got the job of her lifetime. She was hired to complete the remaining book of Verity Crawford.
Lowen has chosen to write the book because Verity is injured and cannot put in the time to finish it. Lowen was invited to visit the Crawford home.
She goes through years of Verity’s notes and outlines to collect sufficient information for the book. While she was reading the letters, she discovered the half-written autobiography of Verity that she never intended anyone to read.
Lowen keeps the secret concealed from Jeremy because she fears it will devastate his family life. Jeremy will find it challenging to keep loving his wife once he knows the truth.
If you think Verity sounds like a great read, then you might like other books like Verity by Colleen Hoover.
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Related Reading: Read our complete review of Verity by Colleen Hoover here
2. The Guest List – Lucy Foley
The Guest List is about family members, past grudges, and old friends who arrived on the spectacular beach to join the marriage of Jules Keegan and Will Slater. The wedding day is meticulously portrayed in the story.
On a beautiful day, people gathered to celebrate the young couple’s new beginning.
While the guests enjoy the wedding on the mesmerizing morning, the story takes a new direction when someone attending the ceremony is found dead.
The wedding cake has barely been touched. Members attending the wedding are in shock and feeling anxiety. Now everyone is trapped in an unexpected circumstance.
A question arises, who did not want the couple to get married? And most importantly, why did the culprit choose the wedding day to kill someone?
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3. Sharp Objects – Gillian Flynn
If you liked the psychological thriller components of The Silent Patient, then consider reading Sharp Objects next.
Two girls living in Missouri were killed abruptly. Journalist Camille Preaker was assigned to report on the crime scene. She was sent back to her hometown, where the incident took place.
Camille Preaker finds herself back in history, where her childhood tragedy comes alive. She finds herself again in her family mansion.
Camille starts an investigation to collect the evidence to find the criminal.
The clues take her to the young victims. However, she was not able to gather sufficient evidence.
Psychological puzzles take her back to her past. She struggles to control her emotions, focus on what happened, and unveil the truth.
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4. The Thirteenth Tale – Diane Setterfield
Reclusive and famous author, Vida Winter, has evaded talking about her life until one day she decides it is time to reveal her life story and write a biography.
She enlists the help of Margaret Lea, an amateur biographer, who upon reading Winter’s story, Thirteen Tales of Change and Desperation, notices the book contains only twelve stories.
The thirteenth story, it seems, would be the life of Vida Winter.
Winter has gone through turmoil in her life. She learned from the ups and downs, which she tries to portray in her stories.
The tale features the Angelfield family. A gorgeous Isabelle, and feral twins Adeline and Emmeline, a topiary garden, a ghost, and a governess.
The story intensifies when a devastating fire occurs, and everything changes.
Diane Setterfield keeps many readers on their toes with her brilliant storytelling skills.
The Thirteenth Tale keeps you guessing and wondering. Small moments make you breathless while satisfying your nerves.
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5. The Widow – Fiona Barton
A two-year-old Bella Elliott disappeared one day without any trace. The news soon spread like fire.
It sends a shock wave throughout the country, and everyone starts looking into the situation. Police begin collecting the evidence to find a lead.
The media also play a critical role in unraveling the truth behind the sudden disappearance of Bella.
People want to know who the culprit is in this horrific act. The investigation takes them to one person named Glen Taylor.
Taylor attempts to convince he has nothing to do with this. The court trial comes in Taylor’s favor, and the police have to pay him hefty compensation.
However, soon after his release, he dies in an accident.
His death brings the case alive again. The culprit is still out there, and everyone is searching for him.
Now only one person left who knows about Taylor is his widow. The story revolves around how the police reach the widow and what information they can get out of her about Bella.
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6. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo unveils the intriguing story of a famous movie star named Evelyn, whose name has become synonymous with glitz and glamour in Hollywood.
Curious about her life story, she decides to let the world in on the real her in her biography and share her vast experience in the movie industry.
Contrary to expectations, the job of writing her biography is offered to a relatively unknown journalist named Monique Grant, who is grappling with professional and personal struggles.
In a bid to revive her stagnant career, Monique accepts the challenge to work on Evelyn’s life story.
The two women, with their vastly different backgrounds, eventually form an unlikely bond as Evelyn recounts her story of ruthless ambition, unlikely friendships, and forbidden love in the luxurious surroundings of her apartment.
Monique begins to see parallels between her own life and Evelyn’s, developing a sense of empathy for the Hollywood star’s past pains and struggles.
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Related Reading: Books Like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
7. The Black Painting – Neil Olsen
This is a story of four cousins in the Morse family: Kenny, James, Audrey, and Teresa. Teresa was afraid she had inherited her father’s madness. She tells the dark side of her life to her grandfather.
Her grandfather summons them to his mansion at Owl’s Point. None of them have visited the mansion before.
Family members stayed away from the mansion since the prized painting, a self-portrait by Goya, was abruptly disappeared.
There were rumors about the painting in the family that anyone who views either experiences madness or death.
Her grandfather was her last hope, but soon after, the old man’s dead body was found. His horrified look was gazing at the spot where the painting was hung.
Teresa decides to find the reason behind her grandfather’s death and the mystery of the lost painting.
Ugly family secrets take a new turn.
Teresa must uncover the cause and find out who was desperately wanting to keep them hidden.
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8. Then She Was Gone – Lisa Jewell
In an unforeseen event, a mother who lost her girl “Ellie” was in misery. The girl was fifteen when she disappeared.
Years passed, and there was no sign of her daughter. Now, it’s been ten years, but Laurel is still searching for her daughter. She has not given up hope.
One day a charming stranger named Floyd walks into a cafe. Floyd introduces her nine-year-old daughter to Laurel. She sweeps Laurel off her feet. Her name was Poppy.
She was pretty and intelligent, identical to her lost daughter Ellie. Laurel was seeing a shadow of her daughter in Poppy. Meeting Poppy for the first time made Laurel happy.
After a long time, she was enjoying someone’s company.
All of those questions of the past came again and haunted Laurel. She started thinking again and caused disquiet.
What happened to Ellie? Where is she now? How to find her and get back home?
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9. Freefall – Jessica Barry
Another psychological thriller about family difficulties is Freefall by Jessica Barry.
The luxurious life she built for her family has disappeared in the blink of an eye. Her perfect fiance, her lost daughter, and her mother, who lives on another side of the country, now become part of her life’s journey.
She has to keep moving to escape the dark secrets of her past.
She notices an unknown person stalking her every move. During the search, she faces many lies when she tries to gather information about her lost daughter.
Maggie refuses to accept the fact that her daughter is presumed dead.
Now she has to be prudent about her decision.
Her survival is the only way to find the answers. Mother and daughter have to fight together and stay alert to face any circumstances.
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10. I See You – Claire Mackintosh
If you enjoyed the mystery and suspense of The Silent Patient, then you’ll find the same level of suspense in I See You by Claire Mackintosh.
One day while walking on London Street, Zoe Walker noticed her photo in the classified section of the London newspaper.
She was surprised to see her photo in the popular newspaper. She was determined to find out why someone had published her photo.
There was no clue in the article. It had a grainy image with a website address and phone number.
She takes the newspaper home and shows it to her family. The family is convinced that the picture of the girl in the newspaper is just someone else’s photo who looks like Zoe.
On the next day, Zoe skimmed the newspaper and found the photo of different women.
Was this photo published mistakenly? Is it a coincidence? Or is someone spying on Zoe and keeping track of her every move?
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11. Odd Child Out – Gilly Macmillan
If you want to read a crime/detective story next, then a similar book to add to your TBR is Odd Child Out by Gilly Macmillan.
Noah Sandler and Abdi Mahad were best friends who strolled around Bristol’s Feeder Canal. It was an ordinary day, and everything around them was going well.
The story turns into horror when Noah is found floating unconscious in the anal. Abdi has no clue what happened to Noah. He can’t tell anyone what happened that day.
Detective Jim Clemo was assigned to the case of Noah and Abdi. It was the last case in his career. Noah was British, and Abdi was a Somali refugee.
The case spread like wildfire and became a discussion in society. Everyone wanted to know what happened to him. It has ignited social tension in Bristol.
Fear was building up, and the family was suffering. Two families of these children were fighting for the truth.
Neither of them knows what will happen next, where this trouble will lead them, and how they will get out of the challenging time.
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12. Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens
One of the biggest themes of The Silent Patient is isolation. If you are looking for another book with a female protagonist who is isolated, then you’ll enjoy reading Where The Crawdads Sing.
For many years, the people of Barkley Cove believed their village was haunted by a “Marsh Girl.” Kya Clark was a barefoot and wild woman, detached from the polite society living in the town.
When Chase Andrews was found dead in 1969, everyone in the village pointed their fingers at the Kya Clark.
Kya was born a naturalist who went to school for one day. She learned life lessons from nature, where she spent her entire day. She enjoyed discovering the real essence of nature, a beauty that mother earth has preserved.
Kya had the skill to isolate herself from society. However, the time comes when she yearns to be loved and touched. She was attracted to two young men living in town. They were both intrigued by her incredible beauty.
When she realizes the attraction is neutral, Kya opens a new perspective on life. She enters a startling world of imagination until the unthinkable happens.
The exquisite life of Kya turns into a profound, haunting mystery. Long isolation changes her behavior of her. This provoking and deeply gripping novel reminds us that we are always shaped by the child living within us.
Where The Crawdad’s Sing is an award winning book like The Silent Patient, and was even shortlisted for the Dublin Literary Fiction Awards.
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Related Reading: Books Like Where The Crawdads Sing
13. The Boy from the Woods – Harlan Coben
Another psychological thriller about “loss of memory” is The Boy From the Woods by Harlan Coben.
Wilde was found thirty years ago in the wild. No memory of his past used to bother him. Now as an adult, he still doesn’t know much about his history. He doesn’t know where he came from, the name of his parents, and where he used to live.
In the middle of this, another child in a town goes missing. It seems no one is interested in the missing girl, Naomi Pine. Not even her father showed seriousness about his lost child.
Hester Crimstein worked as a television criminal attorney. She came to know about Naomi’s trouble in her school from her grandson.
Other children relentlessly bullied her in school. Hester teamed up with Wilde, who shares a similar tragic incident experience.
His unique skill may help to find Naomi. When Wilde asks about it, he has no other choice but to help Hester.
Wilde has to go back to the community where he never fits in. The place where influential people are protected.
They hold the secret with them and never care about society even when their actions could destroy the lives of millions. Wilde has to take quick action and help Hester uncover the secret before it is too late.
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14. The Couple on Cedar Close – Anna-Lou Weatherley
Another thriller about a crime and memory loss is The Couple on Cedar Close.
Cedar Close residents were enjoying the annual summer festival with a barbecue. The tables were loaded with delicious food and wine flowing in glasses.
Cedar Close was a peaceful place to live. No noise, criminal activities, or any conflict with the neighbors. It was heaven in the middle of a busy town.
Laurie Mill was taking part in the event for the first time, meeting her neighbors. On the same day, she discovers her husband Robert is having an affair.
One late evening, Robert Mills was found dead in his house, and things turned into chaos. Downstairs in the kitchen, Roberts’s wife Laurie was sitting alone in the darkroom, holding her head in her hands.
She tried to convince others that she didn’t kill Robert, but no one believed her. She doesn’t remember what happened in the past twenty-four hours.
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15. Behind Closed Doors – B. A. Paris
Behind Closed Doors follows Jack and Grace, a dream couple, who possess charming personalities and classiness.
They have beautiful looks and wealth. Jack is a dedicated attorney who never fails in his job and wins every case.
On the other hand, Grace is a homemaker, a fantastic cook, and a gardener. She pours lots of love on her disabled younger sister.
Newly-wed couples have everything in the family well organized. Suddenly, you become hopeless when invited to their home for dinner parties. You may feel that you want to know about Grace’s life.
But it isn’t easy to have personal contact with her because Jack and Grace are inseparable.
You may call this true love, but you might also wonder why Grace never takes her call and talks to someone. She is a great cook and homemaker who spends most of her time at home, which doesn’t translate into her slim body.
The guest notices high-security metal shutters on all the windows. Something seems suspicious, and people are keen to know what happens behind closed doors after the dinner party is over.
Bestselling author B.A. Parish has made a gripping story full of suspense.
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16. Never Let Me Go – Kazuo Ishiguro
The English boarding school Hailsham was located in a pleasant land. It was far away from the influences of the city and the students was kept isolated. Nothing was taught to them about outside society.
Little contact with the external world leaves no scope for the students to learn anything new by themselves.
The school was treating the students well and supporting them to learn different subjects, including arts and literature, to become the person society wants them to be.
From the school of Hailsham, Kathy went through education and became a young woman.
Everything was going well as planned until she and her friends, Ruth and Tommy, decided to leave the place and find out what was outside Hailsham.
They were surprised to see the dirty secret Hailsham was hiding behind the walls.
This gripping mystery novel with an epic love story sheds light on the harsh reality of human arrogance and makes you think about the different society we live in today.
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17. Ugly Love – Colleen Hoover
If you want to read something about a romantic relationship that’s destructive like the one in The Silent Patient, then consider reading Ugly Love.
Tate Collins meets a handsome man named Miles Archer. She comes to know that he is an airline pilot. Tate knew that it wasn’t a first-sight love.
They became good friends but never shared their feeling for each other. The only thing that kept them together was a mutual attraction.
When they start talking about it, he clarifies to Tate that he doesn’t want love. Also, Tate doesn’t have time for love as well, so they are left with only one option.
The mutual agreement took a new turn in their relationship. Surprisingly, everything was going seamlessly as long as Tate sticks to the two rules defined by Miles, “Never ask about the past. Don’t expect a future.”
Both believed they could handle this, but the love turned to pain as the days passed, and promises were broken. Life feels shattered, and love gets ugly.
If you think this sounds exciting, consider reading some other books like Ugly Love.
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18. The Lies We Told – Camilla Way
Clara’s boyfriend Luke suddenly disappears and everyone who knows about their relationship starts thinking he left her. But Clara had a different opinion about her boyfriend’s disappearance.
She saw someone stalking Luke for many days. Clara thinks she knows the truth about Luke. She believes Luke does not vanish or walk away from her life; he was kidnapped.
Clara struggled to collect the proof when she met Luke’s older sister, Emily. Emily wanted to help Clara in the search, but she refused to share what happened to her.
She also vanished twenty years ago but abruptly reappeared in front of Clara.
Clara continues digging the evidence from the document to solve the mystery of Luke’s disappearance. She was convinced that the two incidents of Emily and Luke were somehow connected.
Full of dark, psychological suspense that will keep you hooked. Even the people who are closest to us have something to hide.
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19. The Whisper Man – Alex North
Suspenseful thriller tale of a father and son who found themselves in the middle of an investigation to catch a serial killer.
After the mysterious death of his wife, Tom Kennedy decides to start his family life all over again with his son Jake. Also, the new place will help Jake to recover from grief. They begin their life in the new Town: Featherbank.
But Featherbank also has a dark side. Twenty years ago, a serial killer kidnapped and killed five residents living in the Town.
The police finally caught the criminal. His nickname was “The Whisper Man.” He used to attract the victims by whispering at their windows at night.
Soon after Tom settled into their new house with Jake, the young boy in the Town abruptly vanishes. Evidence shows the similarity between the crime scenes of Frank Carter, also known as “The Whisper Man.”
Detective Amanda Black and Pete Willis receive the case and start investigation around the town.
They have to search for the boy before it is too late. Pete was ready to meet the great rival in prison to find the truth.
Amid the investigation, Jake suddenly starts behaving strangely. He starts hearing a whispering sound at his window.
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20. The Girl on the Train – Paula Hawkins
Rachel commutes from the train every morning. She knows every passing view, signal, and when the train stops.
Rachel watches the back garden passing near the railway track. She even started recognizing people live in one of the houses. Rachel calls them “Jess and Jason.”
These people are happy all the time, and their lives appear perfect. Rachel also feels that her life could become happy like people living across the railway track.
She was thinking about them, and suddenly she got shocked.
The train moves again, but the view is enough to touch her soul. Now everything in Rachel’s life has changed.
She gets the chance to join the lives of people she used to see every day. Now she is more than just a girl on the train.
This book has scenes of domestic violence that some readers find distressing. This award-winning psychological thriller like The Silent Patient won the Goodreads Choice Award for best mystery and thriller in 2015.
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21. The Woman in the Window – A. J. Finn
![The Woman in the Window [Movie Tie-in]: A Novel](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51OoW1RQ+kL._SL500_.jpg)
Anna Fox lives in her apartment in New York City home. She is a recluse who tries to keep her distance from society.
Anna spends her day alone at home drinking wine. She enjoys watching old movies and recalling her happy days. Sometimes she spies on her neighbors.
Russell moves into his house located across the street. Russell, his wife, with a teenage son, was relocated to this house.
His family was looking happy and enjoying their time together. One night while Anna was gazing out her window, she got scared.
Her whole world suddenly started fading, and everything scrambled around her.
She was not able to tell what was real? What is imagined? Is this an illusion? All of these questions begin bothering Anna, and the tale of Anna takes a new turn.
This is a fast-paced psychological thriller book like The Silent Patient with lots of suspense and plot twists.
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22. We Need to Talk about Kevin – Lionel Shriver
If you’re looking for psychological thriller books like The Silent Patient, you will love We Need to Talk About Kevin!
Eva wanted to live her life on her terms. She never thought she would have children and certainly not want to be a mother of a boy who murdered several people.
Her Son Kevin murdered seven of his high-school mates, one cafeteria worker, and a famous teacher in the school. The incident took place two days before his sixteenth birthday.
Besides that, Eva has to deal with her marriage, family, parenthood, career, and Kevin’s horrific act still known to society. She was also struggling with her marriage because of Franklin, her estranged husband.
Endless sacrifices and social impact on her motherhood have caused Eva to develop fears and anger about her own son. She starts feeling utterly alone in the darkness.
It seems her life is pushed off the rail. She has no way out; hence she is stuck in the realm of the unknown.
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23. The Wife Between Us – Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks
The Wife Between Us talks about two women loving a man they both want to marry. The tale portrays the act of jealous ex-wives.
Vanessa is obsessed with her replacement. She observes every move the young woman, Nellie, is doing to try to enter her ex-husband’s life.
A love triangle takes many directions when they both interact with each other. The authors make you think about the anatomy of unusual love.
Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen’s The Wife Between Us is trying to showcase the complexities of marriage.
This complex and twisted psychological thriller novel highlights the dangerous truths of love and marriage that we generally ignore.
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Final Word on Best Books Similar to The Silent Patient
So there you have it, my top 23 books similar to The Silent Patient for all you suspenseful thriller lovers out there. I hope you manage to find your next read from our list.
Of course, there are so many epic novels that fall into the psychological thriller category that didn’t make it on my list, but that’s not to say they aren’t great!
Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments.
Librarian here… Owens’ book is not a thriller, it’s a quirky, introspective coming-of-age story. I’m curious as to how you found these two books similar.
I don’t think Where The Crawdads Sing is on the same thriller level as The Silent Patient, but there are definite similarities between them. They both center around an isolated female protagonist who may be more or less guilty than she appears. As you learn more about their lives through the story, it becomes clear that they are the victim more than the person at blame.