My first of Robotham’s novels, I was mesmerized from the opening line. Though I won’t spoil it for you, I will say that Robotham’s writing style is thrilling, captivating and packed with a lot of detail. As an investigative journalist, his passion seeps through the pages with his fictional murder cases, an allusion to a background of horrific proportions for one character and layers of intrigue.
“Robotham’s writing style is thrilling, captivating and packed with a lot of detail.”
Cyrus Haven, one of the main characters, is a forensic psychologist who has his own series, with this being the third though could have easily been the first. It explained his life’s path, clarified his thought process and developed him well throughout, giving him a depth that moved the story along quickly. The majority of the book was from his point of view though, Robotham mixed it up with the point of view of a young girl, Haven’s lodger.
Evie, of unknown age and background, uses her unique skills and talents wisely to weave herself through seeking justice for others while she struggles with her own self-worth. I loved how Robotham gave just enough details of Evie’s background to hold my intention and wonder what she actually endured. A mix of terrible and hopeful, this young girl is feisty enough to solidify her place in a difficult world.
Lying Beside You follows Cyrus as he faces obstacles while trying to have investigators understand different theories of local murders, seemingly unrelated and completely twisted. As Cyrus deals with his own unravelling of sorts, he works to pull the thread that he first worked to sew despite the disbelief of others in his field. When a former nurse goes missing and her father is murdered, light is shed on a lot of factors that contribute to a revenge plot with some horrific accidents along the way.
This novel is a well-written look at redemption, forgiveness and unnecessary revenge. With some love factors to lighten it up.
Michael Robotham is a former investigative journalist whose bestselling psychological thrillers have been translated into twenty-five languages. He has twice won a Ned Kelly Award for Australia’s best crime novel, for Lost in 2005 and Shatter in 2008. His recent novels include When She Was Good, winner of the UK’s Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award for best thriller; The Secrets She Keeps; Good Girl, Bad Girl; When You Are Mine; and Lying Beside You. After living and writing all over the world, Robotham settled his family in Sydney, Australia.
- Publisher : Simon & Schuster (Feb. 14 2023)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 352 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1668011204
- ISBN-13 : 978-166801120
I am a struggling artist, a challenging and challenged mother who always thinks she is failing, an emerging freelance writer and reporter, an author with my name on several books crossing genres and always hoping to find more readers who enjoy them.
I am also a successful artist, a wonderful and thriving mother of one, a reacher towards both people and dreams despite all of the turned backs and obstacles in my way. I am a thriving freelance writer and reporter, an author loved by enough readers to make it worthwhile and a discombobulated conundrum who loves to hear new music, tell new tales and meet new authors. And I’m doing something I always dreamed of doing – reviewing books to support others as well as myself and my family.
