The Wreckage

The Wreckage: A Thriller
Michael Robotham
Mulholland Books
June 2011
Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-316-12640-3
$ 24.99
448 pages

Luca Terracini is a journalist living outside the safe-zone in Iraq during the year 2006. Luca is following a
story that scares other journalists. What happened to all the money hidden in Saddam’s Iraq and the
money sent from the United States to rebuild the country? As he investigates, it seems that someone is
does not want him to find the truth in this story. He is being constantly followed and it is obvious that
someone is trying to kill him.

Vincent Ruiz discovers that he has been a victim of a scam. It begins with a young attractive couple who
argue. The boy becomes physical and hits the girl. The victim, the target, witnesses this and
sympathizes with the hurt girl. While talking with the girl, she discovers that her purse has also been
stolen by the angered and now disappeared boyfriend. The girl is taken to the witnesses home where
she can take advantage and steal the household valuables. However, someone kills the boyfriend and
wants the girl dead. Why? Also Vincent needs one of the stolen items. His daughter is promised her
mother’s comb on her wedding day which is quickly approaching.

Richard North, a vice-president of a bank, disappears. With a pregnant wife, a young son, and marrying
into this banking family, he is the obvious scape-goat for money missing from the bank. Obviously, this
missing man could be dead. The frantic wife hires a private investigator. What happens to him?

How are these three people part of one story? The interweaving of these three creates a gripping and
enthralling tale which is fortunately based on these fictional characters but based on real situations.
Why is someone going to the trouble of having all three of these people dead? What is so important
that it is worth three people’s lives? Where is all the money?

The Wreckage is a well-written tale in which much of it could be true, based on the real
disappearance of millions of money for Iraq. This allows a possible explanation about the money with
realistic characters and plausible explanations. The variety of characters is definitely balanced with
every possible aspect covered.

The stories of these three are the thrust of the story as their lives point towards an eventual
overlapping. Who lives? Who dies? Where is the money?

Michael Robotham is an Australian author who has lived in London. He has previously written the
books The Suspect, Lost, The Night Ferry, Shatter, Bombproof, and Bleed for Me. He has also written
many autobiographies with numerous celebrities.

The Wreckage is a memorable action adventure tale with haunting realism.