Michael Robotham is one of my go-to authors for masterfully written police procedural thrillers. I must say, however, that I admired The White Crow more than I actually enjoyed reading it. It is the sequel to When You Are Mine (2021), which introduced Philomena (Phil) McCarthy, a London police officer who struggles with the fact that her father and uncles are all criminals--only Phil's father hasn't spent time in prison. Her colleagues in the London Metropolitan Police already resent her for her skills and ambition and wouldn't be amused to learn about her family background. Phil is also recently married to Henry, a firefighter. In this story, she sees a 5-year-old child hiding outside after dark and finds out, when she helps the little girl, that her parents have been involved in a home invasion that led to the burglary of their jewelry store and left her mother dead. Although not yet a detective, Phil convinces her boss to allow her to join the investigation into this crime, thanks to her excellent instincts.

There is quite a bit of action in the story, especially a spectacular, complicated scene late in the book, and the author handles it with finesse and breathtaking suspense. But this book, much more than the first in the series, focuses more on Phil's family than it does on Phil herself. The characters, especially her father, are well drawn and interesting, but I am no fan of gangster vs. gangster storylines and the hopelessness of innocent bystanders in such situations. I am more interested in any future books in Robotham's Cyrus Haven and Joseph O'Loughlin series.

My thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Based on the review of others I read the initial book in the series first. It was a great book and provided me with the background to fully understand the second title in the series. I enjoyed this title but not as much as book one. I felt more time was spent on the main character’s family and their troubles rather than her. It was fast moving.

Michael Robotham’s When You Are Mine (2021), featured Philomena (“Phil”) McCarthy, an officer with the Metropolitan Police in London. When I read and reviewed that terrific novel, I noted that the “… plot is strong, and I came away hoping for more stories about Phil, her family, and her career. Stephen King calls Robotham “an absolute master,” and I’m inclined to agree on this one. Five stars.” The followup to that one, The White Crow, is another 5-star winner featuring the adventures of Phil, and it’s terrific!

Phil is still a police officer in London, and still a puzzle to her mobster family, including her father Edward and her many uncles, all of whom seem to have good hearts, although their “career paths” are totally at odds with Phil’s.

One of the intertwined stories in this novel involves the McCarthy “family business” and the way it is being hassled by Bulgarian bad guys. While that is going on, Phil is investigating the death of a woman during a home invasion that included the robbery of a ton of jewelry…and of course both stories intersect.

Robotham is a master at creating characters that the reader feels they know and care about, including the McCarthys, Phil’s husband Henry, a firefighter, and Phil’s boss, DCI Keegan. And the plot is so good it keeps the reader completely invested and curious. As usual, I didn’t guess the end (generally true for me, I admit) and, while it is part of a series, it is NOT necessary to have read the first book to appreciate this one. Five stars, once again, for Robotham. Thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review.

White Crow by Michael Robotham is the second in the Philomena McCarthy series, the first being When You Are Mine. Phil is a police officer in London, still a source of dismay within her mobster family whom she has had to dissociate herself from to have a career. But family is family. And it’s hard not to love her father Edward and her many uncles, who have good hearts despite their chosen paths in life. The McCarthy family makes this book. I loved them.
In this story, the McCarthy business is getting squeezed by a Bulgarian group of nasty fellows. They want a big piece to the pie and will steal, blackmail, kidnap and murder to get their way. At the same time, Philomena is investigating a home invasion that ends in the death of a woman and theft of millions of pounds of jewelry. Of course, the two stories intertwine and it is such a fun and entertaining read! This was a page turner that I could not put down. What I love about Robotham novels is the depth of the characters he creates. Good or evil, right or wrong, they each are ones to root for or rally against. In addition to the McCarthy family characters, Phil’s husband Henry, a firefighter, is a star is his own right, and his love for Philomena is undeniable. DCI Keegan who has a lead role in the police investigation makes a transformation that I also really enjoyed to see.
While I do not think you have to read the first in this series to enjoy this, it will help with some backstory, and getting to know the characters better. However, I liked the first one, but I loved the second one. So stick with the series if you start with the first.
I also really enjoyed learning where the title came from, “White Crow” has significant meaning.
Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for my ARC.

“The White Crow” is Michael Robotham’s newest Philomeana McCarthy thriller and once again, he doesn’t disappoint.
Philomeana is once again forced to grapple with being a police officer up against her corrupt family. There’s so many twists and turns and it was a satisfying read.

Overall I liked this book, a police proceedural. It did start slow for me, not the initial crime but all the details about her family and the ins and outs of their enterprise. I also liked that storyline less though they were connected. Phil is an interesting character as is her struggle to reconcile who her family is with her career as a police officer.

5 stars
Expected publication date - July 1, 2025

Thank you, NetGalley and Scribner, for this eARC for review. All opinions are my own.

Philomema 'Phil' McCarthy is back on the police force, on a food run with her partner in the early hours of the morning. After almost colliding with a cyclist, she thinks she sees a small girl in her rearview. She goes to investigate and not only finds the girl, but her murdered mother and father missing. This begins an investigation that hits close to home for Phil and may take away everything she loves.

I love all Michael Robotham books, and this did not disappoint! I loved reading about the McCarthy clan in the first book, love them in this book, and hope to read more about them in the future.

I have a particular affinity for strong female police officers and detectives, which is one of the reasons I thoroughly enjoyed "The White Crow" by Michael Robotham. The story becomes even more compelling due to Philomena's familial connections, as her father and uncles are entrenched in London’s historic underworld of gangsters. When Philomena discovers a young child in pajamas, covered in blood, on the street, the investigation inevitably leads to her father. However, the narrative is filled with numerous twists and unexpected developments. I would love to see a series centered around Philomena and her family.

I extend my gratitude to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the ARC for reading and review.

I truly enjoyed the first Philomena McCarthy book and was excited to get to read this one. She goes by Phil and is a police officer who comes from a London crime family that consists of her father and her three uncles.

In this book, she is patrolling in the middle of the night when a call for an armed robbery comes in. But she sees a small child and goes to find her on foot. That leads her to a second crime scene where a woman has been murdered in her home. It turns out that the two crimes are connected, and of course, her family finds itself right in the middle of it.

Phil is a great character and her firefighter husband is as well. Her background and job make her very complex. While circumstances conspire against her, she is devoted to doing right and being a good cop.

As we learn who committed the crime, the McCarthys find out they have a new and ruthless rival. This dynamic becomes a focus, as well as the police search for the murderer. The writing is fantastic and the narrative tight as the plot unfolds. I highly recommend this book and will be reading more of his work.

Another tense chilling Michael Robotham thriller a true page turner.This is the second in the series Philomena is a great character a gangster’s daughter who now is a cop.This was a story that kept me reading late into the night.Looking forward to to the next in this series.

Second in what I hope will be a continuing series, The White Crow is further proof of Michal Robotham's skill as a constructor of police procedurals and an observer of character. With so many plot twists and forks in the road, it kept me up at night until I finished, anxious to know the answer which was satisfying as well as plausible. Can't wait to see what happens with Philomena next.

This one had all the right ingredients—a badass female cop, a blood-covered child, a high-stakes crime—but somehow, it didn’t fully land for me. The multiple POVs were interesting, but they slowed things down at times, making it harder to stay fully hooked.

Philomena is a solid lead, and the tension between her past and present is compelling, but the story felt a bit stretched in places. The mystery itself had some great moments, but it didn’t quite deliver the level of suspense I was hoping for. Not a bad read, just not my favorite.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC copy of The White Crow by Michael Robotham. I’ve been a fan since Joe O’Loughlin and Cyrus Haven. Those will always be my favorite characters but I really enjoyed Philomena McCarthy. Lots of good characters in this one and like the way the story played out.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The White Crow.

The author is one of my favorites so I was pleased my request was approved.

I'm reading a few of the author's series and had forgotten I read the first book in the Philomena McCarthy series so I had to go back and re-read my review.

I enjoyed The White Crow more than the first book.

Told through three POVs; Phil, her father, and Phil's superior officer, their plot threads are intertwined and the author leads us on a merry chase as to how they're all connected.

I enjoyed the police procedural aspects of the narrative; one of my favorite parts is interviewing suspects and witnesses and reviewing the clues and so you can solve it alongside the detectives.

I find Phil a little less annoying; there's something very naive and childish about her despite her choice of profession and the way she was raised.

I understand she's an only child and doted upon by her father and large family but at the same time she's immature and the way she perceives the world.

For example, she doesn't follow up when a suspicious character meets with her? Seriously? Or maybe I'm just suspicious naturally.

There's more action and suspense as Phil is caught in the middle of her father's turf war and innocent people are pulled into the fray.

I liked Henry and I'm glad he was given more to do in the sequel.

I haven't quite warmed up to Phil yet; I don't dislike her, she's capable and honest, but I think the author describes her demeanor and personality in an almost corny, comical way at times; like when she takes a 'karate' stance when she feels threatened.

I don't know; something about the wording sounds silly but that may just be me.

Are there scenes and moments that are hard to suspend disbelief for?

Sure, but you do expect a certain amount of unbelievability in suspense novels.

Overall, I liked the mystery though I figured out whodunnit and the police procedural aspects of the case.

I'm not a fan of gangsters and organized crime plots so that part of the narrative wasn't my favorite though I had no doubt Phil's dad would triumph in the end.

I enjoyed everything about The White Crow, including the multiple storylines, the character development, the doubt the author effectively creates, the resolution of situations, and the ending. The writing is engaging from start to finish with action and tension and twists and turns throughout.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The White Crow. I enjoyed it immensely.

My Thoughts,
Michael Robotham is simply one of my favorite authors and he did not disappoint with “The White Crow.” In the early hours of the morning, Phil and her partner are making a food run when they get a call about a robbery at a jewelry store. Phil glances almost hit a man on a bicycle when she notices a child in the rear-view mirror of the police car. She sends her partner to the scene of the robbery, and she tries to find the child. No child should be in pajamas outside in the wee hours of the morning. As Phil allows the child to take her to her home, she finds the mother of the child, shackled to a chair, gagged, and dead.

It doesn’t take the police long to tie the robbery at the jewelry store and the home invasion together. This was a wild ride. You were left guessing all the way through. Everyone is lying or has something to hide. The author does a wonderful job of helping you to imagine the characters and the scenes in the story. I felt as if I was there with Phil as she worked to figure out this case and how her father and uncles are involved.

Michael Robotham is an author that always delivers edge of your seat thrillers with strong characters and psychological thrills. “The White Crow” his latest book is the second in Philomena McCarthy series and it will not disappoint!
Our heroine comes from a London East End Crime Family and her dad is the Mob boss. She is a young Metropolitan police officer who struggles to distance herself from her large and delightful criminal clan. The story opens with two terrifying events: she discovers a child in a blood stained nightgown on the street; soon after being called to a jewelry store robbery where a hostage is tied to a chair with a bomb strapped to his chest.
This book is filled with tension, strong characters, and moral dilemmas. A thoroughly enjoyable read!

Thank you NetGalley and Scribner for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I picked up my first Robotham book because I saw him recommended by Stephen King. I started with When You Are Mine and was super excited to get an advance copy of this one. It’s not quite as good as the first in the Philomena series but I enjoyed it. Good mystery, interesting character development and while you catch on quick, they getting from there to the end is interesting!

This is the second novel in the Philomena McCarthy series by Michael Robotham. A very good thriller that deals with family loyalties and moral dilemmas.

Once again Philomena McCarthy is featured, a determined young Metropolitan Police officer who is dedicated to the job and struggles to distance herself from her family’s criminal past.

The novel sets off at an high pace with two chilling events, Philomena finds a child covered in blood outside on the streets late at night and a jeweller is held hostage with a bomb strapped to his chest. It is not long before it becomes apparent that the two happenings are connected and Philomena’s career and personal life are suddenly at risk.

This is a very good story, well written, excellent characters and full of tension.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Scribner for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

thank you net galley for this arc. i am so excited to get back to philomena's story. when she finds achild wondering the streets alone she goes to investigate.but find the father missing and the mother dead.good plot twist