TRIGGER WARNING: domestic and child abuse, serious mental health conditions
James Owens is released from a secure hospital after being incarcerated following a significant crime a decade ago which he cannot remember. He needs to adjust to life outside but is haunted by the abuse from his father which manifests as hallucinations. His twin sister offers to help but can he trust her or even himself?
The Patient is a psychological thriller set in America.
Poor James. He is completely overwhelmed from the moment he leaves the hospital. He has no recollection of the incident that saw him convicted and imprisoned. His overbearing sister arrives and his fragile mental state immediately worsens.
The hallucinations and descriptions of mental illness are very powerful and devastating to read. It was quite upsetting to read of the abuse from the past and the fear that existed within the family. The use of the first person narrative of James allows us insight into his struggle to understand reality in the present day. However, he seems so nice and kind that we are willing him to be innocent and get a happy outcome.
Ooh I hated Janet. She was such a baddie from the start and I instantly mistrusted her. Meanwhile I also didn’t trust his probation officer Brianna who was just too nice and completely inappropriate by overstepping her professional boundaries. I had to completely suspend my disbelief but the book was entertaining. The writing style was engaging and the main character was so well written.
The Patient is a tense thriller which deals with some big issues as well as having plenty of emotion.
Ten years ago, James Owens was convicted of a murder he couldn’t remember committing.
Now, finally released from the mental institution where he’s served his time, he is placed under house arrest in the sprawling family home he has inherited from his father.
Living in isolation, visited only by his therapist, parole officer, and supportive but controlling twin Janet, he at least has something resembling peace. But he is still haunted by hallucinations, nightmares, and bizarre memories which may or may not be real.
Strange sounds in the house, and objects which disappear or are mysteriously damaged all add to his fear that he is sliding into uncontrolled insanity again.
But is he? Or is his fragile mental state being manipulated by someone with a sinister agenda of their own?
When tragedy strikes, James must go on a journey that will force him to confront the past – and the haunted depths of his own tortured soul.
Cole’s Bio
Cole Baxter loves writing psychological suspense thrillers. It’s all about that last reveal that he loves shocking readers with.
He grew up in New York, where there crime was all around. He decided to turn that into something positive with his fiction.
His stories will have you reading through the night—they are very addictive!
1 comment