Shatter cover art

Shatter

 Preview

Audible Standard 1-month free trial

Auto-renews at $8.99/mo + applicable tax after 30-day trial. Cancel Anytime
Try for $0.00
More purchase options

Shatter

Written by: Michael Robotham
Narrated by: Sean Barrett
Try for $0.00

$8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $29.56

Buy Now for $29.56

A naked woman in red high-heeled shoes is perched on the edge of Clifton Suspension Bridge with her back pressed to the safety fence, weeping into a mobile phone. Clinical psychologist Joseph O'Loughlin is only feet away, desperately trying to talk her down. She whispers, 'you don't understand,' and jumps.

Later, Joe has a visitor - the woman's teenage daughter, a runaway from boarding school. She refuses to believe that her mother would have jumped off the bridge - not only would she not commit suicide, she is terrified of heights.

Joe wants to believe her, but what would drive a woman to such a desperate act? Whose voice? What evil?©2008 Michael Robotham Crime Thrillers Genre Fiction Medical & Forensic Thriller & Suspense
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
All stars
Most Relevant
The story was good but a little bit predictable. The narrator did a great job.

Good Story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Let me be clear: This is an excellent Psychological Thriller. Michael Robotham offers a well-written, exquisitely-paced, vividly-described story about a sadistic serial killer who psychologically tortures & manipulates mothers he convinces can save their abducted children by co-operating with his sick humiliating scenarios. The characters (including the partially disabled psychologist Joseph O'Loughlin and the sardonically jaded ex-London D.I. Vincent Ruiz) are realistically flawed, the imagery/dialogue is gut-punch affecting, and the plot is sinuous and gripping. This book is a genuine page-turner.
Unfortunately, the subject matter is extreme (this book would have an 'X' rating if it were a film or Television show). Readers who are feint of heart may not be able to get past the graphic themes. Additionally, Robotham shifts from First-Person perspective for the protagonist to First-Person perspective for the killer periodically. In the audiobook format, it takes a minute to realize the shift in narrator that the reader of a text copy would pick up instantly.

Ray Lonnen is an excellent reader, but contributes to the confusion with a fairly limited voice-acting repertoire (many characters sound the same - except for his growly 'Ruiz' - which is excellent).
Lonnen's diction timbre, cadence, tone, and reading rate are exemplary - but his inability to portray a varied cast is conspicuous. W.F. Howes Ltd. could have cast the project better.

Audible also could have improved the recording by labelling the individual chapters better in the menu. For example: "Chapter One: O'Loughlin", "Chapter Two: Killer", etc.
As it stands, I still rate 'Shatter' 9 stars out of 10. If you can handle the more unsettling scenes, it's well worth a Credit.

Extremely Dark and Disturbing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I try to avoid novels like this one, it’s a dark and ugly read. The detailed violence and threats of violence, especially directed at children, is not my idea of an entertaining read.
I did not enjoy any part of this novel.

Such a dark unpleasant read.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.