The Wreckage (Joseph O'Loughlin, #5) in Aussie Readers

Sep 17, 2024 PattyMacDotComma rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favourites-adult, audio-while-reading, australian-author, kindle, mystery-crime-thriller, aa, fiction

5★
“ ‘This is the eighteenth bank robbery in Baghdad this year. Does that concern you?’

The general smiles, but the corners of his mouth barely move. ‘I find it reassuring that somebody is keeping count.’
. . .
There is a woman hanging washing on a clothesline. The wet clothes are piled in an aluminium case just like the one he saw in the bank vault. On the opposite side of the road an old woman is selling onions and peppers from another case.”

Luca Terracini is a British journalist who dresses lik ...more

40 likes · Like · see review

Sep 23, 2013 Brenda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-release, aussie-authors, library-bookclub-reads, thriller, own-read

With Luca Terracini investigating a series of bank robberies involving tens of millions of US dollars throughout Baghdad, he didn’t realize the closer he came to uncovering the secrets the more danger he would find himself in. As a foreign correspondent he found he could go places others couldn’t but when he met auditor Daniela Garner their lives became entangled; suddenly danger through sources he had thought he could trust surrounded them. Always his motto had been to follow the money – would ...more

11 likes · Like · see review

May 01, 2011 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it really liked it

Shelves: aussie-author, netgalley-reviews

Based in part on true events, The Wreckage is a taut thriller that spans two countries and exposes the twisted threads that link international terrorism and the global financial crisis.
In a series of short chapters, Robotham alternates between the seemingly unconnected stories of retired detective, Vincent Ruiz chasing thief Holly Knight, Luca Tarracini's investigation into a series of robberies in Iraq, and Elizabeth North's frantic search for her missing banker husband.
Ruiz falls for a con a Based in part on true events, The Wreckage is a taut thriller that spans two countries and exposes the twisted threads that link international terrorism and the global financial crisis.
In a series of short chapters, Robotham alternates between the seemingly unconnected stories of retired detective, Vincent Ruiz chasing thief Holly Knight, Luca Tarracini's investigation into a series of robberies in Iraq, and Elizabeth North's frantic search for her missing banker husband.
Ruiz falls for a con and tracks down the young thief, Holly Knight, only to thwart an attempt on her life and place himself squarely in the sights of a violent group of men. Holly's scam has unwittingly made her a target of an assassin known as the Courier and Ruiz is determined to protect her.
Pulitzer prize winning journalist Luca' investigation of the theft of billions of US dollars from Iraqi banks results in repercussions for not only himself but the UN accountant, Daniela Garner, whose team is auditing the reconstruction funds provided to the warn torn country. Evicted by the government, Luca and Daniela follow the money to a missing terrorist and a missing banker in London.
Elizabeth North's life is turned upside down when her husband, who is a compliance officer at her families bank, goes missing. No one seems inclined to help her find him until he is accused of fraud and demands are being made for his missing notebook.
The multi-strand plot eventually brings the characters together as their separate investigations collide. The tension is well crafted and the layers of the storyline are deftly connected. Robotham judiciously reveals just enough detail in each distinct narrative to ensure early conclusions can't be drawn. The style, and pace, ensured I compulsively continued to turn the pages eager for another piece of the puzzle. The post invasion unrest in Iraq and the global financial crisis are hot topics in today's society but I think the author skilfully balances the political commentary with richly developed characters.
Robotham has carefully constructed the circumstances of events and the motivations of the individuals to ensure they are believable. I felt the characters actions were credibly limited to their abilities and experience. The personal lives of the cast give the storyline depth and and move the novel beyond the familiar news headlines. Ruiz, for example, is coming to terms with his children's estrangement. Luca and Daniela develop a romance and Elizabeth, who is eight months pregnant, discovers her missing husband has been having an affair. These ordinary dramas contrast successfully with the international events they have become caught up in.
The Wreckage is a fast paced, action-packed thriller that explores current political events in individual context. I really enjoyed the novel, it combines great characters with a masterfully complex plot and the authenticity of the storyline shines. A fantastic read.

...more

5 likes · Like · see review

Jan 08, 2012 Josh rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: crime, read_2012, own

Detective Inspector Vincent Ruiz takes centre stage in this high octane cross continent thriller. Shady bankers and terrorist extremists fall into Ruiz’s lap when two seemingly unrelated events collide. From protagonists Ruiz in London to Luca in Baghdad, all roads lead to an accountant (Daniela) sent to Iraq to audit against the perceived bookkeeping issues who uncovers a gross misspend that sets a series of violent events in motion.

An innocent bystander, Elizabeth sees her life crumble at the ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Feb 08, 2025 PattyMacDotComma rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-while-reading, australian-author, fiction, mystery-crime-thriller, finished-each-separately

5★ The audio narrated by Sean Barrett is excellent. Robotham writes some complex stories, and I like to have the text to read as well. Following is my review posted on a text edition.
“ ‘This is the eighteenth bank robbery in Baghdad this year. Does that concern you?’

The general smiles, but the corners of his mouth barely move. ‘I find it reassuring that somebody is keeping count.’
. . .
There is a woman hanging washing on a clothesline. The wet clothes are piled in an aluminium case just like th ...more

Like · see review

Jun 03, 2016 Aimie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: crime, aussie-author, audiobook

Another fabulous thriller from Michael Robotham. I was slightly worried at first when the book started in Iraq with none of the familiar characters I've come to love in this series. Once we got into the story I completely forgot I was missing them and then Ruiz turned up and I was back with my buddies. Joe wasn't in this story a great deal considering its part of the series that is named for him, but in my eyes Ruiz is an extension of Joe anyway. I adore Ruiz's voice on the audiobook, so gravell ...more

Like · see review

Nov 27, 2017 Sandi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-mystery-thriller-suspense, read-2017, audio

I always enjoy the books in this series when Vincent Ruiz takes the leading role and this thriller was no exception. The story line was pretty ambitious with sections set in Iraq as well as London but it mostly held together and the writing and characterizations were top notch. Listened to the audio version which was narrated by one of my favorites Sean Barrett.

Like · see review