 | Reviews of Shatter by Michael Robotham Sphere 2008 |
[This novel won the 2008 Ned Kelly Award for Best Novel, and was shortlisted for the 2008 Ian Fleming Steel Dagger award.]
Sue Turnbull in "The Age": "Shatter is Robotham's fourth psychological thriller in a series that is not quite a series, featuring as it does a cast of diverse characters who come in and out of focus. We've met O'Loughlin before in both Suspect and Lost (now reissued as The Drowning Man, probably to avoid confusion with that TV show)...Robotham knows how to engineer a plot in order to sustain a head of steam while giving the reader time to observe both fellow travellers and the scenery...Thematically complex, artfully tructured, beautifully written and observed, Shatter confirms Robotham's place in the front row of crime."
Damien Gay on the "Crime Down Under" weblog: "In just three books Michael Robotham has established himself as a master storyteller whose new releases are much anticipated both home and abroad. He consistently crafts impressive thrillers around intriguing scenarios...Combine the hard work gone into character development with Robotham's free-flowing writing style, evidence of a natural storyteller at work, and readers will have no trouble becoming fully involved in Shatter." Peter Millar in "The Times": "Shatter is a gripping journey into the weaknesses and strengths of the human psyche, a story of humanity and inhumanity -- and how one can become the other -- and how depravation and cruelty can be the flip side of love...It is the inevitability of the plot's development that builds the tension and will have you turning the pages compulsively, desperate to get to the end, but not daring to miss a word."
Short Notices
Susanna Yager in "The Telegraph": "Robotham's convincing portrayal of Joe, whose devotion to his work is endangering his marriage, is matched by that of the killer, whose own knowledge of psychology is being used for horrific revenge...It's a clever novel by a very talented storyteller."
Boomerang Books: from a "fairly standard opening, Michael Robotham constructs a psychological thriller of surprising depth and at times almost unbearable tension. This reviewer was forced to cover the lower portion of some pages with a hand, to keep from jumping ahead."
"It's a Crime" weblog: "For me, Michael Robotham's thrillers remain essential reading that demand some booking of 'time out' from normal life. And so it came to pass that his latest, his fourth novel in this series, Shatter did exactly that. I could have read this in one sitting, but one or two or more sittings had to suffice - due to some essential house moving - it all had to be done, including the reading of this novel."
"Mysteries in Paradise" weblog: "I have already listed Michael Robotham as one of my favourite authors and this book I think is probably his best."
"Memorable TV": "With a genuine air of creeping menace, Shatter is fast paced, sometimes scary and with an overall melancholic vibe that puts it a notch above similar fare."
"Chris High" weblog: "Michael Robotham's third outing for his Clinical Psychologist, Joe O'Loughlin, Shatter, is without doubt and from first to last, a book to cherish...Fast paced and rich descriptions make the reader feel as though they are in the same room as the characters which, to be fair, is both good and bad. Good that it is so real. Bad if you want to get to sleep without checking the wardrobe and locks just one last time."
"Reviewing the Evidence": "Shatter showcases some top-notch storytelling. It's always polished, assured and absolutely gripping."
Other
Robotham's website has a lot more material about the book, as well as the first chapter of the novel available for download.
You can read a transcript of a discussion between Michael Robotham, Peter Temple and Jason Steger from the 2008 Crime and Justice Festival.
