Storm Child is the fourth book in a thriller series by Australian author, Michael Robotham. All four involve forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven and Evie Cormac, a traumatised young woman aged twenty-two in Storm Child.
Both Cyrus and Evie have been psychologically damaged. As a boy, Cyrus returned from football practice to discover the bodies of his parents and twin sisters, killed by his older brother. The third book in the series, Lying Beside You, explores the relationship between Cyrus and his brother who suffers from schizophrenia and lives in a secure psychiatric facility. The first two books in the series, Good Girl, Bad Girl and When She Was Good, focus on Evie’s past. She became famous as the unidentified girl discovered living behind the wall in a house where a man had been tortured to death. When found, she had no memory of how she came to be there or of her identity.
In Storm Child, Cyrus and Evie witness the washing up on a beach in England of eighteen refugees, only one of them still alive. As the two investigate the case in conjunction with the police, Evie starts to recall fragments from her past. By the end of this book, her forgotten secrets are revealed.
Like the other books in the series, Storm Child is a tightly plotted crime novel with chapters written in first person, either from Cyrus’s or Evie’s point of view. This technique makes for a more intensely personal account than is usual in crime fiction. Each character has huge personal issues to overcome as well as the challenge of navigating their unusual relationship. Cyrus sees himself as a kind of guardian for Evie while she is in love with him.
You don’t need to read the other three books to appreciate Storm Child. The first two chapters provide an intriguing summary of the characters which means you can enjoy the book as a stand-alone. A great book to read or give as a gift over the coming summer holidays.
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Thanks, Jenny sounds a great read
I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for your comment, Jenny