Imagine my excitement when I picked up The White Crow, the new crime novel by Michael Robotham, and discovered he’d opened with a quote from one of my favourite authors, F. Scott Fitzgerald:

 ‘…in a real dark night of the soul it is always three o’clock in the morning.’

And for the main character, Philomena McCarthy, that’s exactly what it feels like—for the entire novel.

And why wouldn’t it? She has a promising career with the Metropolitan Police in London, a father who heads a crime family casting a dark shadow on her aspirations, and superiors who doubt her integrity.

Robotham has once again created deeply flawed and fascinating characters—characters, who despite everything, you can’t help caring about. I had a definite soft spot for Philomena’s father, his wife, the Duchess and even her criminally inclined uncles.

The pace is fast with lots of action—as you’d expect from Robotham: the discovery of a child in the middle of the night, a jewellery heist, a home invasion, a murder and a Bulgarian crime gang. I genuinely struggled to put this one down. I think you’ll love it, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see more of Phil and the McCarthy family in the future.

And thank you, Michael Robotham, for inspiring me to reacquaint myself with Fitzgerald’s The Crack-Up.