The Wreckage

Joe O'Loughlin, Book 5

By: Michael Robotham

Narrated by: Sean Barrett

Length: 13 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

An international thriller based on one of the biggest bank heists in history.

Billions of dollars are missing from Iraqi banks, and journalist Luca Terracini will risk everything to discover where the money is. His Iraqi American background has made it easier for him to infiltrate the darkest corners of the war, but the death of his beloved Nicola in a suicide bombing has made him reckless. He has nothing left to lose.

In pursuit of the money, he meets UN representative Daniela Garner, who seems to know more about the heist than anyone else. She's a valuable asset in Baghdad, where the possibility of an explosion lurks at every checkpoint. Luca's investigation proves volatile as well, and as he gets closer to the missing money, his actions begin to reverberate around the world.

In London, Richard North, a top-tier international banker and the one person who might be able to explain where the money has gone, vanishes. The manhunt for him will get Luca evicted from Iraq and separated from Daniela and possibly end both his investigation and his life.

As usual, it's all about the money - who has it, who's lost it, and who's ultimately going to pay - as clandestine agents emerge from the shadows and powerful nations seek to control information and bury secrets, whatever the cost.

©2016 Michael Robotham (P)2016 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Fine and ambitious [with characters who are] wonderfully human - smart, determined, decent, and flawed. Thoroughly compelling." ( Booklist)

"I have seldom read a more chilling and suspenseful tale. Robotham makes you see the sand, smell the burning oil and feel the bullets flying past. Most thrillers are lucky to have one great character; Robotham has given us at least four. They sweat, bleed and cry with such raw emotion that you can barely catch your breath and the words on the page feel like a million needles beneath your clenched fingers. This is a writer who will give you a slice of the Middle East you will never see on CNN or Fox. Robotham is the real deal and we can only hope he will write faster." (David Baldacci)

"Terrific...a classic 'wrong man' thriller that puts its hero in hot water, then raises the Fahrenheit to a fever pitch.... Robotham not only builds the suspense masterfully but tops it off with a stunning twist." ( People)

Great characters.

Michael R always writes with great wit and really understands his characters... that is why we love him. At first, I thought the plot was complicated but that did not last long. Gripping story and wonderful narration! I will look for other books by Sean Barrett.

Excellent -

I love this series and this was a great book. Somehow I read these out of order, but no matter. This one was outside the usual structure - very entertaining.

Hard to follow

I usually love this author but this book jumped around which made it hard to keep track of names and details. Still had some good twists but my least favorite book I’ve read from this author. Will still read more of his books in the hope that I like them better.

Wow

Great book....kept me interested from first page...loved narrator's reading and characters. Love all the O'Loughlin books, hope more coming!

not my favorite but still a MR fan

I found myself struggling to follow this story and having to replay many sections to gain understanding.

Excellent

Some reviews which took exception to the story line put me off buying this initially but I am such of fan of Michael Robothan’s skill at word craftsmanship and Sean Barrett’s performances that I took the plunge and was so glad I did. Such a nice change from sociopaths. Was the story believable? About as believable as having serial killers in action every few years. The story worked as the telling of it kept me interested the whole way.

Definitely one of favorites

The characters are well rounded. So much suspense and action. My favorite character is always Ruiz and this book did not disappoint. Highly recommend!

So we’ll written

What a great book! Incredibly well written. I often find that Great stories and great writing do not always go hand-in-hand, but with Robotham they do! Enjoyed every bit of this book! I think I’ve listened to six of his books in the last month and I’m just about to download yet another!

Excellent addition to the series

Love the narrator.
Compelling characters and story.
Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Did some editor tell Robatham to up the ante? Boo

I love this series, but this was a disappointment. Vincent Ruiz is great and he was the primary protag, while Joe O'Loughlin sadly put in only a cameo appearance. There were just too many point of view characters in play, and way too much going on. Really hard to figure out what agenda each of the bad guys had and who we were supposed to be cheering for. I really don't think a thriller with world threats and world involvement is needed in this series. Please, let this be a one-off.