What a great read - couldn't put it down! This novel is wildly ambitious in that it ranges over several, disparate aspects of the conflict in Iraq and the theft of vast sums of money meant for reconstruction, from petty theft in the London suburbs to murder, fraud and skulduggery in the City. Spooks, bankers, hired assassins, homeless waifs, pregnant ladies, jihadists, Russian au pairs and the Bill mingle with the journalists and police trying to unravel a tangled web of intrigue in the world of high finance. I think Michael Robotham pulls it off successfully. When I finished the book I had a strong sense of satisfaction that all the threads were tied up, there was nothing hanging loose, and the ending gave a sense of closure and completion. Well done Mr Robotham, considering the enormous challenge you set yourself.Vincent Ruiz is a bit of a tragic - a retired detective who gave all his time and attention to his work on The Job, at the expense of marriage, family and friends. Through an episode typical of his loser mentality, he becomes involved in the hand-to-mouth existence of the homeless girl Holly, whose boyfriend Zac, a veteran of the Iraq conflict, is murdered. Holly has lots of street smarts and she manages to stay one step ahead of the plodding Vincent, Mr Plod and the baddies most of the time. Meantime, the TV news is full of stories of the missing banker Richard North, and the disappearance of half a billion pounds. Is Zac's murder connected in some obscure way?Luca Terracini, half Iraqi, fluent in the language, is a maverick journalist who bravely goes where no journalist has been before in Iraq, to the front lines, where he gets himself caught up in a bit of bother. He also gets caught up with the feisty US forensic accountant, Daniela, working for the UN in Iraq to find out what happened to gazillions of dollars of foreign aid. An unlikely couple, they team up, fall in love and do their best to locate the destination of the stolen millions. Ultimately, Luca draws down the disapproval of Iraqi officialdom, his visa is cancelled and he lands up in London with Daniela in tow.Eventually the two strands of this story come together as the protagonists pursue the money and the perpetrators. They encounter all sorts of interesting characters along the way, including the sinister Courier and the cynical Chalcott. Father and son bankers, Andrew and Mitchell Bach, are a case study in corporate greed and arrogance beyond belief. Taking a minor but important role in this book is one of Robotham's perennial characters, the gentle psychologist Joe O'Loughlin, whose distinctive style of interviewing provides vital clues in the murder of Zac and establishes the link to the missing North. The Wreckage is a rollicking good yarn, which I thoroughly enjoyed. This is the second Robotham novel I've read and like 'Watching You'this is another cracking narrative, complex in its story and yet totally satisfying in its characters.Everything works here, the dialogue the credibility of the story and its background and its interconnectedness. How does Robotham keep all the strands together?The characters are complex, never too good to be true and even the 'baddies' have reasons for their behaviour. I love Ruiz and Joe, truly human but moral. I wish they were friends of mine!This is a totally believable story and tied together with excellent research. Looking forward now to the next Robotham.
Do You like book Der Insider (2012)?
A great thriller. Quite suited to a female audience with characters I liked.
—Alli
Another great book by this author. Can't wait for the next one.
—ma49671
