'A page-turner with a lethal twist.' THE AGE 'With the velocity and wit of an American thriller and the emotional complexity and characterisation of a British mystery, the author has captured the best of the genre. If Michael Robotham isn't a star already, he will be.' AUSTRALIAN BOOKSELLER AND PUBLISHER 'An electrifying mystery from the author whose dazzling debut, THE SUSPECT', raised the bar for whodunits.' WOMEN'S WEEKLY 'LOST is a whip-cracking thriller, gritty, authentic and crisply written, and with a plot that has more twists in it than a strand of barbed wire.' ADELAIDE ADVERTISER 'Robotham has pulled the character of Detective Inspector Ruiz to the forefront, weaving a gripping thriller set in the streets and sewers of London' THE SUN HERALD 'In LOST we enter the paranoid world of Detective Ruiz: found floating in the Thames, bullet-ridden, unable to recall events . . . The trick, in this gritty London-based thriller, is to fathom how Ruiz became embroiled in such shady dealings although, rest assured, you'll be kept guessing until the end' WATERSTONE'S BOOKS QUARTERLY 'Great, satisfying stuff.' CRIME TIME

Vincent Ruiz is lucky to be alive. A bullet in the leg, another through the hand, he is discovered clinging to a buoy in the River Thames, losing blood and consciousness fast. It takes six days for him to come out of his coma, and when he does, his nightmare is only just beginning. Because Vincent has no recollection of what happened, and nobody believes him. A mile away from his body, a boat was found covered in blood -- Vincent's and that of three others. Forensics say at least one of them must be dead. Vincent, a police detective, had signed his service pistol out of the station armoury, despite being on leave. Many murder suspects fake amnesia, and the investigating team are not sure this case is any different ...The only clue is a picture in his pocket, a photograph of a young girl, Mickey Carlyle, who disappeared three years ago. And though Mickey is presumed dead, Vincent has the nagging doubt that she is alive and in terrible danger ...

Vincent Ruiz is lucky to be alive. A bullet in the leg, another through the hand, he is discovered clinging to a buoy in the River Thames, losing blood and consciousness fast. It takes six days for him to come out of his coma, and when he does, his nightmare is only just beginning. Because Vincent has no recollection of what happened, and nobody believes him. A mile away from his body, a boat was found covered in blood -- Vincent's and that of three others. Forensics say at least one of them must be dead. Vincent, a police detective, had signed his service pistol out of the station armoury, despite being on leave. Many murder suspects fake amnesia, and the investigating team are not sure this case is any different ...The only clue is a picture in his pocket, a photograph of a young girl, Mickey Carlyle, who disappeared three years ago. And though Mickey is presumed dead, Vincent has the nagging doubt that she is alive and in terrible danger ...

Before writing full-time Michael Robotham was an investigative journalist in Britain, Australia and the US. He is the pseudonymous author of 10 best-selling non-fiction titles, involving prominent figures in the military, the arts, sport and science. He lives in Sydney with his wife and 3 daughters.

2008-08-08 4.5 stars - As many twists as the sewer system

First Sentence: I remember someone once telling me that you know it's cold when you see a lawyer with his hands in his own pockets.

DI Victor Ruiz is pulled from the Thames, nearly dead, with a serious gunshot and transient global amnesia.

Three years previous, 7-year-old Mickey Carlyle disappeared from within her building. A neighbor was convicted and everyone assumed Mickey was killed. Victor never believed Mickey was dead.

With the help of his friend, clinical psychologist Joseph O'Loughlin, Victor's memories return that he was shot helping deliver a ransom for Mickey's return. Now convinced she is alive, not even those trying to kill him will stop Victor until he finds her.

Robotham set the hook with the first paragraph and kept me on the line until the very end. It is a gritty, fast paced psychological thriller, as well as a police procedural, but there is much more to it than that.

The characters are well developed; you learn the backgrounds of each as they story unfolds. I particularly enjoyed that Joseph O'Loughlin, the protagonist from Robotham's first book, played a significant role in this book as well.

I learned about the London sewer system and underground rivers, and transient global amnesia, which was fascinating.

The plot was as twisty as the sewer system and kept surprising me all the way to the end. This was a great read and an author I'm so glad I found.