Storm Child

Sometimes you read a book that you just want to keep reading until the end. Storm Child by Michael Robotham is one of those books. Cyrus Haven and Evie Cormac both experienced trauma when children and are both coming to terms with past events in their lives. Cyrus is now a forensic psychologist working with the police as well as lecturing at a university. Evie has blocked out many of the events that occurred in her childhood but Cyrus attempts to help her to remember the past so that she can regain control of her life and her future.

A relaxing stroll along the beach turns into tragedy when bodies from a boat that has crossed from France to England are washed up on to the shore. Cyrus attempts to save some of the refugees and then discovers that Evie has disappeared. The sight of the bodies in the water has stirred up memories from her past. 

When Cyrus finds Evie she is eventually able to tell him more, but not all, of her story about how she and her mother and sister attempted to come to England many years ago. Cyrus decides that Evie learning more about these boat people may help to unlock her missing memories.

A major theme of the book is about boat people and people smuggling, an issue creating concern throughout the world. Cyrus meets a woman who has received text messages from one of the men who was on the boat stating that the refugee's boat was rammed by another vessel. When this information is passed on to the police, Cyrus becomes involved in finding the boat and crew. Another theme is the decline of the fishing industry, especially in Scotland. 

The first part of the book is set in England and the second part in Scotland.  The story is revealed through the eyes of Cyrus and of Evie. A strength of the book is the emphasis on the development of the characters as the story progresses. The build up of tension makes the reader want to keep reading making this novel a great addition to the Cyrus Haven series.