Customer Reviews

Suspect

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The book keeps you racing from chapter to chapter, but when you take a breather you start thinking, My God, this book has too many twists. It would be enough if we had a slower story with the hero trying to deal with the onset of Parkinson's. It would be enough to read a novel in which the middle-aged hero has to come to terms with his surgeon father's apparent indifference, if not hostility, to his own practice as a psychoanalyst. It would have been an interesting story to hear of such a man's affair with a former prostitute. And then on top of all of this we are given an nastily complicated serial killer story, a tale so convoluted the word "Byzantine" may be properly used to describe it. And an inspector (Ruiz) who treats our hero (O'Loughlin) with the same fierce intensity of Inspector Javert in Les Miserables.

Julianne, the beautiful and accomplished wife of the psychiatrist hero, was at one time the object of his best friend's affections, so that Joe and Jock are in a love triangle battling for Julianne's affections.

By the time one hundred pages are done, you start wondering what incredible pit of complication you've gotten into ankle deep. Before you know it, you're up to your ass in confusion, but due to Robotham's infinitely painstaking plotting, and the narrator's wry humor, you wind up liking the state you're in. I can't see this book being the first in a long-running series with O'Loughlin, but I am very happy to hear that Michael Robotham is writing another book. This one already will win him legions of fans, both here in the USA and abroad.

Michael Robotham's debut novel is a psychological thriller that is deeply involving, running smoothly from the narrative of psychologist Joseph O'Loughlin. Suspect takes us into a dark world of troubled minds and we watch the beginning of the disintegration of a strong family life. This was a book that I found (at the risk of flying straight into overused cliché) difficult to put down.

The story begins in the middle of a tense situation as we are greeted with O'Loughlin sitting on a London rooftop trying to talk down a young suicidal cancer patient. We are immediately given a sense of his capabilities as a psychologist not to mention the hint of roguishness that makes him an endearing character. He seems to have a perfect life with a beautiful wife and daughter and a successful practice. The only dark cloud hanging over the vital 42 year old is that he has been recently diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

As well as working in his day to day practice, O'Loughlin is the kind of man who gives up his time to counsel prostitutes in ways in which they might be able to work more safely. It's while talking at one of these gatherings that he meets Detective Inspector Vincent Ruiz, who has walked in with a picture of a murdered woman hoping to get her identified by one of the attendees. In the course of their confrontation, Ruiz decides that O'Loughlin's keen eye for detail and professional credits might be useful in providing some insights into the dead woman, so he invites him into the investigation as a consultant.

The woman had been found in a shallow grave next to a London canal. She has multiple stab wounds over her body, all of them self-inflicted plus many old wounds on her arms and thighs indicating that she was a self-mutilator. Contrary to Ruiz's assumption, O'Loughlin tells him the woman is not a prostitute. He also believes she did not commit suicide but was murdered.

It's not until after viewing the body that the stunning realisation dawns on Joseph O'Loughlin...he knows who the dead woman is, not only that, he knew her very well because she was once a patient of his. That he didn't immediately tell Ruiz about this makes the detective a little wary.

Back within his practice, O'Loughlin has been meeting with Bobby Moran, a very disturbed person who has been describing violent dreams and is afraid that these dreams may begin to manifest themselves in his waking life. As the sessions progress, O'Loughlin can't help but notice the similarity in the details of Bobby's ramblings and certain aspects of the murder case that he is helping out on. Could it be possible that he is treating the murderer?

But Ruiz is collecting evidence and the evidence isn't pointing at Bobby Moran, the evidence is pointing at Joseph O'Loughlin.

The moment Joseph O'Loughlin goes from consultant to prime suspect is the moment that the story kicks up into a high speed desperate chase along an unpredictable road. O'Loughlin's life is in danger of falling apart, kicked out of his house and now pursued by the police he is left with only one avenue open to him: gather enough evidence to prove his innocence. So he flees to Liverpool, the city in which he once lived, in a lonely bid to sift through past cases hoping that something stands out. What he finds will unearth an unimagined horror that still looms ahead of him.

This is an immediately engaging story that takes a likable, yet humanly flawed protagonist and then puts him through the emotional wringer. His reactions are wholly realistic and he deals with his problems as any of us would. Equally, Detective Ruiz is alternately measured, disbelieving and aggressive, just as one would expect an overworked homicide detective to be. The two contrasting characters make good foils for one another.

Suspect moves forward logically as it is told from O'Loughlin's first person perspective. The emotional insights that we gain from this perspective are profound too as we are made privy to his frantic thought processes as each accusation or hurdle is thrust in front of him. Whether it's confusion, fear or delight it feels as though we are living the moment along with him in complete clarity.

There is a great dependence on coincidence early in the story. But as the coincidences were really beginning to mount up and just as I was thinking that they were getting a bit too unbelievable, it becomes clear that there is a very good reason for the coincidences after all. It's all part of Robotham's diabolically intricate plot that is deviously conceived and then unraveled at a tremendous rate.

As far as debut novels go, Australia's Michael Robotham has produced a thriller of high class. There is surely the prospect that we are in for some very entertaining reading in the future. Admittedly, I am cheating a little here because I make my last statement with the knowledge that, with his second book, Lost, Robotham took out the 2005 Ned Kelly Award for Best Australian Crime Book. Even more reason to get started on Michael Robotham thrillers.

I was recommended this book by my mum, who said it was the best thriller she had read. So I was quite excited about sitting down with this tale of a psychologist who finds himself caught up in a conspiracy and framed for a murder. However, when it took some 200 pages to get to the first twist, my excitement had well and truly died. While the elements are all laid out nicely, the first section moves at a far too lackadaisacal pace. O'Loughlin complains a lot about his Parkinsons disease, his strained relationship with his father and his close relationship with his aunt, but at the end of the day, these don't have much bearing on the plot. And, once the plot finally started going somewhere, I couldn't help but feel O'Loughlin was getting exactly what he deserved - he did a pretty good job of digging a hole for himself through his stupidity. Secondly, I found the character of Ruiz about the most cliched representation of a detective I have ever come across. Not to mention he's obviously quite thick as well. Last of all, the opportunity for a breathless, exciting finale was completely wasted - what an anti-climactic showdown! Robotham's got a good, strong writing style, but it's not enough for me to recommend this book to anybody else.

Michael Robotham, a former investigative journalist from Britain and Australia has crafted a marvelous debut novel bringing back vivid memories of Jonathan Kellerman's "The Silent Partner" or Jeffrey Barlough's "The House in the High Wood". "The Suspect" is a very tight, exciting thriller that stays intently focused on character and psychology supported by the leanest of realistic plots somehow managing, despite this simplicity, to be both bizarre and frightening at the same time! How wonderful is that?

Joe O'Loughlin is a successful career psychiatrist blessed with a wonderful loving wife and child. But when Catherine McBride, a former patient who once filed suit against him for sexual misconduct, is found murdered, horribly mutilated and buried in a shallow grave, O'Loughlin finds himself at the top of the list of the police suspects. Coincidentally occurring on the night of the murder, his alibi is his sole marital mis-step with ex-prostitute Elisa but a misguided sense of honour coupled with an all too human male fear of the results for his marriage means he keeps mum.

Unlike other more mundane, mainstream thrillers, "The Suspect" makes no attempt to lead the reader too far astray with a typical collection of twists, turns or red herrings. The culprit, Robert Moran, another very deeply disturbed patient of O'Loughlin's practice is revealed to us early in the novel. The goose bumps in this novel are forced on us by the dark, creepy dialogue of Moran's therapy sessions and O'Loughlin's heart-rending attempts to maintain honour, professionalism and client confidentiality in the face of the almost certain knowledge of more murders to come. DI Vincent Ruiz piles up an astonishing array of circumstantial evidence and like The Da Vinci Code's Bezu Fache, the proverbial bull terrier with a bone who will not let go, Ruiz doggedly pursues O'Loughlin as his prime suspect in the brutal string of murders.

The characterization and humanity in the novel is served up in monstrous helpings with lots of garnish - O'Loughlin deals with the onset of Parkinson's disease and its effects on his daily living; Elisa, the reformed prostitute struggles bravely with her past and strong affection for O'Loughlin; Catherine McBride, the first victim, is a very troubled victim herself dealing with the mental demons of a difficult up-bringing and self-mutilation; and Ruiz, realizing his old-style, blunt, brutish methods of policing have dated him and are threatening his career, is determined to bring the murderer to justice against all odds.

A complex novel, no doubt, but so well-constructed that I had no difficulty following all of the well-maintained threads and plots! "The Suspect" is a fast-paced, nail-biting, believable and authentic thriller that deserves far more press and acclaim than it has received. A five star read for sure!

Paul Weiss

You have to pay close attention to the details. Past events and people's reactions are integral to this fast-paced well-written narrative. Joe O'Loughlin, a respected psychologist and family man is given a life changing medical diagnosis. Rather than going to his wife with the news, Joe turns to a former patient, ex-prostitute, Elisa Velasco, for comfort. Joe is well-known in the community particularly for recent heroic actions. He is asked by the police to help in a murder case. Joe never expected to have any connection to the victim, who everyone believes is a prostitute. However, he does, and his ugly history between him and Catherine McBride, is uncovered by the police. Joe quickly becomes their number one suspect. Joe reviews his case files, and realizes that one of his current patients is most likely the killer. It is nerve-rattling how this killer got himself involved in all aspects of Joe's life. Excellent debut novel that you will thoroughly enjoy!

You gotta wonder about some of the reviewers on this site. Are they frustrated writers or do they just not appreciate a truly good book when it emerges from the flood of formulaic mediocrity that passes as crime writing these days?

SUSPECT is a stand-out piece of writing that is witty, clever and thought-provoking, with finely drawn characters and a real kick in the tail. This isn't an airport thriller that you read, digest and forget. Be warned - it's gonna make you think!!!

Michael Robotham's debut thriller, "Suspect," is about a clinical psychologist named Joe O'Loughlin. Joe has a beautiful wife and an adorable eight-year-old daughter. He also has a crippling progressive disease that is scaring him out of his wits. When Detective Inspector Vincent Ruiz invites Joe to give his professional opinion concerning the murder of a young woman found in West London, things begin to get really dicey. Joe realizes that he knows this woman. Her name is Catherine McBride and she was once his patient.

Ruiz soon finds evidence linking Joe to Catherine and Joe becomes the prime suspect in the case. His troubles, alas, are just beginning. Eventually, Joe is in danger of losing his family, his practice, his freedom, and maybe even his life. His only hope is to track down the real killer before it's too late. The book is told through Joe's eyes and he is a sympathetic and appealing character. Besides being a loving husband and father, Joe is a caring mental health professional who goes the extra mile for his patients. He is a person the reader can root for.

The strongest elements in "Suspect" are the psychological ones. We get to know the strengths, weakness, and quirks not only of Joe, but also of his wife, his friends, and his patients. The book has some big surprises that make for a slam-bang, if overly melodramatic ending.

"Suspect" also has some weaknesses. The plot feels derivative; the psychologist/psychiatrist whose life is being ruined by someone from his past has been done many times before. There are a number of coincidences and far-fetched elements to the story that strain credulity. What it lacks in originality, however, "Suspect" makes up for with its quick pace and excitement. It's an entertaining page-turner that will grab your attention as you, along with Joe, piece together the clues and finally learn the truth.

Robotham tackles the mystery/thriller genre and puts a new twist on "the wrong man", as psychologist Joe O'Loughlin finds himself at the center of an investigation into the murder of Catherine O'Brien, a former patient. The dead woman, a nurse, developed an attachment to her psychologist, not an uncommon event in therapy, and harbored hurt feelings when he could not reciprocate her attentions. But that was years ago and when Catherine's self-mutilated body is discovered, O'Loughlin is forced to reveal the painful doctor-patient relationship to a very suspicious Detective Ruiz.

Conscientious to a fault, O'Loughlin takes his role seriously, frequently helping his patients at his own expense. His actions are tempered with the knowledge that he has Parkinson's disease: "So here I am- not so much at a crossroads as a cul de sac." The only certainty is that his body is deserting him by degrees at the age of forty-two.

A new patient of O'Loughlin's, Bobby Moran, has been experiencing violent dreams, which have bled into his waking life, recently charged with an assault on a woman, a total stranger. Trying to navigate Bobby through a morass of complicated emotions, O'Loughlin is fearful of pushing Bobby's delicate psyche too far. At the same time, Bobby's behavior becomes increasingly more erratic and unpredictable, ranging from grief to sudden rage.

Detective Ruiz demands cogent answers from the psychologist, but the evidence skews to point directly at O'Loughin, desperate by this time to prove that they are chasing the wrong man. Using limited resources, O'Loughlin does some sleuthing of his own, getting into a considerable amount of trouble in the process. Hampered by his disease, but believing he has a clue to the murderer's identity, the psychologist bumbles through a treacherous web of misinformation to uncover the real culprit.

Suspect is well-written and engaging, Robotham's a fresh voice. The protagonist is personally flawed, immensely believable in his human inadequacies. Yet, O'Loughlin clearly has a good, if misguided heart. It is that very compassion for his patients that gets him into trouble in the first place, his compassion as a healer who cares deeply about his work. These are vulnerable people who require the psychologist's special skills to guide them through crises toward more viable lives.

Even Inspector Ruiz is a quirky, cranky character, with his own set of idiosyncrasies, the perfect foil for the often too-cerebral O'Loughin. London and Liverpool are equally vivid in their differences, lifestyles and citizens. Robotham has created a malleable personality in Joe O"Laughlin, a man positioned for more such hair-raising tales. Luan Gaines/ 2005.

I chanced upon this book when it given to me by my aunt. I started it with no expectations, and was pleasantly surprised. This book is extremely gripping. Usually I can predict the way these books are going to: this story kept me guessing up until the end. The narrative was smooth and interesting, the protagonist flawed and compelling, and the characters and situations were not clichéd (with the exception of a scene between O'Loughlin and his father). I am sure other reviewers have provided synopses, and I do not want to give away any of the numerous well-crafted plot twists. I will instead heartily recommend this book, and suggest that you read it when you have a block of time set aside so you are not forced to put it down.

The suspect of Michael Robotham's title is Joe O'Loughlin, a perceptive and well-meaning psychologist who, at the age of forty-two, has recently been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. The news sends him into a spiral of self pity until a more immediate and terrible threat arises. Joe finds himself cast as the prime suspect in the unusually vicious murder of a young woman with whom he happens to have had an unpleasant history. Joe assumes at first, as we all probably would, that his innocence will eventually become evident to the dogged detective who has taken a dislike to him. But as the evidence against O'Loughlin adds up, the possibility of a lifetime of incarceration becomes terrifyingly real. With the police unwilling to credit his claim that a volatile patient of his is somehow behind the crime, Joe is forced to try to unravel the real killer's elaborate plot against him while on the run.

Robotham tells the story of Joe's descent into a nightmarish conspiracy in spare, highly readable prose that advances the plot quickly. Joe's back story is fleshed out in brief reminiscences that never interrupt the flow of the narrative. The only disappointment in the book comes in the pivotal scenes of its penultimate chapter, when the dramatic action is too rushed and as a result difficult to follow. That aside, Robotham's Suspect is a gripping, well-written thriller that readers will be loath to put down.

Reviewed by Debra Hamel, author of Trying Neaira: The True Story of a Courtesan's Scandalous Life in Ancient Greece