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Suspect
Suspect
Suspect
Audiobook11 hours

Suspect

Written by Michael Robotham

Narrated by Simon Prebble

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

Acclaimed author Michael Robotham conquered international best-seller lists with this electrifying thriller. After a woman is brutally slain, investigators bring psychiatrist Joe O'Loughlin in for expert consultation. Joe is shocked to discover the dead woman is a former patient of his who cried rape when he rebuffed her sexual advances. Citing doctor/patient confidentiality, Joe hides this information. But the truth emerges, and suddenly he is the prime suspect.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateMar 11, 2008
ISBN9781436112833
Suspect
Author

Michael Robotham

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. 

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Reviews for Suspect

Rating: 3.873118247526882 out of 5 stars
4/5

465 ratings42 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Kept my attention from beginning to end it’s the first book in his series. And the narrator was awesome too.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Joe O'laughlin has a beautiful wife. A child he adores and a job he is revered at. His mother and father are part of his life, and he has friends he can count on. When he meets Detective Ruise and then consults with him on a case. This one is a bit close to Joe he is treating a person involved in the case, and when a past patient turns up dead, it gets much more complicated. Michael Robotham stories are told so that you are completely ensconced in these peoples stories you cannot look away. It's riveting and consuming and just wonderful storytelling. Great read. I definitely recommend it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    "After a woman is brutally slain, investigators bring psychiatrist Joe O'Loughlin in for expert consultation. Joe is shocked to discover the dead woman is a former patient of his who cried rape when he rebuffed her sexual advances. "....a "web of his own making" (publishers notes) psychiatrists .....psychotherapist and patient relations...fugitives from justice ....psychological mystery fiction
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Excellent all around. Terrific narration, distinct characters, interesting plot. Looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great story, awesome writing!!! This author is a master . Suspense and character development that keeps us enthralled!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Suspect. Michael Robotham. 2005. I love everything about this series: the main characters, the twisted villains, and the harrowing plots. Joseph O’Loughlin is a skilled psychologist with a busy practice, a beautiful loving wife, and a delightful daughter when he is diagnosed with Parkinson’s. He is trying to adjust to this when he gets involved with a gruesome murder case which may involve a former patient. He is so torn with maintaining the privacy of his patient that he becomes a suspect and his marriage and career are most destroyed. This was one that was very hard to put down even at 3 in the morning! The first title I read in the series was Shatter, but The Suspect is the first book in the series. It is not necessary to read the books in order, I think it is always better.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I have read and listened to hundreds of books. Without a doubt, Suspect ranks in the top ten! Well written with a slow burn of twists leaving me wondering what’s around the next turn.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great book with characters you can relate to. Love this series and author!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Well written and very well read - I recommend
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Little bits of Joe's life start to fall apart and everything points to one of his psychologist patients. And then back to him. All while he tries to deal with his newly diagnosed Parkinson's Disease. It's a good stand alone but a great start to a series.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Initially, I was enjoying finding about this new character, his patients and his loving family. But as the book went on, it was also obvious that Joseph is a flawed character, who is self-absorbed, selfish and often makes horrible self-interested decisions. I was really disliking him but the author makes it clear that the character knows his flaws and so do other people and he can’t excuse them. By the end, I had accepted this flawed character but still don’t really like him.Another thing that bothered me was how sexualized the language and situations were regarding most of the female characters. Women were definitely objectified in this book. I dreaded it any time a new female character was introduced. It took me out of the story because I’m thinking about how this was clearly written by a male. But maybe it’s also another character flaw? Next book will show me if it’s the character, the author or combination of both.What I did like was that this was generally well written, suspenseful and I couldn’t predict what was going to happen next. This was just as much of an adventure story as a mystery. I am also curious about how the events from this book is going to affect Joseph. So while I had some misgivings about this, I liked it enough to continue with the next one.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is a pretty standard thriller with nothing special to recommend itself over any other of its kind. Basically, a whiny shrink, Joseph “Joe” O'Loughlin, who keeps making stupid decisions throughout the entire book ends up being man-hunted as the prime suspect in a string of murders, starting with a former patient of his. Very early on, when being asked to help in the investigation of the murder, Joe decides it’s a brilliant idea to withhold essential information from the police: “All the while I’m thinking, I should say something now. I should tell him. Yet a separate track in my brain is urging, It doesn’t matter anymore. He knows her name. What’s past is past. It’s ancient history.” This stupidity annoys me without end: The cops will find out about such connections anyway so Joe should have told them right away. After all, he will have read this in countless books or seen it a hundred times at the cinema or on TV. Such lies by omission never help. Robotham still using this dead-beat plot device made me groan with despair. Joe O'Loughlin is pretty daft all around, though: He’s seriously best friends with a man who – after more than a decade – still tries to get at Joe’s wife. When confronted with having Parkinson Joe doesn’t talk to his wife but hops into bed with a former prostitute. Yes, the parts where Joe is on the run are suspenseful and I kept on reading but at the end of the day, suspense is not enough. Suspense is not sustainable and provides no “food for thought” and even in a thriller there should at least be a very small bit of that or it will taste stale quickly – just like Michael Robotham’s “The Suspect”.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book really surprised me by how good it was! Gripping, well-crafted and an interesting cast of characters.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Joseph, a psychotherapist who has recently been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, is questioned by the police over the death of a former patient. Joseph suspects that the murder might have something to do with a current patient, but the lead detective, Ruiz, is convinced that Joseph is guilty.This becomes more of a thriller than a mystery during the second half, but by then I was glad that Joseph had decided to take the initiative and fight back. I liked Joseph and look forward to reading the rest of this series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Joseph O'Loughlin, psychologist becomes a murder suspect when a nurse and former colleague is found dead from multiple stab wound, all of them self inflicted. DI Vincent Ruiz is the policeman/investigator
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Good brain-candy thriller by a writer with serviceable prose and pretty clever hooks. The first Joe O'Loughlin mystery; I'm goin' backwards.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I completely enjoyed this book! I have not enjoyed a book like this since my last John Grisham novel. The writing was clean and clear cut. I did not have to work at reading. The story was quick moving and even had a touch of good humor along the way.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5

    The voice of "the suspect" was compelling throughout, and I really liked the first "book"/section. I had hoped that the book would then develop into the psychology of the suspect a little more, which made the chase and the firm conviction of Joe a little too pat for me.

    2016 re-read:
    I must have read this in the last three or four years, during a visit home; as once I got past the opening chapter of Joseph O'Loughlin being heroic, it clicked with familiarity, although I didn't remember all the twists and turns.
    Well written, the narrative voice of an intelligent if somewhat irrational psychologist kept me engaged throughout.  There were parts of the plot which reminded me of a similar plot somewhere else (here though, the office of the doctor next door failed to be significant). Smiling at the worlds slowest getaway LandRover...

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Suspect is the first in a series of psychological suspense mysteries, featuring psychologist Joe O'Loughlin and DI Ruiz. Joe O' Loughlin has a good career as a clinical psychologist, a lovely wife and a child. However, his world is turned on it's side when he discovers that he has Parkinson's disease. Joe has and has had some challenging patients. When the body of a young woman is found with multiple stab wounds, the police consult with Joe O'Loughlin. As it turns out, the dead woman in question is a former patient of Joe's. DI Ruiz is a hard headed Detective and Joe quickly becomes a suspect in the murder. From there, many other characters are introduced and Joe is caught up in in the young woman's death.Over all, a very good read, and a suspenseful one. For the most part, very good characterization. At times, the plot got perhaps over convoluted . I could not stop turning the pages towards the end. This is Micheal Robotham's debut novel, and I am eager to read more in the series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Well, I ruined some of the suspense in this book because I read Shatter first not realizing it was a series so, I was going to give it 4.5 stars but then realized it was unfair because I was the one who read them out of order. This book - wow - what can I say about it? I loved it. More twists than a crazy straw. And I just adore Joe. Basically, it was a who done it but with so much intensity I couldn't put it down.I will recommend Michael Robotham over and over and over again.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    London psychologist Joe O'Loughlin is a family man who has just received some devastating news about his health. Joe is at a meeting providing counseling for a group of prostitutes and is interrupted by an aggressive Detective holding a photograph of a murder victim. DI Ruiz believes the victim might have been a prostitute and he invites Joe to assist in his investigation. Joe soon learns the dead woman is a nurse, a former patient of his, and one with whom he shares bad history. When Joe learns the identity of the dead woman, he fears exposing the connection he shares with her, aware it gives him motive. As the killing occurred near his home, he also had opportunity. As DI Ruiz uncovers the connection, he soon looks at Joe as the primary suspect. This would have been a great suspense plot by itself. However, the author introduces several other characters into the first chapters and the plot turns much more convoluted. Joe believes one of his especially disturbed patients is behind the killing, but he can't find enough evidence to satisfy Ruiz. The more Joe hunts for the evidence, the guiltier he looks, until he finds himself alone and on the run, with his whole life crumbling around him. Joe could turn it all around if only he would admit to his alibi. For the well-respected psychologist, the situation becomes dire. The DI appears to want Joe to be guilty. Ruiz is an aggressive detective and does not seem willing to look at any other suspects. As more killings occur, the plot becomes far-fetched and a little incredulous. For the most part, the story moves well and the characters well developed and mostly likable. The writing is tight and the dialogue is crisp. Suspect is a decent, perhaps a little over dramatic, thriller.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Having first read this author's newest book, I went back to the first one. A book you can not put down even when at times you would like to. Think I 'll take a breather before Zi read his next one!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It's been a long while since I stayed up until 4:00am to finish a book but that's what I did reading this one. I really liked the main character, flaws and all, and the story rocked along at a rollicking pace. There were a couple of slightly awkward/clumsy plot resolution moments but nothing major and they didn't detract from my "enjoyment". I use the quotes for the word enjoyment because frankly I'm not sure it's the right word to describe the increased pulse rate and tremmors that accompanied my reading of this book. Top effort.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the first book by Michael Robotham that I've read and when I started I wasn't too sure I would enjoy it. It started out slowly but I soon got into the story, mainly because I read it so quickly. I think it would be a different matter if I read this over the 10 days it normally takes me to read a book of this size. I didn't know what to expect with this novel but the main character, Joseph O'Loughlin, grows on your. Unlike most crime oriented books this does not feature a detective in the main role and that is a nice change. It's the first book in a series and I'm sure to read more and see where this series will go.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In Suspect Joe is at the center of everything since it's his former-patient who's been killed. Ruiz is the investigating officer and is convinced Joe is guilty. And who wouldn't? Joe routinely makes bad decisions and keeps covering up information or even outright lying. Circumstantial evidence piles up. Eventually Joe ends up on the run, hiding from Ruiz and desperately trying to find out who set him up and why. The answer is more dazzlingly Byzantine than you usually get in a thriller of this type and it was pretty staggering. His enemy is an old one and spent years compiling enough information to destroy everyone and everything in Joe's life. That's some kind of twisted revenge fantasy. And it almost worked.Aside from the relentless plot against Joe and Ruiz's determination to close the case, there is the whole side-issue of Joe's recent diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. Naturally he's emotionally wrecked by this news and compounds the problem by not being up front with his wife, instead turning to a former patient and erstwhile lover. Another of Joe's bad decisions. Eventually he pulls his head out of his ass, but it's not pretty. Not only is he struggling with his own future disability, but how he will hang on to his practice, his marriage and be a good father to his daughter and unborn child. There isn't a lot of angst-y flailing, but a pretty good portrait of a person trying to deal with a life-changing health issue. As a person who's been on the receiving end of some not so good news from a doctor, I thought Robotham handled it pretty well.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    When an unknown woman is found brutally murdered, the police call in psychologist Joseph O'Loughlin, who has a gift for figuring people out based on non-verbal cues in hopes he can help them figure out who the victims was. O'Loughlin is a very talented man with a roster of interesting clients, one of which is particularly disturbed and disturbing. But he also has secrets of his own to hide, and quickly goes from being a collaborator to becoming the prime suspect in the case, and DI Vincent Ruiz isn't willing to give him any breaks. Someone is trying to frame the doctor and he knows exactly who it is, but he'll have to put his own life at risk to prove the killer is at large if he has any hope of putting his life back together. I thought this was a great thriller and took an instant liking to the psychologist, as the principal character and narrator of the story, so immediately followed up with the next book in the series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This novel kept me up at night because I just had to finish it. It seemed slow to me for the first half (slow but still interesting). It picked up in the second half and I was glued to it. This is one of the best psychological thrillers that I've read in a while. I would, and plan on, recommend this novel to family and friends.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A good story. This is the first on the Joe O'Loughlin series and they just get better.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Complex, interesting, and gripping. A new author with a long list--oh joy!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I once described reading crime fiction as, "The literary equivalent of putting on the slippers after wearing high heels all day and having that first cup of tea when you get home from work". Well this was truly a welcomed return to the comforts of reading a favourite genre, but what a sweet return. I loved the blend of the psychological thriller, the twists and the growing awareness of the entanglement of the central character Joe O'Loughlin. I liked the parallels of O'Loughlin's struggle over his body afflicted with Parkinsonism and the struggle to regain control over his own life. Even the somewhat cliched device of "the wrongly accused sets out to prove his innocence" was deftly handled, so much so that I paid it little regard. A fast paced and well written thriller. Now I'm a new fan of Michael Robotham and obviously I have some catching-up to do, but the tea is hot, I have my ugg boots on and I just can't wait!