2009 # 59

Michael Robotham - Shatter - Finished - 4/26/2009

880 large print. Joe O'Loughlin is back in another suspenseful case. We saw him last in Suspect. He and his family have moved out to the country and he has started a part time teaching job. it is after a class as he and his Dept. Head are walking to that the police appear and request the Head to come with them. They have a jumper on a nearby bridge. The Head declines and pushes Joe to go instead. Arriving at the bridge Joe finds a woman poised on the edge of the bridge talking on a cell phone. She is wearing nothing but a pair of red high heel dress shoes. Joe tries to get her to talk, but she just listens to the phone, then suddenly just steps off and disappears. Joe feel a sense of responsibility and can not leave the event alone despite the affect it has on his wife who still remembers the results of his last confrontation with the police and a criminal. Mean while we have asides (short chapters) of the thoughts actions of a truly sick but smart villain who was on the other end of the cell call with the jumper. He has an agenda and it is truly cruel with his mind games. I am not going to say anymore except that Joe's Parkinson's has advanced some and is present as the tale unfolds. The villain is in some ways reminiscent of some of Sandford's and Deaver's baddies. Enjoy.

ISBN - 978-1-60751-800-6, Suspense, Pages - 448, Print Size - L, Rating - 5