This book’s ending is “mind-blowing,” and it’s topped a list of novels with the most shocking final pages. Readers say they recommend it to everyone, and its reveal is one of the best. It’s unsurprising that the novel won the Goodreads Choice Award in 2019.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is a psychological thriller which follows a woman’s act of violence against her husband — and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive. One reviewer on Goodreads said: “This is the type of Thriller that I really enjoy sinking my teeth into. The use of the diary entries, paired with Theo’s investigations, made for a perfectly-paced reveal in my opinion!”
The novel takes top spot on a Goodreads list titled “Shocking Ending Books”, where avid readers have voted for their number one.
Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas.
One evening, her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.
Alicia’s refusal to talk or give any kind of explanation turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety.
Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia.
His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations.
Another reader said: “We finally have a winner. This is truly a page-turner—meticulously developed and smartly written.
“I loved the final twist and the ending. Did my instincts pick up on it? Halfway through, I suspected something was off, but it was so well-executed that it fooled me! Shame on me!”
In second place on the list is Verity by Colleen Hoover and in third place is Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.
Just making the top five are The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen and The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber.
If you’re looking for your next read, Michaelides’ book could be the perfect exhilarating page-turner for you this summer.