Bleed for Me

Book #26
Three Stars

I delved into a genre that I normally don't pay much attention to: the crime/detective/murder mystery sort. These seem to be a dime a dozen. There are so many authors who pump these books out like it's nothing. Maybe that's why I've never been really drawn in. I don't know. But somewhere along the way, this book was recommended and I decided to give it a shot.

The author is Michael Robotham. He has been an investigative journalist in Britain, Australia, and the US. He  created a character named Joseph O'Loughlin, a psychiatrist who sometimes helps the police out, and who has gotten himself and his family into more than one close call because of this. I didn't know this before I read it, but Bleed for Me is actually the fourth (I think) Joe O'Loughlin novel. I added the others to my to-read list so that I will have the info easily accessible, but I haven't decided yet whether I will read them.

I think Robotham is a good writer. He kept me engaged. He knows how to twist a plot. This particular plot goes a little something like this:

A teenage girl-- Sienna, a troubled friend of his daughter-- comes to Joe O'Loughlin's door one night. She is terrorized, incoherent-- and covered in blood. 

The police find Sienna's father, a celebrated former cop, murdered in the home he shared with Sienna. Tests confirm that it's his blood on the girl. She says she remembers nothing.

Joe O'Loughlin is a psychologist with troubles of his own. His marriage is coming to an end and his daughter will barely speak to him. He tries to help Sienna, hoping that if he succeeds, he will win back his daughter's affection. But Sienna is unreachable, unable to mourn her father's death or to explain it.

Investigators take aim at Sienna. O'Loughlin senses something different is happening, something subterranean and terrifying, to Sienna. It may be something in her mind. Or it may be something real. Someone real. Someone capable of the most grim and gruesome murder, and willing to kill again if anyone gets too close.

I won't lie, the plot gets gritty at times. It deals with some unpleasant characters and some even more unpleasant goings-on. But I think that is the way of things with this genre. I will say that insofar as Robotham deals with some pretty sensitive topics, he does so very tastefully. He could have filled the book with a lot of gory and lascivious details-- had plenty of opportunities to-- and he didn't. I was grateful for that. As far as content, I think there was one brief sex scene and a smattering of swear words. I didn't feel like anything in the book was gratuitous.

If you are into this genre, pick this one up and you won't be disappointed. I think I would have given it at least four stars if this were my cup of tea. As it's not, I will go with three stars.