Book description
The psychological thriller that marked the debut of one of contemporary suspense fiction's most compelling heroes: "A gripping first novel...taut and fast-moving" (Washington Post).
Renowned psychologist Joseph O'Loughlin has it all -- a thriving practice, a devoted, beautiful, fiercely intelligent wife, and a lovely young daughter. But when he's diagnosed…
Why read it?
2 authors picked The Suspect as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
This is the first book in the Joseph O’Loughlin series, and my favorite because it shows Joe shortly after his Parkinson’s diagnosis.
I know it’s popular to portray sick people as angelic, long-suffering inspirations to us all, but reality often differs, especially as someone adjusts to a devastating diagnosis and its far-reaching impact. As a respected psychologist, Joe is normally thoughtful, intelligent, and kind, but as he becomes ensnared in the death of a former acquaintance, his personal despair over his illness sends him into a self-destructive tailspin. Rather than making me dislike Joe, the honesty of his struggle made…
From Kate's list on The best mysteries featuring ill or disabled sleuths.
London-based Joe O’Loughlin is a renowned psychologist who often consults on crime cases. One of Joe’s ongoing problems is he’s been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, which puts his exceptional mind at war with his deteriorating body. In book one, Joe has been called in to consult on a high-profile murder investigation, but he has a conflict of interest when the suspect is a former patient. Throughout the nine-book series, we follow Joe as he deals with his debilitating disease, his sometimes-rocky marriage, and his children, along with the crime cases he’s involved in, which at times include his loved ones.
…
From Polly's list on The best books about characters who overcome adversity.
If you love The Suspect...
December on 5C4
Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!
On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…
Want books like The Suspect?
Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 96 books like The Suspect.
Share your top 3 reads of 2026!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
179
readers submitted
so far, will you?
📚 If you like The Suspect, you might also like...
Sexy Selfie Nation
The problem is not with the actions young women take but with the toxic, sexist conditions they are responding to.
Tanenbaum found, based on six years of interviews with young people ages 14-30, that young women are navigating a culture littered with gendered dress codes, revenge porn, and sexually explicit…
In This Together
In This Together explores how we can harness our social networks to make a real impact fighting the climate crisis. Against notions of the lone environmental crusader, Marianne E. Krasny shows us the power of "network climate action"—the idea that our own ordinary acts can influence and inspire those close…
