When a former student mishandles the investigation of a series of brutal murders, Joe O'Loughlin is forced—reluctantly—onto the case. Meanwhile, his estranged wife discovers she has cancer. Sean Barrett again lends his voice to Michael Robotham's series as the renowned psychologist finds himself juggling personal and professional issues with great difficulty. Robotham's plot is intensely cerebral, and Barrett's narration, while at times a bit slow, captures O'Loughlin's mental state. The conflicts and calculations of his mind take shape even when some of the supporting characters fall flat. While the novel can be appreciated on its own, those who have listened to previous series installments will likely reap the most from Book 8. J.F. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

One of the Best Books of 2016- The St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Close Your Eyes: the best Michael Robotham novel yet. Once I reached the last 100 pages, it really was impossible to put down."—Stephen King

"[Robotham] is such a strong writer, and in London clinical psychologist Joe O'Loughlin he has such an appealing investigator."—Lloyd Sachs, Chicago Tribune

"Yet another winner . . . [A] well-crafted thriller"—Harry Levins, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"You won't want to close the book on this one. The new thriller by Michael Robotham, Close Your Eyes, is reason to stay up late. . . . The mystery and suspense is reason enough to keep reading, but Robotham ups the ante with a rousing family drama that adds an emotional complication to his lead's life. . . . Robotham drafts brilliantly descriptive passages that paint vivid scenes and sweep readers along in the narrative."—BookPage

"Robotham turns in a tightly written story that's flawlessly plotted . . . Robotham's writing is so smooth and his characters so well-drawn . . . Robotham's crime thrillers are at the top of the genre's food chain."—Kirkus Reviews (starred)

"First-rate suspense with a strong emotional component"—Booklist (starred review)

"Insightful, compelling, and superbly written, this masterly thriller will keep readers glued until the final page. Robotham brings a dry, sardonic wit to his latest book, which will likely delight readers of Ian Rankin and P.D. James.—Library Journal (starred)

"Robotham skillfully keeps the murderer's identity hidden until almost the very end. He writes with sharp insight into the tangled psychological webs formed from love and loathing and fear; the subplots involving Joe's family give Close Your Eyes emotional resonance and make this a series changer."—Shelf Awareness

"Gripping . . . Robotham's tightly plotted whodunit meshes beautifully with a truly emotional family saga involving Joe's former wife."—Publishers Weekly

11/15/2015
Downloadable: Hachette Audio. THRILLERA mother and daughter are found grotesquely murdered in an isolated farmhouse, and clinical psychologist Joseph O'Loughlin is drawn in when a former student blows the case by leaking key details to the press. Robotham won the Crime Writers' Association Goldsboro Gold Dagger for Life or Death.

When a former student mishandles the investigation of a series of brutal murders, Joe O'Loughlin is forced—reluctantly—onto the case. Meanwhile, his estranged wife discovers she has cancer. Sean Barrett again lends his voice to Michael Robotham's series as the renowned psychologist finds himself juggling personal and professional issues with great difficulty. Robotham's plot is intensely cerebral, and Barrett's narration, while at times a bit slow, captures O'Loughlin's mental state. The conflicts and calculations of his mind take shape even when some of the supporting characters fall flat. While the novel can be appreciated on its own, those who have listened to previous series installments will likely reap the most from Book 8. J.F. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

★ 2016-01-21
Beleaguered clinical psychologist Joe O'Loughlin's back as Robotham pits the brilliant, battered, and world-weary shrink against a killer who's not above stalking Joe's own family. Joe, who struggles with Parkinson's disease, has worked hard to keep himself in the lives of his two daughters, Charlie and Emma. His estranged wife, Julianne, who's facing surgery in connection with her newly discovered cancer, has softened a bit toward Joe, and he's hoping it will open the door to a reconciliation. Meanwhile, Joe's helping police in England's West Country unravel the horrifying murder of an attractive mother and her college-bound daughter. Elizabeth Crowe was found butchered in their sitting room, while daughter Harper was discovered upstairs in her bedroom, laid out like Sleeping Beauty. Further investigation reveals that mom—who was stabbed 36 times—was into a sexual fetish called "dogging," in which strangers meet and have sex in public places. While Detective Chief Superintendent Veronica Cray grows impatient to resolve the killing, Joe and his perennial sidekick, retired cop Vincent Ruiz, discover that Elizabeth's death bears more than a passing resemblance to other killings in the area. Meanwhile, police fume while Milo Coleman, a former student of Joe's who initially consulted on the investigation, captures the press by calling himself "the Mindhunter" and releasing confidential details. As Coleman spills secrets police hoped to keep quiet, Joe and Ruiz narrow the field to six main suspects. Before it's all over, they'll have only minutes to figure out the killer's identity and location before Joe loses everything that's precious to him. As usual, Robotham turns in a tightly written story that's flawlessly plotted, although past experience should have told Joe that letting his family become involved in his cases never turns out well. But Robotham's writing is so smooth and his characters so well-drawn that readers can forgive him almost anything. Robotham's crime thrillers are at the top of the genre's food chain.