A young policewoman breaks all the rules to get to the bottom of the mysterious death of the best friend she betrayed in this stunning follow-up thriller from the author of Suspect and Lost. Ali Barba, a Sikh detective with the Metropolitan Police, is recovering from injuries sustained in the line of duty when she receives a letter from her estranged friend, Cate, imploring her to come to their high school reunion. Alarmed by the urgent tone of the note, and eager to make amends for her unforgivable past behavior, Ali goes to the reunion. Cate is pregnant, but before Ali has the chance to congratulate her, Cate hurriedly whispers, "They want to take my baby. You have to stop them." It is the only hint of Cate's troubles Ali manages to get. As they are leaving the reunion, Cate and her husband are run down by a car and killed. The mystery darkens when it is discovered that Cate had faked her pregnancy by tying a pillow underneath her dress. All Ali has to go on is a file in Cate's desk that contains two ultrasound pictures, letters from a fertility clinic, and various papers that seem to confirm the unborn baby's existence. As she puts together the pieces, her search takes her to Amsterdam and into the company of some very unsavory people on both sides of the Channel who'll do anything to thwart her investigation. A gripping thriller and a searing tale of the search for redemption, The Night Ferry is Michael Robotham's finest novel yet.
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"I thought this was terrific. This is the third book of Michael Robotham's I've read and I think this was my favorite. I love the way he was able to keep the dynamics between the characters intact amidst all the action swirling around. And while there was a little too much almost-catching-the-villain-only-to-have-him-slip-away (mirroring the Wiley Coyote/Road Runner theme mentioned in the book), there were some definite twists and turns I really enjoyed."
— Larry (4 out of 5 stars)
“Vibrant and utterly contemporary…An altogether superior thriller.”
— Los Angeles Times“Wonderfully assured, with a pell-mell plot, smart prose and a strong complex narrator.”
— Seattle Times“In keeping with the opening sentence’s invocation of Graham Greene, the author’s terse, resonant prose hides more than it reveals. Readers will hope Robotham has many more books of this caliber in him.”
— Publishers Weekly“Heartfelt and gripping, but neither as surprising nor as original as Robotham’s first two novels.”
— Kirkus Reviews" totally unbelievable story line as robotham tries to cover every dark crime including; sexual assault, murder, people trafficking, surrogacy, kidnapping, stabbings, torture and more. way too much packed into one implausible novel. "
— celeste, 3/4/2018" Yet another excellent read by Michael Robotham. I read this within three days. Found the storyline and characters very interesting. Would highly recommend anyone who likes crime novels too read it x "
— Claire, 2/13/2014" This mystery asked me to suspend belief a little too much. Alisha Barba, ex-competitive runner and a policewoman about to return to work after a bad injury gets a message from a friend who dropped her years earlier. Cate is 8 months pregnant and asking for Alisha's help. On the night they arrange to meet, Cate and her husband are run down by a taxi. Is it really an accident? What does Cate's old tormenter Donovan have to do with it. Why does a young man from Afghanistan have Alisha's name on him? Alisha traces the mysteries with the help of Ruiz, a retired detective, and Dave, a current policeman enamored of Alisha. She seems to get away with a lot, and have a lot of luck as well. The story was okay, but not great. "
— Shonna, 2/1/2014" It was pretty good. Robotham is great at developing suspense. A touch contrived, but solid writing. "
— Keeley, 1/23/2014" I bought and read this book on my trip to Europe while traveling, it was such a good read when things got slow (On airplanes and trains) I really liked the plot and storyline was fresh. "
— Shiloh, 1/20/2014" I'm a fan of this author; Di Ruiz has a small role in this book, the principal protagonist is Alisha Barba. The first two chapters are a little slow but at chapter 3 the book takes off and Mr Robotham is once more in his unputdownable form. "
— Faye, 1/6/2014" I really liked this book. It drew me in right away. I like British books for their diverse characters. Like any mystery, it has its dark elements but was still a great read. "
— Jess, 12/19/2013" A wonderful mystery with a great Sihk woman protagonist detective from London. Very interesting and compelling. Can't wait to read the next one. "
— Nellie, 12/14/2013" Dull and unbelievable. Left out main characters for large chunks of the book then almost remembered they ought to be mentioned again. Totally implausible ending and all too predictable "
— Elizabeth, 11/14/2013" I have enjoyed MIchael Robotham's books and this, though not his best, was a good thriller. "
— Jen, 10/15/2013" I gave up after one quarter of the book... "
— Nora, 10/14/2013" one of the best (after The Suspect) "
— Cyn, 6/19/2013" A British female Indian policeman stumbles into the underworld of sex trafficing in London and Amsterdam. A quirky heroine (I quite like her) struggles over ethics and reality. Well written and detailed in plot, a fun read. It makes me want to find the author's other novels. "
— Brenda, 6/16/2013" This one had some very strange twists and turns and most definitely kept my attention. "
— Jackie, 5/27/2013" A very interesting and intriguing book that delves into the issues of illegal surrogacy and adoption, along with a few plot twists and murders "
— Carla, 5/20/2013" A sad story of people trafficing and baby selling, two things I try not to think about. "
— Carol, 12/25/2012" Not familiar with the author. Picked up the book on the remainder table of an independent book store for $2. One never knows when one will pick up a good read. "
— Rosemary, 11/9/2012" Read my thoughts at: Thoughts of Joy... "
— Joy, 10/9/2012" One of my easy reads between my more serious likes. Good detective story, not to gory and not to femine even though the main character is a women. "
— Shirlyn, 8/15/2012" Droll young Indian woman detective is sidekick. I liked her a lot. Are there more in this series? "
— Sally, 1/27/2012" I'm a fan what can i say I pick up his book and I can't put it down till I finish "
— Isabel, 12/7/2011" 3.5. This one is narrated by Ali (former co worker of Ruiz); Ruiz is involved. Good writing but depressing story. "
— Leslie, 10/14/2011" I bought and read this book on my trip to Europe while traveling, it was such a good read when things got slow (On airplanes and trains) I really liked the plot and storyline was fresh. "
— Shiloh, 4/7/2011" Goes deep into the lurkin darkness of crime... "
— Dana, 3/20/2011" I'm so glad to have started reading Michael Robotham. This is #3, and I am on to #4 as quickly as possible. "
— Deirdre, 3/16/2011" My favorite of the three I've read by him so far. Interesting/horrifying story of human trafficking with a terrific heroine. Very ballsy ending. "
— L-J, 1/15/2011" Explores the connection between surrogacy and human trafficing. "
— Marilyn, 12/23/2010" solid thriller very enjoyable read kept me turning those pages "
— Shannon, 3/23/2010" A good mystery but made me never want to visit Amsterdam; there are some scary parts of the city that are legal and other scary things happening in the city that are not legal. Both were discussed in book. "
— Linda, 2/21/2010" Allie, a detective on the mend from her injuries in a previous Robotham novel, gets a message from an old friend that they have to talk. Deaths of illegal immigrants, surrogate babies and vicious criminals are blended in a great mystery. Love the writing. "
— Pat, 11/19/2009" Possibly the best Robotham novel of them all. Tackles a compelling story about human trafficking and surrogacy. I couldn't put it down. "
— Bbm, 7/26/2009" Good mystery. Totally plausible. Could see this happening which is slightly depressing, but it opens your eyes...makes you appreciate what you have. Didn't much care for the main character. "
— Kristy, 7/18/2009" I love it when i discover a new good mystery series. The characters are interesting and the plot is unexpected and out of the ordinary. "
— Kathy, 7/7/2009" nteresting twist on the typical detective story. This one was about a woman living in England whose family is from India. She was a complicated character and very easy to relate to. I like this author a lot. "
— Carol, 2/21/2009Michael Robotham is a former investigative journalist whose psychological thrillers have been translated into twenty-three languages. In 2015 he won the prestigious UK Gold Dagger for his novel Life or Death, which was also shortlisted for the 2016 Edgar Allan Poe Award for best novel. He has twice won a Ned Kelly Award for Australia’s best crime novel and has twice been shortlisted for the CWA UK Steel Dagger in 2007 for The Night Ferry and 2008 with Shatter.
Clare Corbett, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, studied at the Welsh College of Music and Drama. After winning the Carlton Hobbs audition, she was chosen to be on BBC Radio. After leaving BBC she went on to narrate several children’s books, including Over the Moon, I Rule Dogsbottom School, and Boy Beware. She has transitioned into reading young adult novels, including many installments in the Doctor Who series.