★★★★★ Cumulative sales of 8 million copies ★★★★★
★★★★★ Published in 25 languages ​​★★★★★
★★★★★ Exported to over 50 countries worldwide ★★★★★
★★★★★ Two-time Gold Dagger Award Winner ★★★★★
★★★★★ Highly recommended by Stephen King ★★★★★

World-renowned bestselling authors chosen by director Park Chan-wook
Michael Robotham's new book is out!

I don't want to believe it, but I have to accept it.
The cruel and fascinating world of a family

The Other Wife, a new work by Michael Robotham, a global bestselling author published in 25 languages ​​in over 50 countries around the world, is the ninth work in the popular mystery series 'Joe O'Loughlin' that has continued for nearly 20 years.
Psychologist Joe O'Loughlin, who debuted in the mystery world at the 2002 London Book Fair, continues to captivate readers around the world with his extraordinary problem-solving skills, psychological analysis, and insight into mysterious cases, even as he continues to reflect on and change himself in his mid-fifties, as a man in his thirteenth year since being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in The Other Wife.
The 'Joe O'Loughlin' series, which is extremely popular not only in Australia, the home country of author Michael Robotham, but also in the UK and continental Europe, has been broadcast as a TV series in Germany, the UK, Australia and other countries to rave reviews.
Michael Robotham, who has twice won the Crime Writers of Great Britain (CWA) Gold Dagger Award for the best crime novel, has been cited as a favorite writer by mystery masters including Stephen King, and his standalone work Life or Death is being adapted into a film by Park Chan-wook, winner of the Cannes Film Festival Best Director Award.

In The Other Wife, the protagonist, Joe O'Loughlin, is a single father who lost his wife 16 months ago to surgical complications and now cares for his older daughter, who is just starting college, and his younger daughter, who is in her teens.
He has been suffering from Parkinson's disease for 13 years, which has gradually separated his body from his mind. His wife's death has left him with a deeper sense of loss than ever before, and he has been receiving counseling for depression.
The incident that came to him during this time of sorrow was none other than his father's coma.
What shocked Joe O'Loughlin as much as the fact that his father, now in his eighties, had been struck down with a blunt object in a foreign land was the shocking secrets that filled his father's life.
While his father vehemently denies and resents him for doing so, the process of anger, regret, mourning, and overcoming that Joe experiences both inside and outside his family as he must resolve this case while his father remains in a comatose state without answering creates a deep sense of empathy as a rite of passage that all humans must go through throughout their lives.
The mother's belief that her son would never hurt anyone, the father's belief that his daughter would never lie, the parents' belief that others were the fault of their son's death, the child's belief that their father would never do such a thing, the wife's belief that her husband would never abandon her—these are the recurring themes of unwavering trust in family and unexpected disillusionment.
"The Other Wife," a family story that can shake and turn one person's entire world upside down, is masterfully crafted with the author's characteristically tense writing style. At times, it is a mystery in itself, but it is also a meaningful mystery of our times that paradoxically makes us reflect on the values ​​of family that we must remember.

I ask again.
“What happened?”
“I found him collapsed at the bottom of the stairs.”
“Stairs?”
“At home.”
“Whose house is it?”
“At my house.”
“What is your identity?”
“I am this man’s wife.”
“Father already has a wife.”
“This is this man’s other wife.”
“You mean your father’s government?”
“I said no.”
--- p.25

The train arrives.
As the rail vibrates, pressure waves are pushed in.
The door opens.
I am pushed into the crowded carriage by the crowd.
I suddenly wondered how many of these people were leading double lives or hiding secret families.
That in itself is not very surprising.
Because I've already seen and heard it countless times.
Zumba instructor who works as a call girl.
A Russian spy disguised as a successful real estate agent.
Secrets are not worth much.
We lie to maintain a healthy relationship, to get a job, to keep the peace, to impress the opposite sex, or to protect our children.
If there is no secret, there is no self.
If you find yourself lost in a social group, at work, or in your marriage, you may have no choice but to resort to lying.
I have no choice but to shamelessly pretend to be someone else.

--- p.61

“This affair… when did it start?”
“When I was thirty-two.”
“What about your father at that time?”
“I guess he’s about your age now.”
“Did you do that to a man old enough to be your father?”
“You don’t think you can love a woman in her thirties?”
“We’re not talking about me right now.”
“Really?” she asks.
“So that’s why you came to me?”
I can't bear to look her straight in the eye.
"You find my presence unpleasant? You don't want to believe your father fell in love with me. You don't want to acknowledge that we've ever formed a family and lived together."
Why is this weird? […]”
--- p.71

Kenneth lifts the teacup with trembling hands and brings it to his lips.
“In the end, it’s a matter of the human heart.
What I'm saying is that there are parts of the law that are difficult to apply decisively, like cutting with a knife.
After their marriage, William and Olivia lived together as a formal married couple.
I don't know how much comfort this will give you, but at least when it came to financial support, William didn't favor either Olivia or Mary.
Long ago, I set up a trust fund by dividing your father's assets exactly in half.
To properly take care of two families at the same time.
The friend went to great lengths to ensure that the two spouses did not encounter each other.
Sometimes, there were times when the dividing wall would crack and we would get into trouble, but I would step in and fix it.
“So that his two worlds are completely separated, both legally and financially.”
“What about the house in Chiswick?”
“The house became Olivia’s property according to William’s will.”
“What about life insurance?”
“You have two insurance policies,” David says.
“One beneficiary is the lady, and the other beneficiary is Olivia.
Both were renewed a few months ago.”
“There’s a third insurance policy,” Kenneth adds.
“It was put in the name of the head of the Oloklin Foundation in case something went wrong with William’s identity.”
--- p.133

"Am I not my brother's keeper? Am I not my father's son? It's written so in the Bible.
“Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”
He is quoting a Bible verse.
I'm swept away by all the ideas running wild in my head.
But somewhere within that madness, there must be a grain of truth hidden.
“Do you have any brothers?” I ask.
“You are my brother,” Yu-eon replies.
“What I mean is, do you have any blood siblings?
Sister.
“There will be no family.”
“Your father is my father.”
Are you still talking about the Lord?
A thought explodes in my head, blowing away the cobwebs and dust that have accumulated on the tea box and the sheet-covered furniture.
“What is your last name, Yu-eon?”
He hits his forehead with the handle of the sword again.
“Don’t do that.” I sneak up on him and kneel on the floor.
“What is your mother’s name?”
“Keep it a secret that I’m here.”
My mouth is burning.
“Who is your father?”
“A good doctor raised me,” he says.
His hand points to Charlie and Emma.
“So you guys are my nephews.”
--- pp.144-145

“Water!” I cry out in a groaning voice.
“Bring me some water,” the officer says.
After a while, a water bottle is placed in my hand.
I tilt my head back and splash some water on my face.
But because of his frantic hand, the water ends up soaking his shirt instead of his face.
I start rubbing my face with my hands.
“I’ll help you,” the officer says.
He snatches the water bottle and pours it over my eyes.
“Thank you,” I say awkwardly.
The woman who sprayed me with mace is lying to another officer about me trying to steal her phone.
I don't even have the energy left to refute it.
The officer holding the water bottle asks me if I have any medication.
I explain that I am a resident of this neighborhood.
Another patrol car arrives.
One of the people who came running crouched down next to me.
“I’ll take care of it from here on out,” she says.
“I was looking for this person anyway.”
“Why is this person like this?” the police officer asks.
“You have Parkinson’s disease.”
--- pp.152-153

“How many times do I have to tell you before you understand, Professor?
You have nothing to do with our investigation.
We are not obliged to report any relevant details to you.
“I told you from the beginning not to interfere in our work, so why do you keep meddling?”
“Ewan Blackmore came into my house with a knife.”
“But you refused to write a statement.
“Why did you do that?” He doesn’t wait for my answer.
“Oh, I know the answer.
“Because of brotherhood?”
“That kid is not my brother.
“I wanted to meet Olivia first and ask her.”
“You barged into her house and threatened her.”
"no."
“There were bruises on her wrists.”
“That’s not me.”
MacDiarmid wipes his mouth with a napkin and flicks his tongue to dislodge the sausage stuck in his teeth.
There is a bright red scar on his neck, as if he cut himself while shaving.
“I asked my colleagues about you.
Everyone told me good stories.
They say you are insightful and have a brilliant mind.
But I don't know.
“To me, you seem like someone who is obsessed with the spotlight and only chases fame.”
--- p.172

“[…] Mom loves you, Joseph.
I love Lucy, Patricia, and Rebecca.
But Mom loves your father more than anyone else.
“Children are something you receive as they are given to you, but my husband is something I chose to have.”
“That father chose another woman.”
“I can’t believe it until he confesses himself.”
Something inside me is shattered.
Inclusion, serenity, and dignity.
It all falls apart and then transforms into something else.
rage.
I really hoped my mother was as angry as I was, as betrayed, humiliated, and abandoned as I was.

--- p.189