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The Confession: A Psychological Thriller Murder Mystery: A therapist. A killer. A deadly secret she can’t reveal. The most chilling psychological ... year. Book 1
What if your patient confesses to murder… and you’re legally bound to stay silent?
Dr. Sarah has always believed in helping people heal. As one of the city’s most respected psychologists, she’s no stranger to secrets, guilt, or pain. But nothing prepares her for the day a new patient calmly describes — in chilling detail — the murder of an innocent victim.
Sarah is horrified. But as a therapist, she’s sworn to protect patient confidentiality. If she reports him, she risks her career, her license, and everything she’s worked for. If she stays silent, more innocent lives may be lost.
As the confessions continue, Sarah realizes this is no isolated case. The murders are connected — part of something darker and far more dangerous than she ever imagined. And soon, the hunter becomes the hunted. Someone is watching Sarah. Someone who knows what she knows… and will do anything to keep their deadly secrets safe.
Now, Sarah must make an impossible break her oath and risk everything or stay silent and become an accomplice to murder.
Twists like never before. Question everything. Trust no one.
🌟 The ConfessionA gripping psychological thriller murder mystery that explores the razor-thin line between right and wrong, duty and survival.
👉 Perfect for fans of The Silent Patient, Behind Closed Doors, Gone Girl, and The Girl on the Train.
👉 If you love twisty, high-stakes thrillers where nothing is as it seems, this book will keep you turning pages until the shocking final twist.
📂 ✅ Psychological Thrillers
✅ Murder Mysteries
✅ Crime Suspense
Dr. Sarah has always believed in helping people heal. As one of the city’s most respected psychologists, she’s no stranger to secrets, guilt, or pain. But nothing prepares her for the day a new patient calmly describes — in chilling detail — the murder of an innocent victim.
Sarah is horrified. But as a therapist, she’s sworn to protect patient confidentiality. If she reports him, she risks her career, her license, and everything she’s worked for. If she stays silent, more innocent lives may be lost.
As the confessions continue, Sarah realizes this is no isolated case. The murders are connected — part of something darker and far more dangerous than she ever imagined. And soon, the hunter becomes the hunted. Someone is watching Sarah. Someone who knows what she knows… and will do anything to keep their deadly secrets safe.
Now, Sarah must make an impossible break her oath and risk everything or stay silent and become an accomplice to murder.
Twists like never before. Question everything. Trust no one.
🌟 The ConfessionA gripping psychological thriller murder mystery that explores the razor-thin line between right and wrong, duty and survival.
👉 Perfect for fans of The Silent Patient, Behind Closed Doors, Gone Girl, and The Girl on the Train.
👉 If you love twisty, high-stakes thrillers where nothing is as it seems, this book will keep you turning pages until the shocking final twist.
📂 ✅ Psychological Thrillers
✅ Murder Mysteries
✅ Crime Suspense
157 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 6, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 20, 2026
Enough twists and turns to give a reader whiplash
Where do I even start! The Confession has, it would seem, a simple enough premise; a therapist is thrust into an impossible quandary when her new patient confesses to a string of murders. But the truth is so much darker than that! Every time I thought I had it figured out, a new twist came barreling out of the dark to pull me in a new direction.
It's hard to say much more without delving into spoiler territory, but there's a lot going on. With themes of childhood abuse & trauma, jealousy, gas-lighting and manipulation, it was impossible to know who to trust. Sarah, our main character, is trying to protect the one person who matters most to her (her sister, Emma) while walking that fine line of patient confidentiality vs public safety. How much is she willing to risk to put a serial killer behind bars where they belong? And what about the gaps in her memory that harken back to her pre-adoption childhood and boy named Lucas who apparently only existed in her imagination? Who, if anyone, is telling the truth?
Buckle up and strap in for a rollercoaster ride as the body count climbs and Sarah is drawn deeper and deeper into the darkness. If you're anything like me, you'll probably be yelling as Sarah for some of her choices and actions, which is a sure sign that the author has done her job. I was invested in Sarah's story from the first chapter.
This is the first installment of a series and it does conclude with some unfinished business, so be prepared.
Final rating: 4.5 stars
Where do I even start! The Confession has, it would seem, a simple enough premise; a therapist is thrust into an impossible quandary when her new patient confesses to a string of murders. But the truth is so much darker than that! Every time I thought I had it figured out, a new twist came barreling out of the dark to pull me in a new direction.
It's hard to say much more without delving into spoiler territory, but there's a lot going on. With themes of childhood abuse & trauma, jealousy, gas-lighting and manipulation, it was impossible to know who to trust. Sarah, our main character, is trying to protect the one person who matters most to her (her sister, Emma) while walking that fine line of patient confidentiality vs public safety. How much is she willing to risk to put a serial killer behind bars where they belong? And what about the gaps in her memory that harken back to her pre-adoption childhood and boy named Lucas who apparently only existed in her imagination? Who, if anyone, is telling the truth?
Buckle up and strap in for a rollercoaster ride as the body count climbs and Sarah is drawn deeper and deeper into the darkness. If you're anything like me, you'll probably be yelling as Sarah for some of her choices and actions, which is a sure sign that the author has done her job. I was invested in Sarah's story from the first chapter.
This is the first installment of a series and it does conclude with some unfinished business, so be prepared.
Final rating: 4.5 stars
June 16, 2026
Amazing read 📚 The ending was not at all expected, and that made it all the more amazing. I love the way the suspense unfolds with so many unexpected twists. Really enjoyed every part of it.
August 19, 2026
Fast-Paced and Thrilling
I’ve always enjoyed psychological thrillers. The Confession begins with a thrilling premise and bulleted me through the story with a pace that kept me reading from the captivating beginning to the completely unexpected ending.
The story opens with a therapist whose client confesses to past murders – an exciting start! At first glance, her ethical obligation is to maintain the client’s confidentiality, even if she is horrified. But, the plot twists quickly ramp up from there…
This story explores two of my favorite psychological topics: gaslighting and dissociative disorder, and also delves into childhood trauma and psychopathy.
This was a quick and enjoyable read, even if so face-paced at times that I was left confused – but perhaps this was purposeful on the part of the author, in order to introduce the character’s confusion into the reader as well.
Overall, a thrilling read!
I’ve always enjoyed psychological thrillers. The Confession begins with a thrilling premise and bulleted me through the story with a pace that kept me reading from the captivating beginning to the completely unexpected ending.
The story opens with a therapist whose client confesses to past murders – an exciting start! At first glance, her ethical obligation is to maintain the client’s confidentiality, even if she is horrified. But, the plot twists quickly ramp up from there…
This story explores two of my favorite psychological topics: gaslighting and dissociative disorder, and also delves into childhood trauma and psychopathy.
This was a quick and enjoyable read, even if so face-paced at times that I was left confused – but perhaps this was purposeful on the part of the author, in order to introduce the character’s confusion into the reader as well.
Overall, a thrilling read!
September 8, 2026
A therapist with a dark past
Dr. Chen suffered abuse as a child. Now, she is treating others. A serial killer becomes her patient, and Chen is torn between ethics and turning the patient in to authorities. As people die, the story escalates into a WhoDunnit. Is it the serial killer, a long lost twin brother, Dr. Chen, or someone else? There are many unexpected twists in this fast-paced thriller.
Dr. Chen suffered abuse as a child. Now, she is treating others. A serial killer becomes her patient, and Chen is torn between ethics and turning the patient in to authorities. As people die, the story escalates into a WhoDunnit. Is it the serial killer, a long lost twin brother, Dr. Chen, or someone else? There are many unexpected twists in this fast-paced thriller.
August 15, 2025
2.25/5
This book was sent to me by the author, this has not impacted the review in any way. The opinions presented are mine and mine alone.
The Confession by Prose Maven starts with a great introduction that captures the reader's attention. As far as the actual writing itself, the author shows skill and is able to keep things flowing at a quick pace. It lacked details though. Not much was described to help paint a picture or utilize the five senses, leaving the reader with a faint image. When comes to characters, I felt the same way. We barely know anything about the main character, and the police detective, we know nothing about. As a result it just felt shallow.
Then comes the lack of logic involved. It is stated at several points about possible patient confidentiality conflicts. These rules don't apply in this situation, several murders have been confessed to, no signs of remorse, and clear intent to continue killing. Even when lives are in danger, she still worries about this. Its an obligation to report when there is a threat to human lives. No conflict. The author tries to explain this away throughout the book, but the reasons don't have logic or law behind them. When an active crime scene and certain situation comes along that I won't mention to avoid spoilers, she tells the police that they can't stop her form entering. Actual law would prevent her entry. She would be arrested for not only her own safety, but from putting police lives in danger, should they have to go in after her. In writing, details matter, and these details were big strike outs that made it difficult to enjoy the book.
Overall, I would not be recommending the book for all the above reasons.
This book was sent to me by the author, this has not impacted the review in any way. The opinions presented are mine and mine alone.
The Confession by Prose Maven starts with a great introduction that captures the reader's attention. As far as the actual writing itself, the author shows skill and is able to keep things flowing at a quick pace. It lacked details though. Not much was described to help paint a picture or utilize the five senses, leaving the reader with a faint image. When comes to characters, I felt the same way. We barely know anything about the main character, and the police detective, we know nothing about. As a result it just felt shallow.
Then comes the lack of logic involved. It is stated at several points about possible patient confidentiality conflicts. These rules don't apply in this situation, several murders have been confessed to, no signs of remorse, and clear intent to continue killing. Even when lives are in danger, she still worries about this. Its an obligation to report when there is a threat to human lives. No conflict. The author tries to explain this away throughout the book, but the reasons don't have logic or law behind them. When an active crime scene and certain situation comes along that I won't mention to avoid spoilers, she tells the police that they can't stop her form entering. Actual law would prevent her entry. She would be arrested for not only her own safety, but from putting police lives in danger, should they have to go in after her. In writing, details matter, and these details were big strike outs that made it difficult to enjoy the book.
Overall, I would not be recommending the book for all the above reasons.
May 20, 2026
A twisty, edge-of-the-seat thriller, unputdownable!
If you like Gone Girl, As Good As Dead and The Silence of the Lambs, you’ll love this one. The twists just keep on coming - edge of the seat until the very end.
I was fascinated by how the author had the FMC (therapist) teeter on the brink of self-doubt and mental unravelling the entire length of the book. The lawyer in me even had to go check the patient-confidentiality rules in the US. Had to remind myself this is fiction to highlight moral and ethical dilemmas and make you think what would you do - which is exactly what the book does. And then some.
The book made me think how priests have the same confidentiality requirement and were probably the first version of therapists before it became a profession. It also raises good questions, not just about psychiatric diagnoses but also about whether a psychopath with a limited emotional range can actually love and how brainwashing and masking really looks like.
What a twist halfway in - brill! And to think, the breadcrumbs were all there. From the middle it was one twist after another until the very last page. On to read book 2 now. Can totally see this book being made into a blockbuster movie.
Trigger warnings: loss of parent, multiple deaths with only a few Criminal-Minds-level gory details.
Recommended for lovers of thrillers & crime fiction - if you enjoy John Connolly, Holly Jackson and Thomas Harris, this is up your alley.
Fave quotes:
1. “I’m not his therapist. I’m his audience.”
2. “I came to make you remember.”
If you like Gone Girl, As Good As Dead and The Silence of the Lambs, you’ll love this one. The twists just keep on coming - edge of the seat until the very end.
I was fascinated by how the author had the FMC (therapist) teeter on the brink of self-doubt and mental unravelling the entire length of the book. The lawyer in me even had to go check the patient-confidentiality rules in the US. Had to remind myself this is fiction to highlight moral and ethical dilemmas and make you think what would you do - which is exactly what the book does. And then some.
The book made me think how priests have the same confidentiality requirement and were probably the first version of therapists before it became a profession. It also raises good questions, not just about psychiatric diagnoses but also about whether a psychopath with a limited emotional range can actually love and how brainwashing and masking really looks like.
What a twist halfway in - brill! And to think, the breadcrumbs were all there. From the middle it was one twist after another until the very last page. On to read book 2 now. Can totally see this book being made into a blockbuster movie.
Trigger warnings: loss of parent, multiple deaths with only a few Criminal-Minds-level gory details.
Recommended for lovers of thrillers & crime fiction - if you enjoy John Connolly, Holly Jackson and Thomas Harris, this is up your alley.
Fave quotes:
1. “I’m not his therapist. I’m his audience.”
2. “I came to make you remember.”
November 11, 2025
The Confession” by Prose Maven!
Healing people is what Dr. Sarah does and enjoys doing! Meet the killer who delivers himself to this therapist. Sits down and delivers very calmly the murder of an innocent victim with no remorse at all.
Dr. Sarah is sworn to patient confidentiality and listens but her mind is unraveling hearing the charming voice as one describes into the details! 😳😳
Horror fills her mind but she cannot risk her career, license, her foundation as the killer smiles and continues the sadistic side knowing what the therapist is up against!
The confessions continue in the ease and methodical way of this killer, blatantly taunting and mocking!
The therapist realizes her silence could cost other innocent lives as she struggles within her heart and mind!
Murders, secrets and chilling details lead to something very dark and morbid.
The cat and mouse game turns into survival, as the danger ⛔️ danger ⚠️ becomes inescapable!
Fast paced and hungry as the predator plays a wicked devastating role!
The deadly secrets are alive and slithering like snakes 🐍 in a den of poison and deception!
Adrenaline surges as your pulse beats quicker as a tug of war rages between doing the right thing or staying 🤫 quiet!
Like Russian Roulette the deadly aftermath hits hard and fast, blunt!
What will the choices be? Survival and silence? Or taking the gamble to turn in a malicious murderer?
Make your choice now.
⭐️⭐️💀⭐️
Healing people is what Dr. Sarah does and enjoys doing! Meet the killer who delivers himself to this therapist. Sits down and delivers very calmly the murder of an innocent victim with no remorse at all.
Dr. Sarah is sworn to patient confidentiality and listens but her mind is unraveling hearing the charming voice as one describes into the details! 😳😳
Horror fills her mind but she cannot risk her career, license, her foundation as the killer smiles and continues the sadistic side knowing what the therapist is up against!
The confessions continue in the ease and methodical way of this killer, blatantly taunting and mocking!
The therapist realizes her silence could cost other innocent lives as she struggles within her heart and mind!
Murders, secrets and chilling details lead to something very dark and morbid.
The cat and mouse game turns into survival, as the danger ⛔️ danger ⚠️ becomes inescapable!
Fast paced and hungry as the predator plays a wicked devastating role!
The deadly secrets are alive and slithering like snakes 🐍 in a den of poison and deception!
Adrenaline surges as your pulse beats quicker as a tug of war rages between doing the right thing or staying 🤫 quiet!
Like Russian Roulette the deadly aftermath hits hard and fast, blunt!
What will the choices be? Survival and silence? Or taking the gamble to turn in a malicious murderer?
Make your choice now.
⭐️⭐️💀⭐️
April 1, 2026
The Confession: A Psychological Thriller Murder Mystery
Wow! The Confession: A Psychological Thriller Murder Mystery by Prose Maven is a brilliant novel. Dr. Sarah Chen, a therapist with an abusive childhood, begins counseling a self-confessed murderer named David Morrison. Torn between her legal obligations as a therapist and her moral responsibility to help prevent future harm, she cautiously attempts to warn the police. Ultimately, this backfires, and she becomes a suspect in their investigation. The only person she has to turn to is her close sister, Emma Chen, who does her best to support her struggling sister. Through flashbacks to her seven-year-old self, Sarah continues to relive the brutal murder of her alcoholic mother, which she witnessed. Meanwhile, David begins stalking and threatening her if she reveals the confessions he makes during therapy—and this is where the story becomes especially gripping. I won’t reveal the book’s secrets or the ending, but there are several twists that will leave you stunned.
This is one of the best psychological thriller mysteries I have read. It is well written, with fully developed characters the reader can empathize with, and a plot that moves like a modern roller coaster. The last half of the book flew by because I couldn’t put it down—I had to keep reading until the final page, and then I went back to revisit the opening chapters.
Wow! The Confession: A Psychological Thriller Murder Mystery by Prose Maven is a brilliant novel. Dr. Sarah Chen, a therapist with an abusive childhood, begins counseling a self-confessed murderer named David Morrison. Torn between her legal obligations as a therapist and her moral responsibility to help prevent future harm, she cautiously attempts to warn the police. Ultimately, this backfires, and she becomes a suspect in their investigation. The only person she has to turn to is her close sister, Emma Chen, who does her best to support her struggling sister. Through flashbacks to her seven-year-old self, Sarah continues to relive the brutal murder of her alcoholic mother, which she witnessed. Meanwhile, David begins stalking and threatening her if she reveals the confessions he makes during therapy—and this is where the story becomes especially gripping. I won’t reveal the book’s secrets or the ending, but there are several twists that will leave you stunned.
This is one of the best psychological thriller mysteries I have read. It is well written, with fully developed characters the reader can empathize with, and a plot that moves like a modern roller coaster. The last half of the book flew by because I couldn’t put it down—I had to keep reading until the final page, and then I went back to revisit the opening chapters.
March 19, 2026
This short thriller for young adults begins with a challenging premise: a serial killer admits to a crime to his psychologist, who is prevented from disclosing this information because of client confidentiality. Dr Sarah Chen is faced with this dilemma, but this is only the start of her nightmare. Maven produces a story that moves at break-neck speed, and I felt I was going to suffer whiplash at the twists and turns in the plot, as Sarah struggles to make sense of what is happening to her and why.
So many questions and so few answers as to why the killer chose her as his confidante. This is a well-constructed plot, but perhaps suffers a little from too fast a pace, but maybe that is because I am not the intended aged reader. The topic of a serial killer’s mind and reasoning is dark, and there is little uplifting in the human psyche on display, but this is edge of the seat stuff. Maybe best not to read while in the house on your own, but The Confession would make an engrossing holiday read on a long plane flight.
January 27, 2026
The Confession is one of those novels that’s hard to review in detail without giving too much away. The story is packed with twists and turns—the kind that make you stop and think, “I did not see that coming.” More than once.
You do have to suspended your understanding of law enforcement and how police would investigate as I think police were way too cooperative here but for the sake of a good psychological thriller, I was wiling to suspend my disbelieve.
Rather than risk spoiling anything, I’ll keep it simple: read this book. It’s clever, unpredictable, and genuinely gripping from start to finish. Well done.
You do have to suspended your understanding of law enforcement and how police would investigate as I think police were way too cooperative here but for the sake of a good psychological thriller, I was wiling to suspend my disbelieve.
Rather than risk spoiling anything, I’ll keep it simple: read this book. It’s clever, unpredictable, and genuinely gripping from start to finish. Well done.
February 3, 2026
The story is tightly plotted, with a steadily rising sense of tension that makes it hard to put down once things start unfolding. The pacing is mostly strong, with well-placed twists that feel earned rather than random. The atmosphere is dark and unsettling, perfectly suited for a murder mystery that leans more on mind games than gore. A solid, well-executed thriller that fans of psychological suspense and murder mysteries will thoroughly enjoy. Definitely worth picking up if you like tense, twist-driven stories that linger after the final page.
June 19, 2026
An interesting premise with a strong moral dilemma at its core — a therapist bound by confidentiality after her patient confesses to murder. I enjoyed the central idea and the fast pacing kept me turning pages. Some scenes were a bit confusing and I felt the characters could have been developed further, especially Sarah, whose inner conflict deserved more depth. The twists kept coming, sometimes a little too quickly for me to fully process. Overall a solid quick read for thriller fans who prioritise plot over character work.
July 9, 2025
“The Confession” by Prose Maven is an intense and suspenseful read that dives deep into a moral and psychological dilemma. When a patient confesses to murder, his psychologist is thrown into a terrifying tug-of-war between her professional ethics and the need for justice. The tension builds with every chapter as she wrestles with the consequences of staying silent—or speaking out. Gripping, thought-provoking, and impossible to put down.
April 4, 2026
Just finished The Confession and honestly, it was such a good read. The story keeps you hooked without trying too hard, which I liked.
The ending really surprised me, but in a good way, it actually worked. I’m still thinking about it, and now I’m kind of waiting like Sarah to see if Lucas comes back in part II.
If you have some free time this weekend, this one is definitely worth checking out.
The ending really surprised me, but in a good way, it actually worked. I’m still thinking about it, and now I’m kind of waiting like Sarah to see if Lucas comes back in part II.
If you have some free time this weekend, this one is definitely worth checking out.
August 28, 2026
This book did NOT disappoint! 😗 It had me by the hair and dragging me along because I seriously could NOT put it down. The pacing was perfect, the writing was fantastic, and I genuinely could not predict what was going to happen.
The twist was INSANE, and I thought I had it figured out… THEN the actual twist?! WTF! 😭 I did NOT see that coming AT ALL. My jaw dropped!
I can’t say much without risking spoilers, but I HIGHLY recommend this one! 🔪📖
The twist was INSANE, and I thought I had it figured out… THEN the actual twist?! WTF! 😭 I did NOT see that coming AT ALL. My jaw dropped!
I can’t say much without risking spoilers, but I HIGHLY recommend this one! 🔪📖
February 18, 2026
Without giving anything away, I can say that it's well written and keeps you turning the pages, electronically or real. The main character is a therapist who becomes convinced she doesn't know herself well enough. There are lots of dangers lurking about and we become drawn in very easily. I've already grabbed the second one, barely finished with this one. I recommend it!
August 20, 2026
The Confession is an absolute page-turner! This book was packed with so many unexpected twists and turns that it kept me hooked the entire time. The story flows so well, and I actually ended up reading it in one go because I was desperate to find out what happened next. If you're looking for a gripping read that you won't be able to put down, this is the one.
March 7, 2026
2.5* star if goodreads gave you the option.The book started off strong, and I enjoyed the introduction to the characters and storyline. Approx. 50% way in it felt like a different author. It lost its depth and became too far-fetched. Sadly, I dont think I will continue with the series.
August 21, 2025
Loved it
November 26, 2025
I recently finished The Confession, a psychological thriller, and ultimately landed on a 1.5-star rating. While the premise was intriguing, I struggled with some of the plot’s logic—particularly the idea that the doctor wouldn’t immediately report a client’s admission of murder. This made it difficult for me to stay fully engaged with the story. Although the writing had promise, the narrative didn’t quite come together for me.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews