Life or Death (Michael Robotham, Hachette)

This exciting new novel from Michael Robotham is pitched as a psychological thriller but for me it is a novel of crime, justice and redemption—and a very good one. Set in Texas, the plot revolves around Audie Palmer, who has spent a decade in prison for his part in an armed robbery in which four people died, including two members of the gang involved. Five million dollars has never been recovered and many people believe that Audie knows its whereabouts, which has made his time in prison a brutal, daily fight for survival. Amazingly, the day before his sentence is up, he escapes and goes on the run, except that he is running to save a life and, perhaps, clear his name. Audie is hunted by the local police; officers from the time of his arrest; a tenacious FBI agent with a personal agenda; criminals who want the cash; a prison mate who is released to help with the hunt—the list goes on. The story builds to a heart-stopping climax—Robotham piles on the tension without ever going over the top—and legions of readers should enjoy this superior example of the crime writer’s art. 

Max Oliver is a retired bookseller and avid crime reader