16 Twisty Books Like 'The Silent Patient' That'll Keep You Guessing

We've hunted down 16 books with the same mind-bending plots and psychological depth that will have you questioning everything until the very last page.

From Gillian Flynn's twisted marriages to Lisa Jewell's obsessive characters, these books will have you questioning every narrator, second-guessing every plot twist, and definitely not trusting anyone.

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Quick answer: What are the five best books, like 'The Silent Patient,' to read in 2025?

1. 'Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn. The ultimate unreliable narrator thriller with a marriage built on lies.

2. 'The Maidens' by Alex Michaelides. Same author, new twist, featuring a therapist investigating Cambridge murders.

3. 'Verity' by Colleen Hoover. A manuscript reveals shocking truths about a silent, injured author.

4. 'None of This Is True' by Lisa Jewell. A podcaster's subject infiltrates her life with devastating consequences.

5. 'Behind Closed Doors' by B.A. Paris. A perfect marriage hides the most terrifying secrets.

Top 16 Books Similar to 'The Silent Patient'

If you devoured 'The Silent Patient' and need more psychological thrillers with jaw-dropping twists and dark psychological complexity, you're in for a treat. These books make you question everything you think you know. From domestic noir to murder mysteries with shocking reveals, each one will scratch that itch for another addictive thriller.

1. 'Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn

On their fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne's wife Amy disappears. The police suspect Nick, Amy's friends reveal that she was afraid of him, and her diary paints him as a sociopath. But Nick swears it isn't true. As the investigation unfolds, the truth becomes more twisted than anyone imagined.

Similarities with 'The Silent Patient':

• Features an unreliable narrator who manipulates the reader's perception of truth.

• Centers on a marriage with dark secrets and psychological manipulation.

• Delivers a shocking mid-book twist that completely changes your understanding of events.

• Explores themes of identity, deception, and the masks people wear in relationships.

2. 'The Girl on the Train' by Paula Hawkins

Rachel takes the same train every morning, watching a couple she calls "Jess and Jason" from her window. Their life seems perfect, "seems" being the key word.

When "Jess" goes missing, Rachel becomes entangled in the investigation. But her alcoholism makes her an unreliable witness to her own life. 

Similarities with 'The Silent Patient':

• Features an unreliable narrator struggling with personal demons.

• Uses multiple perspectives to reveal the truth slowly.

• Centers on a crime that's not what it initially appears to be.

• Explores themes of obsession, memory, and self-deception.

3. 'Behind Closed Doors' by B.A. Paris

Grace and Jack Angel have the perfect marriage — or so it seems. Jack never leaves Grace's side, she cooks elaborate meals, and their home is immaculate. But why can't Grace meet her friends for coffee? Why are there bars on one bedroom window? The truth is more terrifying than you could imagine.

Similarities with 'The Silent Patient':

• Explores the dark reality hidden beneath a perfect facade.

• Features psychological manipulation within a marriage.

• Builds tension through alternating timelines.

• Delivers a conclusion where the victim becomes the winner.

4. 'Sharp Objects' by Gillian Flynn

Camille Preaker returns home to cover the murders of young girls. She stays with her neurotic mother, Adora, and strange half-sister, Amma. As Camille uncovers the secrets, she also confronts her past. The closer she gets to the truth, the more she realizes how damaged her family is.

Similarities with 'The Silent Patient':

• Features a protagonist with a traumatic past.

• Explores family dysfunction and generational trauma.

• Contains a shocking ending.

• Delves deep into the psychology of damaged characters.

5. 'The Woman in the Window' by A.J. Finn

Anna Fox lives alone, unable to leave her New York City home due to agoraphobia. She spends her days watching her neighbors, drinking wine, and taking pills. When she witnesses a crime through her window, no one believes her. And that's where the whole story begins.

Similarities with 'The Silent Patient':

• Features an unreliable narrator struggling with mental health issues.

• Questions what's real versus what's imagined.

• Contains multiple plot twists that challenge the reader's assumptions.

• Explores themes of trauma, isolation, and perception.

6. 'The Perfect Marriage' by Jeneva Rose

Sarah Morgan is a defense attorney whose husband, Adam, is accused of murder. Sarah defends him. But as the trial progresses, nothing is as it seems, and the truth about their "perfect" marriage is more twisted than anyone could imagine.

Similarities with 'The Silent Patient':

• Centers on a marriage with devastating secrets.

• Features a shocking twist ending that changes everything.

• Tells about both betrayal and revenge.

• Uses alternating perspectives to slowly reveal the truth.

7. 'The Maidens' by Alex Michaelides

When her niece's friend is murdered at Cambridge University, therapist Mariana Andros becomes obsessed with proving that charismatic Greek tragedy professor Edward Fosca is the killer. But Fosca is protected by "The Maidens," a group of female students devoted to him, and Mariana's investigation threatens to destroy everything she believes.

Similarities with 'The Silent Patient':

• Has the same author.

• Features a therapist as the main character.

• Contains Greek mythology references.

• Ends with an unexpected twist.

8. 'The Woman in Cabin 10' by Ruth Ware

Travel journalist Lo Blacklock witnesses a woman being thrown overboard during a luxury cruise — but all the passengers are accounted for. No one believes her, and as Lo investigates, she realizes someone on the ship will do anything to ensure she never makes it home.

Similarities with 'The Silent Patient':

• Features a protagonist whose credibility is questioned.

• Creates claustrophobic tension in a confined setting.

• Builds suspense through gaslighting and psychological manipulation.

• Contains twists that challenge what the reader believes is true.

9. 'Verity' by Colleen Hoover

Struggling writer Lowen Ashleigh accepts a job finishing the bestselling series of injured author Verity Crawford. While sorting through Verity's office, Lowen finds an autobiographical manuscript that reveals shocking truths about Verity's marriage and the "accidents" that befell her family.

Similarities with 'The Silent Patient':

• Features personal writings that reveal hidden truths.

• Centers on a character who cannot or will not communicate.

• Contains dark psychological twists.

• Blurs the line between truth and fiction.

10. 'I See You' by Clare Mackintosh

Zoe Walker sees her photo in a classified ad for a website called findtheone.com — but she never placed the ad. As more women appear in similar ads before becoming victims of crimes, Zoe realizes she's being watched, and the hunter is getting closer.

Similarities with 'The Silent Patient':

• Features an ordinary person caught in extraordinary circumstances.

• Builds tension through psychological manipulation.

• Contains a twist that makes you reconsider everything.

• Explores themes of vulnerability and surveillance.

11. 'The Widow' by Fiona Barton

Jean Taylor's husband, Glen, was accused of a terrible crime before his death. Now that he's gone, Jean is finally free to tell her story. But the truth about what Jean knew — and when she knew it — is more complex than anyone imagined.

Similarities with 'The Silent Patient':

• Features a woman who keeps her silence until the right moment.

• Uses multiple timelines to reveal the truth gradually.

• Explores the psychology of complicity and denial.

• Contains revelations that challenge reader assumptions.

12. 'The Whisper Man' by Alex North

After his wife's death, Tom Kennedy moves with his young son Jake to a new town. But the town has a dark past — twenty years ago, a serial killer called "The Whisper Man" murdered five young boys. Now someone is whispering at Jake's window, and another boy has gone missing.

Similarities with 'The Silent Patient':

• Combines psychological thriller with crime elements.

• Features unreliable perceptions and hidden connections.

• Explores trauma and its lasting effects.

• Builds to a shocking revelation about character identities.

13. 'The Couple on Cedar Close' by Anna-Lou Weatherley

On one sunny afternoon at a neighborhood barbecue, Laurie Mills discovers that her husband Robert is having an affair. Hours later, Robert is found dead, and Laurie sits in the dark, covered in blood, with no memory of what happened. But she knows she didn't kill him — the trouble is, no one believes her.

Similarities with 'The Silent Patient':

• Explores the dark secrets behind a perfect suburban facade.

• Features psychological manipulation within relationships.

• Uses memory gaps to create suspense and doubt.

• Builds to revelations that change everything.

14. 'Where the Crawdads Sing' by Delia Owens

Though not strictly a psychological thriller, this murder mystery follows Kya Clark, the "Marsh Girl" accused of killing Chase Andrews. As the trial unfolds, we learn Kya's story — abandoned by her family, she survived alone in the North Carolina marshes, teaching herself everything from reading to biology.

Similarities with 'The Silent Patient':

• Features a protagonist accused of murder.

• Contains a shocking twist at the end.

• Explores isolation and trauma.

• Uses multiple timelines to get to the truth.

15. 'Shutter Island' by Dennis Lehane

US Marshal Teddy Daniels arrives at Ashecliffe Hospital for the criminally insane to find a patient who has disappeared. But nothing on Shutter Island is what it seems, and Teddy's investigation leads him to question his own sanity.

Similarities with 'The Silent Patient':

• Takes place in a psychiatric facility with unreliable narrators.

• Features an investigator whose own psychology becomes central.

• Contains a massive twist about identity and reality.

• Explores themes of trauma, memory, and self-deception.

16. 'None of This Is True' by Lisa Jewell

Popular podcaster Alix Summer meets Josie Fair at a pub on their shared 45th birthday. Josie becomes obsessed with Alix and convinces her to feature her story on the podcast. But as Alix digs deeper into Josie's dark past — including her marriage to a man 30 years her senior — Josie infiltrates Alix's life with devastating consequences.

Similarities with 'The Silent Patient':

• Features multiple unreliable narrators and blurred lines between truth and lies.

• Centers on psychological manipulation and obsession between women.

• Contains dark family secrets that slowly unravel through investigation.

• Delivers shocking twists about who's really responsible for the crimes.

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