#Book Review #The Patient's Secret by Loreth Anne White #Thriller @Montlake

From The Blurb:
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.

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.

My thoughts:
I am a big fan of Loreth Anne White and her dark, atmospheric, and compelling thrillers. The Patient's Secrets had multiple POVs, something I don't normally go for as it can get very confusing, especially when there's more than one timeline. Here this this narrative device clearly drives home the overall message that everyone has secrets behind the masks they choose to wear in different contexts. The plot was quite complex and it seemed everyone was a suspect and no wonder, given that one of the protagonists is a therapist, used to dealing with deep trauma and dark secrets. The twists and revelations kept coming right, left and centre and I couldn't have guessed the ending in a million years! Were the characters realistic- to be honest, I thought it was all a bit too much, but then having learnt at the end that at least a part of the story was based on true crime events, I have to say that sometimes life is stranger than fiction.
The Patient's Secret is a real treat for all readers who love a fast-paced, engaging, and multi-layered thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.