When You Are Mine Book Review

Title: When You Are Mine

Author: Michael Robotham

ISBN: 9780751581560

Publisher: Little Brown Book Group UK

Source: ARC from NetGalley

For as long as we both shall live? A pulse-racing standalone thriller by the #1 bestselling author of The Secrets She Keeps, now a major TV series

Philomena McCarthy has defied the odds and become a promising young officer with the Metropolitan Police despite being the daughter of a notorious London gangster. Called to the scene of a domestic assault, she rescues a young woman, Tempe Brown, the girlfriend of a decorated detective. The incident is hushed up, but Phil has unwittingly made a dangerous enemy with powerful friends.

Determined to protect each other, the two women strike up a tentative friendship. Tempe is thoughtful and sweet and makes herself indispensable to Phil, but sinister things keep happening and something isn’t quite right about the stories Tempe tells. When a journalist with links to Phil’s father and to the detective is found floating in the Thames, Phil doesn’t know where to turn, who to blame or who she can trust.

Official Summary

I have been focusing on blog tours this year, so I have had little time to reach for books by any of my favourite authors this year so far. When I saw this title on NetGalley I could not resist. I am a huge Michael Robotham fan and always enjoy his work. When You Are Mine did not disappoint.

The author has a knack for creating very realistic damaged women. In When You Are Mine he looks at domestic abuse, and a woman with psychological problems that make her obsessive.

Michael Robotham stories are all different, whenever you reach for one of his books you are never sure what you will find. I love the way he draws you into his fictional world, allowing you to get to know his characters and end up empathising with the bad guy. Reading this book I was reminded how much I enjoyed his writing style. This is the seventh book by Michael Robotham I have read and each one has been a brilliant read. I wish I had more time to add more of his books to my TBR.

Philomena McCarthy is called to a domestic disturbance call where she finds a woman who has clearly been abused by her partner. When the partner takes a swing at McCarthy she has no problem arresting him. However, the man she arrests turns out to be a decorated police officer himself and her superiors quickly cover up the arrest.

McCarthy, taking her duty very seriously is determined to ensure that the young woman, Tempe is taken care of. She becomes involved with this young woman and soon starts digging deeper into Darren’s life. When strange things start happening and bodies begin to appear McCarthy is not sure who she can trust, or who to turn to.

This story looks at friendship, family relationships and professional loyalty. When You Are Mine is a gripping tale that quickly leaves you doubting everyone in Phil McCarthy’s life. As the piece slowly start fitting together you are left with a jaw-dropping conclusion that you never saw coming. This book had me hooked from the start and I could not get to the last page fast enough.

I put this story up there with The Secrets She Keeps, one of my favourite Robotham books.

The author did not disappoint with his character’s. Philomena McCarthy is a determined young woman who is eager to break away from her gangster father, not wanting to live in his shadow and be judged by his actions. She is caring, hard-working and loyal. Tempe is a damaged woman who never seems to tell the truth. AS you read the book you move from liking to disliking her and as her true story emerges you cannot help but feel compassion for her.

I always enjoy Michael Robotham’s books but this one is a real page-turner that had me hooked from page one. No doubt, this one is added to my loved list for 2021. The only thing I did not love about this book was the name of the main character. Philomena? That name did not work, but that is just me, it did make the character unique. (Apologies to anyone named Philomena.)

If you enjoy a book that is full of mystery, and characters with psychological problems you will love this book. Michael Robotham has a marvellous talent for creating women you are forced to love. If you enjoyed The Secrets That She Keeps then you have to read this book! When You Are Mine is almost better.

About the Author

Bio from Author’s site

Two times 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) GOOD GIRL BAD GIRL 2020 (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) 2020 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?

Thank you to NetGalley and Litle Brown Book Group for the opportunity to review this book. It is such an honour the receive an advanced copy of this fantastic book.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read my review, are you a Robotham fan? Which is your favourite book? Leave a comment below. Until next time…. Happy Reading!