Childhood sweethearts William and Mary have been married for sixty years. William is a celebrated surgeon, Mary a devoted wife. Both have a strong sense of right and wrong.This is what their son, Joe O’Loughlin, has always believed. But when Joe is summoned to the hospital with news that his father has been brutally attacked, his world is turned upside down. Who is the strange woman crying at … woman crying at William’s bedside, covered in his blood – a friend, a mistress, a fantasist or a killer?
Against the advice of the police, Joe launches his own investigation. As he learns more, he discovers sides to his father he never knew – and is forcibly reminded that the truth comes at a price.
A mesmerising psychological thriller from one of the greatest crime writers of today, Michael Robotham, the internationally bestselling author of THE SECRETS SHE KEEPS.
Praise for Michael Robotham’s writing:
‘Will have you turning the pages compulsively’ The Times
‘Robotham doesn’t just make me scared for his characters, he makes my heart ache for them’ Linwood Barclay
‘Superbly exciting … a terrific read’ Guardian
‘A nerve-shredding thriller with the heart and soul so often missing from lesser crime and suspense novels. I couldn’t stop reading, yet I didn’t want Audie’s story to end. Robotham is an absolute master’ Stephen King on Life or Death
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My first Michael Robotham book, and I was well impressed! This is a signed copy I got at Rotorua Noir back in 2019. Finally got round to reading it. And I wasn’t disappointed.
Great plot, that clipped along at a fast pace. Plenty of suspects and red herrings. Unlikeable characters with admirable back stories. I can see why he’s so popular.
I will definitely be going back to the first Joseph O’Loughlin story, but I didn’t feel robbed that I didn’t know his backstory. And that’s the sign of a truly clever author.
Read it in one day due to being confined to my bed…
Loved this installation of the continuing series. Very well-written and completely engaging. Looking forward to more.
I haven’t had the pleasure of reading all of the first eight installments, but I have read a couple. I am grateful each book can be read as a stand alone as Michael Robotham does a great job of catching up a new reader just starting anywhere in the series. Joseph O’Loughlin’s father has been attacked in his home, and he is now unresponsive in a coma in the hospital. Once Joseph is notified, he rushes to the hospital expecting at least his mother to already be there. Who he finds is a woman he has never met, covered in blood, crying at his father’s bedside. Not to be told to stay out of it, Joseph begins his own investigation to find out who this woman really is. What he finds blows him out of the water, and throws out all he thought he knew about his father and his mother. Lots of great suspects along the way, but the real killer surprises all! Lots of twists and surprises here, and I admire Joseph’s motivation to keep going regardless of mental and oftentimes physical pain from attackers.
If you are a fan of the Joseph O’Loughlin books by Robotham, then this book is a must-read. It gives a lot of the backstory to Joe and I found out a lot about his parents, his siblings and even his friends. His father William is in the hospital after being attacked and Joe is determined to find his attacker. In the course of the book, Joe meets and eliminates one suspect after another, all of whom are part of his father’s past and/or his own. There were several unexpected twists in the book that made it more enjoyable for me as a mystery buff. Fans of police procedural and mysteries will enjoy this book.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I own a copy of this book on audio via Chirp. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.
I really enjoyed this book. I stayed up quite late many nights turning pages. What would we do if we discovered a family secret such as this? The story had plenty of twists and turns and kept me guessing.
This is a wonderful book. It took me what seemed forever to read this book because I had such a busy summer but I was able to pick it up whenever I had time and it was easy to get back into the story. I really enjoyed this book.
This was a great book. I couldn’t put it down until I’d reached the end, because I just had to know how this story ended! I was so impressed with this author I intend to buy all his books. It was extremely well written, it was informative, believable, and kept you guessing what the outcome would be until the end. A fantastic read!
THis was an interesting book. I wanted to like it more than I did, For me there was something missing.
A good whodunit coupled with a man trying to unravel the family he thought he knew.
Unfortunately this is a story that often comes true in real life. Interesting characters that kept you guessing “Who Done It” until the very end.
I’ve recommended it to all my friends as a must read!
While this book was good, it was not the page turner I like. I prefer my hard to put down suspense.
This one started well and finished well. How much do we really know about someone?
The author made the scenario about a double life believable and provocative.
This was a sad story. Foolishness carried to the extreme. Realistic is the best description I could come up with. It was, however, worth reading.
I enjoyed the book. It was easy reading and quite engaging.
good book well written
I definitely don’t like that man, nor do I like his “other wife”, but wanted to find out how it would all be reconciled. Sort of annoying
This is the first in the series I have read. I plan to add more from the series to my to-be-read pile.
The latest in the Joseph O’Loughlin series is a superb read. A flawed man, physically and psychologically, Joe does his best for himself and his family while solving a dangerous mystery. Michael Robotham never disappoints.
New version of cheating on wife story. Interestingly presented. Fun read.