I have either read or listen to all of Michael's books and have loved them all.

While this one has a continuing character in it, you could easily read it as a stand alone.

The character of Philomena, a young police officer who struggles with discrimination not only because she is a woman but also because of her criminal family, I find intriguing. The crimes are clever and well thought out and the pace just keeps increasing making it very hard to put down.

Once you read a Michael Robotham I guarantee it won't be the last!

The White Crow is the second crime thriller novel in the Philomena McCarthy series by bestselling Australian crime author Michael Robotham.

Series Includes:
1. When you Are Mine (2021)
2. The White Crow (2025)

This is my review of The White Crow.

Police Officer Philomena McCarthy, is a Policewoman who also happens to the daughter of a mob boss, returns in the latest thriller by author Michael Robotham. She became a young officer with the Metropolitan Police because her father and her uncles are London gangsters.

On patrol one night, Philomena finds a barefoot child in pajamas, covered in blood, wandering alone who says she can’t wake her mother. Taking Daisy home, Phil uncovers the outcome of a deadly home invasion, as three miles away a prominent London jeweler has a bomb strapped to his chest in his ransacked store and millions are missing.

Phil must decide who she can trust, her family or her colleagues.

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

Many thanks to Tracy Fenton from The Book Club Reviewer Group through NetGalley for my digital copy.

I am a firm fan of Michael Robotham i have read all his books to date.
His latest book is the second in Philomena McCarthy series and yes it was as good as the first.
Philomena is the daughter of a mob boss but she is a police officer with the Metro police in London.
I Really liked a lot of the names of places in the book i knew as i used to live around the area.
This book you can read as a standalone but i would read book one first or you are missing a great book,
A must read.

White Crow is a gripping and rewarding follow-up to When You Are Mine. It’s great to see Philomena McCarthy return stronger, sharper, and more determined. Her character continues to evolve in compelling ways and this instalment ups the emotional stakes even more. A tense, multi-layered plot that blends police procedural with psychological drama really well. Hoping we will see more from Phil soon!

A new book from a favourite author is always exciting, The White Crow, a brilliant cleverly written and very entertaining read.
A woman murdered during a robbery/hostage,home invasion, those responsible have gotten away, but the woman’s young daughter Daisy, left the house, frightened, she is hiding in the street when she is found by Philomena a young police officer.
Her police colleagues are at another scene, a jewellery store robbery where the owner has been tied to a chair with a bomb attached to his chest! The owner is Daisy’s father.
Philomena had been looking forward to a romantic weekend break with her fire fighter husband Henry, but her leave has been cancelled as she has been asked to look after young Daisy until more suitable arrangements can be made.
Philomena wants to be part of the investigation and several times goes off following a lead on her own, putting herself at risk and getting herself in trouble with her senior officers.
Her role as a police officer is made more challenging due to the fact that her father and uncles are London gangsters, she suspects they might be involved in this case. Philomena upholds the law whilst her family break the law.
A fast paced read, full of action, tension, suspense, crime, some humour with great characters and family loyalties are tested. Michael Robotham weaves together a brilliant story.
This was #book2 featuring Philomena McCarthy, Will there be a book 3, I certainly hope.
Many thanks to net Galley and Little Brown Book Group UK for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

If you’re a fan of crime fiction then you need to be reading this series. This is book 2 but could easily be read as a stand alone but personally I’d start with book one since you’re only one behind.

Philomena is an officer with the police and her dad is a crime boss. Such odds acting against each other.

I love the layers in this series. Work, family, how to balance it all.

The writing is top notch and I was so connected to Philomena. It’s really a little more than a crime novel when you bring in her struggles with trying to be a great cop and also staying connected with her father.

There’s a great atmosphere and the twists kept me guessing.

Katy Sobey Does a great job narrating and brings Philomena struggles to life. Her voice fit with what I imagined her to sound like and she drew me into the story. Letting it shine through in the audiobook.

I highly recommend this series for anyone that loves a crime novel.

The White Crow is the second book in the Philomena McCarthy series, and continues the tale of a family falling on opposite sides of the law.

I flew through this in one day. Robotham’s writing is as sharp and confident as ever. The tension between Phil and her dad added such weight to the story, with love and loyalty clashing with values and morality. The chapters are packed with detail, but the writing feels effortless and flows easily.

I loved the various POVs, which felt seamless and gave me insights into the characters and their motivation. I empathised far more than I expected to with certain characters! Some of the twists are subtle, which made me feel like I was solving things alongside the detectives, which was hugely satisfying. There’s a lot of grey throughout the book, making for a thought provoking read, and the ending was chaotic and charged - perfection! I’m hanging out for the next book in the series. 4.5 ⭐

Thanks to the publisher for the early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

PC Philomena McCartney is on duty with a fellow police officer, one cold night, when their patrol car passes a little girl wearing only her pyjamas. In the kitchen of the little girl's home is the dead body of her mother tied to a chair. This starts a twisty, satisfying thriller story.
PC McCarthy leads a complicated but happy life with her new husband, firefighter Henry. The complications being that her father and uncles have links to the criminal world and she struggles to keep this side of her life under wraps from her OCD boss, Patrick Keegan, and her other colleagues too. She was a character in a previous novel, so it is nice to catch up with her life again.

I raced through The White Crow enjoying every morsel. This is Michael Robotham at his electric best. From the first scene, we’re plunged into a clash of loyalties, violence and life‑and‑death stakes. Through it all, Philomena “Phil” McCarthy stands out as a character you have to root for.

Phil’s circumstances; she is a Metropolitan Police constable by duty and daughter of East‑End crime kingpin Eddie McCarthy by birth—gives the story its pulse. Torn between the job she loves and the blood that runs through her veins, she is constantly in the horns of a dilemma. Robotham opens with Phil finding a lone child in pyjamas on a night patrol. She takes the girl home and discovers the aftermath of a brutal home invasion. At the same time, DCI Brendan Keegan discovers a jeweller strapped to a bomb in Hatton Garden.

Phil is caught in a vice: her instincts as a cop scream for justice, yet every lead points to her father. That tension? It’s relentless and beautifully drawn.

Phil is no passive pawn—she’s fierce, smart, and genuinely conflicted. I felt her fear when she realises her loyalties might ruin her career, her marriage to firefighter Henry, and her family ties. But she refuses to take the easy path. The growth she undergoes—balancing empathy with courage—is superbly paced.

The dynamic between Phil and her father is layered and nuanced. You sense the love, pride, and danger of their bond. Eddie isn’t a cartoon thug; he’s complex—a dad who wants to protect his daughter even as his empire tests her. Eddie is a real East End gangster though and his thugs are just as capable of doing real damage as any villains. The love-hate tension between Phil and Eddie is the emotional backbone of the novel. A strong oppositional current runs through every conversation—his world against hers, alongside subtle moments suggesting some respect for each other, despite everything.

DCI Brendan Keegan is another great character. His sense of ethics consistently clashes with the bureaucracy and politics of his job. He’s pressured by his superior officer to deliver quick results, even if it means hanging Philomena out to dry, and he rails against it. Watching Philomena and Keegan spar professionally—and begin to trust each other personally—added another layer. Their relationship has respect, tension, and a shared drive for the truth.

Robotham’s plotting is exceptional. The pace is often fast and furious without ever descending into chaos. There are ticking bomb torments, seriously ruthless mob rivalries, hidden agendas, and undertones of domestic abuse, all tightly threaded. The storyline escalates beautifully; a home invasion, a bomb threat, a ruthless Bulgarian gang who’ll stop at nothing, quite literally, to push out the McCarthys. All these events are linked in ways that force Phil to choose between badge or blood.

The novel has multiple perspectives but always circles back to Phil as the emotional core. The tension is palpable, each twist in the plot brought very real heart-stopping momentum to the story.

This is crime fiction that leaves you breathless but which is grounded in substantial characters, making it compelling. Robotham delivers a novel that’s smart, morally complex and gripping.

Phil is a terrific character: a cop daughter of a gangster, standing alone at the crossroads of right and wrong. By the final twist, I had been put through the wringer; drained, exhilarated, and satisfied.

Verdict: The White Crow is a thriller that races along. Robotham’s pacing, character and ethical dilemmas combine into something electric. Definitely recommended.

Michael Robotham is a crime writer at the top of his game, the stories he conjures up, the plot twists, the red herrings, all of them exemplary. I picked up ‘White Crow’ knowing that it would command my attention from start to finish and it was simply brilliant.

PC Philomena McCarthy is the daughter of an established career criminal Edward McCarthy, who is known throughout the London crime scene along with his two brothers. Philomena has turned her back on all of this, determined to be on the right side of the law.
A case involving a kidnapped jewellery dealer, his murdered wife and missing daughter blurs the boundaries between Philomena’s work and her father‘s world.

The story is perfectly paced, with so many cliffhangers and potential suspects, as well as policing politics and insider fighting.

Loved every minute of it and I’ll be back for more!

As a huge fan of Michael Robotham’s Joe O’Loughlin I jumped at the chance to read and review this book, which is the second in a brand new series featuring Philomena McCarthy. I somehow managed to miss the first book in this series but didn’t feel as though I was missing anything by reading The White Crow first, although I will of course go back and read the first one at some point.

As the daughter of a London crime boss, PC Philomena McCarthy finds herself having to try to keep the two sides of her complicated life as far apart as possible. But then one night she glimpses a child in pyjamas in her rear view mirror and sets out to find her. Taking Daisy home, Phil uncovers the aftermath of an horrific home invasion, while at the same time, three miles away, DCI Brendan Keegan discovers a prominent jeweller, found strapped to an explosive in his ransacked store.

The crimes appear to be connected and, to her dismay, all the evidence points to Phil's father as the man behind the whole thing. As her worlds collide, Phil finds herself trapped in the middle of a vicious gang war that will threaten her career and everyone she holds dear.

As usual Michael Robotham has weaved an intricate tale filled with the kind of characters I love. The White Crow is far more than just a crime novel, although that alone had me on the edge of my seat. It is also a book of complex family dynamics and relationships that really did captivate me throughout. Philomena is caught between a rock and a hard place, her loyalty and love for her family on one side and her commitment to the job she loves on the other.

In what is a tense and gripping novel, the tension is palpable as the story races towards a conclusion that kept me on my toes throughout. The White Crow is Michael Robotham at his very best and is a book I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

This is the second book in this series featuring Philomena "Phil" McCarthy so, for full enjoyment, I'd suggest you begin with When You Are Mine. If not for backstory and character development, it's also a blooming great read too!
So... despite her family being gangsters, Phil is still flying high in the Met. Well, she is when our story begins. She is out patrolling (on a food run) in the wee hours when she sees what she thinks is a young child out on their own. Then the radio goes alerting her and her partner to a jeweler's shop robbery. She makes a decision to get out of the car and try and find the youngster whilst her partner goes on to attend the robbery. Meanwhile, Phil is supposed to be going on a mini-break with her husband. But it all goes a bit titsup for her when the two aforementioned incidents are linked, and then the issue is compounded, and her job in peril (suspended), when her family is also added to the confusion.
And that's all I am saying as the perfectly crafted and executed plot is best discovered as the author intends. Suffice to say, it hit he ground running for me, held me captive throughout, spitting me out at the end, exhausted but also wholly satisfied. As well as all the shenanigans going on, there is some wonderful humour peppered throughout which keeps the book balanced. There were lighter moments which gave me a bit of relief and respite and stopped it all from getting too dark. I especially loved Phil's uncles...
Phil herself is a great character, especially how she deals with her job and her family, the two being polar opposite and each no good for the other! She's not always the sharpest, and her choices are sometimes a bit iffy, but she IS human and I think that's more important, especially as I think it's why we connected well in book one, that connection continuing herein. I also love her husband, firefighter Henry, and his patience and support. He also gets a nice part to play here too, but I will leave you to discover that for yourself.
All in all, a worthy follow up to what was a cracking series opener. If you are not yet familiar with this author, I would also recommend his other series - Cyrus Haven and Joseph O'Loughlin. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Philomena is an officer of the Metropolitan Police, despite her family being notorious London gangsters. One night she comes across a young girl covered in blood outside alone and nearby a London jeweller has had his store ransacked. As these events collide, as well as her personal life, she must work out who she can trust and what side of the line she wants to be on.

This is the second book in this series and having read the first one and liking it, I knew I had to read this one. I read the first one quite some time ago so forgot some of the little details but still got a lot of enjoyment from this one, therefore it can easily be read as a standalone. The author is great at creating multi layered, complex plots full of suspense and atmosphere, while creating strong characters. I enjoyed Philomena as a main character, however also found the ‘bad’ characters entertaining to read.

This story is not just a police procedural but also explore family dynamics and offers some emotional moments, while being dark and gritty at times. This was a great addition to the series overall and I look forward to seeing what the author writes next. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

The White Crow by Michael Robotham is the second in the Philomena McCarthy series, featuring the young cop from a family known to dabble in organised crime. Again it's the antics of her father and uncles that put her career in jeopardy but at the same time, when the so-called rubber hits the road, Edward McCarthy will always put his daughter ahead of his own safety and any money to be made from nefarious means. And I must confess I'm a sucker for soft-hearted bad-guys.

It really won't matter if you've not read When You Are Mine because I hadn't realised this was the second book in that series when I started, so I came upon the characters afresh and enjoyed getting to know them (again). Phil kinda manoeuvres her way into the investigation here after finding 5yr old Daisy and gaining her trust. However that's short-lived when the investigators discover that Phil's father and his brothers were regular visitors to the targeted jewellery store.

Robotham had me so invested in Phil, her life and her involvement here that I felt affronted on her behalf - that she so easily came under suspicion and so quickly was written off by those who had relied on her before knowing her family background.

I enjoyed the time we spent with Phil's father and uncles as well. I'm unsure if the previous book was similar but in reality this is as much about attacks on the McCarthy family business as it is the police investigation and in some ways it's only coincidence that the two cases connect. It's not long however before it seems that the home invasion which killed Daisy's mother - perhaps wasn't as it seemed and the jewellery store heist may have been an inside job. Which begs the question whether the murder was part of the original deal or something went wrong.

There are a lot of threads here and Phil is determined to unravel them all. Again putting her life (and those of loved ones) at risk, but her family (again) has her back... even when it seems her colleagues (who she chose over family in pursuing her law enforcement career) do not.

It's interesting that Robotham hasn't settled Phil with a specific team though maybe that will change, but I kinda like that she's a beat cop so gets thrown whatever comes her way on shift. I'm really enjoying this series and I love Phil and her husband Henry and their relationship. I'm secretly hoping they get to keep Daisy but can't say why or how cos #spoilers sweetie.

I'm conscious I've talked a lot about the characters and plot but haven't commented on Robotham's writing, which (somehow) makes reading effortless. I've heard him speak a number of times and spoken to him myself and realised as I read the opening paragraphs here, I was hearing his gentle soothing voice...

"In a real dark night of the soul it is always three o'clock in the morning. F Scott Fitzgerald wrote that line almost sixty years before I was born but it's true enough today. London is not asleep at this hour. Merely resting her eyes and humming impatiently, waiting for the sun to rise. She is like an aging toothless beast, chewing through the years that she struggles to swallow. p 1 #magic

Crime writing at its best – human, interesting, fraught, clever and surprising!
I’m a long-time Robotham fan – and remain so! I loved that I found myself firmly on the side of a criminal gang made up of old-school East End gangsters in some parts of this tale. And police officer Philomena McCarthy at time finds herself torn between that criminal gang, which happens to be her family, and her police family. Phil seemed familiar and I only realised why when the author explained in his notes that he’d introduced Phil in a previous novel, “When You are Mine”.
“The White Crow” begins as Phil disobeys instructions and leaves a patrol car on its way to an incident to help a young girl wandering the streets at night. It so happens the two – the child and the incident – are linked, and young Phil manages to get herself onto the case. And a hellavu case it is too! Rival criminal gangs, a brutal murder, a jewel heist, and real danger for Phil and her husband.

Damn. I mean what more is there to say here? This is an auto buy author for me. I previously read the Cyrus Haven series and vowed to read any further works. This did not disappoint! I am so here for this and I need to go back and read the first book. I felt like I missed a lot because I was not aware this is book 2 (no idea how I missed that hah!) but that is no one’s fault but my own. I really enjoyed Philomena and the dynamics between her and the other characters here.

It’s another stellar series by one of my favorite crime thriller authors!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for a review. Off to buy the first book!

A really good book, keeps you gripped to the last page. PC Philomena McCarthy is on the breakfast run when a cyclist pulls out in front of the car, swerving to avoid something catches her eye in the mirror. Was that a child? It’s the middle of the night? There is a call for all units, her partner takes off as she is left looking for the child.
What follows affects her relationship with her family and the force, but knowing she is in the right she keeps going. A truly gripping tale from a master storyteller.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

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.