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The Empathist
Amy is in her thirties, has her own house and a successful a career. To the outside world Amy has it all.
What they don’t know, Is that Amy is running from a past that she does not want to remember… that she had forgotten. The years of medication have helped at the price of a small side effect that she welcomes.
But a triggering sequence of events leading up to her Father’s death have started to scratch again at the wall holding back her repressed memories.
The feelings creep back in so slowly, she isn’t aware of her own mind as her carefully constructed life begins to unravel at the seams with catastrophic consequences for those around her .
As an unhealed past rises up violently to be acknowledged, Amy must finally understand who she was in order to determine what will she become.
But there are deadly risks of bonding with the shattered self…
What they don’t know, Is that Amy is running from a past that she does not want to remember… that she had forgotten. The years of medication have helped at the price of a small side effect that she welcomes.
But a triggering sequence of events leading up to her Father’s death have started to scratch again at the wall holding back her repressed memories.
The feelings creep back in so slowly, she isn’t aware of her own mind as her carefully constructed life begins to unravel at the seams with catastrophic consequences for those around her .
As an unhealed past rises up violently to be acknowledged, Amy must finally understand who she was in order to determine what will she become.
But there are deadly risks of bonding with the shattered self…
332 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 29, 2023
1 person is currently reading
31 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
June 1, 2025
What a wonderfully original read. Dr. Amy Davidson is about to embark on a new more senior position at Broadmoor psychiatric hospital. However, she has just suffered the loss of her father and survived a recent attack by a patient. This new role might just push her over the edge and not everyone seems to be happy she was given the job.
Amy is such a complex character and the author did an outstanding job of creating her! She is so well thought out and has such inner turmoil. It is difficult to know how I should feel about her. She can be cold, ruthless and standoffish but vulnerable and scared which had me feeling sympathy for her. She is a character I won't forget in a hurry.
This is a slow burn psychological thriller as we get to uncover Amy's hidden past but also secrets held by other characters. I loved the twists and turns as these compounded Amy's paranoia and made the book have a claustrophobic atmosphere.
It is well written, the plot had me guessing until the end and I couldn't wait to see what was coming next. I highly recommend this one is you love a twisty thriller with mental health themes.
With thanks to the author and Love Books Tours for providing a copy of the book.
Amy is such a complex character and the author did an outstanding job of creating her! She is so well thought out and has such inner turmoil. It is difficult to know how I should feel about her. She can be cold, ruthless and standoffish but vulnerable and scared which had me feeling sympathy for her. She is a character I won't forget in a hurry.
This is a slow burn psychological thriller as we get to uncover Amy's hidden past but also secrets held by other characters. I loved the twists and turns as these compounded Amy's paranoia and made the book have a claustrophobic atmosphere.
It is well written, the plot had me guessing until the end and I couldn't wait to see what was coming next. I highly recommend this one is you love a twisty thriller with mental health themes.
With thanks to the author and Love Books Tours for providing a copy of the book.
May 31, 2025
" [...] We don’t need to do this anymore, it’s others who need to take responsibility for the pain they cause you as well as other people.[...]"
Wow! Alex Franklyn's latest novel entitled "The Empathist" is unpredictable. I found so many plot twists here that I am delighted and of course shocked. This last plot twist completely blew me away.
Alex Franklyn is a brilliant author. If, like me, you love strong and gripping psychological thrillers, then feel free to reach for "The Empathist". The tension is built slowly. The action is fast-paced and picks up pace in a perfect way. The plot is hypnotizing. The main character, Amy Davidson, is a therapist. She struggles with her huge health problems. She hears voices. I suspected she had schizophrenia. She hides it from others. Will she be able to cope with working at Broadmoor, a high-security psychiatric hospital? Can someone so sick treat others? The author gave me a lot to think about with her novel.
Alex Franklyn makes us realize that it's not worth stopping taking the pills yourself. If you don't believe me, reach for the latest story created by this author.
"The Empathist" is a quick read. You can't tear yourself away from reading it. I love novels like this.
I can't wait for her next book. This author has great potential.
Wow! Alex Franklyn's latest novel entitled "The Empathist" is unpredictable. I found so many plot twists here that I am delighted and of course shocked. This last plot twist completely blew me away.
Alex Franklyn is a brilliant author. If, like me, you love strong and gripping psychological thrillers, then feel free to reach for "The Empathist". The tension is built slowly. The action is fast-paced and picks up pace in a perfect way. The plot is hypnotizing. The main character, Amy Davidson, is a therapist. She struggles with her huge health problems. She hears voices. I suspected she had schizophrenia. She hides it from others. Will she be able to cope with working at Broadmoor, a high-security psychiatric hospital? Can someone so sick treat others? The author gave me a lot to think about with her novel.
Alex Franklyn makes us realize that it's not worth stopping taking the pills yourself. If you don't believe me, reach for the latest story created by this author.
"The Empathist" is a quick read. You can't tear yourself away from reading it. I love novels like this.
I can't wait for her next book. This author has great potential.
June 5, 2025
This is my second read by this author and I absolutely loved that it was such a different kind of read - a much darker read and this took me by surprise.
The front cover and title didn't really give too much away, but I did get a sense that this would be something a little more psychological - maybe even a thriller vibe.
We follow Amy who we first meet as she heads to her father's funeral. We also learn early on, that she's currently on sick leave after suffering an attack at work.
Amy was a really complex character and it was great to explore all of the different threads running through this story.
I loved Amy's inner monologues which I could totally relate to - maybe not in all the content though!!
I had a suspicion quite early on about what might come to pass in this, but there was just so much going on and so many twists and turns that this kept me guessing to the end!
I can't really give too much away, but this was a really well worked plot that had me unsure of who to trust throughout.
Amy especially had me to-ing and fro-ing between suspicion and sympathy.
The writing style builds such a great atmosphere throughout and the setting was perfect for this.
A great read with a shocking ending. I wonder whether we might one day see a sequel to this?
The front cover and title didn't really give too much away, but I did get a sense that this would be something a little more psychological - maybe even a thriller vibe.
We follow Amy who we first meet as she heads to her father's funeral. We also learn early on, that she's currently on sick leave after suffering an attack at work.
Amy was a really complex character and it was great to explore all of the different threads running through this story.
I loved Amy's inner monologues which I could totally relate to - maybe not in all the content though!!
I had a suspicion quite early on about what might come to pass in this, but there was just so much going on and so many twists and turns that this kept me guessing to the end!
I can't really give too much away, but this was a really well worked plot that had me unsure of who to trust throughout.
Amy especially had me to-ing and fro-ing between suspicion and sympathy.
The writing style builds such a great atmosphere throughout and the setting was perfect for this.
A great read with a shocking ending. I wonder whether we might one day see a sequel to this?
May 31, 2025
This book blew me away. I was so invested from the first page. I loved Amy. I could really relate to her in the first few chapters bless her. She is a very well written, layered main character. Her inner monologue was hysterical for me. The storyline was so intriguing and it kept me hooked and wanting more. I had some theories, (thanks to my love of horror films) and I was so so excited to see how this played out. The setting of Broadmoor was an excellent choice and kept the suspense at a high level for me. The ending was absolutely stunning, my jaw was on the floor. I feel like I need more though, don’t leave me hanging. What happened next 😂. Very well written, super intriguing and an amazing plot.
May 29, 2025
I really enjoyed reading this psychological thriller. It builds up the atmosphere slowly and keeps you guessing about what is going to happen. I think Amy is a really strong main character - intelligent, capable, strong willed, battling with her mental health and not getting the right support from the people around her. I really loved how her character develops over the course of the book and even when she is having some dark thoughts and maybe doing some dark things, I still think the reader has a degree of sympathy for her. The ending was a surprise for me and I think this is a great read for fans of psychological thrillers but check your triggers before reading if you have any.
January 15, 2025
Really enjoyed this book the beginning was a bit slow and there was lots of description but found the end of the book much easier to follow and really enjoyed it the plot twist at the end had me hooked. Would definitely recommend reading.
May 31, 2025
The Empathist was most certainly a dark and chilling read that I thoroughly enjoyed and will continue thinking about for some time.
A fabulous intriguing plot centred around well drawn out characters.
The narrative centres around Amy, her present and her past and how they both collide following the death of her father. Life takes a sudden turn and things begin to unravel for her.
Over the course of the narrative we learn more about Amy, her life and her profession as a psychotherapist.
Alex very cleverly immerses us into the mind and thoughts of Amy. She is a psychotherapist but she is also very unwell herself and with very little support. I felt this novel painted an honest picture of someone living with a serious mental health condition and how that condition can quickly deteriorate if medication is withdrawn. This allowed me to truly empathise with Amy.
A slow burn, descriptive beginning that heats up with lots of twists and turns that leads to a fabulous plot twist at the end.
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May 31, 2025
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'The Empathist' by Alex Franklyn
OMG!!! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE, LOVE ,LOVED THIS BOOK, AN ABSOLUTELY AMAZING, UNIQUE AND PAGE TURNING MUST READ!! ONE OF MY FAVOURITE READS OF 2025
The first thing I have got to say is an absolutely HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to the amazing author Alex Franklyn!! I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to get stuck into the previous and next books by this very talented author and hope she is typing up more as I write this up! You seriously have to grab your copy of this absolutely fantastic page turner today!! The descriptions, the characters and the absolutely brilliant and unique storyline!!! I mean seriously I cannot describe just how twisted and addictive this book is!!! There are just no words. I mean I'll try but my advice is stop reading this review and GET YOUR COPY NOW!!! If you love twists, drama, psychological books, action… Do you know what...whatever you like to read just give this a go and you will NOT regret it!!! As you can tell I thoroughly enjoyed this addictive and funny page turner!!! I mean I have read loads of books this year but THIS book has just shot to one of my favourite books of 2025!! You really have to grab your copy of this absolutely fabulous page turner today and I can absolutely GUARANTEE you will not regret it! It captured my attention from the very first page and kept me glued to the pages until the very last word and definitely left me wanting more!! Alex's fantastic writing skills and vivid descriptions will transport the reader into the storyline which will have you guessing throughout. This is one of those fantastic books that is perfect to read anywhere and everywhere from curled up next to a roaring fire to sunning yourself on a beach as regardless of where you are Alex will whisk you away with the storyline!! I absolutely devoured this book in one sitting as there was no way I could put it down!! Each and every time I even thought about it to get some actual house work done the characters called me back to demand their attention!! The chapters are quite short which is ideal to pick up and read a few here and there whether on a break or on a bus, the problem is trying to put it down!! One of the things I really enjoyed about this storyline is that it is unique to me as I had never read a storyline like it which always makes a lovely change after reading so many books as it is getting harder and harder to find something new. An absolutely brilliant read that will have you hooked!
Clear your schedules and get lost in this addictive page turner!!
I absolutely loved the larger than life, unique and just fantastic characters that Alex has created for this book!! Thanks to her fantastic descriptions it truly feels like you are right next to Amy throughout. Amy is such a complex and multi-layered character and I do not think I have ever met anyone like her in any other books I have ever read!! I had no idea what I thought of her and the start and I'll be honest, I still wasn't sure by the end but one thing is for sure and that is I will not be forgetting her anytime soon! All of the characters are unique with their own personalities, weaknesses, flaws and strengths and I loved meeting and getting to know them all. I was completely invested in them all, especially Amy, throughout and just had to know what was going to happen to each in the end! Alex truly does an absolutely amazing job of bringing the story to life and the characters leap out of the pages as your turning them thanks to her evocative writing skills and I enjoyed getting to meet them all!! It really goes to show how talented she is creating such a wonderful storyline and all these brilliant characters in her book and cannot wait for the next book
Clear your schedules as this is one unique and unputdownable page turner! Alex this is why you are in my favourite author club and here is to your next guaranteed success!
Overall an absolutely gripping, unique and twisty page turning read!
@AlexFranklyn @Alex._.Franklyn @Spellboundbooks @Spellboundbks @lovebookstours @lbtcrew @kellyalacey
#TheEmpathist #AlexFranklyn #Ad #LBTCrew #Bookstagram #FreeReview #FreeBookReview #ReadAlong
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Review for 'The Empathist' by Alex Franklyn
OMG!!! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE, LOVE ,LOVED THIS BOOK, AN ABSOLUTELY AMAZING, UNIQUE AND PAGE TURNING MUST READ!! ONE OF MY FAVOURITE READS OF 2025
The first thing I have got to say is an absolutely HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to the amazing author Alex Franklyn!! I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to get stuck into the previous and next books by this very talented author and hope she is typing up more as I write this up! You seriously have to grab your copy of this absolutely fantastic page turner today!! The descriptions, the characters and the absolutely brilliant and unique storyline!!! I mean seriously I cannot describe just how twisted and addictive this book is!!! There are just no words. I mean I'll try but my advice is stop reading this review and GET YOUR COPY NOW!!! If you love twists, drama, psychological books, action… Do you know what...whatever you like to read just give this a go and you will NOT regret it!!! As you can tell I thoroughly enjoyed this addictive and funny page turner!!! I mean I have read loads of books this year but THIS book has just shot to one of my favourite books of 2025!! You really have to grab your copy of this absolutely fabulous page turner today and I can absolutely GUARANTEE you will not regret it! It captured my attention from the very first page and kept me glued to the pages until the very last word and definitely left me wanting more!! Alex's fantastic writing skills and vivid descriptions will transport the reader into the storyline which will have you guessing throughout. This is one of those fantastic books that is perfect to read anywhere and everywhere from curled up next to a roaring fire to sunning yourself on a beach as regardless of where you are Alex will whisk you away with the storyline!! I absolutely devoured this book in one sitting as there was no way I could put it down!! Each and every time I even thought about it to get some actual house work done the characters called me back to demand their attention!! The chapters are quite short which is ideal to pick up and read a few here and there whether on a break or on a bus, the problem is trying to put it down!! One of the things I really enjoyed about this storyline is that it is unique to me as I had never read a storyline like it which always makes a lovely change after reading so many books as it is getting harder and harder to find something new. An absolutely brilliant read that will have you hooked!
Clear your schedules and get lost in this addictive page turner!!
I absolutely loved the larger than life, unique and just fantastic characters that Alex has created for this book!! Thanks to her fantastic descriptions it truly feels like you are right next to Amy throughout. Amy is such a complex and multi-layered character and I do not think I have ever met anyone like her in any other books I have ever read!! I had no idea what I thought of her and the start and I'll be honest, I still wasn't sure by the end but one thing is for sure and that is I will not be forgetting her anytime soon! All of the characters are unique with their own personalities, weaknesses, flaws and strengths and I loved meeting and getting to know them all. I was completely invested in them all, especially Amy, throughout and just had to know what was going to happen to each in the end! Alex truly does an absolutely amazing job of bringing the story to life and the characters leap out of the pages as your turning them thanks to her evocative writing skills and I enjoyed getting to meet them all!! It really goes to show how talented she is creating such a wonderful storyline and all these brilliant characters in her book and cannot wait for the next book
Clear your schedules as this is one unique and unputdownable page turner! Alex this is why you are in my favourite author club and here is to your next guaranteed success!
Overall an absolutely gripping, unique and twisty page turning read!
@AlexFranklyn @Alex._.Franklyn @Spellboundbooks @Spellboundbks @lovebookstours @lbtcrew @kellyalacey
#TheEmpathist #AlexFranklyn #Ad #LBTCrew #Bookstagram #FreeReview #FreeBookReview #ReadAlong
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May 31, 2025
Rounded up from a 4.5 star
What a rollercoaster of a psychological thriller this is! Many books are classed as psychological thrillers but many don’t bring the dark psychological aspect quite like The Empathist.
This book is a real slow burner setting the scene and underlaying the foundations for a psychological thriller like no other. Written in a 3rd party narration following Amy who has been on medication all her life and only now she has come off it does reality and her fragile mind collide in a whirlwind of confusion, flash backs, hallucinations and paranoia along with the struggle of reality.
Once the book really gets going you question everything that’s ever happened in the book to that point and then beyond.
Inner voices coupled with mental gymnastics between the doctors and characters in the story leave you questioning what’s real and what isn’t.
The FMC will bamboozle, confuse and frustrate you, you will worry for your own sanity as well as hers.
None of it makes sense until it does. And even then you are left thinking ‘wtf’
I spent far longer than I wish to admit getting my head around the psychological elements to this story but all in all good way trying to figure out in my own head what was real and what was not. Iam still not sure!?
The twists and turns, the second guessing and the pace towards the end really gets the heart pumping and the ending…. Well I won’t spoil it! But I was left with my favourite ‘oh shit!’ Ending!!
thank You love tours and Alex for having me on the reading for this book.
Book received for free but all views and thoughts shared are my own xx
What a rollercoaster of a psychological thriller this is! Many books are classed as psychological thrillers but many don’t bring the dark psychological aspect quite like The Empathist.
This book is a real slow burner setting the scene and underlaying the foundations for a psychological thriller like no other. Written in a 3rd party narration following Amy who has been on medication all her life and only now she has come off it does reality and her fragile mind collide in a whirlwind of confusion, flash backs, hallucinations and paranoia along with the struggle of reality.
Once the book really gets going you question everything that’s ever happened in the book to that point and then beyond.
Inner voices coupled with mental gymnastics between the doctors and characters in the story leave you questioning what’s real and what isn’t.
The FMC will bamboozle, confuse and frustrate you, you will worry for your own sanity as well as hers.
None of it makes sense until it does. And even then you are left thinking ‘wtf’
I spent far longer than I wish to admit getting my head around the psychological elements to this story but all in all good way trying to figure out in my own head what was real and what was not. Iam still not sure!?
The twists and turns, the second guessing and the pace towards the end really gets the heart pumping and the ending…. Well I won’t spoil it! But I was left with my favourite ‘oh shit!’ Ending!!
thank You love tours and Alex for having me on the reading for this book.
Book received for free but all views and thoughts shared are my own xx
May 31, 2025
Huge thanks to Alex and lbt for having me on the book tour for The Empathist.
This is incredibly different to Alex's last book, The Cleaners but just as fun to read.
Amy is an incredibly complex character who initially seems to be doubted by colleagues. She's had a tough time and wants to get on with her life. However, it isn't that straightforward and we get to delve, not only into her psyche but also into the complexity of her work relationships where some are not as they seem.
I wasn't sure where Amy would take us but was happy to go along with the ride. She is an interesting character and her inner voice/shadow knows her far better than she realises. Her memory is tricking her and it does have you wondering what has happened in the past to cause such fractures in her family and her life. I loved the way it all unfolded and liked how it shows the impact that troubled/toxic families have on future generations (Amy in this case). Her mum clearly has her own issues so it's very much a nature and nurture kinda thing at play here.
Broadmoor as a setting was also great although i did wonder if we should be worried that the staff are about as much use as a chocolate teapot given their own issues 😂
Great read and looking forward to seeing what Alex brings us next 💜
This is incredibly different to Alex's last book, The Cleaners but just as fun to read.
Amy is an incredibly complex character who initially seems to be doubted by colleagues. She's had a tough time and wants to get on with her life. However, it isn't that straightforward and we get to delve, not only into her psyche but also into the complexity of her work relationships where some are not as they seem.
I wasn't sure where Amy would take us but was happy to go along with the ride. She is an interesting character and her inner voice/shadow knows her far better than she realises. Her memory is tricking her and it does have you wondering what has happened in the past to cause such fractures in her family and her life. I loved the way it all unfolded and liked how it shows the impact that troubled/toxic families have on future generations (Amy in this case). Her mum clearly has her own issues so it's very much a nature and nurture kinda thing at play here.
Broadmoor as a setting was also great although i did wonder if we should be worried that the staff are about as much use as a chocolate teapot given their own issues 😂
Great read and looking forward to seeing what Alex brings us next 💜
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May 31, 2025This isn’t the usual genre I’d go for but it intrigued me so I decided to check it out! I’m glad I did because I ended up loving it. We follow Dr Amy Davidson, who works as a psychotherapist for those in Broodmoor, a high-security psychiatric hospital.
Amy experiences a traumatic event in the form of her father passing away, and shortly after she decides to stop taking the medication her mother put her on as she feels it was unnecessary. Soon she begins to hear a voice and hallucinate the Image, a personification of her inner thoughts which often manifests as male.
As Amy settles into a temporary new work situation, she meets many people in her job, but who can be trusted and who’s there to harm her?
To the very end of the book, I thought I had a general idea of what was going on and what would happen, but the last few chapters blew me away and left me absolutely stunned. The ending made my JAW DROP!
It’s a great book for any thriller fans, or like me, fans of psychology. There’s mental health rep (which may be helpful to keep in mind if this is something you are affected by), and I liked the author’s writing style.
Definitely a great read
Amy experiences a traumatic event in the form of her father passing away, and shortly after she decides to stop taking the medication her mother put her on as she feels it was unnecessary. Soon she begins to hear a voice and hallucinate the Image, a personification of her inner thoughts which often manifests as male.
As Amy settles into a temporary new work situation, she meets many people in her job, but who can be trusted and who’s there to harm her?
To the very end of the book, I thought I had a general idea of what was going on and what would happen, but the last few chapters blew me away and left me absolutely stunned. The ending made my JAW DROP!
It’s a great book for any thriller fans, or like me, fans of psychology. There’s mental health rep (which may be helpful to keep in mind if this is something you are affected by), and I liked the author’s writing style.
Definitely a great read
May 31, 2025
I was intrigued by the concept of this story and how it was going to evolve throughout the pages.
I'm not sure I liked Amy, but that didn't stop me from wanting to know what was going on with her.
Amy is returning to work after an extended period of time off due to being attacked by one of her patients. She's coming back to take over from one of the other psychiatrists that is going on maternity leave.
Amy has a whole transformation when she goes back to work and becomes a little bit erratic. She is dealing with a lot personally and creates a way to deal with it. On the outside, she might be fooling everyone about how she is coping, but on the inside, it's a totally different scenario.
It does start off a little slow, but the pace does pick up when Susan is suspected of hiding something, and then it's really just a guessing game of who done it!
With so many little twists, this psychological thriller will keep you from the truth until the end!
I think I would have liked that the book was split between some of the characters. Hearing from Dr. Patel and DS Walters would maybe have added to the suspense and tension.
I'm not sure I liked Amy, but that didn't stop me from wanting to know what was going on with her.
Amy is returning to work after an extended period of time off due to being attacked by one of her patients. She's coming back to take over from one of the other psychiatrists that is going on maternity leave.
Amy has a whole transformation when she goes back to work and becomes a little bit erratic. She is dealing with a lot personally and creates a way to deal with it. On the outside, she might be fooling everyone about how she is coping, but on the inside, it's a totally different scenario.
It does start off a little slow, but the pace does pick up when Susan is suspected of hiding something, and then it's really just a guessing game of who done it!
With so many little twists, this psychological thriller will keep you from the truth until the end!
I think I would have liked that the book was split between some of the characters. Hearing from Dr. Patel and DS Walters would maybe have added to the suspense and tension.
June 1, 2025
The narrative centres around Dr Amy Davidson who is a senior psychotherapist based in a high-security psychiatric hospital in London.
When her father passes away, Amy's present and past collide, resurrecting unwanted memories and feelings of a fractured past that have been suppressed for years.
Life suddenly begins to unravel uncontrollably for Amy when her fragile troubled mind becomes confused and paranoid. Hallucinations and voices take over and cloud her reality which in turn has disastrous consequences!
The book begins slowly, but Franklyn sets the scene perfectly for this strong, gripping, intriguing and roller coaster intense psychological thriller.
The complex characters are wonderfully written, Franklyn has a distinctive writing style, her character development and in depth descriptions really pull you into the story.
There are lots of unexpected plot twists which have you second guessing everything and the ending had me completely dazed, this was totally unexpected, I didn't have a clue!
I would highly recommend The Empathist to fans who enjoy dark psychological thrillers, with lots of twists and turns.
When her father passes away, Amy's present and past collide, resurrecting unwanted memories and feelings of a fractured past that have been suppressed for years.
Life suddenly begins to unravel uncontrollably for Amy when her fragile troubled mind becomes confused and paranoid. Hallucinations and voices take over and cloud her reality which in turn has disastrous consequences!
The book begins slowly, but Franklyn sets the scene perfectly for this strong, gripping, intriguing and roller coaster intense psychological thriller.
The complex characters are wonderfully written, Franklyn has a distinctive writing style, her character development and in depth descriptions really pull you into the story.
There are lots of unexpected plot twists which have you second guessing everything and the ending had me completely dazed, this was totally unexpected, I didn't have a clue!
I would highly recommend The Empathist to fans who enjoy dark psychological thrillers, with lots of twists and turns.
May 31, 2025
So this book is a definite step change from the last book I read by Alex, which was cleaners wanted and was a gangster comedy. This is more of a thriller and follows Dr Amy Davidson who is a senior psychotherapist based in London and we first meet her following a period of sick leave after an attack. Then her father passes away, and this is a sort of catalyst for her life unravelling. I don’t want to go into much detail because I don’t want to ruin it for others because there are plot twists upon plot twists upon plot twists and we have red herring’s galore! And I certainly wasn’t expecting that ending! I love a book that keeps me guessing to the very end. I already knew that I liked Alex‘s writing style from her previous book, and I am glad to say that this book did not disappoint. I really enjoyed it, it was another strong four star read for me and if you want to be kept guessing and love plot twists, then I would definitely recommend this book for you.
May 31, 2025
What a fantastic read. I enjoyed this book so much. The premise was excellent and the mental health representation was appreciated.
The cover was pretty ominous. The colours were excellent. The shadow of the lady with the cage and birds was just perfect. It gave nothing away as to what this could be about. Great job!
The book is well written and flowed just fine. The descriptiveness and visuals were on point. They helped make this such a creepy and disturbing read. Alex, you smashed it!
The characters were all brilliant. The characterisation was such that it made it so difficult to trust anyone. Amy is the MC. She's an interesting character. She does have her own struggles with mental health and works a psychotherapist. I loved how her story unfolded.
The book is written in third person and is from Amy's point of view. This was done well and kept us focused solely on Amy.
I really recommend this book to all of you. It is was gripping, chilling and I could not put it down.
The cover was pretty ominous. The colours were excellent. The shadow of the lady with the cage and birds was just perfect. It gave nothing away as to what this could be about. Great job!
The book is well written and flowed just fine. The descriptiveness and visuals were on point. They helped make this such a creepy and disturbing read. Alex, you smashed it!
The characters were all brilliant. The characterisation was such that it made it so difficult to trust anyone. Amy is the MC. She's an interesting character. She does have her own struggles with mental health and works a psychotherapist. I loved how her story unfolded.
The book is written in third person and is from Amy's point of view. This was done well and kept us focused solely on Amy.
I really recommend this book to all of you. It is was gripping, chilling and I could not put it down.
May 31, 2025
This was such an intriguing storyline and it didn’t take long at all for me to feel hooked and fully invested! The book was DARK!
Amy was a very interesting main character and I really enjoyed reading from her POV and listening along to the voice inside her head with her and as all the pieces from the past all came together. It was actually quite terrifying at points!
I will say, there was a lot of names and characters in the book and I did find it a little bit difficult at first keeping track of who was who but as the story went on it became easier and some characters were a bit irrelevant.
That ending… wow. I don’t know how to feel about that! What a rollercoaster the last few chapters were and I definitely did not see that coming!
Another fantastically written book by this author and I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for more books from her in the future!
Amy was a very interesting main character and I really enjoyed reading from her POV and listening along to the voice inside her head with her and as all the pieces from the past all came together. It was actually quite terrifying at points!
I will say, there was a lot of names and characters in the book and I did find it a little bit difficult at first keeping track of who was who but as the story went on it became easier and some characters were a bit irrelevant.
That ending… wow. I don’t know how to feel about that! What a rollercoaster the last few chapters were and I definitely did not see that coming!
Another fantastically written book by this author and I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for more books from her in the future!
June 9, 2025
I love how dark this book was in places, just my kind of book! I also think that parts of it were so realistic that it almost didn't feel like fiction. I used to work with adults with schizophrenia, so have some experience in the field.
For me, this book captures perfectly the stigma around mental health and the pre conceived ideas that a lot of people, including health professionals, have about it. The prejudiced comments you get about patients when people find out what job you do were spot on. I also thought that the depictions of living with schizophrenia match conversations I used to have with patients.
The story was well paced and exciting. I did work out who the killer was fairly early on. But there were so many other delicious twists that it didn't matter. The characters and settings were great too. I definitely recommend this book.
For me, this book captures perfectly the stigma around mental health and the pre conceived ideas that a lot of people, including health professionals, have about it. The prejudiced comments you get about patients when people find out what job you do were spot on. I also thought that the depictions of living with schizophrenia match conversations I used to have with patients.
The story was well paced and exciting. I did work out who the killer was fairly early on. But there were so many other delicious twists that it didn't matter. The characters and settings were great too. I definitely recommend this book.
April 20, 2025
This is quite a dark book for me to read, but I do so love the writing of this author.
I found the start to be quite descriptive, and that took me a while to become immersed in the story. It also quite long chapters, which isn’t my preference in a book, as I feel short chapters allow the pace to flow quicker.
There's so many twists and turns in this, honestly being finished the book, I'm still not sure I know who to have trusted throughout! It ends on a total unknown for so much - ahhh!
I did find the idea of Amy's job and the setting very interesting, and would have loved to have seen more there, though given that the story only takes place over a number of days I can see why this wasnt possible.
I think fans of dark, twisty, psychological thrillers will really appreciate this read!
I found the start to be quite descriptive, and that took me a while to become immersed in the story. It also quite long chapters, which isn’t my preference in a book, as I feel short chapters allow the pace to flow quicker.
There's so many twists and turns in this, honestly being finished the book, I'm still not sure I know who to have trusted throughout! It ends on a total unknown for so much - ahhh!
I did find the idea of Amy's job and the setting very interesting, and would have loved to have seen more there, though given that the story only takes place over a number of days I can see why this wasnt possible.
I think fans of dark, twisty, psychological thrillers will really appreciate this read!
June 3, 2025
Wow! What a book! When I say I struggled to put this down - I’m not lying! It kept me hooked from the start and I couldn’t never quite guess what was coming next.
What I’ve learnt from this read is that the author, Alex is a master of writing more than one genre. This was a wonderfully written, perfectly paced, gripping read that I enjoyed every page of.
Amy is one of those characters that I couldn’t make my mind up about at first. But she is written in such a way that I think you are supposed to question her character constantly and it works really well!
Basically I’m not giving spoilers - I loved this! And it’s one I could easily read again and probably still enjoy just as much.
What I’ve learnt from this read is that the author, Alex is a master of writing more than one genre. This was a wonderfully written, perfectly paced, gripping read that I enjoyed every page of.
Amy is one of those characters that I couldn’t make my mind up about at first. But she is written in such a way that I think you are supposed to question her character constantly and it works really well!
Basically I’m not giving spoilers - I loved this! And it’s one I could easily read again and probably still enjoy just as much.
February 9, 2025
Within the first few chapters, I experienced a mix of annoyance, laughter, and a few raised eyebrows. I could tell that this book was going to be amazing!
I was impressed by the level of detail in the scenes and character development. I believe that when an author goes into such detail, it allows us to fully experience the author’s vision.
The way in which the author incorporates the main characters inner thoughts is written very cleverly and is a crucial part of the book. I loved it! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story!
I was impressed by the level of detail in the scenes and character development. I believe that when an author goes into such detail, it allows us to fully experience the author’s vision.
The way in which the author incorporates the main characters inner thoughts is written very cleverly and is a crucial part of the book. I loved it! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story!
April 30, 2025
This book blew my mind. It was very much a psychological thriller! I felt like I was going a bit insane whilst reading this as I was trying to figure out what was real and what was in Amy's head. The ending made everything make sense from all that we learn about Amy, Andy and her mother. I found this a really addictive plot although very strange in places and I couldn't stop thinking about it. I think this will be a book I will think about quite often in the months to come, it isn't one to quickly leave your mind.
May 31, 2025
"The Empathist" is a psychological thriller, the tension only slightly noticed, increases slowly but you soon become aware that it has ramped up building with gripping unexpected twists and red herrings.You don't know who is good, who is bad, what is real, what is in Amy's imagination, you think one thing then your view is turned on its head. A malevolent, evil, harmful vision becomes reassuring, a friend who knows Amy and has her best interests at heart, whereas her friends aren't necessarily so.
There is an ominous sense of impending doom, the book playing with your mind reflecting Amy's with her complex mental health issues, repressed memories, and traumatised childhood. Although I didn't particularly like Amy as a character, you couldn't help but be concerned for her safety and wellbeing as her life unravelled uncontrollably. There is a twist near the end that is totally unexpected. On reflection, I could think of nothing that gave you even the slightest inkling.
AND I was left wondering who the person Amy has been talking to for most of the book, her father? a therapist? and is this relationship innocent?
There is an ominous sense of impending doom, the book playing with your mind reflecting Amy's with her complex mental health issues, repressed memories, and traumatised childhood. Although I didn't particularly like Amy as a character, you couldn't help but be concerned for her safety and wellbeing as her life unravelled uncontrollably. There is a twist near the end that is totally unexpected. On reflection, I could think of nothing that gave you even the slightest inkling.
AND I was left wondering who the person Amy has been talking to for most of the book, her father? a therapist? and is this relationship innocent?
May 31, 2025
The Empathist was a lot—it messed with my head, but in the best, most unhinged way possible.
We follow Amy, who seems totally fine from the outside, but inside? Absolute chaos. She’s dealing with the loss of her father, and when repressed memories start to resurface, things unravel fast—and so does she.
It’s emotional and intense, hitting on themes like trauma, memory, identity, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive. Loved the uneasy atmosphere and the raw, honest look at mental health. If you’re into unreliable narrators and a slow psychological burn—this one’s for you.
We follow Amy, who seems totally fine from the outside, but inside? Absolute chaos. She’s dealing with the loss of her father, and when repressed memories start to resurface, things unravel fast—and so does she.
It’s emotional and intense, hitting on themes like trauma, memory, identity, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive. Loved the uneasy atmosphere and the raw, honest look at mental health. If you’re into unreliable narrators and a slow psychological burn—this one’s for you.
June 1, 2025
The main character in this book, Amy, was a troubled, extremely complex character. She was highly developed and intriguing. Her story is a very dark, psychological thriller packed with plenty of twist to keep me turning the pages. It started out a bit slow but quickly picked up. The detail of the descriptions of both the setting and action really made me feel like I was part of the story. The character development was also on an exceptional level. The more I read, the more I became involved that became in Amy’s story. This was a wonderfully engaging story and I loved it.
May 31, 2025
This book had me hooked from page 1! We meet Dr Amy Davidson, a Psychotherapist who works in Broadmoor (a high security psychiatric hospital). She experiences a traumatic event, stops her medication and begins to experience auditory and visual hallucinations in the form of a male. I loved her character and she was so well written that I went between disliking her and feeling sorry for her. Throughout the book, I had a feeling something wasn’t right and it had me wanting to read more! The twists were great and I did not expect that ending!! Amazing book and would recommend to others!
May 18, 2025
This was an interesting book to read with some interesting questions during the readalong. It took a while to read as I havent been well and i just couldnt concentrate long enough to read. However, I picked it up when i was dog sitting on a hot weekend and i decided to sit in the sun. The more i read, the more it became interesting and then all if a sudden everything was happening and I couldn't put it down. I finished the book wondering what just happened.
June 1, 2025
Another brilliant psychological thriller! I think this is hands down, one of my favourite thrillers to date. The FMC left me so bamboozled, but I loved it! Everything made sense, at the most important ‘click’ moment. I adore books that have lots of twists and turns, and Alex truly delivered on that! Another factor I really enjoyed, was the fact this book gave you a lot to think about in terms of mental health. I would recommend this to any readers who enjoy thrillers.
June 4, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. I found I love Amy's character. I couldn't even imagine having to deal with complex mental health issues like Amy has. Depression and anxiety are bad enough for me!
The storyline builds up slowly, giving Amy's history bit by bit as she remembers things that have happened in the past. I like how this was done because there was one twist after another.
The ending was crazy and I definitely was not expecting that! You need to read this one to see what I mean!
The storyline builds up slowly, giving Amy's history bit by bit as she remembers things that have happened in the past. I like how this was done because there was one twist after another.
The ending was crazy and I definitely was not expecting that! You need to read this one to see what I mean!
June 5, 2025
The Empathist by Alex Franklyn
I really did enjoy this book. I loved the cover and blurb of this book. Amy character grew on me. I did like her inner voice. At first, I wasn't sure if I liked her or not. I liked the writing style and the story. This book was definitely unpredictable. It had some surprising twists that I did not see coming. I did try to guess what was going to happen, but to my surprise, I was way wrong. Definitely recommend.
I really did enjoy this book. I loved the cover and blurb of this book. Amy character grew on me. I did like her inner voice. At first, I wasn't sure if I liked her or not. I liked the writing style and the story. This book was definitely unpredictable. It had some surprising twists that I did not see coming. I did try to guess what was going to happen, but to my surprise, I was way wrong. Definitely recommend.
December 27, 2024
Little slow to start off with and felt like everything was described a bit much but I did end up getting into it. Definitely could do with less description of surroundings and objects etc which would bring down how long this book is.
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