The Suspect | Michael Robotham | Book Review

The Suspect Michael RobothamPLOT: 5/5
CHARACTERS: 4/5
WRITING STYLE: 5/5
CLIMAX: 5/5
ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 5/5

I suffer from “Genre Craze”. For certain periods I pick a genre and read as many books as I can before the craze dies.  Now it is Murder Mysteries & before that, it was Action/Adventure and before that Legal Thrillers. I was at the brink of my Murder Mystery Craze when I realised that I was reading books only by American Authors. So, I started looking for authors with different nationalities. Somehow the name Joseph O’Loughlin appealed and I decide to read The Suspect (Joseph O’Loughlin #1) by Michael Robotham, an Australian crime fiction writer.

Generally, in many of the crime books we read, the Hero is, modestly put, a Hero. He fights criminals, solves murders, saves the girl and has a happy ending. But not Joseph O’Loughlin. Our hero suffers from Parkinson’s disease and is partially crippled as a result. He is an expert psychologist and has a thriving practice. He has a picture perfect family. But that is where the positives end. Very early in the story, his life spirals down. He is suspected and convicted of murder. He is on the run from the law. While on run, he is convicted of more murders. And that is not all. Someone else too wants him and his family dead.

On the cover of The Suspect, there is a quote from Linwood Barclay, of the Zack Walker series fame:

“Michael Robotham doesn’t just make me scared for his characters;

He makes my heart ache for them”

This seconds my view of the characters in the book. The Hero is not exactly a Hero we would expect. The villain is not exactly Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. He too is a victim of a strange past.

Read the book if you want the answer to questions like:

“Why was O’Loughlin falsely implicated?”

“What is the true identity of the murderer?”

“What is the motive behind the murders?”

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