Holiday's over -sigh! The good news is that I have read some excellent books whilst on break, and will do my best to get the reviews up in the next week or so. Let's start with holiday read #1:
Title: The Other Wife
Expected publication: out now
My Rating:
Book Description:
Childhood sweethearts William and Mary have been married for
sixty years. William is a celebrated surgeon, Mary a devoted wife. Both have a
strong sense of right and wrong.
This is what their son, Joe O'Loughlin, has always believed. But when Joe is summoned to the hospital with news that his father has been brutally attacked, his world is turned upside down. Who is the strange woman crying at William's bedside, covered in his blood - a friend, a mistress, a fantasist or a killer?
Against the advice of the police, Joe launches his own investigation. As he learns more, he discovers sides to his father he never knew - and is forcibly reminded that the truth comes at a price.
This is what their son, Joe O'Loughlin, has always believed. But when Joe is summoned to the hospital with news that his father has been brutally attacked, his world is turned upside down. Who is the strange woman crying at William's bedside, covered in his blood - a friend, a mistress, a fantasist or a killer?
Against the advice of the police, Joe launches his own investigation. As he learns more, he discovers sides to his father he never knew - and is forcibly reminded that the truth comes at a price.
My musings:
I was overjoyed that The Other Wife saw the
return of one of my favourite characters in crime fiction, psychologist Joe O'Loughlin.
After the tragic sudden death of his wife Julianne, Joe is trying hard to raise
his two daughters on his own. But tragedy is not done with Joe yet – he
receives a phone call from the hospital that his father William has suffered a
severe traumatic brain injury in a brutal attack by an unknown assailant in his
own home. When Joe rushes to his father's bedside, a strange woman is already
holding a vigil over him in his room, claiming she has been William's “other
wife" for twenty years.
As usual, Robotham’s eye for detail when it
comes to his characters is faultless, which totally drove this intriguing story
for me. The more we delve into William's past, the more obvious it becomes that
he is not simply the strict, straight-laced man Joe has always believed his
father to be. As Joe relives some small snippets from his past, his memories
insinuate that their relationship is very complex and distant. Joe's version of
a hard, humourless disciplinarian doesn't gel with his “other" wife
Olivia's version of a fun-loving, affectionate man who has been generous to a
fault providing for his two separate families. Caught between wanting to
befriend Olivia to find out more about his father's recent past, and loyalty to
his mother, the “first wife", Joe is trying his best to sieve out the
truth that may lead to his father's attacker. The story that unfolds from here
is as complex as it is utterly compelling , and I felt myself totally drawn
into these strange family dynamics.
I really enjoyed getting a glimpse of Joe's
childhood memories that formed him as a man and a father. Lovers of the series
will also be happy to hear that Vincent Ruiz also plays an important role in
this story, as always coming to Joe's aid when he needs it. Emma and Charlie,
Joe's daughters both feature in the story, with Emma's suppressed grief over
her mother's death breaking my heart! So masterful is Robotham’s writing that
all these characters have become so real for me over the nine books in the
series – and whilst I recommend reading the series in order to get a full
picture, I do think that this book could be read as a satisfying stand-alone.
All in all, The Other Wife was the sort of
multi-layered, twisty and un-putdownable thriller I have come to expect from
this author, and it fully lived up to my expectations. Joe, with his personal
tragedies and battle with Parkinson’s, is not your typical sleuth, which gives
this series extra depth. I very much enjoy the keen observations his role as
clinical psychologist offers, and marvel at how he manages to get embroiled in
yet another investigation – this time very close to home, as dark secrets from
his own family closet get aired. Torn between loyalty to his mother and the
need to understand the enigma that is his father, Joe must confront some very
personal demons that highlight how the image we have of our parents can hide
the many dimensions that make up that person.
I was sad to hear that this is the last
time we will be seeing Joe in action, but applaud the author for this fitting
finale of a great series. If you haven’t discovered the Joe O'Loughlin series
yet, I highly recommend you do so – you won’t regret it!
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