Suspect

The hunter becomes the hunted when an expert consultant in a baffling murder case becomes the prime suspect in Michael Robotham's stunning debut thriller.

At forty-two, psychiatrist Joe O'Loughlin seems to have it all: a thriving practice, a beautiful wife, an adoring daughter. But Joe's snug, happy world is crumbling. Recently diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, he's dreading the inevitable and all too palpable deterioration of his body and mind. Then, when the police ask for his help in solving the brutal murder of a woman they assume is a prostitute, he's horrified to recognize the victim as a nurse he once worked with, and with whom he had a bit of a past. As Joe begins to suspect that one of his patients may be responsible, the police zero in on him.

Michael Robotham possesses the rare ability to create fully believable characters, fashion terrific dialogue, and generate nonstop suspense. Suspect is a powerhouse first novel, intricately crafted and chillingly authentic.

"Joe O'Loughlin, a London psychologist, loves his job and loves his family — wife Julianne and eight-year-old daughter Charlie — even more in Australian author Robotham's well-written, if somewhat convoluted, debut suspense novel. O'Loughlin's life takes two disastrous turns: first, he's diagnosed with Parkinson's disease; second, while helping Det. Insp. Vincent Ruiz on the case of a murdered nurse, Catherine Mary McBride, he becomes the primary suspect in the killing. The crime occurred close to O'Loughlin's London home, giving him opportunity, and it turns out that McBride had been his patient and had accused him of harassment, giving him plenty of motive. Vivid characters mostly avoid stereotype, while a fast and furious last section makes up for a wealth of asides and anecdotes that, however effectively done, slow the narrative. More seriously, the book can't decide whether it's a psychological mystery or a conspiracy thriller and strains credibility well past the breaking point. Still, Robotham shows real promise, putting a fresh spin on the familiar crime fiction trope of the falsely accused man. Agent, Mark Lucas at Lucas Alexander Whitley. (Feb. 1) Forecast: A bestseller in Australia and the U.K., and an international BOMC, Mystery Guild, Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club main selection, this title may have a tougher time hitting the bestseller lists here. " Publishers Weekly (Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"The plot is not a new one — Respectable Citizen Wrongly Accused — but Michael Robotham handles it with unusual skill as he has us suspecting one person and then another." The Washington Post

"[A] masterful riff on I Confess with a psychologist substituting for the embattled priest....Readers will forget their own jobs, meals and families while they race to find out which one of his targets the killer actually hits before he's brought down." Kirkus Reviews

"[M]ay do for psychological thrillers what Scott Turow's Presumed Innocent did for the legal variety....That the psychologist consistently withholds key information from the police, his wife...makes this tightly plotted story even more compelling." Booklist (Starred Review)

"This fast-paced thriller, with twists and turns reminiscent of The Fugitive, makes for a quick and satisfying read....Strongly recommended." Library Journal

"Suspect is one of those rare literary gems, a beautifully written thriller that is both moving and relentlessly suspenseful. This is a debut not to be missed!" Tess Gerritsen, author of Body Double

"Nail-biting tension full of fine characterization, brilliantly researched detail, and subtle humor." The Mirror

"A clever plot...an absorbing read...a welcome new name in the genre." The Telegraph (U.K.)

Clinical psychiatrist Joe O'Loughlin gets caught up in the investigation of a brutal murder--and finds himself evolving from expert consultant to desperate fugitive, in this new tale of breathtaking suspense that's soon to be released as a BBC miniseries.

At forty-two, psychiatrist Joe O'Loughlin seems to have it all: a thriving practice, a beautiful wife, an adoring daughter. But Joe's snug, happy world is crumbling. Recently diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, he's dreading the inevitable and all too palpable deterioration of his body and mind. Then, when the police ask for his help in solving the brutal murder of a woman they assume is a prostitute, he's horrified to recognize the victim as a nurse he once worked with, and with whom he had a bit of a past. As Joe begins to suspect that one of his patients may be responsible, the police zero in on him.

When another murder strengthens the police’s case against him, and even the threads of evidence he collected himself are used to tighten the web, Joe is forced to rely on his own devices to clear his name. Pursued by the police and betrayed or abandoned by the people he trusted the most, Joe comes heartbreakingly close to uncovering the conspiracy against him, but he only gets it right by half. By the time Joe appreciates the true extent of it, he's on the brink of losing the two people he holds most dear.

A newcomer to the thriller genre, Michael Robotham possesses the rare ability to create fully believable characters, fashion terrific dialogue, and generate nonstop suspense. SUSPECT, already a bestseller in the U.K., Holland, and Australia, is a powerhouse first novel, intricately crafted and chillingly authentic.

Michael Robotham is a former journalist and the coauthor of a dozen bestselling autobiographies published in the United Kingdom. He lives in Sydney, Australia.