The Patient's Secret: A Novel

This is my second read by author Loreth Anne White. I couldn’t imagine anything could top the first book of White’s that I read - but after finishing The Patient’s Secret - I have a strong feeling that ALL of White’s work is masterful! The layers of mysteries she constructs within each story is written brilliantly. And the conclusions … they are not at all like the majority of “twisty turny” books on the market currently. Wherein everything seems to come together, or is revealed, in one rapid blast at the end. Just a few pages, or a quick final chapter, to wrap up a mystery, or mysteries, which have evolved throughout the length of the entire book. Not within White’s work - her style of closure - however. It’s far more satisfying. She weaves the web of the story as we go. Yet even early on she begins to offer us threads to tug on & explore, to see if possibly, it is a clue or will somehow eventually be connected to the solution(s) in the end. And “the end” — the who’s, where’s, when’s, why’s, what’s, etc. — are doled out wonderfully slowly. At times including switchbacks or arounds, when you think we finally have a solution in hand … but then nope, that wasn’t it at all. Thus, White has a skillful style of writing overall, which is rich in detail (character development, world building..), & uses emotive language & mood superbly in her stories. Additionally, White’s mastery in layering mysteries - as well as the manner in which she reveals the “answers” to all the questions she’s woven into her tales - is brilliant & extraordinarily enjoyable. The best way to explain it might be — just as White layers her mysteries — the solutions are presented to us in the very same way. The unentanglement also occurs via overlaying. When answering all the questions she’s raised, this process, the “conclusion,” is a whole new “web” spun, attaching new threads to existing threads that’d been left dangling off the original web (just waiting for a connection to be made…). As opposed to, once again, the more common writing practice of a wrap up which only takes a few paragraphs, couple pages, or abbreviated final chapter, at most. (And is also commonly quite unsatisfying.) This story in particular, The Patient’s Secret, is soooo much more than I thought it would be when I first picked it up. On every level. Fans or those interested in true crime, philosophy, psychology, abnormal psychology, police/detective procedures, restorative justice, the Canadian judicial system, psychoanalysis/therapy, youth offenders, & marriage & relationships (the masks we all wear), will especially enjoy this book. There really is something here for everyone. I did pick up on a few themes which mirrored those found in the first story I read by White (The Maid’s Diary, also excellent!). I’ll be choosing another of her works for my next read & I’ll be interested to see if these topics are consistent for White, in all her writings. Overall, if you’re an existing Loreth Anne White fan, you already know this will be an outstanding & exciting read. If you are new to the author, as I still am, give it a go. I bet you will love it, for multiple reasons! LOTS to love here!

it was a really good story line that was all twisted and kept my interest the whole time. All the twists came together so well at the end. I love a good ending in a thriller book 🥹

This thriller treats readers to a rocket ride, leaving their hearts in their throats. From the first page, when a woman runner is chased through the woods by an unknown man, to the final scene when a killer is revealed, the reader will turn pages in breathless anticipation of the solution. The novel's ties to a true crime make it even more compelling. Psychotherapist Lily spots her shirtless husband coming out of a shed in the backyard and hears him enter the house. Lily is conducting a session with a new client in her home office, and paying attention takes every bit of professional comportment. Her husband, Tom, had left her a note in the very early morning that he was going for a run. She was beginning to worry about him because he had been gone for hours, and they had had a terrific row the night before. She wants to know why he is just getting back. And why did he take his shirt off in the shed? Meanwhile, Tom and Lily's young son, Matthew, is upstairs in his room. He looks out the window when his father enters the shed and notices he has a large brown stain on his running shirt. Fascinated, Matthew watches as his father emerges from the shed without the shirt. He focuses on his camera and takes a picture. Matthew fancies himself a detective and takes pictures of everything with his new camera. He takes pictures of all the neighbors as they unknowingly go about their day. He takes pictures of one neighbor hiding alcohol bottles. Matthew really wants a shot of the man who stands across the street, hiding in the shadows. He sometimes sees him staring at his house at night, but he hasn't been lucky. Suddenly, his thoughts are interrupted when he hears sirens coming down his street and turning into his driveway. Why are the police coming to his house? Phoebe is Tom and Lily's preteen daughter. She has developed a new crush on an older boy, Joe, who goes to her school. She's 12, and he's 15. Phoebe knows she can pass for 16 when she wears makeup, so she does most of the time. Joe lives with his single mother on Phoebe's street behind a massive house in a small rental cottage behind it. Lily has found out about her crush on Joe, and they have had a big fight. Lily wants her daughter to have nothing to do with the older boy. Phoebe is not about to stop seeing Joe. Joe's mother, Arwen, works at a bar where Tom and his coworkers go every Friday night. The guys have become buddies with Arwen. Although Lily doesn't know, Tom helped Arwen get the rental cottage on their street. Arwen has begun to flirt with Tom, but she has an ulterior motive. Each of the characters is under tremendous stress. When Arwen's body is found at the bottom of a cliff near the running path Tom was taking, the pressure on the family, especially Lily, builds to a crescendo. Tom is arrested. Police think that Tom pushed Arwen over the cliff. Lily, who has retrieved the shirt she found in the shed and hidden it, begins to believe it too. After all, she's a psychotherapist who knows firsthand that seemingly upstanding people can hide terrible secrets. This story has twists and turns that will keep the most seasoned mystery reader guessing. The author, Loreth Anne White, has written a thriller that gripped me from beginning to end. I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a complete diversion. Fans of Gillian Flynn and Ruth Ware will love it.

This novel is very well written, full of secrets, lies, and mystery! It has a great plot and just keeps getting better the further in you get. One of the things I liked best is the steady pace of the story. It has a climatic ending and it ties up all the loose ends, was not rushed or ridiculous, which is what I experience in so many other books. The characters are well developed. I really loved the idea that the past was presented uniquely through a true crime story. I have read several other books from this author, all being very good but this has been my favorite to date.

Great book. Probably more like a 4.5. Lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing. Definitely an easy read.

Interesting plot regarding the 'secret'/ writing wasn't bad, however the women were just whiny and neurotic and not in a realistic way, (why did every single women whine and freeze during a trauma but the men were just fine and especially with the main character's history wouldn't align with her psychology, that's also not how trauma is processed by like breakdown of gender only) and also the very whitewashed approach to all the men's abhorrent s3xual proclivities like r@ping and murdering joggers or her in a relationship with a much older man when she was an 11 yr old. Just gross. Able to finish but wouldn't reread.

So this book.... i didn't expect to like it but i did! the writing is on point and the way it is presented keeps you guessing until the end and yes, the plot is only revealed at the very end! i had a good time with it the story is heavy, easy to read and a page turner for sure. I'm glad i bumped into this author will be coming back for more Happy Reading!!!

This is my 1st thriller by Loreth Anne White, I’m looking forward to reading more book by her. It was a AMAZING read. I really enjoyed the plot twist and the multiple time line.

I have started to really enjoy and even look forward to Loren Anne White's books. I like how she takes the real incidents and spins her own fictional takes around it, drawing a fine line between the actual proceedings and her own story and characterizations. This story is yet another intricately detailed and well crafted tale. I won't really get into the story and how it unfolds but i can say this - it had me glued to the pages and though there was one twist that i could see coming, i liked how the main expositions were kept for the end and his everything was pieced together to complete the puzzle. I also loved how it ended on such a shocking and scary note on one question left answered that even ties back to the real incidents. Very scary indeed. But my only two complaints would be - there are way tooo many characters to keep track off and follow, which acts more like a fodder and red herrings thrown for the sake of it and there is just tooooo much happening that kind of goes on a tangent and takes away from the main story. Not that they are necessarily bad..but kind of not required either. But overall i thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and highly recommend it.

Great storyline - it gives a feeling of Wisteria Lane. It’s gripping and compelling, a book one can’t lay down until you find out the whole backstory. Amazing and truly gripping.

3 - 3.5 🌟 It's okay, it was a good read. I'm not sure why, but it didn't quite hook me 🫣 The ending didn't really impact me either... Still, it's very well written and structured; the characters have depth and it's easy to connect with them! This is the first time I've read anything by this author, but it won't be the last!