Skip to content
I’ve had this book sitting on my shelf for quite a while now. I went through a phase of buying too many books whilst I was doing my English degree, and unable to read them because my reading list for my uni course was too vast. Alas, I finally picked it up and I want to tell you all about it.
Bleed for Me is a crime thriller novel by Michael Robotham. This is the first book by Robotham that I’ve read and it made me desperate for more. Upon searching for more of his works, I realised that Bleed for Me is actually the fourth novel in the Joe O’Loughlin (the protagonist) series. I had absolutely no idea that it was a series as it works really well as a stand-alone novel. There are vague hints of past ongoings but nothing that took away from the story.
‘With dark psychological twists and heart-stopping tension, Bleed for Me is a page-turning thriller and undoubtedly Robotham’s best yet.’
‘Robotham has once again created a chillingly clever storyline for the most compelling fictional shrink since Cracker.’ Daily Record
‘Intense and intelligent.’ Guardian
The reader is introduced to Sienna in the form of a diary at the beginning of the book; straight away, we’re aware she is young, troubled and dealing with a great deal of pain. The early introduction of Sienna made me want to know more and my mind was full of questions. Then we meet Joe O’Loughlin, a clinical psychologist suffering from Parkinson’s; he has a broken-down marriage, an inquisitive mind and a likeability factor I love in a lead character. He’s slightly broken, unashamedly intelligent and very intriguing.
Joe’s eldest daughter is fourteen and best friends with Sienna. Her father, former detective Ray Hegarty is murdered and Sienna is found covered in his blood. This happens right at the beginning of the novel, so there’s no spoilers here guys, don’t worry. Although all fingers point towards Sienna being the culprit in the murder of her father, Joe thinks otherwise.
The novel follows Joe as he investigates the death of Ray Hegarty against the advice of the police. He has some ugly encounters with a school teacher he believes to be a predator and finds himself in some tricky and downright awful situations.
I loved this book, it’s one of the best crime fiction novels that I’ve read in a long time. I found myself fighting off sleep because I wanted to know what happened next. It’s really well-written, it’s gritty, straight to the point and completely absorbing. Joe O’Loughlin is a bloody amazing character, I’m definitely going to read more of this series.
Rating: 5/5
I'll have to add this to my must-read list, looks like a page turner, 📚
I'll have to add this to my must-read list, looks like a page turner, 📚
It is, I highly recommend it x