Shatter (novel)

Shatter is a psychological thriller written by the Australian author Michael Robotham that was published in 2008. Professor Joseph O'Loughlin (referred to as Joe throughout the novel) is tasked by the police with stopping a woman, Christine Wheeler, from committing suicide, only to fail. When Wheeler's teenage daughter appears onto his doorstep, she insists that her mother would not have jumped off a bridge as she did, for she was not suicidal and had a fear of heights. Haunted by his failure to save her and driven by a need to understand what caused her death, Joe searches for the truth, only to be caught up in a string of murders all while dealing with his own problems with Parkinson's disease and his marriage. He soon finds out that the killer is far more intelligent and psychotic than he expected, being able to break people's minds with just a few words...

Awards

• Ned Kelly Awards for Crime Writing, Best Novel, 2008: winner
• Crime Writers' Association (UK), The CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, Best Thriller, 2008: shortlisted

Dedication

"This is for Mark Lucas, a friend first."

Reviews

• "The Age"
• "Crime Down Under"
• "inthenews"
• "The Telegraph"
• "The Times"