If you’re hunting for books like The Silent Patient, you’re probably chasing that same “wait… WHAT just happened?!” feeling you had at the final twist. Alex Michaelides’ debut blends an unreliable narrator, therapy sessions, and a chilling crime into one of the most addictive psychological thrillers of the last decade.
The good news? There are other dark, twisty reads that deliver similar shocks, morally messy characters, and “one more chapter” pacing. Let’s stack your TBR with titles that actually live up to the hype.
Why Do Readers Crave Books Like The Silent Patient?
The Silent Patient stands out because it does three things incredibly well:
- It hooks you with a shocking act of violence right away.
- It slowly peels back secrets through therapy sessions and diary entries.
- It saves its biggest betrayal for the very end, forcing you to rethink everything you’ve read.
So when people search for books like this one, they’re usually looking for:
- Unreliable narrators who might be lying to us (or themselves).
- Intense relationship drama—marriages, families, and friendships that are anything but healthy.
- Psychological tension set in homes, neighborhoods, or institutions that feel claustrophobic rather than outright “action-heavy.”
The books below keep that vibe going—with their own unique flavor.
The Best Books Like The Silent Patient to Add to Your TBR
1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
If you loved the rug-pull twist in The Silent Patient, Gone Girl is a must. On the surface, it’s about a missing wife and a suspicious husband—but the real shock comes from how the story is told and how ruthlessly it plays with your expectations.
Like Michaelides, Flynn uses dual perspectives, unreliable narrators, and a deeply toxic relationship to keep you constantly questioning who to trust. It’s darker, sharper, and just as addictive.
2. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
The Girl on the Train follows an alcoholic woman who thinks she’s witnessed a crime from her commuter train window. Her memory is patchy, her reliability is low, and her obsession with other people’s lives quickly spirals.
If what you loved about The Silent Patient was the psychological unraveling—watching someone’s mind fracture as the truth closes in—this one scratches that itch perfectly.
3. The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
Here we have an agoraphobic woman who spends her days drinking wine, watching old movies, and spying on her neighbors—until she sees something she shouldn’t. Or… did she?
Like The Silent Patient, this story leans into isolation, mental health, and perception. You’re never completely certain if what you’re being told is real, which makes every reveal hit harder.
4. Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
To outsiders, Jack and Grace are the perfect couple. But what happens when the front door closes is the stuff of nightmares. Behind Closed Doors is a claustrophobic, high-stakes thriller that explores control, manipulation, and the masks people wear.
If Alicia’s silence and her marriage fascinated you in The Silent Patient, you’ll be hooked by this twisted domestic setup and its slow, terrifying escalation.
5. Verity by Colleen Hoover
Verity mixes romantic tension with psychological horror. A struggling writer is hired to finish another author’s series, only to discover a chilling, unfinished autobiography hidden in the house.
This one is perfect if you want something faster-paced and a little more unhinged—full of morally gray choices, obsession, and a final question that will haunt you long after the last page.
6. The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
Naturally, if you loved The Silent Patient, going back to Michaelides is a strong move. The Maidens blends Greek tragedy, dark academia, and therapy themes into a campus thriller about a group of glamorous female students and a professor who may not be what he seems.
You’ll recognize the author’s love for myth, psychology, and damaged characters—but in a fresh, university setting with its own haunting secrets.
7. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
In The Housemaid, a woman takes a live-in job with a wealthy family, only to discover that the perfect house and perfect wife are anything but.
Like The Silent Patient, it’s built around a main character whose past isn’t fully clear—and a twist that flips the power dynamic on its head. It’s fast, bingeable, and tailor-made for fans of angle-shifting thrillers.
8. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
This one is darker and more disturbing, so consider yourself warned. A journalist returns to her hometown to cover the murders of two girls, while also confronting deep trauma and a very toxic family.
If you liked the psychological intensity and exploration of trauma in The Silent Patient, Sharp Objects will give you an even deeper, more unsettling dive into the human mind.
9. Never Lie by Freida McFadden
Newlyweds snowed in at an isolated house, a missing psychiatrist, and a secret set of therapy tapes—Never Lie feels like a love letter to locked-room psychological thrillers.
Fans of The Silent Patient will appreciate the eerie setting, therapy-adjacent plot, and the way every new discovery forces you to reevaluate what you think you know about the characters.
How Do You Choose Your Next Read After The Silent Patient?
With so many options, here’s a quick way to narrow it down:
- Love the twist above all? Start with Gone Girl or Verity.
- Obsessed with therapy, memory, and mental health? Try The Woman in the Window, The Girl on the Train, or Never Lie.
- Drawn to dark domestic drama? Go for Behind Closed Doors or The Housemaid.
Think about what you loved most—setting, twist, character type—and use that as your guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is there a direct sequel to The Silent Patient?
Right now, there’s no direct sequel to The Silent Patient. Alex Michaelides has written other psychological thrillers like The Maidens and The Fury, which share similar themes and tone but follow completely different characters and plots.
2. Which book feels most similar in terms of shock value?
If you want that same jaw-dropping twist feeling, Gone Girl, Verity, and Never Lie are excellent choices. Each uses unreliable narration and late-game reveals to reframe the entire story, just like The Silent Patient does with its final act.
3. Are these books too dark for sensitive readers?
Many of these thrillers deal with heavy themes—abuse, murder, mental illness, and trauma. Behind Closed Doors, Sharp Objects, and The Housemaid in particular can be intense. If you’re sensitive to certain topics, it’s worth checking content warnings or reviews first to see if the book is a good fit for you.
4. Which books like The Silent Patient are best for book clubs?
For book clubs, look for titles with layered characters and moral ambiguity—Gone Girl, The Maidens, The Housemaid, and The Woman in the Window all spark great debates about reliability, justice, and who (if anyone) deserves sympathy. They also tend to appear frequently on curated “if you liked The Silent Patient” lists, which means plenty of readers are already discussing them.
Your Next Silent-Patient-Level Obsession Awaits
Whether you’re here for the shocking twist, the therapy-driven storytelling, or the morally tangled relationships, there are plenty of books like The Silent Patient that can give you that same breathless, edge-of-your-seat feeling. And if you also enjoy darker, more provocative psychological suspense—similar to books like Verity that blur the line between truth and manipulation—you’ll find even more titles on this list that scratch that exact itch. Pick the story that aligns with what you loved most, and get ready for your next “I did not see that coming” moment.
