The Wreckage ~ Robin Morgan-Bentley
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Published: Feb 2020, Trapeze | Orion Publishing Group
Swathi’s Rating: 4/5
About the Book:
One fatal crash
Ben is driving on the motorway, on his usual commute to the school where he works. A day like any other, except for the crash.
Two colliding worlds
Adam has left his home for the last time. In his final despairing act, he jumps in front of Ben’s car, turning the teacher’s world upside down.
Three wrecked lives
Wracked with guilt, Ben seeks out Alice, Adam’s widow, and her 7-year-old son Max. But as he tries to escape the trauma of the wreckage, could Ben go too far in trying to ease his conscience?
Swathi’s Thoughts:
Ben, a school teacher still living with his parents, shy, awkward, good with kids, but socially awkward. Grieves for pulling the car over Adam. Gets obsessed over Alice and grows a lust for her.
Alice is a bored housewife, who married into wealth after meeting husband Adam. After Adam’s suicide, she’s pretty much home all the day, crashing on the couch after drinking heavily. She doesn’t not have friends, or family. Doesn’t like Ben at first for his shy nature but begins to get attracted over his physique later. Also because he helps her with her kid Max. There’s absolutely no sympathy over Alice, as she might be the most bitchiest character ever. Especially when she treats the acne faced waiter in the coffee shop with such rude attitude.
What follows next is dangerous obsession and the suspense where it might lead each other.
Alice comes out as a terrible mother with her careless drinking and lethargic nature, especially after Adam’s death. Especially when her son needs her the most. The toxic relationship between Ben and Alice was like a ticking bomb ready to burst anytime and I can’t believe women could be so negligible of their own child. The Wreckage is a fantastic suspense thriller with a bold and compelling plot. Watch out for issues like depression, obsession, alcoholism, substance abuse, suppressed feelings, loneliness, anxiety, social awkwardness and such amongst the characters.
Thanks to the publisher for my digital copy. All opinions are mine.
Meet the Author:
After graduating with a First Class degree in Modern and Medieval Languages, Robin worked for five years at Google. Since 2014, he has worked at Audible, where he runs their podcast, Audible Sessions. He has interviewed multiple authors including Paula Hawkins, Fiona Barton, Clare Mackintosh, Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, Anthony Horowitz and Jeffery Deaver, and these conversations inspired him to start writing.
