2023 felt weird for many reasons, but mainly, for me anyway, because Michael Robotham didn’t release a new book! Thankfully, that wait is over, and now we can all get our hands on Cyrus and Evie #4. Like all of Robotham’s books, this one deserves to be read in one sitting. That’s right, readers, turn off your phone. Pretend you’re not home. It is no exaggeration to say that, truly, Robotham is probably the best in the business when it comes to psychological thrillers.

Storm Child continues the gripping Cyrus and Evie series, Robotham’s pairing of forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven with Evie Cormac, both victim-survivors of terribly traumatic events. Here, the sudden mass loss of a group of asylum seekers on a British coastline, with the realisation two other women are missing, kicks off this book. What follows is a complex, twisty plot with many deceptive characters, at the heart of which lies an answer to a long-held mystery. Robotham’s mastery of storytelling is at the fore in Storm Child. The ending is immensely satisfying, bringing a devastating and emotionally charged resolution. But even as Cyrus and Evie work to unravel this knotty puzzle, more and more of their backgrounds and stories are revealed, highlighting their connection and ongoing recovery and growth. I’m late to the party with Cyrus and Evie, having read several of Robotham’s other books, from his Joe O’Loughlin series and the stand-alones, but one fantastic thing about him as a writer is that even if you pick up a book mid-series, as I did, you never feel as though you’ve missed out on major events from the previous books. Now that I have to wait for his next book, I can go back to the beginning!