Joe O'Loughlin appreciation post

If you've read my other posts on Michael Robotham, you'll know that he is one of my all-time favourite authors. I cannot recommend Robotham highly enough. He brings compelling, character-driven stories to the table, and he always makes me stop and think about human behaviour. His writing is top notch, and I am drawn into this books from the opening page.

Check out my review of the Cyrus Haven series and Robotham's standalone novels.

Joe O'Loughlin series | Books 1-9 | Published 2004-2018

I first came to Michael Robotham a few years ago via his Joe O'Loughlin series. I read one of the books and was hooked, subsequently working my way through the entire catalogue. There are nine novels in the series. The last one was published in 2018. Robotham has said that he has no plans to write another Joe book, but he may consider a second-generation series based on Joe's daughter, Charlie, whom we leave in the last novel studying psychology.

Robotham has penned a deeply character driven series in the Joe O'Loughlin books. The books do standalone just fine, but if my post ignites your interest in the series, I'd suggest you start at book 1, The suspect, and work systematically through all nine. Joe, a psychologist, his wife, Julianne, and their two daughters, Charlie and Emma, feature heavily in all the novels and there's a lots of development of these characters as the series rolls on. The books make a lot more sense in terms of Joe's personal life if read in order.

The other main player in all the novels is Detective Inspector Vincent Ruiz, who retires from the Met as the series progresses. I absolutely adore Ruiz, and his relationship with Joe is one of the reasons why I love the books so much. Ruiz has a complicated history, so he brings plenty of interest to the books, along with intelligence, unfailing loyalty and some typical dry British humour. You can also check out Ruiz in two of Robotham's standalones, Bombproof and The night ferry. You can read my review of those books here.

The Joe O'Loughlin books work in a similar way to Jonathan Kellerman's detective series, where Dr Alex Delaware, a psychologist, acts as a consultant to an LAPD homicide detective and longtime friend, Milo Sturgis. In Robotham's series, Joe gets involved either through his friendship with Ruiz (introduced in the first book after Joe is accused of murdering one his former patients) or Joe enlists Ruiz's help when a patient case requires police intervention. All the cases, as one would expect, have a psychological element. They are deeply disturbing - and Robotham is not afraid of being graphic in his descriptions of the violence - but also highly complex, compelling and realistic pictures of the the human psyche.

Here's a brief rundown of all nine books.

The suspect (2004)	Joe and Ruiz first meet in this book, after Ruiz, a Detective Inspector with the London Met, suspects Joe of murdering a former patient. There's a complex link between Joe and the eventual killer and his traumatic past. Joe makes some bad decisions in The suspect (no wonder Ruiz thinks he's guilty!), but this makes Joe even more relatable, I think. The story is complex, and I didn't come close to guessing the ending.
Lost (2005)	Ruiz is at the centre of Lost as he persists with an old case of a missing girl he thinks might still be alive, even though a man has been convicted and sent to prison for her murder. Ruiz is shot in the leg for his troubles, and ends up with amnesia, although his colleagues suspect he is faking it. Ruiz turns to Joe to help him figure everything out. This one has less of a psychological angle, but I still loved it as I love Ruiz. I could read endless books with Ruiz in them!
Shatter (2008)	Joe is living in Wellow, a village near Bath, lecturing at one of the city's universities. He is called to the Clifton Bridge to stop a distraught woman from jumping. The stories then explores other similar suicides. The reason behind them of course has a psychological angle, both evil and diabolically clever on Robotham's part. The bad guy ends up kidnapping Joe's wife and older daughter, but Ruiz saves the day. Sadly, this isn't enough to save Joe's marriage.
Bleed for me (2010)	Joe is involved when the father of one of Charlie's friend's, a former police officer, is murdered. This is a complex story, with lots of pieces to the puzzle. I had no idea what was going on! The book is a fabulous example of Robotham's masterful storytelling.
The wreckage (2011)	This is one of my favourites in the series. It's a cracking suspenseful story with Ruiz at the centre again. This time, he rescues a young woman from her violent boyfriend but then finds he has been robbed by the apparent victim. Vincent's involvement in the scam leads him into the murky territory of billions of dollars of missing Iraqi money, dodgy bankers, and a journalist on the trail of the explosive story. Fans of the series may not like this one, as Joe is only a minor player in it, but I thought it was clever!
Say you're sorry (2012)	Joe is back in London and practising again. The book is set during one of the worst blizzards in a decade, where a husband and wife are brutally murdered in their own home while half the city is without power. The man who reports the murders has mental health issues and may be hiding something. The murders are linked to the disappearance of two teenage girls three years earlier. Book 6 is up there as one of my favourites of the series. It's more Joe-focussed, and is a dark, complex and disturbing thriller that had me riveted from start to finish.
Watching you (2013)	In Watching you, Marnie Logan often feels like she's being watched. She has reason to be frightened. Her husband Daniel has inexplicably vanished, and the police have no leads in the case. Without proof of death or evidence of foul play, she can't access his bank accounts or his life insurance. Marnie is depressed and increasingly desperate, so she seeks Joe's help. There are fascinating psychological and criminal angles in this one and the whole thing is super twisty. Robotham plays all kinds of mind games with the reader. Very clever!
Close your eyes (2015)	A mother (Elizabeth) and her teenage daughter (Harper) are found brutally murdered in a remote farmhouse, one defiled by multiple stab wounds and the other left lying like Sleeping Beauty waiting for her Prince. Reluctantly, Joe is drawn into the investigation when a former student, calling himself the Mindhunter, trading on Joe's name, jeopardises the police inquiry by leaking details to the media and stirring up public anger. The story is complex, and cleverly unfolds to its conclusion, with the inevitable psychological element to the perpetrator's actions. Joe's children, now 18 and 10, are drawn into the case and Joe suffers a devastating personal loss at the end.
The other wife (2018)	The final book in the series features Joe's parents after his father, a celebrated surgeon, is attacked in his London home and left in a coma. This sets off a trail of destruction as Joe and Ruiz start digging into Joe's father's life. The title gives a clear clue as to where the story goes, but it's an interesting read from Joe's perspective, as he uncovers things about his father that he never knew. Joe's daughter, Charlie, is 20 in this final book and studying psychology at Oxford.

I won't go into any further detail on each book; suffice to say I can't recommend the series highly enough, as Robotham is a consummate storyteller. His plotting is first rate and he creates a kaleidoscope of characters and pieces of a puzzle that come together as the stories progress. Robotham has created an authentic and stunningly-drawn character in Joe who faces numerous challenges in his life while trying to help others. Joe is diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in book 1 and each novel charts the worsening of the disease. Robotham paints a genuine picture of Parkinson's that adds depth to all the books. I also love the banter between Joe and Ruiz, and the series is definitely taken to another level through their friendship.

Robotham's books always make insightful statements about life and human behaviour. They are never preachy, saccharine or forced, and I don't feel manipulated into thinking a certain way from these observations.

There is nothing more I can say other than to encourage you to read all of Robotham's books. I am in awe of his writing talent.

Series rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐