People say they won’t suffer fools. I, however, will not suffer a bad book. And I won’t make you suffer a bad book either. Welcome to The Post’s August book review.
For this month’s book review, we have the newest release by Michael Robotham.
Michael Robotham is an Australian crime fiction writer who has twice won the CWA Gold Dagger Award for best novel and twice been shortlisted for the Edgar Award for best novel.
His newest release, The White Crow, features PC Philomena McCarthy, a young female police constable and daughter to London’s notorious crime boss.
Philomena was first introduced in Michael’s 2021 page-turner When You Are Mine, and though the book was first anticipated to be a standalone, Michael felt such affection for Phil that he had to bring her back. That is to say, The White Crow is itself a standalone, and does not require prerequisite reading of the other McCarthy book to enjoy.
The story goes a little like this: Phil, on a nighttime patrol, spots a small child wandering the streets alone. Dutifully, she scoops her up and takes her home, only to find the child’s mother tied up and dead. At the same time, Detective Chief Inspector Brendan Keegan is not far, dismantling a bomb attached to a prominent jeweller inside his store. The crimes are connected. What’s worse, it seems that Phil’s gangster father, Edward McCarthy, may also be involved.
I’ve read my fair share of crime fiction, and reading The White Crow reminded me why I enjoy them so much. First, I had absolutely no idea where the story was going, and equally, no idea how the characters were going to make it out of the sticky situations they’ve found themselves in. Not to toot my own horn, but usually in a Who-Dun-It mystery, I can usually pick our culprit before the big reveal. To the credit of Robotham, this one flew right over my head.
Another highlight of the book—it doesn’t let you take a break. There are no lulls, no chances to rest and regroup, no sections that dragged. From start to finish—where you’re sweating through a bomb threat or reading the fiery conclusion—The White Crow demands your attention.
Robotham artfully makes you root for the McCarthy gangsters, and hold your breath when trouble befalls them.
When asked who his favourite character is, Michael misses no beats in answering, ‘Daragh. I love Daragh.’ As one of the McCarthy brothers, Daragh is Philomena’s uncle, and the designated muscle in the family.
‘He’s not very bright, but people have a soft spot for Daragh,’ explains Michael. ‘There is a line I wrote for him “His life of violence began when he came out of the womb, and the midwife slapped him on the ass, and Daragh slapped her back”. He’s a complete psychopath, but people seem to like him.’
Michael particularly enjoyed writing the McCarthy brothers’ interactions, their politically incorrect banter, their comedic dialogue. Despite their roughness, the gangsters have a lot of heart and love for their family, so when stakes were rising, it was hard not to get emotional while reading.
Michael himself admits that it is emotionally tolling for him to write those hard-hitting scenes.
‘In making Phil a young, idealistic policewoman, who comes from a family of notorious gangsters, I’d set up conflict,’ says Michael. ‘That is The White Crow, Philomena trying to keep the two halves of her life apart.’
