Michael Robotham has penned numerous page-turning psychological thrillers, some of which have been adapted for the small screen by the BBC. His latest effort, LYING BESIDE YOU, marks the third appearance of Cyrus Haven and Evie Cormac.

Cyrus is a unique protagonist. He is a forensic psychologist who assists the police on cases but is not a member of the force. This often allows Robotham to expose some of the prejudices within law enforcement, as well as the hurdles that an outsider has to face when working with them. Sharing time with Cyrus is Evie, a damaged and gifted teenager who can tell when someone is lying. It is great for Cyrus to have a human lie detector who can help him out from time to time.

"Michael Robotham continues to show off his skills as a top-flight psychological suspense writer. Cyrus and Evie form an unbeatable team, and readers will be demanding more from them as soon as possible."

In LYING BESIDE YOU, there are two different yet converging storylines. The first centers on a potential serial killer. Sixty-seven-year-old Rohan Kirk has been murdered, and his daughter, Maya, has disappeared. Cyrus and Evie put their heads together and believe that revenge killings could be involved.

The second storyline revolves around Elias, Cyrus’ prodigal brother. Here is how Cyrus describes Elias: “If I could tell you one thing about my brother, it would be this. Two days after his nineteenth birthday, he killed our parents and twin sisters because he heard voices in his head. As defining events go, nothing else come close for Elias, or for me.”

Now, 20 years later, Elias is being remanded to Cyrus’ custody. He has come to terms with his schizophrenia, which played a large part in his murder spree. Cyrus may have forgiven his brother, but he still has not been able to forgive himself for not being there to save the rest of his family. Elias now must cohabitate with Cyrus and Evie in the house that once belonged to the brothers’ grandparents but now is owned by Cyrus.

Cyrus is juggling all of this while offering his services to the police department. He is fairly confident that Rohan was not the killer’s intended target, and it turns out that Evie may have seen the culprit at the bar/restaurant where she works. There is a third piece of this mysterious pie that no one could have seen coming. It is best not to reveal anything more!

Michael Robotham continues to show off his skills as a top-flight psychological suspense writer. Cyrus and Evie form an unbeatable team, and readers will be demanding more from them as soon as possible.