Bleed for Me

Michael Robotham

Feb 2012 · Sold by Mulholland Books

About this ebook

She's standing at the front door. Covered in blood. Is she the victim of a crime? Or the perpetrator?

A teenage girl -- Sienna, a troubled friend of his daughter -- comes to Joe O'Loughlin's door one night. She is terrorized, incoherent, and covered in blood.

The police find Sienna's father, a celebrated former cop, murdered in the home he shared with Sienna. Tests confirm that it's his blood on Sienna. She says she remembers nothing.

Joe O'Loughlin is a psychologist with troubles of his own. His marriage is coming to an end and his daughter will barely speak to him. He tries to help Sienna, hoping that if he succeeds it will win back his daughter's affection. But Sienna is unreachable, unable to mourn her father's death or to explain it.

Investigators take aim at Sienna. O'Loughlin senses something different is happening, something subterranean and terrifying to Sienna. It may be something in her mind. Or it may be something real. Someone real. Someone capable of the most grim and gruesome murder, and willing to kill again if anyone gets too close.

His newest thriller is further evidence that Michael Robotham is, as David Baldacci has said, "the real deal -- we only hope he will write faster."

Ratings and reviews

Meet Professor Joe O'Loughlin, a clinical psychologist/ criminal expert residing in Bath, England. He is undergoing the painful dissolution of his marriage, and missing his two daughters, and he is also losing a battle with “Mr. Parkinson,” a progressive neurological disease that is gradually gaining control of his body, ("he is possessing my brain, but not my mind,") and “who will die with me.” One night his daughter’s best friend, fourteen year-old Sienna, shows at the O’Loughlin home, covered with blood. Her father, a former policeman with a distinguished record of service, is found lying face down in a pool of blood in Sienna’s bedroom. Sienna is quickly arrested and charged with murder. O’Loughlin soon discovers that Sienna is a cutter, and her self-mulilating behavior covers a terrible secret. Enter O’Loughlin’s friend Vincent Ruiz, a former Metropolitan Police detective inspector, who is determined to find the real murderer, convinced it is not Sienna. O’Laughlin is a character in Robotham’s ongoing mystery series, though each book can stand alone. He is complex and intriguing; the reader senses that he is struggling to resolve issues from his past in order to face his unpredictable future. The complicated plot leads the reader down a road filled with many twists, surprises, and memorably flawed characters. The plot of this mystery is masterfully played out and is full of tension and suspense. The imagery is vivid, and Robotham inserts frequent and fascinating insights into human behavior. Sean Barrett’s excellent narration adds to the overall effect of this dark, intriguing novel.

A page turner, fast paced and intriguing, I couldn't put it down.

So good. As always!

About the author

Michael Robotham has been an investigative journalist in Britain, Australia and the US. One of world's most acclaimed authors of thriller fiction, he lives in Sydney with his wife and three daughters.