“We’re all crazy, I believe, just in different ways.”
Alex Michaelides is a bestselling British-Cypriot author and screenplay writer. Born in Cyprus to a Greek Cypriot father and an English mother, he studied English literature at Trinity College in Cambridge. He then studied psychotherapy for three years and worked at a secure unit for young adults for two years. He wrote three films including The Devil You Know and The Con Is On, before deciding to pen his first novel, The Silent Patient. The Silent Patient became a New York and Sunday Times bestseller was the second-highest-selling fiction novel on Amazon in 2019 and is slated for a big-screen adaptation by Plan B. Michaelides’ heritage and psychological backgrounds help make his books some of the most gripping thrillers in the literary world. Join us today at What We Reading as we run you through all Alex Michaelides books in order of release!
The Silent Patient (2019)
Alex Michaelides’ debut book, The Silent Patient was first published back in February 2019 and would win both Best Mystery & Thriller and Best Debut Novel in the Goodreads Choice Awards. The story centres on Alicia Berenson, a famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer. She lives in a grand house with large windows that overlook the park in one of London’s most affluent areas. Then, one evening, her husband returns home late from work. Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks again.
Alicia’s refusal to talk or provide any explanation for this shocking crime turns this domestic tragedy into a viral media sensation. Her artwork becomes worth more than ever, and she is hidden away from the tabloids at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London. Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time to work with Alicia. But, his determination to unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband soon leads him down a dark path into his own motivations – and an intense search for the truth that threatens to overwhelm him.
Check Out The Best Books Like The Silent Patient
The Maidens (2021)
The Maidens is a psychological detective thriller book by Alex Michaelides that was published in June 2021. The story introduces Edward Fosca, a man that Mariana is certain is a murderer. Handsome, charismatic and a Greek Tragedy professor at Cambridge University, Fosca is revered by his peers, colleagues and students alike – especially by the Maidens, a secret society of female students hand-chosen by the man himself.
Mariana is a skilled, albeit troubled group therapist, who becomes fixated on The Maidens when one of her niece’s friends is found brutally murdered in Cambridge. Once a student at the university herself, Mariana quickly suspects that something sinister is lurking behind its ancient traditions and beautiful surroundings. When another body is discovered, Mariana’s obsession with unveiling Fosca as the killer spirals out of control. Her credibility, closest relationships, mental well-being and even her life itself are all soon put on the line in the race to unmask the killer before they strike again.
Check Out The Best Books Like The Maidens
The Fury (2024)
First published in January 2024, The Fury is the newest Alex Michaelides book to date. Lana Farrar is a reclusive ex-movie star, but still one of the most famous women in the world. Each and every year, she invites her closest friends to escape from the English weather and spend the Easter season on her picturesque private Greek island.
What follows is a story that everyone seems to know. Told through the perspective of Elliot Chase, readers follow the group as they travel to Lana’s island before finding themselves trapped there overnight. Old friendships mask bitter resentment and a desire for revenge. Yet, as the night wears on, an intense battle of wits unfold. A battle that escalates to the point of violence and death, with one member of the group being found murdered. An instant Sunday Times bestseller, The Fury is masterfully constructed, intensely thrilling and is sure to keep you guessing until the very end.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
