Book Review When You Are Mine by Michael Robothan

Is there a difference between pure evil and horrendous, yet justifiable crime? Officer Philomena McCarthy would say no. That honest to a fault lens of policework developed from her own dependence on a heroic policewoman rendering aid during a catastrophe when she was a child. Now as a young woman, Philomena is determined to serve London in the same manner – seeking justice and standing up for victims.

She vows to keep the streets safe with the added burden of being the daughter of a wealthy gangster. Philomena hides from the surly reputation of her own blood, constantly trying to dodge her namesake and prove her pure intentions to her own comrades.

Philomena goes the extra mile to sniff out a bad apple in the department while protecting a battered woman (Tempe) from further harm. In an effort to support the victim and discover the truth, she stumbles into a web of deceit and hidden agendas. Her once happy state of engagement to Mr. Right and her new friendship with Tempe encounter certain strain. Tempe’s needs and lack of boundaries turn toxic. Torn between this strange new friend and the possibility of criminals behind the scenes, Philomena is bombarded by gray areas of the law. She is forced to consider her connection to the very man she had tried so hard to distance herself from.

In this splendidly told thriller, Robotham will lead you through the flames of fallible human behavior, all while villains and victims become hard to tell apart. I was immediately drawn into the action and clear motivations of each character. The level of psychological suspense tightens as the story unfolds with the last third of the book impossible to put down. This well-written book presents realistic themes of how people are multilayered and not always as they appear, much less simply good or bad. The ending is one of my favorite aspects of Robotham’s style. The twists kept coming and I simply couldn’t have predicted the outcome, all the while, giving the reader a thought-provoking stopping point.