First book I've have read by this author and I really enjoy the way he writes. I liked the main character and even her dad and uncles too. It was a gripping story and I found myself racing through it. Did sort of guess who did it at the end but a thoroughly good read.

5 stars

This is an author who never writes a dud, maybe his career in journalism has honed his style, but he can write!
The White Crow sees the return of Philomena McCarthy, policewoman and daughter of renown gangster Eddie McCarthy.
One night while on duty Philomena sees a young girl out wandering the streets in her pjs and covered in blood. She says she cannot wake her mother. A few miles away a jeweller is found with his shop ransacked and a bomb strapped to his chest. He is the young girls father and the mother is located bound and dead in their home.
What seems to be a home invasion/jewellery heist gone wrong, soon appears that someone is out to ruin Eddie McCarthys hold on the crime scene and they are taking no prisoners. Philomena whom has a tenuous relationship with her father must choose which side to take, believe in her father or follow the rules of her job.
Excellent as always and I hope there is more about this character.

#TheWhiteCrow. #NetGalley

In 2021 Michael Robotham released the stand alone crime thriller When You Are Mine. That book featured English police officer Philomena McCarthy who was not only dealing with police corruption but the fact that she came from a family of known criminals. In his Afterword to The White Crow, Robotham admits that Phil was too good a character to leave to one book. And so she makes her return in another absolute page turner.
When The White Crow opens, Phil is on a food run in the early hours of the morning when she spots a little girl in the street. That little girl, Daisy, is connected to a home invasion and robbery of the jewellery store owned by her parents. Although not a detective, Phil bonds with the little girls and is keen to stay involved in the investigation so asks if she can join the team. Little does she know that her family is involved and the robbery is part of a broader, violent move by a rival gang to take them down.
It is easy to see why Robotham returned to Philomena. Besides her interesting background she is a keen and dogged investigator but also, in her enthusiasm and lack of experience, prone to make mistakes. While Philomena is the central character of The White Crow, Robotham once again delivers a wide and interesting cast. From Keegan, the lead detective dealing with his own internal political issues, to Philomena’s father and uncles to their frightening adversary. In doing so, despite the grey, Robotham will have readers cheering for the bad guys if only because there are even worse guys.
With The White Crow, Robotham delivers yet another effortless, compulsive thriller. He will hook readers from the first page with a mystery that bubbles below the surface of a clock-ticking thriller. And will keep them engaged with a cast of compelling characters who all get pushed out of their comfort zones. Whether Philomena will be back again is an open question but it was definitely a winning move to bring her back.

The White Crow by Michael Rowbotham is the second story in the Philomena McCarthy series. Philomena is a police officer with the Metropolitan Police force despite her father and uncles being part of London’s criminal fraternity.
On patrol one night she spots a young girl wandering in her pyjamas with blood on her. Three miles away a London jeweller is found with a makeshift bomb on him and the jewellery story robbed. The two events are connected and trying to find out what has happened will mean Philomena and her husband and her family will be at risk of losing everything included their lives.
A master storyteller and a tale full of secrets, lies and many twists and turns. Highly recommended

The white crow by Michael Robotham is the 2nd book in the Philomena Mc Carthy series. I wasn’t aware of this, but you can easily read this as a standalone as I have not read the previous one.
Philomena McCarthy is a young, dedicated Police officer and she is also the daughter of a mob boss. She tries to stay clear from her family and their notorious past. But it’s hard.
She currently on night duty when she come across a little girl wondering the streets on her own. The little girl is covered it blood. When she takes the girl home, she finds her mother tied up on a chair and has been murdered. Further investigation she finds out that the little girl escaped while her mother was taken hostage. While her father has had to open his jewellery shop and the perpetrators rob the shop.
When the detectives take over, they discover links to The McCarthy family as they think that Philomena might be involved. But she needs to prove them wrong.
I really enjoyed this outing of Micheal Robotham’s work, and I am surprised I have not read more. The is an exciting tense thriller, with a great plot and likeable characters. Especially Philomena who is conflicted between doing what’s right and wrong. Doing a job as a policewoman and being part of the McCarthy family. I can’t wait to delve into his back log. 5 stars from me.

if you havent been to Micheal books then what are you doing. his good girl,bad girl started my adoration of his work off. and if you need a book to adore too then start there. that book, those two characters are corkers. and i was so eager to read the next and find out just what had happened to my new two fantastic crime pairing. read it. you will thank me. buuuuuut back to now...
and i need not tell you how much you will love this book. by now its a given with Michael. he truly is too good for words. an author who was born to be one.
we are book on book two with Phil McCarthy. she is a good cop. but she comes from a murky family to say the least. so she is fighting many systems to prove her place in the world. shes now in the Met and this book stands beautifully on its own but id recommend reading her first simply because you will want to.
a woman is murdered. the killer escaped. but her young daughter is found on the streets by Phil. and this starts of a spiral of events both for Phil and possibly concerning her too.
this book is so much more than a crime book. it has heart, it has emotion and it as family. and all the things that fall under that makes you fall for the story even more.
love this one. like i new i would. cant wait for whats next.
i wont give more in the spoilers because it is so much better with his books to be excited as you come to them yourself.

This was my first book by this author, and what a brilliant read it is. I was hooked from page one. The plot is complex, involving both the police murder investigation team, and the separate strand of Philomena’s criminal family.
I love the excellent characterisation of all the main players, police and criminal. I also love that the author can draw some of the criminals in such a way that you feel sympathy for them. Very clever! The author did not feel the need to go into gruesome forensic descriptions of crime scenes., for which I was thankful, as it puts me off and pulls me out of the storyline.
Altogether a gripping book, I didn’t want to put it down, and I read it far too late into the night. I will definitely be reading more of this author’s work, starting with the first book in this series.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book. I can’t wait for the next one.
Highly recommended.

Well! What can I say about this book? Michael Robotham has excelled himself yet again. He just gets better and better. The White Crow is the second Philomena McCarthy book but can be read as a standalone. The plot is complicated, exciting, ingenious and fast paced. The characters are wonderful, both the bad and the good and they jump off the page fully formed. I especially love the so very different McCarthy brothers. Michael is one of the few male authors who can write a good lead female character. In my opinion anyway! I don't know if Philomena intends to stay in the police but I really hope Michael finds a way for her to do so and makes it possible for there to be more books about her. A fantastic enthralling read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Oh wow! Readers are in for a treat with this book. it has everything you could possibly need in a thriller, from the plot to the characterisation, it is a thriller to savour and enjoy from start to finish. I loved the multitude of different characters, all bringing different contributions to the clever plotting. It's a book about family, loyalty and relationships. I do hope there is more to come from Philomena and her family as this is just a brilliant crime thriller which I can highly recommend. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

This is the second book about Philomena McCarthy, a Metropolitan police officer, whose father while ostensibly, a 'businessman' in the construction industry, is actually mob boss of one of the biggest crime families in town! So while Phil walks a fine line, determined to do what's right because that's the life she's chosen, she's not averse to breaking the rules every now and then because she knows only too well that sometimes that's the only way things get done right!

And that's why, while on a night shift, when she spots a little girl wandering the streets, she knows that something is amiss. When she takes the child back home, instead of waiting for backup as she's told to do, she heads inside, alone and discovers a horrific crime scene. The girl's mother has been murdered, Her father has been taken by force to the jewelery store that he owns. He's found strapped to a chair with a bomb attched to his chest - the place has been ransacked. Who could have been responsible for all of this?

Unsurprisingly, fingers start pointing in the direction of the McCarthys who are adamant that it's not them. But now they have to prove it, which is difficult when there's plenty evidence showing otherwise. And how can Philomena extricate herself from this very precarious situation that she finds herself in?

I absolutely loved this book, and even though I hadn't read the first in this series, it didn't matter at all. This works perfectly as a standalone. Robotham is a master at writing from both sides of the law - his detail when it comes to police procedure is exact and precise, and his calculating precision when describing hard crime is cold and chilling.

Is it bizarre to say that the McCarthy's have found a place in my heart? As tough as they are, their fierce protection for those they love is admirable and each of them has quirks that I found particularly likeable., especially Daragh and his whatsits and whatnots scattered all over the place!

I'm looking forward to more of this series. It's bound to get more and more interesting!

Thank you to Tracy Fenton for my gifted widget.

I’ve read most of this author’s books so was excited to receive a review copy of his latest which was a fast paced and exciting read that I really couldn’t put down.
I realised after a few chapters that I’d actually read the first book about Philomena, Police Constable and daughter of Eddie McCarthy a London gangster, but one with a heart and a more scruples than most.
In this book Philomena’s job and her father’s career choice end up colliding and both have to do their utmost to keep their lives on track.
Driving along in a patrol car, Philomena spots a young child wandering the streets alone at night and sets out to find her and take her home, leading to an upsetting discovery.
Meanwhile a jewellery shop is robbed and the owner tied up and attached to explosives.
It gradually becomes clear that these two cases are connected and when philomena’s father, Eddie McCarthy, is threatened by a bigger and nastier crime gang it also becomes apparent that there is going to be trouble.
I really liked this book- the lines between good and bad are blurred but both Philomena and Eddy do their best to maintain their relationship despite being on opposite sides of the law.
There are many twists and turns and some very heart in your mouth moments before the very exciting climax.
I really hope this will not be the last we see of Philomena as she is an excellent lead protagonist, strong and brave with a lot of hidden talents. She is good hearted and does her best for everyone she meets including the child she finds and the difficult senior officer who is running the investigation.
I certainly recommend “The White Crow” as an “unputdownable” 5 star read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

I haven't read the previous book and have read some other books by this author and enjoyed them so I started The White Crow with high hopes. Well, I wasn't disappointed at all and this read really hit the mark with me. It has a great start that immediately pulled me in. I really like Philomena, she is very believeable, down to earth and enjoys her work. The authors writing is good and the story flows well. The plot line is multi layered with many threads that keep you guessing until the last page. Philomena finds herself on the fringe of a murder investigation whilst her father and his brothers live on the other side of the law. I love the atmosphere, tension and suspense the author brings to his writing. I found myself wanting to know what would happen next and this made for a and this became a pageturning read. If you like a good police procedural then this is for you - the addition of family members and their histories adds good depth to the story line and really complements it, making this a very good read. I will definitely read the previous book when I can and look forward to future books featuring Philomena.

4 stars

.This is the second book in the Philomena McCarthy series. I haven't read the first, but believe me, I shall be doing and soon!

It is perfect as a standalone, although why only read 1 when you can read 2 excellent books? Phil McCarthy is a police officer who walks a line every day because her father works on the other side of the law. In The White Crow, we see Phil getting mixed up in a case that will bring the dividing line between her and her father closer than she would like.

A jewellery shop burglary, a murdered woman, and a five year old girl start this ball rolling. The police think Phil's father is the one who committed the crimes, and Phil wonders at times, too. The involvement of an Eastern European man with a passing resemblance to a pirate makes for a tangled web. Can Philomena get to the bottom of it all? or will her father's world and hers collide?
This is the second book in the Philomena McCarthy series. I haven't read the first, but believe me, I shall be doing and soon!

It is perfect as a standalone, although why only read 1 when you can read 2 excellent books? Phil McCarthy is a police officer who walks a line every day because her father works on the other side of the law. In The White Crow, we see Phil getting mixed up in a case that will bring the dividing line between her and her father closer than she would like.

A jewellery shop burglary, a murdered woman, and a five year old girl start this ball rolling. The police think Phil's father is the one who committed the crimes, and Phil wonders at times, too. The involvement of an Eastern European man with a passing resemblance to a pirate makes for a tangled web. Can Philomena get to the bottom of it all? or will her father's world and hers collide?

I was so hooked on this story. I invested in Phil from the start. Micheal Robotham creates the most realisticI invested in Phil from the start. Michael Robotham creates the most realistic characters. They are complex, multi-layered, and definitely flawed! The two worlds in Phil's life do cause her so much internal conflict, and this is crystal clear in everything she does.

I am so happy I have discovered this series as I found it so exciting, and I was so intrigued! I was on the edge of my seat as the past paced story sped to the dramatic conclusion! I plan to read more by this author after reading The White Crow!! five stars from me! Thanks to Tracy Fenton for my gifted ebook in exchange for my honest review.characters. They are complex, multi-layered, and definitely flawed! The two worlds in Phil's life do cause her so much internal conflict, and this is crystal clear in everything she does.

I am so happy I have discovered this series as I found it so exciting, and I was so intrigued! I was on the edge of my seat as the past paced story sped to the dramatic conclusion! I plan to read more by this author after reading The White Crow!! five stars from me! Thanks to Tracy Fenton for my gifted ebook from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

WOW! I love Michael Robotham novels I’ve read so many of them and all so different. White crow is the second Philomena McCarthy book (I haven’t read the first I was lucky enough to given an advance copy to read, thank you net galley and TBC)

It is a stand alone story but I will definitely be reading the first one in the series. Likeable characters especially Philomena, great plot definitely a page turner.

Synopsis

As the daughter of a London crime boss, PC Philomena McCarthy walks a thin blue line keeping the two sides of her complicated life apart.

On patrol one night she discovers a child in pyjamas, wandering alone. Taking Daisy home, Phil uncovers the aftermath of a deadly home invasion, as three miles away a prominent jeweller is found strapped to an explosive in his ransacked store.

The crimes are linked, and all the evidence points to Phil's father as the mastermind.

Phil's two worlds are colliding, trapping her in the middle of a vicious gang war that will threaten her career and everyone she loves.

Who can she trust - the badge or her own blood?

The White Crow had me hooked by page two. There is no slow burn on this one, it is straight to action and intrigue. The chapters are the perfect length for when you want to read just one more at midnight. To use one of Michael Robotham's own phrases, he is superb at "painting word pictures." The settings are well described, the characters are well developed and likeable (for the most part!) and the plot leaves you perched on the edge of your seat anxious to turn another page.

It took me a few days to settle with this book. I was annoyed at the stereotyping, especially of Keegan, as I have a brother and a nephew in the Met. I hated how quickly and easily Philomena (the strong and interesting central character, was left high and dry.
As with many of the best tv dramas, it seems things are very unfair and become more so until you wonder how, if even possible, things will change. These dramas tend to make me frustrated and often lose interest. However, the characters in White Crow are so well drawn that you have to stay invested to see how things might change. White Crow is Phil herself which is explained mid book
The story is terrifying, pacy and almost ends up a morality tale. Oh and the twist (unanswered question) I did actually work out but it was neatly wrapped up. All except one person who I'm left wondering what happened to.
You travel through the book through the eyes and story of Phil and she's a fabulously written woman from the pen of a man. That's always interesting in itself. Some lovely redemptive stories and some characters that deserve further fleshing out and developing I hope, in future stories as I don't think we've seen the last of our girl. Bring on her next big case.

Another awesome book from a fabulous author. The characters are all so engaging that they make you want to turn the page to find out what happens next
Philomena is a great character. Funny, tough and engaging. Her family bring tough times but also some humour of their own. A great story with great characters.

Fantastic read: the writing style is amazing and had me gripped. I love Phil and her relationships with keegan and Henry and Daisy are so pure. This was a family tale with a gangster and police edge. It’s my first book by this author and won’t be my last

Thanks to Michael and NetGalley for allowing me to read The White Crow before the publication date. I like the way that Michael uses personification in his writing.

As a member of a large criminal family, Phil McCarthy had to fight tooth and nail to be accepted into the Met Police. The McCarthy family now run a Property Development business which is heavily in debt to the bank.

After 4 years, Phil has made a truce with her family, having agreed that neither side will discuss their work activities.
Not everyone believes this and when the home invasion and the jewellery store robbery are linked to her family,
DCI Brendan Keegan and his senior officers are quick to suspend Phil. Undeterred, Phil continues to try to investigate the crimes with no backup.

When it comes to the crunch, will blood be thicker than water?
This was an enjoyable read which became somewhat farcical.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
An Atmospheric, Gripping Thriller That Delivers

Michael Robotham never fails to hook me from the first page, and The White Crow is no exception. With a compelling lead in Philomena McCarthy, this novel blends psychological depth with a twisty, fast-paced plot set against the brooding backdrop of London. The story is rich with tension and shadowy secrets, and Robotham’s knack for building suspense had me turning pages long into the night.

What truly stood out was the emotional layering—Philomena’s character is flawed, brave, and wonderfully complex. There were moments where I questioned everyone’s motives, and just when I thought I had the mystery figured out, another curveball came flying in. While I would’ve loved a bit more development in the resolution, the journey more than made up for it.

If you're a fan of dark crime thrillers with strong female leads and atmospheric writing, this one's well worth your time.