Author: Michael Robotham
The sixth book in the Joe O’Loughlin series, from bestselling author Michael Robotham.
My name is Piper Hadley and I went missing on the last Saturday of the summer holidays three years ago.
When Piper and her friend Tash disappeared, there was a huge police search, but they were never found. Abducted, hidden, and abused, Tash has reached breaking point. She escapes her captor, promising to come back for Piper.
The case is closed. But clinical psychologist Joe O’Loughlin and his stalwart companion, ex-cop Vincent Ruiz, haven’t given up. They uncover a chilling link to the missing girls and force the police to re-open the case. But they are racing against time to save Piper from an abductor with an evil, calculating and twisted mind.
Official Summary
Say You’re Sorry tells the tale of two young girls who go missing, and when the police have no leads regarding their disappearance it is soon believed that they ran away from home. The beginning of the book, a journal entry written by Piper, raises a lot of questions for you the reader, drawing you into the story before you have even started chapter one.
The author switched between current events and Piper’s diary entering throughout the book, revealing little bits from the past while Joe O’Loughlin and the police are piecing events together for themselves. I enjoy Michael Robotham’s writing style, it ensures that there is never a dull moment.
This book the sixth book in the Joe O’Loughlin series will appeal to you even if you have not read the others in the series. Anyone who leans towards mystery, suspense, thrillers will find this book a worthwhile read.
While reading this book I found myself both sad and angry as the tale unfolded. I do have a habit of really getting wrapped up in a book and often forget that I am reading a work of fiction. This story played well into that habit. The author did such a good job telling this story it felt as if it was a true-life news story I was engrossed in. The characters are realistic and easy to relate to.
This story not only takes you through the events that lead to Piper and Tash’s disappearance. It takes you on a journey of a father separated from his wife dealing with his teenage daughter breaking the rules on his watch. How he deals with Detective Chief Inspector Drury – who is not one of his biggest fans – and convinces the police, in general, to take his theories seriously, while at the same time doing his best to keep his involvement in an active case from Julianne, his estranged wife.
This book has been added to my “Loved” list – it was easy to escape into this story. My emotions ran high from page to page and at times I had to remind myself it was fiction. My character of choice in this story is Tash. A troubled, difficult child who ran wild. A pretty girl who learnt, early in life, how to use her beauty to her advantage, a child who lacked guidance but remained a loyal friend. She did everything she could to protect Piper, even when Piper doubted her motivation.
A cover quote from the Daily Mail states: “….crush the breath out of you.” That is exactly what you can expect this book to do….. if you re looking for a story that has the feel of true crime, then this book will have you flying through the pages. If you are like me, just remember, it is fiction.
If you have read Say You’re Sorry, tell me what you thought.
Author: Michael Robotham – ISBN: 9780316221238 – Publisher: Mulholland Books; Reprint edition (February 11, 2014) – Pages: 464 – Source: Private Copy
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Author bio from author’s website
Gold Dagger winning and twice Edgar short-listed author Michael Robotham was born in Australia in November 1960 and grew up in small country towns that had more dogs than people and more flies than dogs. He escaped in 1979 and became a cadet journalist on an afternoon newspaper in Sydney.
For the next fourteen years, he wrote for newspapers and magazines in Australia, Britain and America. As a senior feature writer for the UK’s Mail on Sunday he was among the first people to view the letters and diaries of Czar Nicholas II and his wife Empress Alexandra, unearthed in the Moscow State Archives in 1991. He also gained access to Stalin’s Hitler files, which had been missing for nearly fifty years until a cleaner stumbled upon a cardboard box that had been misplaced and misfiled.
In 1993 he quit journalism to become a ghostwriter, collaborating with politicians, pop stars, psychologists, adventurers and showbusiness personalities to write their autobiographies. Twelve of these non-fiction titles were bestsellers with combined sales of more than 2 million copies.
His partially completed first novel, a psychological thriller called THE SUSPECT, caused a bidding war at the London Book Fair in 2002. Soon afterwards it was chosen by the world’s largest consortium of book clubs as only the fifth “International Book of the Month”, making it the top recommendation to 28 million book club members in fifteen countries.
Michael’s novels have since been translated into 25 languages and have won or been shortlisted for numerous awards including:
The Crime Writer’s Association Gold Dagger (won) LIFE OR DEATH 2015 (shortlisted) SAY YOU’RE SORRY 2013.
The Australian Book Industry Association ABIA General Fiction Award 2018 for THE SECRETS SHE KEEPS
The Ned Kelly Award for Best Novel (won 2005 and 2008) LOST and SHATTER.
The Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best Novel (shortlisted) 2016 LIFE OR DEATH (shortlisted) 2019 GOOD GIRL BAD GIRL)
The Crime Writer’s Association Steel Dagger (shortlisted) THE NIGHT FERRY and SHATTER.
Michael lives on Sydney’s northern beaches, where he thinks dark thoughts in his ‘cabana of cruelty’ – a name bestowed by his three daughters, who happily poke fun at the man who has fed, clothed and catered to their every expensive whim. Where is the justice? Where is the justice?
I want to to thank you for this fantastic read!! I certainly enjoyed every little bit of it. I’ve got you book-marked to look at new things you post…
Thank you
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Yes, yes, and yes! Absolutely thrilling.
One of the best books I’ve read, that’s a quite awesome book to be honest .