The Patient: the gripping new suspense thriller novel from the Sunday Times bestselling global phenomenon - Jane Shemilt is BACK!

A shocking and twisty novel of psychological suspense about a boundary-breaking love affair between a doctor and her patient, by Jane Shemilt, Edgar-nominated, #1 international bestselling author of The Daughter. What price would you pay for falling in love? Rachel is a respected doctor who lives in a picturesque and affluent English village where her husband Nathan teaches at an elite private school. Competent, unflappable, and nearing 50, Rachel has everything in her life firmly in her control, even if some of its early luster has worn off. But one day a new patient arrives at her practice for emergency treatment. Luc is a French painter married to a wealthy American woman who's just bought and restored a historic home on the edge of Rachel's posh neighborhood. The couple has only recently arrived, but Luc is struggling with a mental disorder, and so he goes to the nearest clinic...to Rachel. Their attraction is instant, and as Rachel's sense of ethics wars with newly awakened passion, the affair blinds her to everything else happening around her. A longtime patient appears to be following her every movement, turning up unexpectedly wherever she goes. Her somewhat estranged adult daughter Lizzie is hiding a secret?or at least, hiding it from Rachel. Nathan has grown sour and cold as well?or is that merely Rachel's guilty conscience weighing on her? But when one of her colleagues winds up murdered and Luc is arrested for the crime, everything Rachel didn't know about her life explodes into the open?along with her affair with her patient?a disgrace and scandal that will have consequences no one could have predicted She is his doctor. He will be her downfall. The bestselling phenomenon returns... 'Beautifully paced' CARA HUNTER 'Beautifully written with an achingly real romance at its heart' SARAH HILARY 'A masterclass in upmarket thriller writing' CHARLOTTE PHILBY 'I raced through it!' EMMA CURTIS When Rachel, a GP in Salisbury, meets Luc, the attraction between them is instant. But Rachel is married with a daughter – and Luc isn't well. Despite themselves, a heady love affair begins – one that threatens to risk everything Rachel has worked for. And when someone in the town is found dead, the spotlight turns to Luc. Torn between her career, her marriage and her heart, Rachel finds herself in the middle of something much darker than she could have imagined... A beautifully written domestic suspense story from the master of the what-if novel. PRAISE FOR THE PATIENT: 'This elegant, multi-layered story has taken my breath away. Much more than a murder mystery, it explores mental health, middle age, marriage and love, while luring you to the edge of your seat' JANICE HALLETT 'A powerful obsession turns dark in this gripping tale of desire, betrayal and murder' T.M. LOGAN 'Constantly surprising' THE SUNDAY TIMES 'With plenty of tension and shocking moments, this atmospheric story is perfect for fans of Apple Tree Yard and Doctor Foster' CANDIS MAGAZINE 'A breath-taking dissection of a marriage' Woman & Home 'A compelling sense of place, good twists, and a tense, intense ending' Sarah Vaughan, bestselling author of Anatomy of a Scandal 'We absolutely loved this . . . It's difficult to believe that this accomplished book is a debut' Richard & Judy Book Club 'Utterly gripping. A tautly-coiled spring of suspicion and suspense which builds to a devastating ending' Mail on Sunday 'Gave me goosebumps' Claire Douglas, author of Then She Vanishes 'Jane Shemilt has a talent for taking you into her world – but be careful. It might not be what you think...' Jane Corry, Sunday Times bestselling author of I Made A Mistake 'Beautifully written and suffused with dread. A compelling literary thriller' Gilly Macmillan, bestselling author of The Nanny When Rachel, a married and well-respected doctor living in a picturesque and affluent English village, embarks on a dangerous affair with a French painter who has a mental disorder, she finds her life blown wide open when he is accused of murdering one of her colleagues