Do you recall the way you felt when you first started reading mysteries, like a good old Agatha Christie? Turning each page with anticipation, awaiting a twist that was sure to make you gasp. The Silent Patient brought back those memories of summer reading.

The references to Greek Mythology and the back stories of the characters keep the readers invested in the story. Alex Michaelides combines an old-school mystery feel with today’s well-thought out psychological thriller.

As I read this book, I thought of another novel that had haunted me when I first read it. “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again,” has been touted as one of the best first lines. Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca was a good read even after all these years.

I had never been particularly fond of the meek narrator and actually disliked her husband, but somehow the book had remained in my mind. I realized that more than the characters, it is the author’s use of suspense and the setting that makes Rebecca such a captivating read. Her setting was so well brought to life that when I visited Cornwall in 2007, I thought of the sea that we encounter in Rebecca.