‘The Good Patient’ by Nilesha Chauvet

Published by Faber & Faber,
29 January 2026.
ISBN: 978-0-57138217-0 (PB)

London, present day, and nurse Nina Dabral is standing trial for the murder of an un-named young man. We’re given the end of the closing speech for the prosecution, and then Nina’s thoughts. After that short prologue, we return to Nina’s narration, and the day when it all began. 

Nina’s a damaged survivor. Abandoned as a baby, she takes strength from her good friend, Mercedes, and from her work as a nurse in Newgate Hospital. However, her working life is becoming increasingly difficult under new management. On this day, she witnesses a stabbing in one of the increasingly frequent gang riots in her neighbourhood, followed by the admission of two young men: Dev, who’s suffering from acute stomach pains, suspected appendicitis, and Leroy, the gang member she’d had a clear view of not hours before. Their community police officer, Barry, is pressurising her to prioritise Leroy over Dev; Dev’s mother is distraught, and demanding attention for him. The reader probably won’t agree with her subsequent actions, but they’ll understand why she behaves as she does. 

It would be wonderful if this novel was dystopian fantasy, but medical professionals across the UK will recognise this vivid portrait of a hospital and its staff strained to breaking point. Increasing knife crime and youth gangs in cities and government underfunding make the depiction of the community Nina and her neighbours are trying to save a snapshot of reality for many inner-city areas in today’s Britain. 

A sympathetic portrait of a damaged woman who makes wrong choices, and a compelling account of a hospital and community at breaking-point.
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Reviewer: Marsali Taylor

Nilesha Chauvet is a British Indian debut novelist writing zeitgeist psychological suspense, crime, and thriller. She is also the Managing Director of GOOD, which advises commercial brands on Purpose, and helps charities raise millions of pounds for good causes. A graduate of Faber Academy, Nilesha has also studied creative writing at Curtis Brown Creative and City Lit. She read Philosophy & Theology at Oxford and was ordained an Interfaith Minister. Her debut novel, The Revenge of Rita Marsh, was awarded a prestigious London Writers Award with Spread the Word in 2021 and was a finalist in the Spotlight First Novel Award, the same year. 

Marsali Taylor grew up near Edinburgh and came to Shetland as a newly-qualified teacher. She is currently a part-time teacher on Shetland's scenic west side, living with her husband and two Shetland ponies. Marsali is a qualified STGA tourist-guide who is fascinated by history, and has published plays in Shetland's distinctive dialect, as well as a history of women's suffrage in Shetland. She's also a keen sailor who enjoys exploring in her own 8m yacht, and an active member of her local drama group.  

Click on the title to read a review of her recent book
An Imposter in Shetland

www.marsalitaylor.co.uk