3.5 stars

"Good never prevails. It simply treads water and waits for the bad to show up."

Philomena (Phil) McCarthy is a police officer for the elite Metropolitan Police in London. Some questioned why she wanted to be a police officer as her father and uncles are known criminals. But she takes her job seriously and when she responds to a domestic violence call, she bites off more than she can chew.

The victim is Tempe Brown, and her abuser is Darren Goodall, a married Scotland yard detective. Their interaction is not pleasant and sets the stage for drama that did not come from her momma. No, it comes with being questioned, being ostracized by her colleagues, while becoming entangled in an unhealthy relationship. A relationship which threatens her relationship with her fiancée, Henry.

One would think she would back down, one would hope she would use her skills to look at situations with trained yes. One would think.... but Phil, doesn't. And that is one of my issues with this book. For a police officer trained to read situations, body language and people - she is seriously lacking in this department.

I seriously, wanted to throttle Phil as she could not see the forest for the trees. But her lack of attention to detail is what stirs the pot and adds tension and drama in this book. Although, her she had me wanting to pull her aside and say, "open your eyes woman!", I was entertained and fully engaged in this book.

I enjoyed her male family members. What you saw was what you got, which was refreshing in this book. I found myself annoyed various times by Phil, while rooting for her as well.

It may sound like I am being harsh, but the things I mentioned are what kept me from enjoying the book more. What worked for me was the criminals, the realistic examples of the police protecting their own while being resistant to another. I enjoyed how the plot unfolded with the twists and turns. The reveal was both refreshing and believable for me.

Pure enjoyment and a worthwhile read.

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Philomena "Phil" McCarthy is a police officer in London who lives a happy life with her dream career and a fiancé she loves. When she and her partner are called to a domestic violence incident, Phil meets a battered Tempe and her abuser, who happens to be a highly decorated and respected detective. While Phil deals with the backlash of arresting the detective and the detriment that has on her career, she and Tempe become friends. Despite her fiancé and friend's warnings, Phil and Tempe's friendship evolves. Eventually, Phil starts to realize she should have listened to the warnings.

This story line had my full attention. I liked Phil's character and watching her relationship with Tempe develop while her career degraded. I was engrossed in the story and finding out whether the detective would be discovered for what he really was, whether Phil would be able to expose the internal corruption on the police force, and what exactly Tempe's problem was and how that would end for Phil.

That said, the secondary story line seemed a bit unnecessary to me. Phil suddenly reconnecting with her estranged father and his brothers seemed fairly random and unnecessary. I felt it added very little to the story aside from a few little pieces that I think could have still been handled without them.

All in all, I liked the book. I would give it 3.5 stars only because the secondary story line was a bit distracting and seemed to pull from the overall story. This was my first book by Michael Robotham and I have since ordered two more. Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Michael Robotham is an absolute master of the trade. His plot --- corruption and coverups amongst members of the police force --- is not a new one but he adds such dimension and depth to each one of his characters so that you'll find yourself furiously flipping pages to put the whole big picture together.

"Phil" is an incredible protagonist and I hope we get more of her in the future! Her commitment to her job as a police officer despite unfair treatment at every turn, and her family connections to one of the biggest crime syndicates in London make her unstoppable.

Just an incredible crime drama, start to finish.

This one had a few plot holes, but the writing is so smooth, the suspense so intriguing, I have to grade it on a curve. Michael Robotham has established himself as one of the top writers of psychological thrillers and this one will only enhance his reputation. Despite the aforementioned plot holes, I tore through this in a few breathless sittings over a day and a half. It’s the story of Philomena ‘Phil’ McCarthy, a young police constable with the London Met, and daughter/niece of a quartet of criminal brothers. Interesting dynamic. Phil’s life and career begin to unravel once she takes a keen interest in Tempe, the victim of a domestic violence assault at the hands of her married lover. He just happens to be a copper. Another interesting dynamic. Phil will have to battle misogyny in the police force, her dusty family history, and foes both imagined and real in this page turner. Not a perfect novel, but quite good. Recommended.

I have a really hard time identifying my exact feelings about this book. I didn't entirely believe the conflict between Phil and her father, especially because immediately after reuniting after nine years of complete silence, there is no awkwardness, no anger, just her calling him "daddy" and being welcomed back like she was never gone. I also found the plot twists to be somewhat absurd and a bit confusing ultimately. The message of the book is good, it's jarring how intense domestic violence is, but all of the characters were so exaggerated that it almost made the actual issue pale in comparison.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

So I'm not going to lie I started this book out and thought I was going to absolutely hate it. I don't love detective or procedural books all that much. They have to be done a certain way for me to like them. I absolutely loved the writing style of this book. I will be picking more up from this author.

If you are looking for a new author I suggest Michael Robotham. I could not put this book down. It was full of suspense. So many good characters. Loved it!

No one does psychological thrillers better than Michael Robotham, and I can think of only a few who approach him. When you want suspense that is smart, credible, grounded and insightful, he's the go-to author. Still, I toyed with the idea of giving this book only 4 stars instead of my habitual-for-Robotham 5 -- but it was only because I found his main character, Philomena "Phil" McCarthy, annoying.

Phil is a young (emphasize this heavily) police constable with the London Met who has somehow survived both an unlikely childhood with a crime-figure father and several dogged attempts to make it onto the police force with her naivete and idealism fully intact. I couldn't count the number of times I mentally chided her to wise up and get cynical, or at least suspicious and paranoid.

But her credulity and impulsiveness are not only necessary to the plot, they are essential to her character. They are just as authentic as the toxic masculinity of the mostly-male police network and as the pathology of the other main character, Tempe Brown.

So, once again, I have a five-star review of a novel by Robotham, who somehow made it seem that Tempe's takeover of Phil's life was both gradual and sudden. The family dynamics were spot-on as well.

Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for an advance readers copy.

This is the first book I have read by prolific writer Michael Robotham. Although he has written some series, this is considered a stand-alone novel although I hope it might become a series. I like his writing style and character development as well as colorful description of characters.

As one reads this book, which I couldn’t put down, you know that Phil is headed down the wrong path and continues to cause trouble for herself. I liked her and though she is strong and persistent, I did wish she was more savvy in reading people and their motivations.
There is a lot about justice and fairness here and it is to Robotham’s credit that
I felt a lot of anger about some of the injustices being perpetrated.

When You Are Mine” came to me via a free ARC from Net Galley. My thanks to NG, the publisher and the author, Michael Robotham.

This is a novel which is hard to categorize. It begins with a London Metropolitan Police officer and her partner responding to a domestic. There they find a frightened young woman named Tempe, who says there is nothing wrong. Officer Phil ( for Philomena ) McCarthy looks into the apartment and sees signs of a struggle. Eventually battered woman’s male friend appears, announcing that he is a police officer and that there is no crime to investigate.
With this scene, the reader is introduced to a fascinatingly involving thriller, with many themes.

There is the theme of battered / abused women. There is the “ thin blue line” rallying to protect One of their own, a decorated hero detective, is accused of abusing his wife and, Tempe, his girlfriend. A question of police corruption raises its head. Then there is Tempe herself, a strange, needy, obsessive , possessive, Black Widow as dangerous as she is beautiful . Finally, there is the primary character, Officer Philomena Mc Carthy, who feels constant pressures: of being a woman in a man’s world dissed, demeaned and harassed. Worse, she is that Phil is related to a well- known criminal family, and has much to live down, as she tries to prove her independence and strength as a woman.

The first third of the novel is a bit slow as the author develops these themes. Tempe entangles her life with Phil’s which irritates both her and her fiancée. For her part, Phil just cannot cut the needy Tempe loose. The detective seems to be a serial abuser. But then. Things really catch fire ( bit of a hint there, but a timely one.) The author has to stretch and tug to make it all work out at the end, but ” When You Are Mine” just cries out for filming.
Summing: get it , read it , enjoy it.

Interesting but not really my cup of tea. Well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. A cop being gaslight and domestic violence as the main topic of this novel it was at points hard to read and difficult. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

What a treat it was to read this haunting British mystery by an author I haven't read before. Don't know how I missed his prior books, but I will now add him to my list. The story centers on the career and personal struggles of Philomena (Phil) McCarthy. All she ever wanted to be is a police officer. The setting is London, her partner is Police Constable Anisha (“Nish”) Kohli. She has a step- mother, Constance, several uncles and her boyfriend is Henry, a firefighter. Oh, and her estranged father, Eddie McCarthy, is a notorious criminal gangster.
Phil has a lot to overcome. Being a female in the male dominant police force, balancing personal time with work and distancing herself from the family "business".
The author does an excellent job of addressing timely and relevant issues. I was both sad and angry at the pranks, taunts, abuse and outright illegal tactics which were constantly directed at Phil by Co-workers.
Phil responds to a domestic dispute call. The victim, Tempe (Margaret Brown), is afraid to pursue charges against her abuser, Darren Goodall. He just happens to be a Detective Sergeant stationed at Scotland Yard in the intelligence unit. You just know this isn't going to be easily resolved. There were some very surprising, interesting and unexpected twists to the case. Everyone isn't who you think they are and the lies and deceit kept the story on a fast pace.
This was a very suspense filled mystery, a solid police procedural and a reminder to me of how little progress has been made in my lifetime to erradicate gender bias.
I highly recommend this book to readers who love a good crime mystery with the bonus of examples of current affairs and important subject matter.
Many thanks to the author, Michael Robotham, for the opportunity to read the advance digital copy of "When You Are Mine".  Additionally, thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster. These are my personal thoughts and opinions provided voluntarily.

If you don't run out and purchase this book, it will be your loss. In this nail-biter filled with throbbing tension, I literally had to take my pulse as it was pounding out of my chest. What started out as a quiet afternoon where I wanted to read a couple of hours finished at 8:30 pm with no supper and no disappointment. I have always liked this author but this stand alone had me pacing my house after it had ended. A young police officer, Philomena, is called to a domestic disturbance where it appears that a woman is being assaulted by distinguished detective from Scotland Yard. Despite being the daughter of a London gangster, Philomena has a robust sense of justice and morality and ends up befriending this woman, Tempe and tries to seek justice and shelter her. However, Philomena seems to have blinders on regarding Tempe as she increasingly encroaches on her life, becoming parasitic. The tension further escalates when the detective's wife's young son making an emergency call to scream about his father hurting his mother. Permeating all of this scenes, is an exposition of police corruption, dirty politics, morality, domestic abuse, battered women, family love, and psychiatric issues. The tension just escalates skyward until it meets an awe gasping conclusion. Beautifully presented-this is a mystery wrapped up as a present to oneself.

Thanks to Netgalley and Scribner for providing this advance copy. I had read one other of the author’s books and liked it so I checked this out. While it seems like a standard police based thriller, it has a lot more depth and currency than most. I definitely recommend this.

Philomena has grown up in a crime family in London. Putting all that aside her dream was to become a Metropolitan Police Officer. Young and ambitious, she’s is out to right all the wrongs. When she investigates a domestic violence call, she has no idea how her life is about to unravel. The abused, a decorated detective has nothing to fear, and Phil is not about to let him off the hook. Told to step down, she pursues the case, becoming so entangled her very life is soon in jeopardy. Digging in deeper, she’s soon caught in a web of lies, secrets and murder. Just who are heroes and who are villains is up to you to decide. Robotham is an amazing author and his books stand out among the rest. In this captivating stand alone he covers the heavy subjects of domestic abuse, toxic friendships and corruption and does it very well.

Actually I would give this book a 4.5 this is a story of a police woman whose family of origin is part of a crime syndicate. In this book she fights for justice for abused women and goes against the police force she is complicated and relatable and the book was very well written would love to read more of this author's work

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

It was good. Author can really tell a story.

"...I didn't mean to hurt you, but everything I did was out of love..."

Again Michael Robotham illustrates how a great thriller is meant to grab you. Philomena McCarthy is a young London police officer who responds to a domestic disturbance call, confronting and arresting an assailant who has beaten a woman. It turns out the man she has arrested is Darren Goodall, a highly decorated cop with connections to the most powerful men in the department. She helps the victim, Tempe Brown, checking her into a shelter and trying in vain to persuade her to file charges. Philomena is a complex character driven to do the right thing no matter the risks, even as the reader wants to shake her and warn her to back off. Despite the threats from the police department, she pushes things further by probing into Goodall's violent history toward women-- his physical treatment of his wife and the suspicious death of a past girlfriend. We find this investigation will not be tolerated, it will be crushed.

In addition to the conflicts with the department and with Goodall, the victim she is desperately trying to help is a little "off". Tempe becomes attached to Philomena, offering to arrange her upcoming wedding, picking up dry cleaning, even seeing that the dishwasher is repaired. Tempe coincidentally runs into Philomena repeatedly all over town. Stranger, more disastrous developments eventually question how crazy Tempe is and how peculiar her obsession.

Philomena McCarthy has great potential to foster a whole series. In addition to her role as a woman in law enforcement, we learn she is the daughter of one of London's most notorious gangsters. This relationship has always been a source of friction between her and her career, casting an unfair shadow on her integrity. She has recently maintained a distance from her father... but such family bonds are not easily dismissed.

It turns out I will be reading everything by Michael Robotham. Thank you to Scribner Books, NetGalley and the author for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #WhenYouAreMine #NetGalley @ScribnerBooks @michaelrobotham

This book started off just fine. I updated my reading status about halfway through, saying it was a good middle-of-the-road thriller. To me, that usually means three stars, but today, while reading the second half of the story, that changed to five stars. I’m going to split the difference and give this four stars … that ending was great!

Philomena (Phil) is our protagonist, and quite a complex character is she. Raised in a mafia-style family of criminals, she went the opposite way and became a police officer. She’s always worried people will make the connection to her father’s name, but her surname of McCarthy is common, and she’s good at hiding her ties to a criminal empire she wants no part of.

One day, she’s on a domestic violence call when she meets our other main character, Tempe. Tempe is the mistress of a police officer in a different district than Phil, and from the start, it’s obvious this is a woman being abused. Phil is angry that Officer Goodall is beating his mistress, but the thin blue line runs thick, and she has no chance of serving justice. Goodall is saved by the good ol’ boy network, and Tempe is forced to run.

That is the first half of the story, but in the second half, you start to wonder if Philomena is cursed. She’s trying to save not only Tempe, but other women who are lured in by this monster of a man, including his wife. While this is happening, she gets closer to Tempe, and this flips into a “Single White Female” situation. That’s when the book starts to get really crazy … crazy good!

The ending of this was great; there was a lot to wade through before getting to the five-star part of this book, but the last half is totally worth the wait. I wish there was a bit more character development with people other than Philomena and Tempe, but the story was mostly about them so that’s where the author spent most of his time. Phil is engaged, but her partner plays a small role in the book, as do many characters of interest, such as her father and uncles. This was still a good one though, and I’m happy to give it four stars.

(Thank you to Scribner, Michael Robotham, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on January 3, 2022.)

Wow, I believe this is my first book by Robotham, but definitely not my last! Very well written, in an unique, fantastic, fast paced style, with amazing character development! Kept me on the edge of my seat, with the tension, thrills, and chills! Also left me completely shocked, mind blown, and hungover! Highly, highly recommend this fantastic twisty thrill ride of a read!