The Patient's Secret Review

Author: Loreth Anne White

Genre: Mystery Suspense

Publish: Montlake

Release Date: March 8, 2022

Order Link: Amazon

My Rating: 500 Thought Provoking Hearts

Reviewed published in Mystery & Suspense Magazine

Special thanks to the author for an arc of this book.

Secrets worth dying―and killing―for, in a novel of suspense inspired by a horrific true crime by Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestselling author Loreth Anne White.

Review:

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!

Synopsis:

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. 

Loreth Anne White is an Amazon Charts and Washington Post bestselling author of thrillers, mysteries, and suspense. With well over 2 million books sold around the world, she is a three-time RITA finalist, an overall Daphne du Maurier Award winner, Arthur Ellis finalist, and winner of multiple industry awards.

A recovering journalist who has worked in both South Africa and Canada, she now calls Canada home. She resides in the Pacific Northwest, dividing time between Victoria on Vancouver Island, the ski resort of Whistler in the Coast Mountains, and a rustic lakeside cabin in the Cariboo. When she’s not writing or dreaming up plots, you will find her on the lakes, in the ocean, or on the trails with her dog where she tries—unsuccessfully—to avoid bears. For more information on her books please visit her website at lorethannewhite.com

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