Michael Robotham

Michael Robotham is as good as it gets when it comes to the psychological thriller and The Secrets She Keeps is latest example of a chilling thriller. Here we meet pregnant Agatha, who works part-time as a stocker at a little grocery store in London. She envies Meghan, the pretty, well-off mother of two with a handsome husband, a nice house, and a mommy blog. Agatha learns that Meghan is pregnant and due at about the same time as she is when a chance encounter in the store leads to an show more unlikely friendship.

As with most Robotham novels, surface appearances hide deeper secrets and truths. Like peeling an onion, layer after layer is exposed with new details revealed each time. Is Meghan’s life as perfect as it seems? Is cheerful Agatha as good as she appears? What does it mean to have a perfect life and a perfect family? And what would you be willing to do to get and keep it?

Robotham skillfully pulls you in deeper and deeper, revealing darker truths and stakes that keep escalating until they have so much momentum it’s unclear if they can be stopped. The pages fly by as you move towards a conclusion that is impossible to predict. The uncertainty of outcomes lends tension to an already high stakes situation.

The audiobook is read by Lucy Price-Lewis who does a great job. Her character voices reflect both the difference in social status of the two principle characters as well as their different and changing states of mind. She adds urgency to the words on the page as situations become both more tense and more tragic. One of Michael Robotham’s greatest skills is in investing your emotions in the characters and making it absolutely gut-wrenching as you see tragedy approaching. Lucy Price-Lewis captures this dimension and perfectly complements the story.

This is a great story and an author who never fails to entertain. Highly recommended.

I was fortunate to receive a copy of the audiobook from the publisher. show less

4.5 stars.

Close Your Eyes by Michael Robotham is another cleverly written and tightly-plotted addition to the Joseph O’Loughlin series. In this latest mystery, Joe reluctantly agrees to consult on a murder case that has been compromised by his former student who uses their tenuous connection to inveigle his way into the investigation.

With few leads and the public clamoring for an arrest, Detective Chief Superintendent Veronica “Ronnie” Cray convinces Joe to take a look at the scene of show more the double homicide of Elizabeth Crowe and her university bound daughter Harper. The case has stymied the detectives and Ronnie hopes Joe can see something her team has missed. With a vocal radio announcer’s incendiary remarks riling up the village residents and psychologist Emilio Coleman aka “the Mindhunter” leaking confidential information to the press, the police and Joe are under intense pressure to solve this perplexing case before the killer strikes again.

No stranger to crime scenes, Joe is stunned by the brutal attack on Elizabeth Crowe. The violence inflicted during her murder is a stark contrast to the gentle manner in which Harper was murdered and almost lovingly arranged postmortem. Joe and the police cannot help but wonder if Elizabeth’s proclivity for sex in public places (dogging) might have put her in the crosshairs of the killer but this does not explain why Harper was murdered. During the course of the investigation, a long list of suspects begins to emerge, but Joe remains troubled by the very different ways in which the two women were murdered. When another woman is murdered, there are striking similarities to the unsolved murders of Elizabeth and Harper which leaves Joe convinced the cases are linked but will he find the connection before another attack?

In the midst of consulting on this current case, Joe’s personal life takes a rather unexpected turn. Long estranged from his wife, Julianne, the two have remained on relatively friendly terms as they co-parent their daughters Charlie and Emma. With eldest daughter Charlie about to begin college, Joe is surprised when Julianne asks him to move back into the family home for the summer. He, of course, quickly agrees since he is still deeply in love with Julianne and remains hopeful they will eventually reconcile.

Written in alternating perspective from Joe’s and an unknown person’s point of view, Close Your Eyes is an intriguing and suspense-laden police procedural. With a vast pool of suspects, shocking revelations and unexpected plot twists, Michael Robotham brilliantly keeps readers guessing the perpetrator’s identity until the pulse-pounding and action-packed conclusion. The novel ends on an emotional note that will stun readers and leave them wondering about the future of the Joseph O’Loughlin series. show less

I didn't really enjoy this. None of the characters acted normally or consistently: Phil prioritized the clearly stalkerish Tempe over the man she was about to marry; she hadn't had any contact with her criminal father for many years, but then suddenly decided she wanted to be back in the bosom of her gangsterism family; every single police officer apart from Phil was corrupt and seemingly impervious to due process; Henry broke things off with Phil for reasons which seemed perfectly sound to show more me, and then immediately forgave her and said none of those reasons mattered at all and so on and so on. Phil was an appalling judge of character and seemed determined to ruin her life one way or another.

The atmosphere throughout was one of dread and the hopelessness that comes from corruption, and now I have finished, I feel that I need a shower. show less

This was extremely good! Michael Robotham knows how to write psychological thrillers! Sure there are plenty of unexpected twists and turns, but what makes this one fantastic is the depth of the story. He takes the reader to such unexpected levels. He makes you feel for every character, regardless of their poor decisions. The ending is a bit of a mind bender and allows for reader interpretation.

Meghan, is a married pregnant mom of two, who appears to have it all. Agatha, is an unmarried show more pregnant woman working in a grocery store. Agatha sees Meghan daily and becomes overly curious about Meghan’s life. One day they finally strike up a conversation. The only thing expected from this story is that no one lives the life we imagine for them. show less