The Other Patient

by Daniel Hurst, Emma Powell (Narrator), Antonia Beamish (Narrator)

A completely addictive and nail-biting medical psychological thriller filled with twists

She has everything I’ve ever wanted. First, I’ll take her name. Then, I’ll steal her life…

I turn my head and stare at the woman lying in the hospital bed next to mine. She has long brown hair, high cheekbones and dark eyes. She looks so much like me, we could easily be mistaken for one another. And that’s how we ended up here. I planned it.

Freya has the kind of life that most people would kill for–more money than she knows what to do with and the freedom to spend her days as she chooses. But I don’t think she deserves any of it.

I’ve spent months watching Freya as I clean her huge house and obey her every demand. She thought I was just her cleaner, but she underestimated me. I know her darkest secret–and I’m going to use it to get everything I want.

So while she was unconscious, I stole her name. She has no idea what I’m capable of. Or what I’m going to do next…

From the number one bestselling author Daniel Hurst, The Other Patient is an utterly addictive, nail-biting listen packed full of twists that will make you gasp out loud and leave your jaw on the floor. Perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, T M Logan and Lisa Jewell.

Genres: Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Mystery

Audible Audio

Published July 20, 2026

About the author

Daniel Hurst is an Amazon #1 bestselling author of fast paced psychological thrillers. His most popular titles include Til Death Do Us Part, The Passenger and The Doctor's Wife, the latter title reaching #1 on the Amazon UK Kindle store in February 2023. A regular KDP Select All Star since he became a full-time author in 2021, Daniel prides himself on writing fast, releasing stories often and engaging with his readers.

You can visit him at www.danielhurstbooks.com, where you can also download a copy of his FREE thriller 'Just One Second.'

Reviews

[Caz]

How would you convince everyone you’re not the person they think you are? That’s exactly the nightmare Daniel Hurst throws you into, and I was hooked from the very first page.

The Other Patient is a twist-filled psychological thriller that kept me questioning absolutely everything.

Imagine waking up from a coma surrounded by machines, only to find a woman lying in the bed beside you. You’re told your name is Iris, but you know you’re Freya. Even more bizarre, the woman everyone insists is Freya is actually your cleaner. You tell the nurses they’ve got it all wrong, but they believe you’re suffering from memory problems caused by your injuries. No matter how much you protest, nobody believes you… and from that moment on, the story takes one jaw-dropping turn after another.

From there it gets wilder, messier, and completely addictive. I loved every minute of it. Every time I thought I’d worked out what was going on, Daniel Hurst threw in another twist that sent me right back to square one.

What stood out most was the brilliant identity-swap premise and the constant uncertainty over who could be trusted. Iris and Freya are compelling characters, and as the mystery unfolds, you’re never quite sure who’s telling the truth.

Daniel Hurst’s writing is fast-paced, addictive, and keeps the suspense building throughout. His ability to create twists, tension, and an atmosphere where nothing feels certain had me completely invested. I was hooked from start to finish.

Thank you NetGalley, Oulture publishers, and author Daniel Hurst for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Publishing date: July 20th 2026

[Debra]

Daniel Hurst has done it yet again! He has written another gripping, thrilling, and drama filled book that I could not put down! Sure, it's a little unhinged, goes a little off the rails, and has some OTT moments, but that just made this book more entertaining and tension filled! This book was literally bonkers and a fun, wild, and mysterious ride!

Freya and her housekeeper, Iris, were in a car accident which resulted in them both being in the hospital. When Freya wakes up, the doctors and nurses call her Iris. She knows there must be a mix up. All she needs is her purse to prove she is who she says she is, but her purse is missing as is Iris who is now claiming to be Freya. Why is Iris pretending to be Freya?????But soon Irish will find that the grass is not always greener on the other side of the tracks!

I thought I knew where this book was heading, but Daniel Hurst pulled the carpet out from under me and left me shocked. I did not see that one moment happening!!! I love it when that happens! I love how Daniel Hurst does not tip toe through over the top territory; he tramples through it, and the result is a glorious and entertaining book.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Melody McNamara]

3.5 stars. Daniel Hurst's latest thriller is totally implausible and OTT, requiring a huge suspension of disbelief. With two unreliable narrators, the twists and turns get increasingly eye-rolling, especially toward the end. That being said, I still found the story to be fast-paced, addictive and entertaining. A quick and easy read, which was exactly what I was looking for.

[Kristina Pauls (ARC Reviewer)]

PUBLISH DATE: July 20, 2026
The Other Patient by Daniel Hurst ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I’ve now read several of Daniel Hurst’s books, and he may be the king of twists you never see coming. Whatever I thought this story was going to be about, I wasn’t even close.

At first, I worried I would get confused because Freya and Iris are mixed up in the hospital and not always using their real identities. The story also moves between past and present timelines. Once I got a few chapters in, though, everything started to click into place and became much easier to follow.

This was a fast-paced thriller that never seemed to slow down. Every time I thought I had things figured out, another revelation sent me in a different direction. Hurst does a great job of keeping the reader guessing.

I also liked that most of the characters were fairly likable and felt more layered than the typical thriller cast.

One of the later twists didn’t completely work for me because it felt a little hard to believe, and I continue to notice a recurring theme in some of the author’s books where women use their bodies as a form of leverage. That’s a trope I personally don’t enjoy.

Even with those minor issues, I had a hard time putting this one down. If you’re looking for a quick, entertaining popcorn thriller packed with surprises, this is a fun read.

Format: Ebook

Content Warnings: Minimal language, deception/manipulation themes, and one closed-door romantic scene.

PUBLISH DATE: July 20, 2026
BOOK TITLE: The Other Patient
AUTHOR: Daniel Hurst
PUBLISHER: Bookouture
FORMAT: ebook
PAGES:
I received a complimentary digital ARC [Advanced Readers Copy] of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to the Publisher and the Author for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Jayne]

➡️ Are some of Daniel Hurst's books better than others?
Yes.

➡️ Is this one of his better books?
No.

➡️ Did I lose my patience with this "Patient" book?
Yes.

WHY? Although the book's "Obsession and identity theft inside a hospital room" premise was brilliant, as the book progressed, the storyline spiraled out of control.

Instead of a clever, well-paced escalation with two unreliable narrators, the plot took a sharp turn into far-fetched, OTT territory. Pacing was off, and repetitive text was plentiful.

I listened to the audiobook expertly narrated by Emma Powell and Antonia Beamish.

I always enjoy full-cast narrations, especially when Antonia Beamish is one of the narrators. Both narrators gave outstanding performances.

[Dee]

Okay, I give this one 3.5⭐️’s. It just had me thinking a lot of…wait, what, how??? Also, the timelines between events didn’t add up and left me a little confused. The biggest one for me was how did she get that key 🔑 so fast. Then all of the twists seemed contradictory to what was originally going on in the story and the characters mindset. I mean I guess that’s the point but it just fell flat for me and not in a jaw dropping OMG way. It was a decent story and thriller, just not a home run for me.

Now, don’t just take my word for it, you may still find this one an interesting and enjoyable read. So by all means still check it out if it is on your want to read. I’m glad I did, I just wouldn’t call this one unputdownable, because I did and it took me a while to get through it. The author told me a good story and for that I say….thank you.

[bella ✯]

★★★★☆

Honestly, I wasn't first attracted to the cover, but after reading the first few pages, wow I was sucked in!

Another highly fast-paced, gripping psychological thriller that is hard to put down. You are quickly drawn in the beginning, and the suspense only increases with each new chapter. You should absolutely put this on your TBR list if you enjoy mysteries and plot twists that keep you wondering until the very end.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with a complimentary copy of this incredible book in exchange for an honest review. I am so grateful for the opportunity to read it early, it was absolutely amazing!

[Rachiebo]

This author is one of the most underrated authors that I’ve ever encountered every single book and I’m not kidding. Every single book is completely unhinged keeps you flipping pages to figure out what’s gonna happen next and I just don’t get how this author isn’t more popular. I’ve read thriller books and usually I can pick out exactly what’s gonna happen, but not this one nor any other of Daniel hurst books that I’ve read. I am so shook by these tales and stories that he comes up with, this one is no different. The excitement and chaos happens right away. He keeps dragging you through because it’s just so unhinged that you can’t stop reading it. I absolutely love this book and I will continue to follow this author and spread the word.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture

[Rachel the Page-Turner]

This story begins with a woman named Freya waking up in a hospital. She has no idea why she’s there, what happened, or why she thinks the other woman in the room looks familiar. It isn’t until the doctors and nurses start calling Freya “Iris” that she figures out what’s happening. For some reason, she and her cleaning lady Iris are both in this hospital room, and their identities have been confused.

Freya tells the staff about the mixup, but they think she’s hysterical and sedate her. Meanwhile, the real Iris gets discharged and begins a new life…as Freya. Instead of cleaning the house, she’ll be living in it. Instead of organizing the closet, she’ll be wearing the luxurious clothes inside it. It’s her turn to have a taste of the good life.

I can’t give much away with this one, but this is a bonkers story that takes place in both the past and present. It’s a story of secrets and revenge, and it’s good. Freya wants her life back, but Iris isn’t making it easy for her. The end ramped up to a suspenseful conclusion, and the epilogue wasn’t really what I expected, but it was also good. 4.5 stars!

(Thank you to Bookouture for inviting me on this book’s tour. “The Other Patient” will be released on July 20, 2026.)

[Sherri Thacker]

It’s no secret I love all books by Daniel Hurst. His latest crazy thriller The Other Patient is book #42 for me. This one grabbed me from the first page where Freya wakes up in a hospital bed next to Iris but the nurses and doctors have them mixed up. Then what follows has an abundance of twists and turns that had me racing to the end. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release. To be published July 20, 2026.

[Lori Martin]

The Other Patient is a thriller with many twists as readers of Daniel Hurst have come to love and expect. This is probably my favorite Hurst book since The Doctor's Wife as it is hard to predict and very hard to put down. Two women are in hospital beds side by side. One of the women wakes and is happy to see that the other one is still unconscious. The doctor comes in and tells the woman that her injuries were minor and she can go home very soon. They call her Freya and the other woman they call Iris. Iris wakes briefly, looks at the other woman, and wonders how they ended up here? She also wonders why everyone is calling her Iris when her name is really Freya? She goes back to sleep as the nurse gives her something for the pain. When she awakens later the other bed is empty and her cleaner, Iris, is gone! How can Freya prove she's Freya when there is no ID, no cell phone, nothing to identify her? Did Iris do this on purpose? Why didn't Iris tell them they had their names wrong? This book is unbelievable and so much fun to read! Just when you think you have it figured out, you realize that you don't! I thoroughly enjoyed The Other Patient and rate it 4 stars with a high recommendation. The Other Patient is out now and should be added to your summer reading TBR pile. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy of The Other Patient in exchange for a fair review.

[Donna Weber]

2 1/2 Stars Interesting premise, just didn’t deliver for me.

[Debbie De Salvo]

Ohhhhhh, Puhleeze! Are you kidding me??
Man, I was so tricker-bitched into reading this based on the overrated 5 star reviews.
Damn.
**Tiny spoiler alert**
Well, if you want to read a 250 page book that reads like a thought bubble of each character, have at it. But let me warn you, repetition of thoughts goes on and on and on.
And if you want to read about hate-filled characters with zero redeeming qualities, well, this book is for you.
And if you want to read about car crash victims and murders that somehow escape any curiosity by hospital staff and police, have I got a story for you.
Incredibly, the person who held the most intrigue, boyfriend Jax, was hacked before we even got to the good part.
And finally, what author gives 2 murderers an epilogue to float their sanctimonious platform to righteously excuse themselves from 3 murders and attempt to come off as holier than thou only to reward them with the impending birth of a child.
Sick.

[Janna (Bibliophile Mom)]

The Other Patient started with exactly the kind of energy I love in a psychological thriller. It has a sharp pacing, a gripping setup, and a sense that something big and unsettling was about to unravel. The opening pulled me in quickly, and I genuinely thought I was in for a twist‑heavy, emotionally layered ride.

But once the central reveal came out, my excitement dipped. The story had all the ingredients for a deeper, more emotionally grounded exploration of the mismatch at the heart of the plot, yet the explanation felt thin and unconvincing. I kept waiting for a more substantial motive or a darker psychological angle, but it never quite arrived.

What Worked:
• Strong opening hook
• Fast pacing
• Engaging setup

What Didn’t Work for Me:
• Underdeveloped premise
• Plot letdown
• Missed opportunity

Ratings Breakdown:
• Setting: 3⭐
• Characters: 3⭐
• Writing: 2⭐
• Message: 3⭐
• Overall: 4⭐

In summary, it was a fast and engaging read with a promising start, but ultimately the plot didn’t land for me. I appreciate the attempt and the pacing kept me going, but the core explanation wasn’t strong enough to support the emotional weight of the story. A decent quick read, but not one that fully satisfied my expectations for a psychological thriller.

Huge thanks to the Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the review copy.

~JaNnA~

[Cynthia Sauer]

2.5 stars

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.

I didn’t really enjoy this. It was a slow read, and while I get that it’s fiction, some elements were a bit too out there. For example, one character ran across town several miles … barefoot … and then a bit later a character travels the other direction across town with a serious wound in them. So serious that they were presumed dead, but then rode part of the way in someone else’s car but magically didn’t transfer any blood to the seat.

[Lori]

Net Galley ARC review

This story fell flat and unfortunately did not give me the “on the edge of my seat” feeling I was looking for. It felt quite clunky and not imaginative. I felt like this was a story I’ve read many times before. There was no originality to it. We opened with two women in the hospital and they are recovering from a car accident. The doctors have gotten their names switched around and one of the women keeps pushing back. It’s obvious the other is trying to steal her identity, and we aren’t sure why until later in the story. The “mystery” was revealed entirely too soon and then we are presented with more and more and more things unraveled. There were entirely too many side plots happening and they were not surprising. Mostly because they were predictable. I did find the second half of this book more interesting than the first, since that’s where most of the action takes place. In the end, it was a mystery thriller, that didn’t thrill. Thank you Net Galley for the arc!

[Rob T.]

The Other Patient
by Daniel Hurst
★★★★ (3.75/5)
 
When Freya wakes in a hospital bed, restrained and unable to speak, the staff keep calling her Iris—the name of her own cleaner. That premise, delivered without preamble in chapter one, sets the tone for what follows: a fast, twist-forward thriller that spends its considerable plotting energy on withholding, converging, and paying off information rather than on the sentence itself.

Daniel Hurst's The Other Patient alternates between Freya and Iris in tight, present-tense chapters, and the structure is genuinely the book's strongest asset. A car accident, a stolen identity, a locked room disguised as a psychiatric hold, a swallowed key, security footage that keeps showing what it shouldn't—Hurst plants these elements early and lets them pay off with real discipline. The identity swap itself is grounded in plausible logistics (a job interview establishing exactly who has property access, a grocery delivery routine that becomes an information leak), and the book earns its reveals more often than it cheats them.

The novel's best trick is a late structural reversal: the sympathetic, wronged Freya is not who she appears to be. A hidden safe reveals stolen jewels and a fabricated abuse narrative that sent her ex-boyfriend to prison for a crime he may not have committed. It's a legitimately destabilizing turn, recasting the entire first half and forcing a reassessment of who the reader has been rooting for. Paired with Iris's own backstory—a chilling flashback revealing a prior act of vengeance dressed up as justice—the book briefly achieves something more interesting than its marketing promises: a story where everyone is capable of the violence they condemn in someone else.

Unfortunately, the execution doesn't fully match the ambition of that idea. The prose stays flat throughout, functional rather than textured, with a narrower vocabulary range than comparable genre peers—the difference is noticeable, not a matter of restraint in service of pace. Freya, established as wealthy and sophisticated, doesn't always sound like it; her dialogue sits at the same register as everyone else's, which undercuts the class and history the plot keeps insisting on. More seriously, the final stretch rushes. After forty-plus chapters of careful, patient construction, the last several chapters resolve a poisoning plot, a safe's worth of stolen restitution, and multiple character fates in a compressed sprint that doesn't match the pacing discipline of everything before it. The epilogue then flattens the moral complexity the book had just earned—stolen goods returned, a reward of wealth, a wedding, a pregnancy, a round-the-world trip, with no reckoning for kidnapping, false imprisonment, or murder. It's a tidy bow on a story that had, for a while, refused to be tidy.

Content note: this book includes depictions of violence, murder, and psychological captivity.

The Other Patient is a well-engineered thriller—confidently plotted, cleverly cross-cut, and genuinely surprising at its midpoint—that doesn't quite trust its own darkness through to the end.

[Ney oh the thrill of it FN]

This is not my first Daniel Hurst read - by now I am a seasoned reader and he is autoread for me. Whilst this was not one of my favourites, it was still a good read.

It begins with a case of stolen identity. Freya, a wealthy woman, and her cleaner Iris are in hospital following a car crash. When Freya wakes up, the doctors and nurses are calling her Iris and they are convinced she is confused.

She is sure it can all be cleared up if they check with the other patient in the room but she has checked out and with it she has taken Freya's identitiy.

I will admit at this point I was a little skeptical as to how this would work but I remembered it was a Daniel Hurst book so I trusted the process.

He produced his trademark twisty and pulse-racing brand of thriller with an ending that I didn't see coming.

The only thing for me was that some of the action seemed a little out of the realm of believability and I couldn't get my mind to stretch that far.

As always though, if Daniel writes it I will read it.
If you enjoy twisty thrillers, unrealiable characters and shocking endings, this is for you.

My rating is 3.5.

Thankyou to Daniel Hurst and Bookouture for this advanced complimentary copy via Netgalley. This review is being left voluntarily and all opinions expressed are my own.

[Agnes]

Imagine waking up in the hospital, not knowing where you are or how you got there. Freya and her cleaner, Iris get into an accident and end up in a hospital. But the twist is, Iris is claiming her name is Freya and Freya cant get anyone to believe that its not true. And they think Freya is having problems with her memory. The story is spellbinding and amazing in the only way Daniel Hurst can write.

But with Iris taking over her name, her house and her richness along comes with some secrets Freya was trying to keep. Great book, put it on your list!

[Alice Dodd]

DNF. Knew I’d hate it from the first 2 chapters. So stupidly unbelievable and dumps you in the middle of the story with no context or care for anyone. Life’s too short to keep reading books you hate.

[Jessica Delaney]

Loved it!

[Melissa Blease]

4 stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I really enjoyed this one! I went into it thinking the switching back and forth between Freya and Iris might get confusing, especially since they aren't always using their real identities in the beginning, but I was pulled into the story so quickly that I honestly had no trouble keeping up with who was who.

There were a few parts I could see coming, but there were also moments that genuinely caught me off guard. I was completely invested in finding out where the story was going and kept wanting to get back to it every time real-world responsibilities rudely interrupted my reading time. If I had been able to sit down with no distractions, this is absolutely a book I could have devoured in one sitting.

I really enjoyed this and would definitely recommend it. I also clearly need to go back and read more from Daniel Hurst because I had a great time with this one!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Chris]

3⭐

I am not mad at you Daniel Hurst. I am just very disappointed. I absolutely loved the Doctor series which featured several insane characters and a phenomenal overall story packed with tension filled moments that made it stand out as one of my true favorites. This one unfortunately had none of those great elements even though it did start off with an intriguing bang. Freya and her maid Iris get into a terrible car crash one morning and end up getting rushed to the hospital for treatment. Iris strangely tells the doctors that she is actually Freya and gets discharged rather easily while Freya spends the early stages of her stay trying to desperately convince people that she is in fact who she says she is.

​The real Iris hints at dark reasons why she decided to steal her employer's identity and it quickly becomes clear that her motive is about more than just securing a lavish life. It was incredibly frustrating seeing the real Freya failing to convince the nurses and doctors and even the police that she is telling the truth since there were obvious things she could have done to instantly prove her case. That glaring plot hole was glanced over pretty easily for the sake of the storyline I guess but what bothered me even more was how vague they kept the reasoning behind why the maid wanted to hijack her life in the first place.

​The narrative frequently bounced back and forth between the two women and the time leading up to the crash but that structure only dragged out getting to the bottom of the core mystery. I was genuinely bored most of the time leading up to the big explanation and once the truth was finally revealed I could not believe that is what I was waiting for. The climax turned into a completely jumbled mess with ridiculous thriller elements frantically rushed in to up the suspense but it did not work for me at all. These two women possessed deep secrets they were hiding from each other but it failed to make them interesting characters overall. I felt absolutely nothing for either woman and did not care about their outcomes since Hurst failed to give us anyone to actively root for.

​I am honestly shocked at how bland this book was because he usually creates massive excitement through his characters to make the surrounding plot really shine. Every aspect of this read was just filled with unnecessary fluff and I did not have the good time I expected from an author of his caliber. The final reveal was super underwhelming and definitely was not worth the tedious trek through the short page count it took to get there. The novel was under three hundred pages but I caught myself constantly checking my progress because the pacing was just completely off. I am genuinely surprised at how let down I feel right now but even LeBron James misses a shot every now and then so hopefully this was just a rare off game from one of my favorite thriller authors.

[Liam Reads]

Thank you to Netgalley and the UK publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love Hursts work. He always writes bingeable thrillers which have often had me binging them in one night.

Whilst this wasnt my favourite read from him, I still had a good time. The actions starts very early, and so much detail is held back that I was definitely intrigued to find out the reasons why the characters were doing such crazy things.

I'm not sure by the end I fully know the answer to that. Reasons were given, but it all became a bit outlandish and definitely teetered on the edge of ridiculousness. A lot of reveals came out of left field, and it was a little jarring at times.

I still kept reading though, so the book did its job of entertaining me. There was the bones of a really good story there, which could have been perfect if the pacing of the reveals had been changed, perhaps just to tease the underlying plot out, and perhaps even remove some of the twists and turns.

I'd still recommend to fans of Hurst but if you want an introduction to his work, definitely start with the Doctors series. 3.5 🌟

[Alison (theemptybookshelves)]

OMG, imagine stealing someone’s identity thinking you’re about to upgrade your life, only to realize your old life was probably the safer option 💀

The Other Patient was giving messy choices, dangerous people, unreliable narrators, and plot twists that had me questioning everyone. Every time I thought I had it figured out, this book basically said “lol no ” and threw another twist at me. 😭🔪

If you love psychological thrillers with stolen identities, shady characters, a dangerous ex, and twists & turns, this one is for you. The stress? Immaculate. The trust issues afterwards? Also immaculate. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Drish]

Thank you so much, @netgalley and @bookouture, for sharing this ARC with me!
I've read several of Daniel's books betore, and they've always been enjoyable. This one was no exception. It's a fast-paced thriller packed with twists and turns that kept me completely hooked from start to finish.
I ended up finishing this book within 24 hours because I simply couldn't put it down. The story moves quickly, and just when you think you know what's happening, another twist comes along to surprise you.
While one of the later plot twists didn't work as well for me and felt a little hard to believe, it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the book.
If you're looking for a quick, addictive popcorn thriller filled with suspense, shocking reveals, and plenty of surprises, this is definitely one to add to your TBR!

[booked.with.julia]

An addictive and entertaining popcorn thriller!
Two women are next to each other in hospital beds after an accident. One is the cleaner, Iris and the other is a rich secluded woman, Freya. Iris wakes up first and takes the identity of Freya. Who wouldn’t want to live the rich life? The problem with this is nothing is as it seems.

[Chloe Keys]

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture as always for this ARC!

This is a fast-paced thriller with loads of short chapters that made it really easy to read- so easy that i read this in 2 sittings!
The story kept me hooked from start to finish, and overall, it was a really entertaining easy to read psychological thriller. Not my favourite Daniel Hurst book but would definitely recommend!

[Christine]

Easy book to read! Kept my attention from start to finish. Lots of twists and turns.

[Jenny McDonald]

Dramatic and off the rails 😂 fun read