PUBLICATION DATE: JUNE 16, 2011

war correspondent investigating a series of bank robberies in Iraq meets a UN auditor and within days both of their lives are in danger.  A retired cop tries to help a hustling couple and her boyfriend ends up tortured and killed.  A banker goes missing a month before the birth of his daughter.  Is he an unfaithful husband, is he fleeing a criminal investigation, or is he dead?  Three major plot lines come together in The Wreckage to create one highly engaging fast-paced, suspense thriller.

I decided to pick this book up shortly before going to bed, but after reading the prologue quickly put it down.  There was no doubt that once I started reading, it was going to be a long time before I stopped.  So I waited until the next morning and as expected found myself completely engrossed in the story for long periods of time.

This is the first book I’ve read by Michael Robotham and I was very impressed with his style.  The Wreckage has a fairly complex plot, but rather than creating a sluggish mess to wade through, Robotham kept the story flowing and easy to follow.  There was one minor story line that never made complete sense to me, but otherwise, I was surprised that the remaining pieces fit so nicely into place.

According to the author’s notes, this book is “based on many real-life events and documents.”  For the most part, fiction and fact blended together seamlessly.  From the corrupt, chaotic, intense environment in Iraq to the methodical, criminal investigations in London, Robotham’s experience and research gives this book an authentic feel.

This is a general market book and is not subject to CBA sanitation.  I expect an increase in certain types of content.  In most cases I’ve found the allowance of increased violence, language, or sexual content to add to the believability of the story.  However, with this book, the amount of sexual content had the opposite effect.  I’m not a guy, but surely men are capable of looking at attractive women without lusting after them?  Maybe I’m wrong?  There came a point in this book to where the sexual content felt more like ‘dirty old man’ thoughts directed at a specific demographic and ceased to advance the plot or enhance the personalities of the characters.

Overall I was very pleased with The Wreckage.  I was impressed with Robotham’s ability to create a captivating story and maintain strong suspense for 400+ pages.  With only a couple of exceptions, the characters were excellent, especially Luca, the investigative reporter in Iraq.  I loved his broken character and would like to see him in another book.  The Wreckage is a good choice for those who enjoy a fast-paced thriller with a complex plot and can handle a large amount of sexual content.