The Other Wife By Michael Robotham

When clinical psychologist Joe O’Loughlin receives the call that his eminent surgeon father, William, is in hospital in an induced coma, he has no idea that his life would soon be turned upside down and everything he has known  about his parents would be shattered.

The Other Wife By Michael Robotham

Arriving at his father’s hospital room, he expects to see his mother by his father’s bedside but instead he sees a woman crying beside his father’s bed. The woman is a total stranger by the name of Olivia who claims that she is William’s wife. She is covered in William’s blood, saying that she found William at the bottom of the stairs in their house.

As the book opens, Joe is reflecting upon his Parkinson illness and still grieving the sudden death of his wife Julianne 16 months ago. With dependency on drugs to combat his Parkinson, he and his elder daughter Charlie are battling to put on a brave front while taking care of his younger daughter Emma who is facing a tough time coping with her life.

With the help of his ex-policeman friend Vincent Ruiz,  he starts digging into his father’s life. He soon finds truth to be in short supply though he realises that Olivia is telling the truth. His father, married to his mother for 60 years, has been living a lie. As it becomes clear that his father’s injuries are no accident, he dives headlong into his investigation.

There’s also a love interest, of sorts, in the shape of Kate Hawthorn, a detective who goes beyond the call of duty to help Joe in his quest for the truth. Kate too has secrets she’d rather not share.

The Other Wife is the ninth book by the author featuring Joe O’Loughlin and it may be the last as the author hints in the acknowledgement. There are twists and red herrings in the book. It is a gritty psychological thriller that I would recommend.