Michael Robotham's Shatter

He's written four novels; all of them have been heaped with critical praise and, between them, they have been published in 50-plus countries in 22 languages. Impressive. But if you take a straw poll on Australia's best known authors, he probably won't even rate a mention. Why not? Because Michael Robotham writes crime thrillers.

Very much like Ian Rankin, Robotham is a highly skilled writer who chooses to work within a genre that is rarely taken seriously. Must be something to do with the big foil letters on the covers. But like Rankin, he refuses to write down to his audience. And, like Rankin, he is reaping the rewards of that, with serious critics lauding his style and droves of readers buying the books.

His latest, Shatter, was shortlisted for the prestigious Ian Fleming Steel Dagger award by the UK Crime Writers' Association, with the judges describing it as "dark, deep and brooding; everything a psychological thriller should be". It has now been named this year's Best Fiction in Australia's equivalent, the Ned Kelly Awards. (Robotham also won 'a Neddy' in 2005, with Lost.)

Blood is certainly shed in his books, but what really interests Robotham is the psychological damage human beings are capable of suffering, and inflicting. He wants to make you think, even in the midst of heart-racing terror … and he succeeds. To get a taste of his talent, click here and read the first chapter of Shatter.

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