Bombproof

By: Michael Robotham

Narrated by: Sean Barrett

Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

A kinetic standalone from "first-class storyteller" Michael Robotham (San Francisco Chronicle).

Sami Macbeth is not a master criminal. He's not even a minor one. He's not a jewel thief. He's not a safe-cracker. He's not an expert in explosives.

Sami plays guitar and wants to be a rock god but keeps getting side-tracked by unforeseen circumstances. Fifty-four hours ago Sami was released from prison. Thirty-six hours ago he slept with the woman of his dreams at the Savoy. An hour ago his train blew up.

Now he's carrying a rucksack through London's West End and has turned himself into the most wanted terrorist in the country. Fast, funny, hip and violent, Bombproof is a nonstop adventure full of unforgettable characters and a heartwarming hero - Sami Macbeth - a man with the uncanny ability to turn a desperate situation into a hopeless one.

©2008 Michael Robotham (P)2014 Hachette Audio

Just OK

The story is not that compelling and I thought the reader was difficult to listen to.

Good story.

Overall I enjoyed this book. It's like a guy Ritchie movie with multiple degenerate characters interwoven to form a cohesive story.
I have a love/hate relationship with the narrator. He has a great voice, but at times my mind drifted too frequently because of the monotonous tone of almost all the characters.

Slow start but GREAT book

Had trouble getting into this at the beginning but it picked up quickly and I literally didn’t put it down u til it was over. Great characters, great storyline, a little over the top in terms of believability but not so it really bothered me. Fun, quick uncomplicated read.

Saving an Unlucky Guy

I wasn't crazy about the start, with a guy who appears to be getting away from a bombing for which he is responsible. But then Michael Robotham makes the guy likeable, smart, and simply unlucky. And enter the beloved retired detective. Can he make things right? I love the characters, the plot, and, of course, the narrator. Great story that keeps you guessing up until the end.

Not as good as his other books

I bought this right after I finished Suspect which I liked much better than this one. It' could be because of the narrator, Simon Prebble reading Suspect. Sean Barrett is okay. I dislike those performance that whispers while narrating but delivers the dialogs in a booming loud tone. It is a torture on ears when you are on earphone. This was that kind of performance which is, I think, producer's problem.

Tragically Hilarious

Realistic. Tragic. Enormously entertaining. I laughed and cried. Loved this book!! I was expecting something totally different when I purchased this book. Thought I would find it mildly entertaining and somewhat intriguing. Instead...I was on the edge of my seat and couldn't stop listening. I didn't want it to end! Everything a good book should be!

A Very Good Story, Very Well Narrated

This isn't the type of novel I usually gravitate toward, but it sounded interesting, so I picked it up. I'm glad I did. It was an engaging story about someone whose circumstances are out of his control and lead him down a road no one wants to be in.

Barrett does a good job of bringing the characters to life and keeping the story's pace interesting.

If you are unsure about choosing this book, I suggest that it's worth the time.

Nonstop action, but…

If you like action you’ve come to the right place! Sami is not only phenomenally unlucky, but just when things look really bad and completely hopeless, they get worse. Somehow he always manages to escape from disaster and find himself in much worse circumstances, while never losing sight of his obsessive pursuit of his hapless sister, who’s the only person with worse luck than his own.
Speaking of Nadia, with all that happens she remains something of a cipher, a passive victim with no agency of her own, always ready to give up until repeatedly rescued by her never-say-die brother.
Whew! Leaves you breathless.

Abobsolutely Stunning! I Was Up All Night!

I took a chance, reading a few Amazon reviews. This is absolutely one of the best suspense novels I've ever read. Read the summary for the story.

What it doesn't tell you is how engrossing te story is, how wonderful the characters are developed. It was like watching a blockbuster movie for the first time.

This will be a huge best seller on Audible for good reason.

The Characters are Great!

While the beginning is a bit dodgy and the plot a bit heavy on fantasy, the characters are multi-dimensional, smart and intriguing, so they saved the book. The main character is down on his luck, just out of prison and is hellbent on finding his sister; despite the fact that doing so violates every provision of his probation, not to mention a plethora of laws and criminal codes. But it is his perseverance that makes him relatable and real. And then, in comes the retired detective, ex-husband of our guy's probation officer and you have the makings of a great story.

The author marks time by telling the "story" of what each character experiences during each event throughout the book. This technique was a bit hard to follow in the early minutes of the book, but really made it work later on. This book is better than a four, but not quite a 5, so 4.5? Good action and suspense throughout with great narration.