This is book 4 of 4 in the world that is Cyrus Haven! Storm Child finally unlocks the secrets of Evie’s past and boy does it deliver! A psychological thriller about identity, memory loss and people trafficking with lots of twists and turns!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book!

This book fell into my lap at such a critical time, with the UK election literally this week and immigration and the migrants boats being a massive discussion point within the parties.
The book follows Cyrus and Evie, who live together, Clive took Evie in after being her psychologist following a very traumatic childhood. On a day trip to the seaside, they witness the sad after event of a migrant boat capsizing and all bar one child, are lost at sea. This story then follows what happens.
The story is well written and fast paced.

Storm Child
Michael Robotham

“I’d cling to the wreckage.”
“You make it sound so easy.”
“I’ve been doing it all my life.”

Storm Child is a gripping psychological thriller that will captivate you with its suspenseful mystery with plenty of moving parts, whilst also exploring the complexities of the human psyche.

There are themes of trauma, redemption, found family and the power of the past to shape our present.

I’m a massive Robotham fan and Cyrus Haven is in my absolute top favourite characters. To get the full delightful experience of this book, I do encourage you to read the series, this being book four. That way you learn the backstory and understand the unique relationship between Cyrus and Evie. Although this could be enjoyed as a stand alone, you’re going to want to read them all after having dipped your toe in, so best just read in order from the start.

‘I used to think that I fell somewhere in between these two poles, perhaps leaning towards the latter, because every time I felt like I was in control of my destiny, I had the shit kicked out of me.’

Storm Child finally unlocks the secrets of Evie’s past, set in motion when the bodies of seventeen migrants wash up on a Lincolnshire beach. There is just one survivor, a teenage boy who tells Police their boat was deliberately rammed and sunk.

Psychologist Cyrus is recruited by the a police to investigate these murders and he can recognize immediately that Evie has some link to the tragedy.

By solving this crime, he could unlock the secrets to her past, but at what cost to Evie?

‘It is almost impossible to fathom how much tragedy she has experienced in her short life. And it makes me wonder if it can build up inside a person, accumulating like a trace metal, or a forever chemical, slowly poisoning them.’

This was tremendous and as always from Robotham, a home run.
I will forever preach my love for his books and characters and encourage everyone to try him out. He’s an automatic buy author for me.

‘I hate him sometimes. All the time. Never.’

The younger one catches sight of my tattoos and whistles through his teeth. “Is that a hobby or an illness?” “Both”.

REVIEW POSTED 1st JULY 2024.

Apparently there have been some previous adventures involving Evie and Cyrus and throughout the book I wished I had read some or all of the books.

A story that included child abuse, refugees and asylum seekers and various characters in Scotland certainly upsets a traumatised Evie.

Whilst I enjoyed the writing (with little bits of humour), the migrant boat story, I needed to know more about Evie and Cyrus, and cannot give the book five stars.

Thanks to Net Galley and Little Brown Book Group UK for the chance to read and review.

I absolutely loved this book as I've loved the previous 3 in the series but sad this is book 4 of 4 in the series look forward to what the author comes up with next and I have The Joe O'Loughlin series ready to read can't wait

Cyrus and Evie are such likeable characters which made this book, and the entire series so far, so enjoyable to read. I loved that so much about Evie’s past was revealed, while also tackling an important subject in the storyline. Overall, an interesting read from beginning to end.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

Storm Child is the fourth in the brilliant series and it is good to back with cyrus and Evie!

Enjoying a beach trip, the pair are shocked when bodies start to wash up on the shore. Cyrus rushes straight in to help, while the sights trigger a different response in Evie, which ends up with her unresponsive in hospital.

This book felt lie a bit of a culmination of issues from the previous books. We have always known Evie had a dark and disturbing past and this gives us the background that we have been waiting for. It also sees Cyrus moving on slightly and it was nice to see his relationship with Florence developing.
This story also highlights the very current, important issue of human trafficking and the plight of refugees

Storm Child by Michael Robotham is the fourth in this series and though (with this) we've now uncovered long-buried backstories of our two lead characters, forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven and his former patient Evie Cormac, I'm very much hoping we'll continue to see them pair up and hunt down baddies.

I initially worried I'd not enjoy this as much as usual as I'm not a fan of novels featuring white collar crime, organised crime, including people trafficking and the like - generally preferring a twisted deep-seated motive (ie. psychopathy or trauma not money) - driving my criminals, but this certainly won me over.

I love this series. I liked Joe O'Loughlin but didn't like some of the women Robotham paired him with... (*shrugs*) so I've preferred this series to Robotham's earlier novels (though I do enjoy his standalones as well).

As an ex-investigative reporter Robotham's obviously done his research - or just knows an inordinate amount about asylum seekers, refugees, people trafficking and border control. The level of detail proffered so easily here made this feel very real. As did his referencing of the Identitarian movement (those opposing globalisation and multiculturalism) and its disparate supporters.

I also liked that Robotham jumped on that asylum seeker bandwagon and included an advocate fighting for their rights, (as well as those wanting to 'send them home'), without hitting us over the head with a sledgehammer.

I'd forgotten that Evie's crushing on her former psychologist and guardian, now friend and love how deftly Cyrus bats this away without hurting Evie. I'd also forgotten how naïve she is and how sheltered she has been for much of her life - street smart but having missed some life basics. This novel (also) shows how much she's grown, now willing to confront her own past if it will help other (more recent) victims and uncover buried memories and secrets.

"I have spent the past three years trying to fit in and become one of the crowd. Ordinary, in every way. Invisible....

... This should make me feel like I belong, but when I look in the mirror, I see an imposter or a crisis actor. My life feels like a performance without a script, where I am expected to improvise. I don't even know if I'm the hero or villain of my own story, or when it might be over." p 178

I did feel like it was kinda easy to guess the ultimate baddie, given we don't have many contenders so wonder if having some chapters told from their anonymous / menacing point-of-view could have helped drive doubt and get more buy-in for their 'reveal'. Having said that, it didn't ultimately matter as there are many additional twists. Some bittersweet, but satisfying.

I lapped up this latest offering from Robotham, surprising myself by pausing half-way through to savour the second half, reading it in two sittings rather than one, and was reminded he's both a masterful storyteller AND a creator of flawed yet captivating characters.

4.5 stars

Like all of Michael Robotham’s books, Storm Child is a captivating story. At last, we gain insight into Evie Cormac’s traumatic past as she remembers more and more about the chilling and heartbreaking events she experienced as a little girl. Despite the horror portrayed, there are also moments of tenderness and joy as the story unfolds. Highly recommended. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Cyrus Haven works with police as a forensic psychologist. He shares his house in Nottingham with 22-year-old, Evie Cormac, who needed somewhere safe to live when her time in protective care finished.

Evie was born in Albania and trafficked with her mother and sister. Evie’s mother and sister died on the voyage to the UK. And later Evie was found abandoned with no memory. She was given a new identity and placed in protective care until she turned 18.

Cyrus is trying to help Evie regain her memory. While they are on holiday in a seaside town of Cleethorpes a boat carrying migrants has an accident and everyone on board dies except for one survivor.

The disaster causes Evie to have some disturbing memories of her own arrival by sea.

Set mostly in the UK with some flashbacks to Albania. Written in two parts, with Cyrus and Evie telling their version of events.

A psychological thriller about identity, memory loss and people trafficking. Lots of twists and turns. I loved the interactions between Evie and Cyrus. I particularly liked the way Evie used the local library and also a local historian to research people and events.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this E-Book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Wow, what a ride. Robothom sure knows how to write! But we already knew that, didn’t we. 😉

“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳: 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘢 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘮, 𝘢 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯”

Storm Child is the 4th in the Cyrus Haven series by Aussie author Michael Robotham and is another excellent addition to the series. Set in Lincolnshire and Scotland with lots of interesting information about people smuggling in the UK, and of course psychology, and Cyrus and Evie continue to be captivating characters that make the book addictive

“𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘳. 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴, ‘𝘳𝘶𝘯’, ‘𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘦’, ‘𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺’, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺, ‘𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵’, 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴. 𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”

The fast paced, ever changing plot is told in alternative POV’s and flashbacks as the current circumstances in the mystery of the migrant deaths trigger memories. A dark tale emerges revealing a larger conspiracy and ultimately answering the long sought after questions to Evie’s past.

“𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦. 𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳.”

I love the bond that exists between Cyrus and Evie, it’s clear there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for her, it’s heartwarming as they both grow and learn from their own traumas. 

This book was brilliant, full of action, tense and suspenseful moments and intelligent prose and I just didn’t want to put it down. I highly recommend it!

This is most enjoyable as part of the series, but there is enough back story here that it could be read as a standalone.

Thank you Hachette Aus, Little Brown Book Group & NetGalley for this gifted ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 Stars rounded up.

This is book 4 of this most excellent series and, as always I am going to recommend you start at the beginning. Honestly, I know I bang on about this all the time, but for certain series, certain characters, you really do need to do yourself a favour... and this is most definitely one of these...
So.. in this book we kinda have Evie's origin story... But I get ahead of myself... We begin with Cyrus being asked to assist when a small boy is washed up on a Lincolnshire beach, along with the bodies of the 17 other migrants who accompanied him on the small boat. Cyrus was also a witness to the event as he was holidaying there with Evie. He discovers quite quickly that this event has shades of what happened to Evie all those years ago, and he realises that this, should he solve the case, could finally expose the secrets of Evie's past... Whether this is a good or bad thing, well, I'm going to leave that to you to find out...
I love this series, I love the characters, the way they have developed, both together and individually, as the series has gone on. How they have taken everything that life has thrown at them and survived. Chalk and cheese but also very alike, and they rub along together wonderfully.
It's fast paced and quite dark. Very in places, but not overwhelmingly so. Obviously the subject matter is harrowing, whatever your politics, people dying is horrible. But also quite poignant and topical with this sort of thing happening more and more regularly these days. It's heartbreaking. But also, at the end of the day, there's some joy and closure for Evie...
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Storm Child - Michael Robotham

Never has a topic been so current or alarming as of the plights of migrants crossing the North Sea - and this book unravels the plight of one girl to remember her crossing.

The murky world of people trafficking made for an intense read - and Michael’s ability to keep the tension and adrenaline flowing was second to none.

Read it in two sittings - a clear testament to the calibre of the writing!

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC - will look up more of Michael’s books now!

Urgh I had almost forgotten how much i love this series when this book arrived just in time to remind me. Read in 2 days over 4 sittings - grabbing moment between work meetings, between mouthfuls of dinner, fighting sleep to keep on going! This is by far the most compelling the series so far. Fast paced and seriously hard to put down. Although we’ve got some answers and resolutions that we’ve sought since the first book I really hope the story isn’t over yet. I would miss Evie and Cyrus terribly.

Evie lives with Cyrus, a forensic psychologist. She has no memories of her past, but he believes that if he can just unlock the correct memory, he can help her to lead a fulfilled life. Then, the bodies of 17 migrants are washed up on the beach, all male. The bodies of 2 women are unaccounted for. This begins to trigger flashes of the past and together, Cyrus and Evie begin to investigate, taking Evie to places she would prefer not to be, but she can’t stop. A dark story of migrants and modern slavery, very relevant to today. I haven’t read any of the Cyrus Haven books previously- though I will be - and it certainly didn’t spoil my enjoyment of this pacy, action-packed book.

Great book, fast paced and action packed. We found out a lot of Evie’s back story in this one and wow the ending was so hopeful!

Covers themes of human trafficking, child abuse and rape.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Storm Child is the fourth book in the Cyrus Haven series by Michael Robotham, but could easily be ready as a standalone.

Evie Cormac has had a tough upbringing, but doesn't much talk about her past, much to the disappointment of Cyrus Haven, friend and forensic psychologist.

He knows he shouldn't push it too far, but the psychologist in him can't help but want to understand what happened to Evie so that he can help her move on.

They are at the seaside one summer's afternoon when something goes dreadfully wrong. A migrant boat tragedy..

The next thing Evie knows, Cyrus is carrying the body of a small child up from the water, and she can no longer speak.

Evie is hospitalised whilst they try to understand her mental state. She stumbles across the boy who was rescued and begins to speak with him in her native language. Cyrus realises that her own entry in to the UK just as traumatic as his, if not more so.

It's not until she translates the boys words into English that they realise there may be more to this than a simple crossing gone wrong. Someone is making money from those desperate to flee their own country for a better life in the UK, without a second thought to their wellbeing once they have their money.

And that's only the beginning ...

In some ways quite a difficult story to read, emotional and harrowing in parts but it’s necessary to portray the gravity held within the tale of Evie’s experiences as a child. The relationship between Evie and Cyrus is compelling reading and it is written with in such a way that you can picture everything. If you’re a fan of Cyrus and Evie this is a huge must read. Exceptional.
ARC copy

Trigger warnings: human trafficking, sexual abuse, child abuse

The epic fourth instalment of Evie & Cyrus.
This book is everything I needed it to be. Evie finally let herself be open to sharing what happened to her family, & how she ended up in that cupboard. Although it was because she was triggered after witnessing an ocean full of migrant bodies whose boat had been deliberately rammed.

This book gave me so much closure, & for the first time, I felt like Evie finally matured as a character & started to take responsibility. Cyrus as always, was the knight in shining armor. I love how he always supports Evie, no matter what.
I would love a fifth installment - maybe set 5 or 10 years in the future, just as a check in on Evie too see how well she’s doing.

So grateful for netgalley, Hachette Australia & New Zealand, & of course Michael Robotham for allowing me to read an early copy of Storm Child.
I won’t lie - I squealed like a kid in a candy storm when I seen the approval email.

Yay, Cyrus and Evie are back in a new book and this one is even better than the previous three. Storm Child follows on several months after Lying Beside You ends and fans of this brilliant series will be delighted to know that this book concentrates much more on Evie’s traumatic background and childhood.

With an unfortunately topical subject, Storm Child starts with Cyrus and Evie at the beach, when the body of a young child appears in the sea followed by another 16 bodies of men, women and children. They appear to be from an illegal boat trafficking migrants which has overturned. There is only one survivor, a young teenage boy and it’s believed two women are also missing. When the sole survivor tells the police the boat was deliberately sunk, Cyrus is assigned to help in this investigation.

Meanwhile something about this tragedy has brought back traumatic memories for Evie and she slowly begins to remember more about her past and what really happened to her family.

Storm Child provides the reader with so much more about the main characters past and their individual backstories. The bond between these two damaged individuals is so special and watching them both navigate new friendships and relationships is so lovely and heart warming. It’s a really fast paced book which looks closely at the immigration issues from both sides leaving the reader with lots of emotional and thought-provoking moments.

I’m not going to say anymore, because you need to read this series for yourself. This is definitely one of my favourite series and I would 100% recommend reading the books in order to truly appreciate the wonderful storytelling of Cyrus and Evie.