15 Twisty Books Like The Silent Patient

The literary market has been saturated with psychological thrillers following the success of books like Gone Girl (2012) and The Girl on the Train (2015). Despite the flood of similar titles, Alex Michaelides’s The Silent Patient (2019) stands out as one of the genre’s best stories.

In Michaelides’s story, a famous painter murders her husband seemingly without motive and falls into absolute silence. Then comes a psychotherapist who becomes increasingly obsessed with her case. It’s a riveting read that drags you into its taut and twisty depths.

The problem is, the author has written only one other book so far—The Maidens, released in 2021. What’s a fan to do when they’re craving more?

Books Like The Silent Patient

The Silent Patient is unique, but there are books that offer the same mysterious characters, tragic circumstances, page-turning events, and things that aren’t what they seem. Here is a list of these books that you’re sure to love.

1. The Woman In The Window by A. J. Finn

Anna Fox is a recluse who suffers from agoraphobia following a traumatic car incident. To pass the time, she drinks wine, watches old movies, and spies on her new neighbors, the Russels.

Never did she imagine that her hobby would lead her to see something she shouldn’t. As her already fragile world falls apart, she must separate reality from imagination while dealing with a threat that is definitely real.

2. The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

Libby Jones arrives home to a letter she’s been waiting for her whole life. In it is the answer to her true identity, along with her birthright: an abandoned mansion located in one of London’s most fashionable neighborhoods.

But by claiming it, she’s also accepting a darker inheritance—an unsolved mystery and the hidden players bidding their time for her to make herself known to them.

3. The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

Journalist Lo Blacklock is given the assignment of a lifetime: a week-long cruise aboard a luxury ship gliding through the waters of the beautiful North Sea. All she expects is an enjoyable trip along with other pleasant guests.

Then she witnesses a horrifying sight: a woman being thrown overboard. But no passenger is missing and the ship sails on as if nothing has happened. Only Lo knows the truth and is left to discover what has gone terribly wrong.

4. Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

Jack is an attorney who has never lost a case. Grace is the ultimate housewife. Together, they’re the neighborhood’s dream couple. They’re rich, gorgeous, and utterly inseparable.

But beneath the glitz and glamour is something sinister. Why does Grace never answer the phone or meet up for coffee? How can she stay slim despite preparing such elaborate meals? And why are there heavy metal shutters installed on the windows?

5. The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson

On the way to Boston, Ted strikes up a friendship with the stunning and mysterious Lily. Over a game of truth, they reveal to each other their most intimate secrets.

But when Ted jokes about killing his cheating wife, he never expected Lily to offer her help. After all, some people are just the kind worth killing. What Ted doesn’t know is that Lily’s hiding a dark history—one that draws them into a deadly game of cat-and-mouse.

6. I See You by Clare Mackintosh

Zoe is a creature of habit, following her daily routine like clockwork. Every day, she takes the same route to the train station, waits at the same spot, and sits on the same seat. And someone’s been watching her each time.

While returning home, she finds her own face on a newspaper advertisement. As other women begin appearing in the same ad, she realizes they’re all falling victim to violent crimes—and she might be next.

7. The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

Amber Patterson is tired of being poor, unimportant, and invisible. While she hates the rich and privileged women in her town, she’ll do anything to join their ranks.

But Amber has a plan to change her life. It starts with befriending the town’s top socialite, the filthy rich and drop dead gorgeous Daphne Parrish. Everything that Daphne has, Amber wants—and she’s making damn sure she’ll get it all in the end.

8. The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose

Sarah Morgan is a high-powered defense attorney and a partner at her law firm. Her husband, Adam, is a struggling writer who feels increasingly distant from his ever-working wife.

Adam begins a passionate affair that abruptly ends when his mistress is found murdered. Now his only hope is the wife he betrayed, who must put aside her emotions to take on her toughest and most personal case yet.

9. The Night Before by Lisa Jackson

Caitlyn Bandeaux wakes up covered in blood and with no memory of the night before. It seems her estranged husband is the latest victim of a serial killer plaguing the town. But could the killer be Caitlyn herself?

Unsure of what’s real or who to trust, Caitlyn is left with no choice but to piece together her fragmented memories and learn what really happened—preferably before someone else ends up dead.

10. Come Closer by Sara Gran

Amanda, a successful and happily married architect, suddenly finds her otherwise normal life derailed. She begins hearing voices and having bad dreams. She starts smoking again, and for some inexplicable reason, burns her husband with a cigarette.

As her condition steadily worsens, her marriage, reputation, and future are put to the test. But is she simply going mad, or is there something sinister behind her self-destructive behavior?

11. Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

It’s been ten years since Laurel’s daughter, Ellie, vanished without a trace, and Laurel’s still trying to mend her shattered life. She finds another chance in the form of a man she unexpectedly meets in a cafe.

But the sight of his daughter has her spiraling back down into the depths of despair and unanswered questions. What happened to Ellie? Why does Poppy look so much like her? And who is Floyd, really?

12. The Couple On Cedar Close by Anna-Lou Weatherley

Cedar Close, a place where nothing ever seems to go wrong. That is until the body of Robert Mills is found sprawled in his bedroom floor. Downstairs, his wife Laurie sits alone in the dark with her head in her hands.

She knows she’s not the killer, but it’s hard to convince everyone when she can’t remember the hours leading up to Robert’s death. Is there a chance, however small, that she did kill her husband?

13. The Good Neighbor by R.J. Parker

When Leah Talbot hits a deer, her salvation comes in the form of a nearby house where the charming and handsome Martin Tate opens the door and invites her in. And though she’s not there long, she feels she owes him a big favor.

Returning the next day to thank him, Martin is no longer there. In his place are the police and the body of the sole female occupant of the house.

It doesn’t take long for Martin to resurface though. But this time it’s Leah he’s after.

14. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

An impetuous marriage sees the unnamed narrator as the new Lady de Winter. What she doesn’t realize is how large and sinister the shadow her husband’s late wife, Rebecca, will cast on their marriage.

Despite being dead, Rebecca’s malice lives on in the unspoken guilt of the Lord de Winter, the obsession of the housekeeper, and the seemingly perfect reputation she left behind. With her marriage already strained, the new Mrs. de Winter must find a way to deal with the old one’s persisting spectre.

15. The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

When one of her niece’s friends is murdered in school grounds, psychotherapist Mariana Andros becomes interested in an elusive group of female students called The Maidens. She’s certain that their professor, Edward Fosca, is the murderer.

But Fosca—handsome, charismatic, adored by all—is untouchable. And when the murders continue, her interest begins to turn into an obsession. Soon, she’s willing to sacrifice everything for the truth, including her life.

Psychological Thrillers You Can’t Put Down

Books like The Silent Patient have a way with time. You become so focused on the story that you rarely feel time passing by as you flip through hear-stopping scenes, shocking twists, and excellent character development.

You’re almost always surprised that you’ve finished the book, and find that you’ve been reading for hours. All that’s left is to sit back down and contemplate what you’ve just read.

There’s a rush of satisfaction and disappointment in finishing a book you loved reading. You enjoy the journey it’s given you, but can’t help wishing for more. This is called a book hangover, and it’s a bit of a pain to deal with. What other delights would there have been if the story just ran a little longer?

One of the best cures to a book hangover is finding stories with similar plots, atmosphere, or characters. If you enjoyed Michaelides’s novel, then hopefully the 15 books above can satisfy your literary cravings as well.