The Suspect novel by Michael Robotham

The Suspect

JOSEPH O’LOUGHLIN APPEARS TO HAVE THE PERFECT LIFE -

a beautiful wife, a loving daughter and a successful career as a clinical psychologist. But even the most flawless existence is only a loose thread away from unravelling. All it takes is a murdered girl, a troubled young patient and the biggest lie of his life.

When an unknown young woman is found dead with multiple stab wounds – all of them self-inflicted – the police ask Joe to help them understand the crime. Are they dealing with a murder or a suicide? Reluctantly, he agrees to help and the brutalised body he views at the mortuary turns out to be someone he knows: Catherine Mary McBride, a nurse and former colleague.

At the same time, Joe is grappling with a troubled young patient, Bobby Moran, whose violent dreams are becoming more real. As Bobby's behaviour grows increasingly erratic, Joe begins to ponder what he's done in the past and what he might do next. Is there a link between his terrible dreams and Catherine McBride?

Caught in a complex web of deceit and obsessed by images of the slain girl, Joe embarks upon a search that takes him into the darkest recesses of the human mind. Ultimately, he will risk everything to unmask the killer and save his family..

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Awards
• International Book of the Month (Bertelsmann's Book Clubs)

Praise for 'The Suspect'

The Washington Post
'Gripping....Taut and fast-moving.'

Chicago Sun Times
'Tense and thrilling...Robotham...writes with the poise and polish of a veteran....Sure to establish its author as a rising star of crime fiction.'

The New York Times Book Review
'Pleasantly creepy....Plotted with precision and narrated with real intelligence.'

People
'Terrific...a classic 'wrong man' thriller that puts its hero in hot water, then raises the Fahrenheit to a fever pitch....Robotham not only builds the suspense masterfully but tops it off with a stunning twist.'

Tess Gerritsen, author of 'Body Double'
'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!'

The Times Magazine
'Popular fiction's Next Big Thing'

Publishing News
'There are twists and turns in this plot enough to challenge most thriller readers . . . Gripping stuff'

The Australian
'Believable and authentic from the first sentence . . . Robotham doesn't put a foot wrong in his plotting, pace or inventiveness'

The Australian Women's Weekly
'A truly classy thriller, beautifully crafted . . . a gripping finale that even the most seasoned mystery addicts won't see coming'

Sunday Telegraph
'Credible characters and a clever plot make an absorbing read by a welcome new name in the genre'

Scottish Daily Record
'The brilliance of CRACKER, the complexity of REBUS and the suspense of PRIME SUSPECT in one novel'

Andrea Henry, MIRROR
'High-energy drama that's deftly done, with plenty of guessing games and nail-biting tension'

Observer
'An auspicious debut'

Literary Review
'A highly effective thriller . . . A gripper'

Andy McNab
'A white-knuckle ride and a powerful love story that kept me up half the night'