A well constructed and entertaining crime thriller with plenty of action, twists and a wide cast of characters.

EXCERPT: Our shoulder radios crackle and buzz in unison.
'All cars. All cars. emergency attendance. Major incident in progress. Hatton Garden. Please proceed to Holborn Circus and establish a perimeter.'
Coop on the radio: 'Kilo Quebec Three Zero, responding. Twelve minutes away. Over.'
'You go,' I say.
'We should stick together.'
'I'm not leaving a child out here.'
I talk into my radio. 'Kilo Quebec Three Zero. This is PC McCarthy. I've spotted a missing child dressed in pyjamas. I'm searching on foot.'
'What is your location?'
'Haverstock Hill at England's Lane.'
'Do you have a description?'
'A little boy wearing long pyjamas.'
'Approximate age?'
'Hard to say. I only got a glimpse.'
'Do you need assistance?'
'I'll let you know.'
'Understood. Control out.'
Returning to the patrol car, I collect a torch and a thermal blanket before watching Coop drive away. My radio is broadcasting comms chatter about the Hatton Garden call-out. Some sort of robbery. So much for a quiet night.

ABOUT 'THE WHITE CROW' (PHILOMENA MCCARTHY #2): As the daughter of a London crime boss, Police Constable Philomena McCarthy walks a thin blue line keeping the two sides of her complicated life apart.

On patrol one night she discovers a child in pyjamas, wandering alone. Taking Daisy home, Phil uncovers the aftermath of a deadly home invasion, as three miles away a prominent jeweller is found strapped to an explosive in his ransacked store.

The crimes are linked, and all the evidence points to Phil's father as the mastermind.

Phil's two worlds are colliding, trapping her in the middle of a vicious gang war that will threaten her career and everyone she loves. Who can she trust - the badge or her own blood?

MY THOUGHTS: I have to admit to not having red the first book in this series yet, but I wish I had. Although Michael Robotham makes a good job of explaining Phil's family background and her difficulties joining the Met because of it, I think I would have had a better understanding of the characters and the storyline had I read When You Are Mine first. I think it would also have made a difference to my star rating.

The plot is multi-layered and complex, tight and tense. The characters are intriguing. Phil is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Her family don't quite trust her, nor do her workmates. In fact, it seems that some of them won't stop at anything to get rid of an officer they are sure is only there to pass information on to her criminal family. She is brave, kind, and smart in some ways but inclined to accept things at face value in her need to feel accepted and valued.

But the standout characters for me are the child Daisy, found wandering alone in the middle of the night, dressed only in her pyjamas and clutching a stuffed hippo toy; and Henry, Phil's husband and a firefighter. His love and respect for her blew my socks off!

I am a definite starter for #3 in the series, and I already have a hold on #1 from the library. After I have read it I may come back and increase my rating here. Because, as Mr King says, 'Nobody does suspense better.'

⭐⭐⭐⭐.1

#TheWhiteCrow #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR - MICHAEL ROBOTHAM was born in Australia in November 1960 and grew up in small country towns that had more dogs than people and more flies than dogs. He escaped became a cadet journalist on an afternoon newspaper in Sydney.
Michael now lives in Sydney with his wife and a diminishing number of dependent daughters.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Hachette Australia and New Zealand for providing an e-ARC of The White Crow by Michael Robotham for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

3.5 rounded up

The White Crow marks the return of Philomena McCarthy, an ambitious young police officer trying to walk the thin blue line while being the daughter of one of London’s most notorious crime bosses. When a child covered in blood crosses her path on a routine patrol, and a jeweller is found with a bomb strapped to his chest across town, Phil quickly finds herself entangled in a web of lies, loyalty, and high-stakes decisions that threaten everything she’s built.

This is the fourth Michael Robotham book I’ve read—each rated 4 stars or above—and while his writing remains sharp and propulsive, this one lands slightly lower for me at 3.5. I didn’t realise this was part of a series when I picked it up, but true to form, Robotham crafts each book to stand on its own.

The premise is solid, but some elements felt over-the-top and required a fair bit of disbelief suspension. The continued focus on Phil’s mob family makes the story feel surreal at times, and I couldn't help but think it would have been stronger without the McCarthy elements. The East End gangster thread feels dated—how many traditional firms like this are even active in 2025? The murder/robbery plotline was the strongest part, well-paced even if I figured it out early.

Phil’s decisions sometimes made little sense—especially taking orders from someone claiming to work for a government agency without doing any digging. While the core mystery is engaging, it leans more towards a procedural drama than a true thriller, with minimal tension until the final act. And even then, the climax didn’t quite hit.

That said, I really enjoyed Phil’s connection with Daisy—it added heart and emotional depth. Keegan’s arc also brought some satisfaction, even though I disliked him for much of the book. The final police press conference was a high note that left me smiling.

Overall, while this doesn’t reach the psychological and emotional depths of Robotham’s Cyrus Haven/Evie Cormac series (which I adore), it’s a solid mystery read. If this series continues, I’d love to see more focus on police work and less on the mob drama—or maybe give the McCarthys their own prequel, set decades earlier.

Thank you to Michael Robotham, Elliott & Thompson, and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is the sequel to When You Were Mine, but can easily be read as a standalone as it gives you plenty of background on the main characters.

Philomena “Phil” McCarthy is a police constable whose family are mobsters, but this doesn’t stop her from trying to stop the injustice in life.

Throughout this book, we also gain more insight into her father’s business and how it affects the story in those life threatening moments. The best part is that Henry, Phil’s partner, plays a huge part in this story that will take your breath away!

The new addition to this series is Phil’s boss, Keegan. Not only is he battling his own demons with his OCD, divorce, and a boss who is sabotaging him in every way, he maintains his fight for justice of the innocent - even if he must join the wrong side to do it.

A few moments felt familiar or repetitive from the first book, but the triple POV helps keep you in the suspense and the psychological pressure of the situation until the fiery end.

However, the only thing I disliked was the character change of Daragh. The way he talks has changed into a more dumber aura than the first book in the series. The over use of the phrase ‘whatnot’ did get annoying quickly. But the essence of the character didn’t change, which is a relief.

Regardless, Robotham has once again proved that he knows how to write a good detective story.

Just when I thought Michael Robotham couldn’t get any better, he proves me wrong. Having thoroughly enjoyed the first book featuring Philomena McCarthy, When you are mine, I was expecting probably a weaker follow on, wrong! The next instalment in Philomena’s life & career was every bit as gripping, perhaps even more so.

The book can be read as a stand alone but to get the richness of each character & the whole backstory I would recommend reading this as a sequel.

Philomena is such a great character, serving as a police officer but with a criminal family, trying to stay on the right side of the law but often not abiding by it to achieve the right result. A gripping thriller, lots of twists & turns, I was kept guessing until the end. I will be recommending this one for a long time. I just hope Mr Robotham writes another instalment soon!

PC Philomena (Phil) McCarthy has always known that her career could be under threat by her notorious family. Her father Eddie McCarthy and his brothers are well known as linchpins of the London underworld, although they now run a building and development company that Eddie insists on keeping above the law. But now the McCarthy name has come up as suspects in the robbery of a jeweller and the murder of his wife and Phil finds herself in the middle of a gang war between the McCarthys and a foreign gang with very evil intentions.

Michael Robotham is a superbly good writer of suspense and this is both thrilling and gripping. It’s also more than a thriller with interesting characters and relationships. The characters come complete with flaws and even the bad guys are well drawn. Phil is close to her family but must always draw a line between knowing about their activities and her career, such that she often grapples with moral dilemmas and where her loyalty should be in making the right decision.

The novel is beautifully paced with the tension rising as the danger to all involved becomes apparent. The plot is well structured and makes for compelling reading as it moves between blackmail, extortion, abduction and a thrilling ending. In addition to the battle between the McCarthys and the foreign gang there is a thread involving a small girl, the daughter of the jeweller and his murdered wife, that tugs at Phil’s heartstrings, as well as the reader’s. I would recommend reading the first book in the series (When You Are Mine) to meet all the characters, but this would also work well as a stand-alone novel.

I'm a voracious mystery reader, but much of Robotham's work has passed me by - and I have no idea why.
This was my first read from him for a long time, and my first look at the Philomena McCarthy series, but now I'm totally hooked.
Robotham's plotting, structure and character development is peerless. There's lots of lovely twists and turns in the narrative and his pacy writing results in a compelling read that I simply couldn't put down.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hachette for the opportunity to read this in advance.

I mark my calendar for the release date of each new book by Michael Robotham. I am a huge fan and have learned to savour each page. I just love his writing style, his characters and they way he delivers the mystery in each book. The White Crow is no exception and just wait till you find out the meaning behind the title!!

This is the second book featuring PC Philomena McCarthy and her criminal/ mob family but rest assured it can be read as a standalone

Philomena McCarthy is one magnificent character. Tough and fearless, selfless and caring. She has a strong sense of justice and loves being a police officer. Her family has not made being in the police force easy for her and in this instalment the lines are blurred even more. Whilst on duty she finds a little girl Daisy roaming the streets not far from home. Her mum and dad are jewellers and her mum has been murdered and dad kidnapped. Little does she know what tangled web it turns out to be when her dad is implicated in the robbery of the jewellers home and their store and the police believe she is involved!!

As usual, I had no idea who killed Daisy’s mum and what all the connections were but did I love the journey!!

Henry, Phil’s fireman husband stole the show for me and I really hope we get to see the next chapter in Phil and Henry’s life.

A big thanks to NetGalley & Hachette AU and Michael Robotham for the ARC.

It’s no secret that Michael Robotham is my favourite author, so any new release from him is an instant must-read. I truly believe he’s a master of the crime genre — and with The White Crow, he proves it once again. As soon as I saw it featured PC Phil McCarthy, first introduced in 2021’s When You Are Mine, I knew I had to dive in immediately.

Philomena “Phil” McCarthy is one of my favourite Robotham characters — a sharp, ambitious London cop with the kind of moral compass you root for. But what makes her really compelling is the fact that she comes from a notorious crime family, headed by her old-school gangster father, Edward McCarthy. When Phil finds a young girl wandering the streets in bloodied pyjamas saying she can’t wake her mother, it seems like a tragic home invasion. But the case quickly spirals into a far more complex web of lies, secrets, and blurred loyalties — and Phil finds herself caught right in the middle.

There wasn’t a single thing I didn’t love about this book. It hooked me from the first page and didn’t let go. The dynamic between Phil and her gangster dad and uncles was a particular highlight — the banter, the tension, the loyalty — all so vivid I could picture every scene like a movie. The premise of a police officer with such conflicted roots makes for endlessly fascinating storytelling.

If you haven’t read Robotham yet, you’re seriously missing out. He’s an exceptional writer and a brilliant storyteller, and The White Crow only cements his spot as my all-time favourite author.

Big thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Australia for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The White Crow is brilliantly written & suspenseful! I was overjoyed when I found out there was second book in this series because the first book hooked me in! Totally loved Phil & her complicated, colourful and endearing family of gangsters. How she’s meant to uphold the law & her family is the one that breaks it is a balancing act between her job and family loyalty.

A woman is murdered during a home invasion, her husband is found at his shop with a bomb strapped to him, and her young daughter is found wandering the streets by Phil.

Who killed the woman and why?

Is Philomena’s father involved as the police suspect?

This will see her trying what seems an impossible balance between her job and family loyalty.

The White Crow is the second book in the Philomena McCarthy series by award-winning, bestselling Australian author, Michael Robotham. A home invasion with a hostage held while a jeweller is forced to open his shop and safe, nets the thieves over four million pounds. Unaware of this, PC Philomena McCarthy, now four years out of Hendon and a year married to firefighter, Henry, is on a 3am food run for her colleagues at Kentish Town police station when she spots a child in pyjamas wandering the street. Five-year-old Daisy Kemp-Lowe says she can’t wake her mother, and Philomena soon learns why this is tragically true.

DCI Brendan Keegan is on the Kemp-Lowe Jewel robbery, but he considers his priority is finding Caitlin Kemp-Lowe’s murderer. Investigations, interviews and CCTV soon has him suspecting slippery career criminal Eddie McCarthy, and his brothers, but pinning this on him is a challenge. Ignorant of any connection, when Phil asks to be part of the case, he allows it, impressed by her observational skills. When it becomes apparent just who her father is, Keegan is livid, and her career is on the line.

Under interrogation, Eddie McCarthy denies all knowledge of the home invasion and robbery, although he does secretly have a stake in the case. But Eddie has bigger problems: the bank is ready to call in their loans because his Hope Island development is behind schedule, delayed by lockdowns, skills shortages, supply disruptions and the like, but lately plagued by vandalism on an unprecedented scale. It’s clear someone wants his turf.

Before matters are resolved, there will be more deaths, extortion and blackmail, an abduction, quite a bit of gunplay, a tunnel escape, and a fire. By halfway, the astute reader might well discern the identity of the perpetrator of one of the crimes, but the journey to the nail-biting climax and the very satisfying resolution is worth every page.

Robotham gives the reader a wonderful cast of characters, of whom Phil’s uncles are a particular delight, and it’s soon apparent he had a lot of fun with their dialogue, and whatnot. Twists, turns and the odd red herring make this another dose of brilliant crime fiction from a master of the genre.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Hachette Australia.

The White Crow
Michael Robotham

We’re back with ambitious police officer Philomena McCarthy, daughter of London’s most notorious mob boss. This book follows on from Philomena’s introduction in When She Was Mine.

'Maybe we could rob a bank,' says Daragh.
'Banks don't hold that sort of cash any more,' says Finbar.
'What about an armoured truck? The gee-gees are racing at Kempton Park on Saturday.
'We're not robbing a bank or an armoured truck,' says McCarthy.
'We don't do that shit any more. We're businessmen.'

On patrol, Philomena finds a barefoot child wandering the streets who says she can’t wake her mother. Meanwhile, nearby a London jeweller has a bomb strapped to his chest, having had his store ransacked and millions of dollars worth of jewels are missing.

“Information is currency, Philomena. And success comes from knowing what motivates people, what they desire, what they fear.”

These two events collide and threaten Philomena’s career, marriage, family loyalty and her life. Philomena must decide who she can trust and on what side of the thin blue line she wants to live.

“I understand power. It doesn't come from having deeper pockets, or bigger guns, or more ammunition. It comes from being willing to do what the other person won't. You have boundaries and rules. I have none. You have lines you won't cross. I have none.”

I loved it! The crime family and their mannerisms and undercover ways. Philomena and her grit, determination and dedication to protecting people. The police and the obstacles and bureaucracy they are governed to play under. The little girl navigating her new reality. Their relationships and motivations had me captivated all whilst solving this crime.

“Trying not to breathe. If he'd seen me, I'd be dead. You don't mess with a one-eyed man.”

I’ve always considered Michael Robotham a favourite author of mine. His books always are brilliant and so well crafted that you cannot put them down. These characters come to life and stay with you. The crimes are both outrageous and yet completely plausible.

‘When there is too much detail, it can be hard to see what's missing.’

If you haven’t read one of his books, I’d recommend you change that.

(Posting review 19th June 2025).

Another superb and intricately plotted novel from Michael Robotham. Possibly my favourite Aussie Crime author- the characters, as always are real, the dialogue natural, plotting clever, and suspense beautifully nuanced.

Michael, please, I beg you, remove all the C words from your book! It's the vilest, most disgusting word and each time broke the flow of the story. You're a wordsmith, and can surely choose words which don't give so much offence. I've met you twice before, in Newcastle, Australia, and couldn't imagine the word coming out of your mouth. The White Crow is a 5* read, but I can only give it a 4* rating because of the above. Thank you for your stories.. This is not a criticism but a request.

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Four years into the job, and police officer Philomena McCarthy was with her partner on a food run. It was the middle of the night, so food took away the boredom for the officers at the station. But as Philomena heard the urgent call for all units to head downtown, she saw a small child from the corner of her eye. Sending her partner to answer the urgent call, she searched for the child, who turned out to be a five year old girl, Daisy, with blood on her nightwear. When Daisy said she couldn't wake her mother, Philomena called it in and headed for the house. What she found was the beginning of all out war between the underbelly of London, which unfortunately included her father and uncles; well known as gangsters.

Philomena and her new husband, firefighter Henry, were meant to head to Paris for a small break, but both the jewellery heist and murder of Daisy's mother meant they had to cancel. Daisy had hold of Philomena's heart and seemed to trust her, whereas anyone else saw her scream and cry. Meanwhile Edward McCarthy, Philomena's father, was having trouble of his own with his businesses suffering vandalism and sabotage. Certain someone was out to take over his business, he had his brothers digging deeply. But this put Philomena in the sights of her colleagues...

The White Crow is the 2nd in the Philomena McCarthy series by Aussie author Michael Robotham after the first in the series was initially called a standalone. But fortunately for his readers, the author enjoyed writing Philomena's character, so decided to continue. A thoroughly entertaining, tension filled, gritty read - typical of the author's style - I loved the characters, especially Eddie's brothers (all bad guys, but loveable ones!!) Daragh made me laugh! All in all, a book I recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley & Hachette AU for my digital ARC to read and review.

What a great set-up for a crime novel - the ambitious investigating detective is the daughter of a well known crime family and can never quite shake off the association. The McCarthy family operates on the wrong side of the law but still come across as sympathetic characters who I’d hope to see more of in the future.

Although this is a sequel, I came to this book first and had no problems reading it as a stand-alone. White Crow is an engaging, pacy, character-driven thriller which is up there with the best of Robotham’s work.

My thanks to Hachette and Netgalley for an advance review copy.

This book was exceptional. I could not put it down and read it late into the night! I really love the McCarthy family and I look forward to more in the series. 5 stars! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I was thrilled when I heard that there was going to be another book featuring Philomena McCarthy and her mob family. I loved When You Are Mine, the first book with the McCarthy family and The White Crow did not disappoint. Michael Robotham books never do. He is one of my favourite Australian crime authors and he should be yours too.

Philomena is looking forward to a mini break when she sees a young girl covered in blood wandering the streets of London in the middle of the night. She finds the girl and takes her home to discover that the girls mother has been murdered in a house invasion. Across town, her colleagues are called to a jewellery store robbery where the owner has been tied to a chair with a bomb strapped to his chest. Now tell me you don’t want to read this… I didn’t think so. So good right!

Working this case, Philomena is constantly having to block out her father, a notorious crime lord, and the rest of her family. She is still struggling to find that balance between her job and her family loyalties. This case really tests her morals and values as well as her relationship with her husband and workmates.

Just simply brilliant as always from such an incredible writer. Thank you so much to Hachette Australia for my advanced e arc and physical copy of this book to read. I really couldn’t get enough. Published in Australia on June 24th.

This is the second book in this series and sometimes second books do not live up to the first. In my opinion this one was another winner for Michael Robotham in the Philomena McCarthy series. I heard that there was only meant to originally be one book, but that Robotham enjoyed writing this character so much he came back for another round.

A tightly plotted sequel that moves along at an excellent pace, providing us with a fabulous richly layered story which builds and takes the reader on another dark and exciting journey. I think what I loved most about the book apart from a great unexpected plot was the development of Philomena’s character where the author allows us further into her world and get to know a lot more about her, both personally and professionally.

The case she becomes involved is well thought out by the author, offering up a story from the very darkest side of life while combining it with incredible human emotion and the combination of these two themes work brilliantly together. Great characterisation hit us from all sides and as much as I wanted to know how it was all going to resolve, I also did not want it to end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy, all opinions expressed are my own.

This is an author who never writes a dud, maybe his career in journalism has honed his style, but he can write!
The White Crow sees the return of Philomena McCarthy, policewoman and daughter of renown gangster Eddie McCarthy.
One night while on duty Philomena sees a young girl out wandering the streets in her pjs and covered in blood. She says she cannot wake her mother. A few miles away a jeweller is found with his shop ransacked and a bomb strapped to his chest. He is the young girls father and the mother is located bound and dead in their home.
What seems to be a home invasion/jewellery heist gone wrong, soon appears that someone is out to ruin Eddie McCarthys hold on the crime scene and they are taking no prisoners. Philomena whom has a tenuous relationship with her father must choose which side to take, believe in her father or follow the rules of her job.
Excellent as always and I hope there is more about this character.

#TheWhiteCrow. #NetGalley

Michael Robotham could write a list of groceries & I’d probably rate it 5 stars - he’s just that good. He’s the master of edge-of-your-seat thrillers, & has yet to let me down with any of his books.

White Crow is the second book featuring Philomena McCarthy - it can be read as a stand alone, but the first book does provide some insight into her challenges balancing her life as a police officer, & the daughter of a gangster.

White crow starts with Phil on shift when she spots a little girl in the middle of the road in the middle of the night covered in blood. From there, expect lots of twists & turns, & Phil herself becoming entangled in a web of crime she’s tried so hard to remain free from.

Please give us more Philomena - she’s a national treasure that must be protected.