| Title | : | The Patients Secret |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 383 |
| Publication | : | First published March 8, 2022 |
When the battered body of a female jogger is found beneath the cliffs of an idyllic coastal community, these perfect neighbors suddenly don’t seem so perfect…
Lily Bradley is a respected psychotherapist married to a distinguished professor. They live in a dream house with their two children in close-knit Story Cove. Lily lives a well-ordered life. Or so it seems. As a therapist, she knows everyone keeps things hidden. Even her.
Then sensual and free-spirited Arwen Harper rolls into town in her hand-painted VW van, her sixteen-year-old son riding shotgun. Overnight, Story Cove’s secrets are no longer safe. Because Arwen might know her new neighbors better than they know themselves.
Now someone is dead, and it looks like murder. Brutal and personal. The death invites the shrewd eye of Detective Rue Duval. Rue’s job is to expose secrets. But she’s also an expert at keeping them.
As the lives of three women become inexorably entwined, one thing is clear: when it comes to survival, ordinary people can do the most terrible things.
The Patients Secret Reviews
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The Patient's Secret by Loreth Anne White
The Patient's Secret was so much fun to read and to discuss with others. A woman is found dead at the bottom of a cliff. Was her fall an accident or did someone push her to her death? Trying to figure out what was going on led down more paths than I can count and my head was full of potential suspects because the dead woman, Arwen Harper, seemed to excel at making herself a target for lust and other unsavory things.
Lily Bradley, a respected psychotherapist, has the ideal life. She lives with her husband, a professor at the local university, with their children, in the "to die for" revered community of Story Cove. But Lily has a dark, horrible secret that she has kept from everyone, including her husband. Her life, her husband's life, and her children's lives would be destroyed if her secret ever gets out. But now she is getting threatening notes that someone knows her secret. She is being stalked, she feels eyes on her, and a distance is growing between Lily and her husband, Tom.
The timeline is all over the place and we have many POVs for the chapters. But the author makes it very easy to keep track of the people and dates. I was never confused about when something was happening or whose eyes we were seeing the story through. It all just clicked along, each chapter had me wanting to get to the next one, and the only thing I was sure of was that this community was filled with a massive amount of men, women, and children doing things they were not supposed to be doing. Did those things include murder?
The most likeable people were "some" of the younger people and I couldn't help being worried about how they might be involved in what was going on. The story hammers home that a parent will do anything for their child but we also see that a child will do anything for their parents. There is so much driving each and every person in the story, no one is black and white, it's clear that even the most innocent might have something to hide.
Once we know some very important facts, there are always more shocks and twists lurking around the corner. This was my first Loreth Anne White book and I plan to go back and read her other stories.
Pub Mar 8, 2022
Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for this ARC. -
When it comes to dark and compelling psychological thrillers, The Patient's Secret hits all the right notes.
Lily Bradley has what seems to be an enviable life, living in affluent Story Cove with her loving husband Tom and two wonderfully unruly children. But she's been on edge lately, feeling like she's being followed and her husband is keeping secrets from her. When a newcomer is found dead at the base of the cliffs and Tom is the one who finds her, Lily realizes the careful life she's cultivated may just be an illusion.
This was an atmospheric read, and I found it to be riveting. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. While it's a much-trodden genre, there were elements in here I've never seen before, which made the whole thing feel fresh and unusual. I wasn't exactly sure where it was going, and there were plenty of twists and turns to sustain my interests throughout.
For me, this struck a really good balance between the psychological and the thriller. Normally, my complaint with this genre is that we spend too much time in the character's head with their fears and paranoia, and it all turns silly after a while. And while we do have some of that here, it wasn't overdone. And to counterbalance it, we get to follow the investigation as it unfolds and secrets are revealed, which was plenty satisfying.
I first started reading Loreth Anne White with her book In the Dark, and I find her offerings to be entertaining and gripping. She takes an oversaturated genre and adds something new to it. I'll definitely continue to seek her out.
My heartfelt thanks for the advance copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review.
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See also, my thoughts on:
In the Dark
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HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!
Shocking, brutal, and unputdownable. A 5-star stunner!
Lily Bradley - a respected therapist, her professor husband, and two children live on a quiet cul-de-sac in the quaint Story Cove community. Although Lily is used to hearing other people’s secrets - given her profession - she hopes none of hers get out.
Arwen Harper and her 16-year old son, Joe, just moved to town. Arwen gives off bohemian vibes, and walks with confidence and sensuality. Not everyone is happy about the new addition to Story Cove...and this is before they know the secrets that Arwen is privy to.
After a female jogger is found battered and dead, Detective Rue Duval is on the case. She wonders if this may relate to the “jogger killer” she’s been hunting down.
Little does anyone foresee the events that will unravel. I know I didn’t.
I’ve read two other books by Loreth Anne White, and loved both of them. However, she KNOCKS IT OUT OF THE PARK here! I was impressed by all the story threads, secrets revealed / to be revealed, and fully dimensional characters with haunting pasts. She ties it all together seamlessly. It’s highly atmospheric from start to finish.
I couldn’t put this book down, nor could I stop playing detective the whole way through (a failing detective in this case). This book is very dark, disturbing, surprisingly emotional, and thought-provoking in more ways than one. This will hook you in from the very first page and through many twists! Highly recommended!
NOTE: The Patient’s Secret is based in part on a true crime that is both horrific and ghastly. I strongly advise against googling that crime until you finish reading this one. Otherwise, some secrets may be spoiled.
Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 3/8/22.
Review also posted at:
https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com -
A Page Turner!
"She was the patient. And her secret is mine."
The Patient's Secret is a psychological thriller about a psychiatrist, Lily Bradley, who lives the perfect life with her perfect family. Lily is married to her perfect husband, Tom. They have two perfect children, Phoebe and Matthew, and they live in the perfect neighborhood in their picture-perfect house. When a mysterious woman dies, Lily finds herself in shambles. Darkness lurks behind the facade of perfection, threatening to destroy The Bradley family.
There are two timelines: “now” and “then”. The chapters that occur in the past recount the time before the woman dies. These chapters begin with a reminder of how many days before the woman dies, for example, “two months before she dies.” The chapters that occur in the present deal with the fall out from the murder. Passages from a true-crime narrative add another layer between the two timelines.
There are multiple points of view, but Lily, Tom, 8-year-old Matthew, and Rue, the homicide detective, are the main narrators. I loved Matthew, but at the same time, he doesn't sound like an 8-year old. His voice and his observation skills seem rather advanced for someone his age. Lily and Rue’s characters were the most developed, whereas the reader only gets minor insights into Tom. By the end of the book, I wanted more of his story.
Part of this book is based on the events of a horrific true story. I had my doubts about the portrayal of one character, but knowing that their actions are based on something that happened in real life, made me reconsider my doubts.
I thought this was heading in one direction, but I was pleasantly surprised that it went in another. It is a fast-paced, immersive read filled with red herring, darkness, and gruesome murder. White doesn’t hold back on the details of the crime scenes, and there are some bloody scenes to read. I had a few issues with the ending, as I feel that the tightly wound narrative unravels a bit, but overall this was a riveting read! -
It BEGINS with how it ENDS
NOW
June 20. Monday
This story, (inspired by a true crime which made headlines in Canada) opens with psychotherapist Lily Bradley, counseling a young patient, in her office, Oak Tree Therapy, located at her home in Story Cove. The rain that spoiled, last night’s neighborhood BBQ has not quite let up.
Lily is distracted.
SECRETS had been exposed at the BBQ, and she and her husband Tom had a DIFFICULT conversation following it. In fact, despite the continuing rain, and thunder, he left for an early morning jog to clear his head.
And, the distractions continue as she hears wailing POLICE SIRENS.
Tom returns home, moving quickly, racing into their shed.
The sirens grow louder as they arrive at her home.
Apparently ANOTHER jogger has been found dead, her battered body lying on the beach below the wooded trails.
Now, her story will be shared by the alternating perspectives of SEVERAL neighborhood characters as they chronicle what happened in the days BEFORE and AFTER “SHE” was found.
Is she the latest Victim of a serial killer, known as JK-the jogger killer? Or was she killed for more personal reasons?
And, what does this have to do with Lily and Tom? And, the rest of the residents of this town?
Despite being an avid reader and reviewer of Mysteries and Thrillers, I have to admit that I was not familiar with the work of Loreth Anne White until earlier this year, when I read “In the Deep” in February. I have now read three of her titles and she has been added to my “auto-request” author list!
Always atmospheric, always intricate, and always begging you to read “just one more chapter “, she is an author I have been glad to discover! Have you discovered her work yet?
AVAILABLE NOW!!
Thank You to Montlake Publishers for the early gifted copy, provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review! -
TRIGGER WARNING: As mentioned in the blurb, this is based on a horrific true crime. What I wasn’t prepared for was the amount of detail in the description of this crime.
I am an outlier on this book but I did finish it, so here goes:
Story Cove is a wealthy area and this crime takes place along a cliff trail close to a cul de sac, where “supposedly” everyone knows everyone else!! The path which runs along forest and cliff is well used by the neighborhood joggers. On this day Tom Bradley has gone out for an incredibly early run on a stormy wet morning. He returns, immediately going to his shed – does he need dry clothes? Why doesn’t he go straight to the house?
Lily Bradley, a psychologist, is listening to a patient detail their problems in her home office when sirens blast through the neighborhood. A young wooman has been found dead at the bottom of the cliff, her body broken and battered!! Her husband Tom was the one who found her and called the police. The police are in her driveway and now pounding on their door – THEY WANT TO QUESTION TOM.
WHO IS THE JOGGER AND DID SOMEONE IN STORY COVE COMMIT MURDER??? WAS IT AN ACCIDENT?? THE WEATHER WAS RAINY AND COLD, WHY WAS SHE OUT FOR A RUN?
WHAT A LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK:
This is a true psychological thriller, with at least one psychopath and maybe a sociopath or two!
The kids in this book are well portrayed, at least one of them will be a hero by the end! The kids were the only believable and likable characters.
Detective Sergeant Rulandi Duval (Rue) is one tough detective. She doesn’t give up and keeps digging for the truth. She suspects everyone, adult, child, even her own family. She listens to anyone and everyone who has a clue. I loved her portrayal of a strong female detective.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT THIS BOOK
So tired of the setting of these thrillers, why always in a wealthy neighborhood??
The number of characters to keep straight and so many red herrings directing the reader to “look here, is this the criminal” ? I didn’t like any of the adult characters, none of them felt relatable and I just wanted to finish the book.
The absolutely blood soaked, gruesome details of a crime committed by one of these characters in the past as a child. Once read, it wouldn’t leave my mind.
I hesitate to believe that true psychopaths, even as children, can be rehabilitated through psychotherapy. Perhaps, but I’m not convinced.
If vivid descriptions of true crimes don't bother you, then you will probably enjoy this novel.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. -
4.5 rounded up.
Phew! What a tense start in this latest thriller/police procedural from the talented Loreth Anne White. Three women, three fractured lives on a destructive collision course. First of all, there’s Dr Lily Bradley, a therapist who is carrying a long buried secret but so is husband Tom but that’s another story. Secondly, there’s Detective Rulandi (Rue) Duval who is a highly competent member of the Story Cove Police Force but whose life is about to take a different turn. Finally, there’s flamboyant Arwen Harper, waitress, artist, mother who also hoards a deep dark buried secret. Their lives become conjoined when the body of a female jogger is found beneath the edge of steep cliffs, she resembles a broken doll and it’s brutal to witness. Who is it? Is it an accident or murder? Does it link to the ‘Jogger Case’, the unknown murderer of three other women? Only time will tell but what undoubtedly happens is that it causes a ripple effect (probably more like a tsunami effect) in a picture perfect community with several inhabitants about to be unmasked.
First of all, one of the most powerful aspects of all the books by this author is the atmosphere she creates. She cleverly uses location to match circumstances and her sentence structure (sometimes crisply staccato) and descriptions add to the aura - she’s one of the best out there in this genre. She cleverly builds the fast paced plot layer by layer pulling you in so you happily clamber on board the twisty rollercoaster ride, desperate to pick truth from lie as the mystery deepens. This is a powerful and dark tale, it’s told very visually so it’s engaging, it’s based on fact and poses some thought provoking points along the way. You really can’t see the wood for the trees in the plot forest as Story Cove contains some messed up people scrambling to protect those they love. Add in loads of stalkerish creepy vibes that are a constant presence and you get prickles of unease running up and down your spine. The characterisation is very good too enabling you to picture them and gain some understanding of their motivation. Despite the fact the story is told via multiple points of view and across several different timelines the path towards the dramatic conclusion is smoothly delivered.
Overall, I really like the premise of people being unmasked by forces of destruction in a plot that is full of suspense and tension. It keeps you guessing which makes it a hard novel to put down. It’s a well written intelligent novel which I recommend to fans of the genre.
Ps. The only thing I find very irritating is the repetition of the colour of Lily’s house - yes, got it!!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Montlake for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review. -
Hunka Munka........This one is like the footsteps you hear outside your bedroom door in the middle of the night. And you definitely know you're home alone. Maybe not for long.
The Patients's Secret is raw, brutal, unsettling, and enough to make you watch your own skin crawl. Why you say? It's inspired by a true crime that happened in Canada some years back. Real people doing horrendous things to other real people. But there's also a story here that bathes itself in normalcy. Until it all goes down the drain.
Story Cove is an upscale residential area populated with professionals. No one here has to worry about paying the rent. But everything will tilt and shift as Arwen Harper moves into a small rental cottage in the area with her sixteen year old son, Joe. Arwen is an artist of sorts and works as a waitress at the local pub called The Red Lion. She becomes familiar with the usual crowd that meets for drinks every Friday night. They know Arwen and Arwen knows them.
Down the street is Dr. Lily Bradley, a psychotherapist who has an office in her home. She's been a sought after therapist and has a regular bounty of patients. Her husband, Tom, is a psychology professor at the local university. They have two children, Phoebe and Matthew. Phoebe is a twelve year old handful with kohl eyes and pink hair. Matthew is a camera buff with a good eye.
These neighbors meet for barbecues, boating, and car pooling. They seem to know each other's comings and goings. A delightful way of life. And then there's that issue when a body is found at the base of a cliff. It's one of them. And what happens next will pin you to these pages like the ink forming words. You won't leave these characters swirling around inside your head. You simply can't.
The Patient's Secret is one of the best true crime sourced/psychological thrillers that I've read in a long time......and I've read tons. Loreth Anne White just keeps the action coming nonstop. It's not for the cozy lovers out there. It's gripping......especially for those who like getting gripped. Highly recommend. Can't wait for more from this talented author. Whew!
I received a copy of this novel through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Montlake Publishers and to Loreth Anne White for the opportunity. -
Anytime someone new moves into the neighborhood, the first question typically on everyone’s mind is… I wonder how they’ll fit in. (Of course, this includes some good old-fashioned peering through the shades!) And it’s no different when Arwen and her son move into Stoney Brook. The welcoming committee couldn’t be more divided with their opinions. The men are predictably giddy to have Ms. Arwen in their presence.😉 Their wives, of course are not exactly on-board with the young, beautiful single mother just down the street.
A huge fight at the neighborhood barbecue, a possible murder. Now everyone starts eyeing their neighbors quite differently. After all…they are all hiding their own secrets!
A fast-paced domestic thriller (which are my favorite) with plenty of moving parts from multiple POV’s. Easy to follow along so pack your favorite detective’s cap to figure this one out. It surprised me!
My first read by this author and fortunately I have a few of her previous books on my shelf just waiting for me.
Posted to:
https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake -
Psychology Today.
And yesterday, the day before, and… what day is it now?
A woman has been found dead at the bottom of a cliff dressed in athletic wear. And it’s suspicious.
Enter Detective Rue Duval, head of the Jogger Killer task force to investigate whether this death is related to three other females assaulted in the area.
I loved this story with numerous details to piece together and a non-linear timeline adding to the effect. Intricate mysteries with intersecting pathways are my favorite because of the seemingly limitless possibilities.
It’s more manageable than it sounds as all chapters are labeled giving the reader a reference. So the only guess work is figuring out exactly what happened, who did it, and what was going on in this neighborhood.
As if.
I was at eighty five percent and my field of suspects hadn’t narrowed and still hadn’t an inkling as to where this was headed. Just the way I like it.
Another favorite feature was a sordid neighborhood complete with a quirky eight year old sleuth and photographer. I could envision this little fellow with his camera and the trouble he could cause…
This is my third book by Loreth Anne White having read her recent two and I’m a fan!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Montlake Publishing for my electronic review copy.
Scheduled for a March 22, 2022 publish date. -
Wow, wow, wow! This book is 5-star all the way. I went into it rather blind, aside from everyone’s great reviews. It did not disappoint. The author did a brilliant job leading us down a variety of paths that this story could travel. Yes, I figured out one small piece of the puzzle, but there were so many twists and turns. Fortunately, the ending did the books story justice and it wasn’t some OTT ending the author tossed in. White is in rare form on this one. If you love a taught, clever and intelligent mystery, this is the book for you!
Note, this is available on Kindle Unlimited with WhisperSync. -
I'm a huge fan of Loreth Anne White. I have read all her books and I have enjoyed all of them.
Lily Bradley is married to Tom and has 2 children. She works as a therapist. She has gone this route because she truly wants to help people. Her past is the reason why she has chosen her profession. Yet, Lily has made sure that no one knows about her past although lately, she has been feeling like someone is following her, and her life as she knows it can be unraveled, and if the past comes out, it will not only destroy her work but her family too.
As Lily's life is unfolding, a woman jogger is found dead. Detective Rue Duval is called to find out if it was an accident or was it murder. Rue has been investigating the "jogger killer" and this woman fits the pattern. Everyone is a suspect and Rue won't give up until she finds out the truth although Rue is also hiding her own connection to the deceased.
I loved this one. I devoured the audio which had a great narrator. I love all the red herrings LAW threw at us. It made me question everything. Was there a crime or not? If yes, who killed her and why?
I liked both Lily and Rue. In a way, both women were trying to keep their children safe. Hopefully, we get to see Rue in another book.
Lastly, if you listen to the audio you won't be disappointed with Brittany Pressley's narration.
Cliffhanger: No
4.5/5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It |
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A master storyteller!
RTC -
Loreth Anne White is a master of the atmospheric. From the opening pages of this book the atmosphere is thick. You know there’s something rotten in Denmark!
A jogger is found dead at the bottom of a cliff run by Psychology professor Tom Bradley. His actions when he returns from his run to report the death are very suspicious. His wife, Lily, a therapist, is on edge about something. The affluent little enclave these people live in, in Story Cove, is set to get a major shake up. Detective Sergeant Rulandi Duval is on the trail of the Jogger Killer. When she hears another jogger has died she is like a dog with a bone. That is until she realises that this one could sail closer to home than would be comfortable.
Arwen Harper and her 16 year old son Joe arrived in town a few weeks ago. Arwen is waitressing at the nearby inn but Arwen also has an agenda - she is also a very troubled woman.
Everyone in this enclave has secrets they would rather keep, well, secret - even some of the children. At one point or another I think I suspected just about everyone, including the children! As the story progresses and the police conduct searches and arrest people and photos are produced the tension curdles into something thick and ugly. It’s a bomb waiting to go off.
This was so well written. The pacing was perfect and the characterisation was excellent. These were not ‘nice’ people but who is hiding the worst secret? Actually that one is a bit of a toss up in my book! The story was based on real life events from some years ago. Its a pretty shocking crime. The book addresses the issue of whether redemption is possible with the right treatment. I’ll leave you to make up your own minds on this. Thanks to Netgalley and Montlake for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly. -
I'm not sure how I missed this author before but she will definitely be in my line of reading after this book. I'm blown away by this psychological atmospheric thriller! This is inspired by a horrific true crime, which immerses you into the characters. Between the story of Now & Then, the investigation brought in a lot of unique characters with dark secrets. Some were not as innocent as portrayed which brought a lot of shocks, twists and unraveling of the game plan.
The story is instigated by a female jogger, Arwen, found at the bottom of the cliffs dead. The evidence circulating brings many people into the crime after a casual BBQ in an affluent neighborhood in Story Cove turns volatile. When the characters talk they each appear as the perpetrator, with a lot of different motives. Family secrets surface, a stalker is watching them, cheating spouses and a multitude of other sins that become a shocking additive in this Can't Put Down Thriller. When the past comes reeling in passages from a true account horror scene, the story becomes too deep to get out of it.
The story leads with Lily Bradley, a psychotherapist and her professor husband Tom with a multitude of evidence against them. Their son, Matthew, although he is only 8 years old took pictures that would later be condemning in the case. I'm usually turned off by a lot of characters, but for some reason it worked so well that it didn't overwhelm the story. When you think this story has been overwritten and played out too many times, you haven't read this one because it is an amazing stand alone kind of novel. Great job, Loreth Anne White. I will be adding your other novels! -
In The Patient’s Secret the residents living in the upscale, seaside enclave of Story Cove, B.C. feel lucky and maybe a bit smug living in such an idyllic location. Usually small group of University professors meet for drinks Friday afternoons with the party moving onto any one of their sailing boats. Some of the women do book club with lots of wine.
One father might help a neighborhood kid with his photography. Another mother might always be ready to drive all the kids to their private school. Get the picture yet?
Across the Strait of Juan de Fuca residents can see Washington State’s Olympic Mountains. Such a stunning location. Sure, there are secrets. Murder? Adultery? Mental illness? Vodka bottles under a tween’s bed? Who knows? But every adult knows when the snake enters paradise.
The snake, Arwen Harper, at first is well disguised as an artist, as a bohemian, as the waitress at The Red Lion. The professors meet for their Friday happy hours at The Red Lion, and the snake works her magic.
Arwen starts shedding her skin when she and her sixteen year old son, Joe, move into a cottage behind a house on the cul-de-sac where two of the university professors just happen to live their idyllic lives.
Just after they move in, Harper and Joe are invited to a neighborhood pool party. The party ends early because of a dangerous thunderstorm and a devastating fight between Lily and Tom Bradley, and Arwen Harper
The next morning Tom Bradley discovers the broken body of a runner at the foot of the rocky cliffs overlooking Grotto Beach, too broken to immediately identify. The victim partially fits the profile as the work of the Jogger Killer (JK). The head of the JK task force, Rue Duval, is called in immediately to investigate.
I have always found Loreth Anne White one of most quotable writers I have read. I want to share just about every sentence she writes, but I will settle on this quote “…and always-hidden beneath the narratives-are the secrets. Deep and dark and primal. Everyone has them.”
White brings up various psychological issues in The Patient’s Secret. A few of the questions concern the rehabilitation of child criminals; questions of race and how an atypical upbringing will impact later life. The most important question of all, how far would you go to protect your family?
I had one big problem with the story, the lead detective, Rue Duval, should have removed herself from the case immediately once the victim was identified. Rue along with family could all be considered viable suspects.
There are multiple POV's and timelines to follow in The Patient’s Secret, while at the same time the reader needs to follow White's clever shell games. Keep an eye on White’s shells. You will never see the pea again, even as she hands you an easy and obvious win to entice you deeper. For White plays a different game, quickly adding other shells, other peas until you just give up, sit back and enjoy one shocking moment after another. I should entitle this review “I Never Saw That One Coming”.
White is an impeccable writer, her settings are always lovely, but with an undertone of darkness, most of her characters are relatable, despite their smugness or shadows. Always though, it is her story, her narrative that will leave you wanting more.
Thank you to NetGalley, Montlake and Loreth Anne White for a review ARC. -
Disappointing.
Given the high Goodreads rating, praise from reviewers, and an intriguing premise, The Patient’s Secret was one of my most anticipated reads.
I have read a few of White’s other thrillers and loved them, so I was surprised that this one didn’t grab me like the others.
Based on a true crime committed in Canada in 2006, White explores whether a violent child can effectively be rehabilitated and reintegrated into society.
I enjoyed the short chapters and fast pace of this book, but that is where my intrigue ended. I was not familiar with the actual case, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I think that I set my expectations too high and suspected this book was headed in a very different direction.
I mostly had a difficult time connecting with the characters. White spends a long time on Detective Rulandi Duval’s back story instead of developing other main characters. Maybe she plans to write more novels that include her character? I just wanted the focus to be more on the actual characters being investigated instead of the detective doing the investigating.
The actual mystery is well done, as all of the characters have motives for the murder. Unfortunately, I figured most of it out before the detective. Additionally, I’m confused as to why part of the focus was on a particular aspect of the true crime story, because White doesn’t offer any explanations either.
Overall, this was not a stand out mystery for me. However, I will probably continue to read more from this author.
3/5 stars -
“[An] exceptional psychological thriller…White does a superb job keeping the reader guessing as she peels back the layers of a seemingly perfect family to reveal the shocking truth. Suspense fans will want to see more from this talented author.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“The Patient’s Secret is an intensely moving reading experience…Loreth Anne White is a writer at the top of her game, and it’s never been more evident than with this piece of work.” —Mystery & Suspense
“The Patient’s Secret is a must-read for fans of true crime–inspired fiction. It’s so tightly plotted, the characters so fascinating, and the shocking secrets so expertly revealed that you won’t be able to put it down.” —Jess Lourey, Amazon Charts bestselling author
#lorethannewhite #twistysuspense #atmospheric #psychologicalsuspense #domesticdrama #murdermystery #truecrime #hotcoldcase #montlake -
What an outstanding thriller! This was a real page turner that sucked me in from beginning to end. Plenty of twists and turns to keep my jaw dropped. Lily thought that she had left her terrifying past behind her. She became a new person with a wonderful husband and two children. But you can only run for so long! I highly recommend this fantastic book if you love suspense thriller's! One of my favorites this year!
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4.5 suspenseful stars - now available!
Inspired by true crime, this atmospheric and tense novel kept me engaged and guessing for the whole story! The book opens with a chase through a forest and a horrible fall.
We move back in time and meet Lily, she’s a therapist working from home. Lily seems to have her life compartmentalized so that it looks perfect, gorgeous house, two lovely children, a promising career. Under the surface we can see the cracks, things are not going well with her marriage, her teen daughter is pushing boundaries, and her son spends too much time watching other people.
Then we meet Arwen and her son, she’s waitressing and working on a project that she claims will be her big break. Arwen flirts with all the married men in town and seems to know things about people in the small community.
We also meet Rue, a murder detective, brought into the case because it might be connected to a serial killer. It seems everyone in this book has some secrets that they would prefer to keep under wraps.
I found the second half of this one to be very dark and it had some twists that truly shocked me. I think I suspected just about everyone in this story at one point. I did love the surprising character that helped to solve the case.
This is just my second book by this author, but I want to read some of her back titles! This book created quite a bit of discussion as we discussed various theories and cemented Loreth Anne White as a must read author for me!
Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for the early copy to read and review. -
A psychotherapist is hiding dark secrets about her past from her husband and children. Faced with someone intent on revealing them, her “perfect” life begins to unwind. When her husband discovers the body of a young woman on his morning run, the detective’s investigation reveals an idyllic neighborhood full of explosive secrets. She also, however, is hiding ones of her own. Who is behind the death? And why was she killed?
Psychotherapist Dr. Lily Bradley and her psychology professor husband Tom have a seemingly perfect life in the wealthy enclave of Story Cove, British Columbia. But recently, Lily had been filled with the sensation that she’s being watched. And then there are the notes alerting her that someone else on Vancouver Island knows the secrets she’s been hiding. Who is threatening her with exposing all she has kept hidden? And what do they want?
But when Arwen Harper, a bohemian single mom to 16 year-old Joe, sweeps into town, the idyllic neighborhood is turned inside out. With a grand plan and ulterior motives aplenty, Arwen knows Lily’s big secret and is determined to expose her with little concern for who may get hurt in the process. Even including her own son.
Not long after, Tom discovers a woman’s body at the base of a cliff on his early morning run. After the death has been ruled as suspicious, RCMP Detective Rulandi ‘Rue’ Duval sets her sights on Tom as her prime suspect in the death. However Rue is hiding her own secrets. Secrets that could impact the case. Will she follow the clues wherever they take her or will her personal life get in the way?
For the second time, I read The Patient’s Secret in just over a day. Fast-paced, captivating, and with a multi-layered plot, this intense thriller/police procedural is inspired by a real Canadian crime that Loreth Anne White masterfully crafted into a fictional tale of secrets, lies, and the impact of one’s past traumas.
The plot is a complexly interwoven puzzle that delivers an epic twist through multiple points of view and timelines. This flawless storyline offers characters who are relatable and authentic. I particularly loved Arwen’s manipulations, which slowly expose every secret each individual has been hiding. She’s a character you’ll love to hate…until that antipathy is transformed into sympathy. Almost (but not quite).
With some of the best twists and turns I’ve read (with the last 75 pages providing one heck of a ride), White reinforces her status as an author of first-class thrillers. I strongly recommend this book to both lovers of mysteries and true crime. But a warning: do not look up the case that this fictional story is spun from before reading (but definitely do after) as it will present spoilers to part of the plot. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I have. On to read the next book by Loreth Anne White, The Maid’s Diary, for which I’m lucky enough to have an ARC! It’s due out March 1, 2023! Rating of 5 stars (for the second time).
Trigger warning: loss of parent, marijuana use, rape, cancer, attempted suicide, stalking -
At the heart of Loreth Anne White's newest thriller, The Patient's Secret, is a true crime that occurred several years ago. One that was so horrific, so mind-boggling that it defies the wildest imagination. To this day, the crime continues to be debated in terms of the odds for or against lasting rehabilitation to the point a patient can return to society as a functioning, law-abiding citizen. Keep that in mind as you turn the pages of The Patient's Secret and get lost in a profoundly thought-provoking story that I believe is White's finest work to date. Just beware . . . once you learn the patient's secret, you'll never be the same again.
There are three key players in The Patient's Secret whose lives become hopelessly entwined during a murder investigation - Lily Bradley, a highly revered psychotherapist, beloved wife and mother of two, respected member of the coastal town of Story Cove . . . and woman with a dark secret; Detective Rue Duval, a respected member of the town's police force, skilled investigator, beloved wife and mother . . . and woman with a life-altering secret; and finally, new to the community is Arwen Harper, a flamboyant, gypsy-like bar waitress and artist, seductress, mother . . . and woman with a deeply buried secret. When the battered body of an early morning jogger is found lying on the beach at the base of the cliffs, these women's lives clash in ways they couldn't have imagined, and a blanket of unease settles over the idyllic town of Story Cove. The victim's face is beyond recognition. Who is it? Was it a terrible accident? Did they jump from the cliff top or were they pushed? Det. Duval is called to the death scene by Lily's husband, a distinguished professor, who discovers the body while on his morning run. Questions and suspicions escalate when critical evidence is recovered, and the body is officially identified. It appears several people have motive for wanting this person silenced . . . including Lily's husband. As the story unfolds, the past collides with the present, skeletons are rattled and despite their efforts to slap a Band-Aid over them, dark secrets begin oozing out. The stakes are high for several prominent people with everything they hold dear at risk so the question is: Which of these upstanding citizens would kill to keep their secret?
The Patient's Secret is an intensely moving reading experience. White's uncanny ability to continuously gift reader's thought-provoking stories like this is nothing short of amazing. As a reader, I'm loving her current trend of writing fiction based on true crimes with ramifications reaching far into the future. Her work not only entertains readers, it challenges them to think and consider what if? The Patient's Secret is highly atmospheric with a setting that enhances the story line, helping accelerate an escalating pace as the story progresses. White's brilliant manipulation of each character leaves readers frantically scrambling to discover which of these seemingly ordinary, everyday people would kill to protect loved ones from their dark secrets.
Loreth Anne White is a writer at the top of her game, and it's never been more evident than with this piece of work. As a reviewer, I struggle to find the right words to review her work without spoilers and as a reader, I'm just thankful for the opportunity to read it. Fans of mystery, suspense, thrillers and true crime fiction, mark your calendars for the release of The Patient's Secret on March 1, 2022. It's one you don't want to miss. Highly recommended! 500 Stars!
*A big thank you to the author for an early arc of this book!
**Review first published in
Mystery & Suspense Magazine
***Reviewed at
Cross My Heart Reviews -
This was a really outstanding thriller/mystery inspired by a true crime event set in Canada. This is the second thriller I’ve read by Loreth Ann White and I really love the way she writes thrillers that leave me guessing until the last second, and also do such a great job of drawing me into the setting of small town coastal Canada. THE PATIENT’S SECRET tells the story of three women, whose lives are intertwined in their small Canadian town. Lily is a psychotherapist. She and her husband live in one of the wealthiest areas of town. One morning, her husband goes out for a jog and discovers a body on the beach. Arwen has recently moved to town and works at the local tavern. She may have overheard things about her neighbors. Rue is a local detective investigating a string of serial murders. The way these three women, and the other locals in town, are connected, is slowly revealed throughout the course of the book. I couldn’t put this one down and found it extraordinarily well written. Some great twists. 5/5 stars.
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“Carl Jung said, “People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own souls.”
This masterpiece had me hooked from the opening word until the final punctuation mark. This is my first thriller by Loreth Anne White and damn what an author. 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐣𝐚𝐰 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭. The Patient's Secret was the epitome of page turner and unputdownable.
A wild story filled with so many secrets, dark pasts and unexpected twists and turns that made it impossible for me to hold onto a suspicion long enough to finish a goddamn chapter. 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐲, 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐭, 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡. My favorite part was the way Loreth Anne White conveyed the psychology, mental illness and psychotic disorder aspect of her story. They were very revealing, engaging and more importantly, accurately portrayed.
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐤𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐝, 𝐢 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐌𝐬. 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥��𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬. This was dark, twisted and extremely suspenseful where everyone was a suspect, except for the dog.
“We all need a mask in order to function. But wear the mask too long and we forget who really lives behind it. Right? We forget our authentic selves.”
⋘•⋙---------•⪼⪻•---------⋘•⋙
Sorry this was not my best review, my head is still recovering from a migraine. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬, 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥. This was one of the best true crime story and psychological thriller i've read in a while. You must simply read this.
“It’s best not to resist the change the “Death” tarot card brings. Resisting will make transition difficult. And painful. Instead one should let go, embrace the necessary change, see it as a fresh start. The Death card is a sign that you need to draw a line through the past in order to move forward. It says: Release what no longer serves you.”
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Lily Bradley is a respected psychotherapist married to Tom, a distinguished professor of abnormal psychology. They live in a dream house with their two children in Story Cove, an idyllic coastal community in British Columbia, Canada. When the battered body of a female jogger is found beneath the cliffs, more than one person is concerned about what secrets might be exposed.
This story is told from the viewpoints of some of the main characters over different timelines - the time before the jogger's death and now, as well as excerpts from a manuscript entitled "Taken". The story is based in part on a true crime which occurred in Medicine Hat, Alberta, in 2006. As another reviewer said, don't look it up until after you finish this book.
The book is atmospheric with well-developed characters and many threads to follow. I enjoyed it much more than I expected to and hope to read some of the author's previous works when time permits.
My thanks to Montlake via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own. -
There was no shortage of secrets in "The Patient's Secret".
Loreth Anne White is the "Queen of Dark and Twisty Atmospheric Page-Turner Thrillers" and she does not disappoint.
Inspired by a horrific true crime that occurred several years ago in Canada, "The Patient's Secret" is a compelling whodunnit mystery that unfolds in an idyllic coastal community.
When the battered body of a female jogger is found, multiple suspects are interrogated.
The book's three main female protagonists are entwined in the murder investigation: with lives clashing in ways they could not have imagined. All of the female protagonists and their spouses have deeply guarded secrets.
Loreth Anne White is a gifted storyteller and a master in the art and science of manipulating readers. This being said, this book featured more red herrings than a fish market and continually kept me guessing the answer to the "whodunnit" question until the very last page.
The last half of the book was much stronger than the first half.
I listened to the audiobook and narrator Brittany Pressley did a superb job with the narration.
"In the Deep" is still my favorite Loreth Anne White book, but "The Patient's Secret" was a strong contender for that number one spot.
I look forward to listening to future titles by this talented author.
4.5 stars. -
The Patient's Secret is a juicy little neighborhood drama that covers extremely dark themes. The author's note explains how this is based on a true crime which makes it all the more compelling. However, I don't recommend reading about it until after you finish.
About as brief as I can make it: Story Cove is an idyllic storybook neighborhood filled with happy families, until the captivating Arwen Harper and her son roll into town in her hippy van with a seductive smile and a treasure trove of secrets. It's not long before a jogger winds up dead at the bottom of the cliff.
Short, taut chapters made this is a breeze to read. This is my first Loreth Anne White book, and I was impressed with how she juggled multiple POVs and alternating timelines to peel back layer after layer of this mystery. This was complex and had many different legs to it. She did a great job making literally everyone a suspect. If you enjoy amateur sleuthing, this is a good one for you. I, of course, failed to pick the right culprit. I'll be sticking to my day job 😞
My only real complaint is that there were so many characters and POVs that we never got beyond surface level development. There wasn't anyone to root for except for the character we already know is dead. Also, the 12 and 16-year-olds talked and acted much older than their age.
4.5 stars, rounding down. Cheers! -
I am a Loreth Anne White fan girl anyway, but this book took it to a whole other level for me! Knowing from the beginning that this book is loosely inspired by a true crime that happened in Canada years ago gave it an extra spark for me (although I purposely waited until after I finished the book to look up the crime, and I suggest you do as well, as reading about it before will give a key part away, and it's best to go in blind).
It's an idyllic neighborhood that Dr. Lily Bradley lives in - until the battered body of a female jogger is found at the bottom of a cliff off one of the running trails, and Lily's husband is the one who found her. All of a sudden, fingers start pointing and the perfect neighborhood doesn't seem so perfect any more. As Lily is a respected psychotherapist and her husband is a psychology professor, they are well versed in mental health and know that everyone keeps things hidden - including themselves. Now though someone is dead - it looks like murder and everyone is connected to the victim. Enter Detective Rue Duval. Rue developed notoriety as being the lead detective in an open serial killer case, and she prides herself on exposing secrets. She immediately sees parallels in this case, but the more she investigates, the more she finds herself trying to keep her own secret connections hidden as well.
For a myriad of reasons, this was one of the best thrillers I've read in a long time! There are so many secrets and characters whose lives are intertwined in ways that aren't easily apparent, with spectacular twists that just don't stop coming - there are numerous "could-possibly-be" scenarios interspersed with clever red herrings of events and people - you have no idea who is good, who is not, and who lives in the shades of gray area. It's not a book where you find yourself liking many of the characters, as they all have rather selfish agendas and questionable morals, but it is an engrossing "whodunnit". I think I suspected every one of the characters at one time or another and still wasn't correct, as in the end, I was completely blown away by the turn of events. Without giving too much away, I was also just as surprised (pleasantly) by who it was not.
I also love the little nuggets of wisdom that always catch me off guard in White's books. In this one, two of the most poignant quotes that I highlighted were: "People don't live in nicely painted heritage homes in pretty neighborhoods .. people live in the six inches of real estate between their ears ... they live inside their heads. That's where reality resides." And in referring to the academia world and of the professors being investigated, White penned, "he exudes a controlled energy, an arrogance that Rue finds often with older men who sit in academic towers and pontificate about the world and society's systems while living and operating quite apart from the reality of them." So many times I found myself re-reading passages in this one saying, "so true!" out loud. Always the mark of a memorable read for me.
Overall, this is a dark, twisty, page-turner that kept me on the edge of my reading seat until the very last page. Trigger warning though - there are crimes against children in it, and the detail of the crime scene was graphic, as it was based on the actual true crime. My favorite White book to-date and in my opinion, a must-read in 2022! All the stars. -
Audio - 5 Stars
Story - 4.5 Stars -
3.5 Stars
Told in multiple POV, 3rd person, it can be read as a standalone. It is a twisty read and I couldn’t guess any of them, actually, I was surprised by them. The writing was good enough but it felt a bit too long, the good point was the short chapters. Overall, it wasn’t that bad but it wasn’t that good either, hope you enjoy it more than me!
