Watching You (Joseph O'Loughlin, 7)

I enjoyed Robotham's writing for the most part. He is better than the average bestselling author in terms of the writing craft. My main criticism of the book would be that there wasn't much suspense. That is, I foresaw everything that was going to happen long before it did. When the big reveals were finally revealed, they weren't surprises at all. So, in reading, I felt like I was simply going through the motions, slogging through to see if my predictions were correct (which they always were). Only some interesting characterization prevented the read from being overly tedious. Overall, then, I wouldn't recommend this book if you wish to be surprised in any way. (Even the last little twist at the very end of the book, which was supposed to be an unexpected shock, was entirely predictable.)

As a side note, Robotham makes the mistake that some male writers do when writing about female characters. He doesn't really understand how a woman might react to certain things. The main example: because Marnie's husband owed a large amount of money to a loan shark when he disappeared, the loan shark expects Marnie to now pay the debt. Since she can't, she works as a prostitute for the loan shark, to make money for him. (This isn't a spoiler- this is all revealed very early on in the story.) The problem? Marnie doesn't seem all that perturbed or disturbed by suddenly sleeping with strangers for money. She is a little apprehensive, and doesn't really want to do so, but nothing about her reaction is anything more extreme than simple dismay. And this is a woman who had slept with only a few guys in her entire life, so it's not as if she'd had a history of one night stands with strangers. I mention this only because her reaction seemed so ridiculously improbable, if not impossible. This one aspect of the story really annoyed me (and obviously still does :-) ).

I've read a lot of Robotham; "The Wreckage" was his very best. His Joe O'Loughlin series is getting weaker. The bad guy in this novel requires a full "suspension of disbelief." I don't believe any person could do what this character did and have never heard of it in real life. This gets 3 stars because of Robotham's writing ability. The story is a loser.

This is I believe the ninth addition to the Victor Ruiz (retired cop)/Joe O’Loughlin (psychologist) series, who find themselves solving crimes law enforcement doesn’t have time for – or as in the later books of the series – the cops being simply too dense or unimaginative to perceive a crime has been committed – let alone solve it. The guest star in this episode – Marnie – is one of Joe’s patients and whom life is treating pretty much the way a baby treats a diaper. To make sure the reader “gets that” the first 70 pages of the book are pretty much one sad tale after another in Marnie’s life.

In a nutshell Marnie’s husband has disappeared leaving her with two children, no money and at least in this author’s hands – powerless to do anything except make a few really poor decisions. These “choices” embroiling her in a murder investigation, which “drags” Victor and Joe in to save the day.

There is a somewhat interesting plot twist which unfortunately is nowhere near enough to mask the fact there isn’t much of storyline here populated with one dimensional characters – all compounded in that this is a 400+ page book and mind numbingly repetitious. The conclusion takes almost 75 pages – and could have been done in less than 10.

Watching You is anything but a taut psychological thriller - Pass on this one

This is the first book I've read by this author and based on this one I doubt I'll read another (although I see from the reviews that many love his books). The story is so far-fetched and unbelievable that it's hard to take seriously, but I'm more than willing to "willing suspend disbelief" if the story engages me in some way. This did not. The point of view is very distant and there are many characters so I never really connected with any of them or cared about them. Until the last fifth of the book, the story didn't even interest me. The premise sounded intriguing but wasn't fulfilled, and the twist at the end, while "clever" isn't enough.

I discovered Michael Robotham about two weeks ago while vacationing in Maine. I happened to stumble upon a bookstore – Mainely Murders – who specializes in crime fiction. They recommend Michael Robotham to me after I described my interests. The first book I read was Shatter and I devoured it – literally stayed up the entire night reading it. I went back to the bookstore the next day and picked-up what they had in stock and ordered the rest on Amazon.

Michael Robotham’s books do not disappoint. You will grow to love the characters as if they are your own family and share their pain with him. The plot is enthralling but it really is the character development that makes or breaks a crime novel. And Michael Robotham definitely makes it!!

First Sentence: When Marnie Logan was fourteen she dreamed of marrying Johnny Depp of Jason Priestly and living happily ever after in a house with a Gone-with-the-Wind staircase and a double-fridge full of Mars Bars.

Psychologist Joe O’Loughlin’s patient, Marnie Logan, is trying to put her life together after the disappearance of her husband, Daniel. She trying to have him declared dead so she can access his bank account and life insurance for her, and her daughter’s survival. Otherwise, her only choice has been to perform as a call girl. As Joe, with the help of ex-cop Vincent Ruiz, works to help Marnie, he starts to realize that other people around her have disappeared/been murdered. Is it Marnie, or is there someone else?

Robotham immediately captures the reader’s attention with a very creepy opening. He also creates very vivid characters. Marnie is interesting in that one doesn’t really like or trust her. Ruiz is the classic tough copper; you’d definitely what him on your side. Yet it is Joe who is the most interesting. He is not without his own baggage, which makes him human; and has a degenerative medical condition. It is Ruiz who describes him best—“You’re made differently from most men. …You understand more than most people. You look harder. You care more. You let things bruise your soul and question what’s wrong with humanity,…”.

The plot is suspenseful, increasingly so. There is a major, very effective, plot twist one does not see coming. But one also questions whether it is true. Robotham also includes fascinating information on the psychology of stalkers versus voyeurs.

“Watching You” is a wonderful, suspenseful read with a shocking turn, and an ending that leaves you questioning.

WATCHING YOU (Psy Suspense–Joe O’Laughlin-England-Contemp) - VG
Robotham, Michael
Mulholland Books – Feb 2015

First Sentence: When Marnie Logan was fourteen she dreamed of marrying Johnny Depp of Jason Priestly and living happily ever after in a house with a Gone-with-the-Wind staircase and a double-fridge full of Mars Bars.

Psychologist Joe O’Loughlin’s patient, Marnie Logan, is trying to put her life together after the disappearance of her husband, Daniel. She trying to have him declared dead so she can access his bank account and life insurance for her, and her daughter’s survival. Otherwise, her only choice has been to perform as a call girl. As Joe, with the help of ex-cop Vincent Ruiz, works to help Marnie, he starts to realize that other people around her have disappeared/been murdered. Is it Marnie, or is there someone else?

Robotham immediately captures the reader’s attention with a very creepy opening. He also creates very vivid characters. Marnie is interesting in that one doesn’t really like or trust her. Ruiz is the classic tough copper; you’d definitely what him on your side. Yet it is Joe who is the most interesting. He is not without his own baggage, which makes him human; and has a degenerative medical condition. It is Ruiz who describes him best—“You’re made differently from most men. …You understand more than most people. You look harder. You care more. You let things bruise your soul and question what’s wrong with humanity,…”.

The plot is suspenseful, increasingly so. There is a major, very effective, plot twist one does not see coming. But one also questions whether it is true. Robotham also includes fascinating information on the psychology of stalkers versus voyeurs.

“Watching You” is a wonderful, suspenseful read with a shocking turn, and an ending that leaves you questioning.

WATCHING YOU (Psy Suspense–Joe O’Laughlin-England-Contemp) - VG
Robotham, Michael
Mulholland Books – Feb 2015

I've read most of his books and this is his best yet! It grabbed me from page 1 and didn't let go until the end. Such a cliche, but so true. Page turner. Intriguing plot. Well drawn, engaging characters. Beautifully written. (There was one editing miss, though. Did anyone else catch it?) And his comments at the end were a terrific bonus.

Thank you, Mr. Robotham, for this good book.

Please avoid having my restrained four-star rating tell you that “Watching You,” is less than a first-rate thriller.
Marnie Logan, the female lead in Mr. Robotham’s present-day mystery, appears to be a loving wife and mother, especially so to her frail celiac disease affected 4-year-old son, Elijah. Marnie’s got secrets, including a monster, that will tell us all about events in this London-based mystery.
There are a few mysteries occurring within Michael Robotham's character-driven thriller, most involving abnormal psychology. “Watching You” is the first story by this writer I've read, but not the last.
Titles such as protagonist and antagonist aren't easily applied here, though there are rampant amounts of monomania, the character of which gives us one of the story’s lead performers, often in the shadows. Mr. Robotham deftly had me questioning rooting for the most sympathetic player in this well-paced thriller.
With the disappearance without a trace of Marnie's husband long prior to the story's opening, Marnie visits a psychiatrist twice a week. She’s got no money; her husband’s life insurance policy payout is withheld; and Marnie resorts to repugnant work to feed her children, including her 15-year-old daughter, Zoe. The stresses of her life are enormous. Are they enough to push her over the edge—to commit heinous acts?
Her psychiatrist is Joseph (Joe) O'Loughlin, an insightful, compassionate, and caring practitioner, dealing with his own personal challenges. But are Joe’s interest in Marnie more than that of a professional?
There are evil characters aplenty, most of whom mysteriously meet wicked ends. There are innocents, too, who are dealt with viciously. Did Marnie do these things?
Dogged police and investigative work by a cynical, yet good-natured, retired detective and by Dr. O’Loughlin, sheds light piece-by-piece throughout.
The story moves at a languid pace, though much takes place, then accelerates rapidly toward a deliciously grotesque climax. The author does an excellent job tying up the threads of the tale, including quite a startling revelation near its conclusion.
I gave the story four stars, in part because I hold five stars for those extraordinary mysteries, of which this is close to being. I felt sad about a couple of the characters, and that hasn't gone away. So, my rating must be considered cautiously, as reflection of the story's affect on me, rather than the skill Mr. Robotham demonstrated in his thriller.

good Read