Michael Robotham’s debut novel is a psychological thriller that is deeply involving, running smoothly from the narrative of psychologist Joseph O’Loughlin. The 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.
The 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.
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