However many novels Michael Robotham writes in his Cyrus Haven and Evie Cormac series, “Storm Child” will be remembered as essential to the canon. Since her introduction in “Good Girl, Bad Girl,” when Cormac was first called to evaluate Evie, we’ve had only hints at her tragic past. This is the book that reveals her backstory.
It begins on a Lincolnshire beach, when bodies of migrants start washing ashore after their boat was deliberately sunk, leaving only one teenage survivor. This confronting scene triggers memories from Evie’s past, compelling her to piece together the broken shards of her mind, while Cyrus aids the police investigation into the premeditated catastrophe. Because what happened today, all those needless deaths, is connected to Evie’s trauma.
At this point I think I’ve used every superlative in the dictionary for Robotham’s work. This is a guy who writes suspense fiction rooted in character rather than pyrotechnics, and whose thrillers rarely rely on gunplay or exaggerated violence. He’s a master manipulator, who always plays fair with his readers. There’s never any unearned misdirection, just an author who knows how to build tension and keep the pages turning. “Storm Child” is another fine example of his mastery. Nobody does it better.
Though this could be an endcap to the series, I get the feeling there are more Cormac and Evie stories to tell. There is knowing the truth, and living with it.
Written By Sime 