Shatter
There is a moment when all hope disappears, all pride is gone, all expectation, all faith, all desire. I own that moment. It belongs to me. That's when I hear the sound.
The sound of a mind breaking.
It's not a loud crack like when bones shatter or a spine fractures of a skull collapses. And it's not something soft and wet like a heart breaking. It's a sound that makes you wonder how much pain a person can endure; a sound that shatters memories and lets the past leak into the present; a sound so high that only the hounds of hell can hear it.
Can you hear it? Someone is curled up in a tiny ball crying softly into an endless night.
Want to read more? Download the first chapter of SHATTER (pdf format).
PRAISE FOR 'SHATTER'
SHATTER was shortlisted for the 2008 CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger award in the UK.
Judges' comments:
‘Dark, deep and brooding; everything a psychological thriller should be. A frightening situation brings crime uncomfortably close to home.’
Sue Turnbull in the Sydney Morning Herald
'Thematically complex, artfully structured, beautifully written and observed, SHATTER confirms Robotham's place in the front row of crime.'
Graeme Blundell in The Australian
'As pleasurably upsetting as anything I've read...Robotham's style inhabits the realm of ideas where writerly cadence, sociological consequence and, above all, eventful narrative, coalesce into wonderfully dense detailed novels of place and character. He is simply one of the most pleasing crime writers to read.'
Adelaide Advertiser
'[a] frightening, compelling investigation into the darker reaches of the mind...and one which raises the vexatious issue of society's responsibility for the monsters it creates...'
Peter Millar in The Times (UK)
'SHATTER is a gripping journey into the weaknesses and strengths of the human psyche, a story of humanity and inhumanity - and of how one can become the other… [It] will have you turning the pages compulsively, desperate to get to the end, but not daring to miss a word.'
The Sunday Telegraph (Australia)
'Nailbiting suspense of the highest order.'
Jessica Mann in the Literary Review (UK)
'The reader is drawn inexorably into the story because the characters are very convincing as real people in a tragic situation...genuinely terrifying.'
Adelaide Review
'This is a novel with a crocodile grip. Sometimes the tension is too much and you pause. Otherwise you cannot put it down.''
Susanna Yager in the Sunday Telegraph (UK)
'SHATTER is a clever novel by a very talented storyteller.'
The Daily Record (UK)
'Michael Robotham's outstanding debut THE SUSPECT was so inventive and raw it caused a tremor of excitement among thriller fans. Now again he proves he is becoming a master at making the earth move.'
The Daily Mirror (UK)
'This is Robotham's fourth and best psychological thriller, proving what a home grown talent he is.'
The Canberra Times
'SHATTER is a first-rate crime novel that is sure to enhance Robotham's growing reputation.'
Mike Stotter, Shotsmag Confidential
'My tip for 2008 is Michael Robotham's SHATTER...it's superb, powerful stuff.'
Crimesquad.com
'SHATTER is a highly contemporary, yet strangely gothic story that grips you and keeps you super-glued to those rapidly turning pages. Robotham is not merely a name to watch out for in the future, he is a dazzling and established name to look for right now.'
Company Magazine (UK)
'Brilliant.'
Spanningsblog (Netherlands)
'Michael Robotham delivers another gem, confirming his growing reputation - not for nothing are his sales in the Netherlands totallying more than 200,000 copies sold.'
Crimezone (Netherlands)
'If you want a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat, trembling and shaking, then read SHATTER. It is Robotham's best book so far and will be difficult for him to surpass.'
Reviewer Chris High
'SHATTER is without a doubt, from first to last, a book to cherish…the author whips the reader along at breakneck pace to places they would rather not be on almost every page. SHATTER is truly exhilarating stuff…'
Purchase Michael Robotham's books at your local book store or find them at;
dymocks.com.au
You are currently in Michael Robotham's Australian web site. If you have been wrongly redirected, go to the USA or UK/international versions.