Category Archives: Michael Robotham

October 2, 2012 · 3:58 am

Review: Say You’re Sorry by Michael Robotham

Title: Say You’re Sorry by Michael Robotham
Joe O’Loughlin Mystery
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Imprint: Mulholland Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 448 pages
Book Rating: B+

Review Copy Obtained from Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

TWO MISSING GIRLS. TWO BRUTAL MURDERS. ALL CONNECTED TO ONE FARM HOUSE. WHO IS TO BLAME?

When pretty and popular teenagers Piper Hadley and Tash McBain disappear one Sunday morning, the investigation captivates a nation but the girls are never found.

Three years later, during the worst blizzard in a century, a husband and wife are brutally killed in the farmhouse where Tash McBain once lived. A suspect is in custody, a troubled young man who can hear voices and claims that he saw a girl that night being chased by a snowman.

Convinced that Piper or Tash might still be alive, clinical psychologist Joe O’Loughlin and ex-cop Vincent Ruiz, persuade the police to re-open the investigation. But they are racing against time to save the girls from someone with an evil, calculating and twisted mind…

The Review:

Say You’re Sorry, Michael Robotham’s latest novel starring psychologist Joe O’Loughlin is a riveting mystery with many unexpected twists and turns. The death of a married couple finds Joe drawn back into police work when he discovers a possible link between the murders and two girls who have been missing for three years.

Joe O’Loughlin’s life has taken a new direction as he is back in private practice and no longer consulting for the police department. He reluctantly agrees to lend his expertise in a current case, but when compelling evidence persuades Joe that Tash McBain and Piper Hadley might still be alive, he relentlessly pursues every lead he uncovers. With the clock ticking, he once again enlists retired police investigator and close friend Vincent Ruiz to aid in the investigation.

While in many ways Joe has moved on, in some areas of his life, he has made little progress. He has moved into the city which further complicates his relationship with daughters Charlie and Emma. He and wife Julianne are still estranged with no immediate plans for divorce although Joe has indulged in a few affairs. The dynamics between them are still complicated even though there is more of an emotional distance between them.

In Say You’re Sorry, Joe’s personal life (including his Parkinson’s disease) is overshadowed by the murder investigation and the hunt for Piper and Tash. There is a high sense of urgency to discover the connection between the murder victims and the missing girls. Joe is sometimes alone in his belief that Tash and Piper might still alive and he diligently works to overcome the police’s reluctance to re-open their case.

Told in alternating perspective from Joe and one of kidnapped girl’s points of view, Say You’re Sorry is an enthralling mystery with a unique and well-executed storyline. A tangled web of clues keeps the investigation steadily moving forward until events culminate in a frantic rescue attempt that will keep the pages turning at a blistering pace. Through a series of misdirects and red herrings the killer’s identity is cleverly concealed and Michael Robotham brings the novel to an absolutely stunning conclusion.

As with the other novels featuring Joe O’Loughlin, Say You’re Sorry can be read as a standalone novel.

Read my reviews of the other novels in the series HERE.

4 Comments

Filed under Contemporary, Little Brown and Company, Michael Robotham, Mulholland Books, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Say You're Sorry

February 27, 2012 · 3:57 am

Bleed for Me by Michael Robotham

Title: Bleed for Me by Michael Robotham
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Imprint: Mulholland Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 432 pages
Book Rating: B+

Review Copy Obtained from Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

A teenage girl–Sienna, a troubled friend of his daughter–comes to Joe O’Loughlin’s door one night. She is terrorized, incoherent-and covered in blood.

The police find Sienna’s father, a celebrated former cop, murdered in the home he shared with Sienna. Tests confirm that it’s his blood on Sienna. She says she remembers nothing.

Joe O’Loughlin is a psychologist with troubles of his own. His marriage is coming to an end and his daughter will barely speak to him. He tries to help Sienna, hoping that if he succeeds it will win back his daughter’s affection. But Sienna is unreachable, unable to mourn her father’s death or to explain it.

Investigators take aim at Sienna. O’Laughlin senses something different is happening, something subterranean and terrifying to Sienna. It may be something in her mind. Or it may be something real. Someone real. Someone capable of the most grim and gruesome murder, and willing to kill again if anyone gets too close.

The Review:

Bleed for Me by Michael Robotham is a compelling mystery that brings murder close to home for psychologist Joe O’Loughlin. Joe’s investigation into Ray Hegarty’s death uncovers dark family secrets and startling revelations about Ray’s daughter’s Sienna’s private life.

Joe O’Loughlin is a complex and engaging protagonist who is struggling to maintain his relationship with his two daughters and estranged wife. Written in first person from Joe’s perspective, readers gain valuable insight into Joe’s battle with Parkinson’s Disease, his love for his wife Julianne, and his hope that they will reconcile. As the story unfolds, it quickly becomes apparent that Joe is at a turning point in making peace with his past so he can move into the future.

Joe’s investigation into Ray’s death is complicated by his emotional involvement with his daughter’s friend Sienna. His inability to maintain his objectivity adds an interesting dynamic to the plot and puts him at odds with longtime friends and fellow investigators. Seemingly unrelated incidents are interconnected and provide valuable clues into the identity of Ray’s killer.

Bleed for Me is an engaging novel with a fascinating plot and engaging characters. It is also an interesting character study as Joe employs his keen observation skills and psychological insight to catch a killer. Michael Robotham keeps the series fresh and unique as Joe finds a new perspective on his life and makes positive changes regarding his future.

Although part of a series, Bleed for Me can be read as a standalone novel.

4 Comments

Filed under Bleed for Me, Contemporary, Little Brown and Company, Michael Robotham, Mulholland Books, Mystery, Rated B+

January 26, 2012 · 3:57 am

Shatter by Michael Robotham

Title: Shatter by Michael Robotham
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Imprint: Mulholland Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 496 pages
Book Rating: B

Review Copy Obtained from Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Joe O’Loughlin is in familiar territory-standing on a bridge high above a flooded gorge, trying to stop a distraught woman from jumping. “You don’t understand,” she whispers, and lets go. Joe is haunted by his failure to save the woman, until her teenage daughter finds him and reveals that her mother would never have committed suicide-not like that. She was terrified of heights.

What could have driven her to commit such a desperate act? Whose voice? What evil?

Having devoted his career to repairing damaged minds, Joe must now confront an adversary who tears them apart. With pitch-perfect dialogue, believable characters, and astonishingly unpredictable plot twists, Shatter is guaranteed to keep even the most avid thriller readers riveted long into the night.

The Review:

Michael Robotham’s murder mystery, Shatter is a gripping psychological thriller. Psychologist Joseph O’Loughlin is compelled to discover what drove Christine Wheeler to leap to her death. Was it suicide? Or was it something far more sinister?

Joe O’Loughlin is an incredibly complex protagonist. Stricken by early onset Parkinson’s disease Joe is a part-time psychology professor and full-time dad to daughters Emma and Charlie. While able to clearly read strangers and acquaintances, Joe readily admits an inability to understand his own actions and motivations. His involvement with the murder investigation strains his relationship with his wife Julianne and further undermines their increasingly troubled marriage.

With retired police investigator Vincent Ruiz’s aid, they quickly discover the twisted and sadistic killer’s identity. Their attempts to track down the elusive murderer turn into a game of cat and mouse as he skillfully eludes capture. When the killer strikes close to home, Joe is in a race against time to save the latest victims.

Told from both Joe’s and the killer’s perspective, Shatter is a fast–paced novel with a realistic plot. Michael Robotham engages the reader with unexpected humor, appealing characters and a unique and compelling storyline. Unexpected twists and turns along with a fascinating look into the mind of a horrific killer keep the reader on the edge of their seat as Shatter comes to its exciting and satisfying conclusion.

The third book in a series, Shatter can easily be read as a standalone novel but you won’t want to miss a single installment of this fabulous series. I am eagerly anticipating the next Joe O’Loughlin mystery Bleed for Me which will be available February 27th.

8 Comments

Filed under Contemporary, Little Brown and Company, Michael Robotham, Mulholland Books, Mystery, Rated B, Shatter