There’s a very specific feeling you get when you finish The Silent Patient. You close the book, stare at the wall for a bit, then immediately flip back to page one to see how Alex Michaelides pulled it off. If you’re here, I’m guessing you’ve just had that feeling, and now you want it again.
Good news: I’ve been chasing that same high for a while. Here are 8 psychological thrillers that scratch the same itch, whether what you loved was the unreliable narrator, the claustrophobic mind games, or that final rug-pull.
What makes The Silent Patient so addictive?
Before we get to the list, it helps to know why you loved it.
- An unreliable narrator. You trust the voice telling the story … and you probably shouldn’t.
- A single, reframing twist. Not a string of small surprises, but one reveal that changes everything you just read.
- A psychological puzzle. The question isn’t only who did it, but why someone would.
- Short chapters and high pace. It reads in a day or two.
Published in 2019, The Silent Patient was Michaelides’ debut, and it became the bestselling hardback debut in the US that year. A film is now in the works with Brad Pitt’s production company, Plan B, so expect a new wave of readers soon.
Each pick below notes which of these it delivers best.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
The modern classic of the genre, and the book that made “unreliable narrator” a household phrase. A wife vanishes on her anniversary, her husband looks guiltier by the chapter, and the story is told from both sides of a marriage you will be very glad isn’t yours.
Best for: the unreliable narrator, told in two voices.
Heads-up: it’s darker and more cynical than The Silent Patient
Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough
This one was marketed with the hashtag #WTFthatending, and honestly? Fair. A single mum starts an affair with her new boss, then befriends his wife. What follows is a slow-burn triangle that swerves somewhere very unexpected.
Best for: a jaw-on-the-floor ending.
Heads-up: the twist leans into the supernatural, which divides readers. Go in with an open mind. It was also adapted as a Netflix series.
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
If The Silent Patient is a slow-burn, The Housemaid is a sprint. A young woman with a secret takes a live-in job with a wealthy family, and nothing in that house is what it seems. It was adapted into a film starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried in December 2025.
Best for: pace and pure page-turning fun.
Heads-up: the characters are more sketch than portrait.
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
The obvious next step: Michaelides’ second novel. A group therapist investigates a murder at a Cambridge college, where a charismatic professor and his circle of devoted female students seem to know more than they say. Keep an eye out for a familiar name from The Silent Patient.
Best for: readers who want the same author’s voice and atmosphere.
Heads-up: It’s slower and more atmospheric with Greek mythology woven all the way.
Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney
The first line tells you everything: the narrator is in a coma, she can hear everyone around her, and sometimes she lies. Alice Feeney’s 2017 debut plays with memory and truth in a way that will have you second-guessing every chapter.
Best for: fans of a narrator who can’t (or won’t) tell you the whole truth.
Heads-up: the timeline jumps around, so read it with your full attention.
Mimik by Sebastian Fitzek
A German psychological thriller with one of the most compelling premises I’ve come across lately. Fitzek is a superstar in Germany, and Mimik shows why; relentless pacing, and a story that keeps you guessing about who is really in control. My full review is here.
Best for: relentless tension from the first page.
Heads-up: it’s translated from German, and Fitzek doesn’t shy away from violent scenes.
Confessions by Kanae Minato
If what you loved was the why rather than the who, this is the one. A middle school teacher addresses her class on her last day and calmly explains that she knows two of them killed her daughter, and what she has done about it. Told in shifting voices, it’s cold, clever, and unforgettable. I’ve written about it here, and it’s still one of the books that has stayed with me longest.
Best for: the psychology of revenge, multiple narrators.
Heads-up: the subject is heavy, and it’s quieter and colder than a typical Western thriller.
The Confession Room by Lia Middleton
A thriller that digs into the darker corners of the human mind, with guilt and secrets at its centre. If you liked the therapy-room setting of The Silent Patient, this one has a similar feel of conversations where every word matters. My review is here.
Best for: psychological tension and moral grey areas.
Heads-up: it’s more about guilt and the choices people make than one big final reveal.
