The Wrecker

By: Clive Cussler

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 14 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's Summary

In The Chase, Clive Cussler introduced an electrifying new hero: the tall, lean, no-nonsense detective Isaac Bell, who, driven by his sense of justice, travels early-20th-century America pursuing thieves and killers - and sometimes criminals much worse.

It is 1907, a year of financial panic and labor unrest. Train wrecks, fires, and explosions sabotage the Southern Pacific Railroad's Cascades express line and, desperate, the railroad hires the fabled Van Dorn Detective Agency. Van Dorn sends in his best man, and Bell quickly discovers that a mysterious saboteur haunts the hobo jungles of the West, a man known as the Wrecker, who recruits accomplices from the down-and-out to attack the railroad, and then kills them afterward. The Wrecker traverses the vast spaces of the American West as if he had wings, striking wherever he pleases, causing untold damage and loss of human life. Who is he? What does he want? Is he a striker? An anarchist? A revolutionary determined to displace the "privileged few"? A criminal mastermind engineering some as yet unexplained scheme?

Whoever he is, whatever his motives, the Wrecker knows how to create maximum havoc, and Bell senses that he is far from done - that, in fact, the Wrecker is building up to a grand act unlike anything he has committed before. If Bell doesn't stop him in time, more than a railroad could be at risk - it could be the future of the entire country.

Filled with intricate plotting and dazzling set pieces, The Wrecker is one of the most entertaining thrillers in years.

©2009 Clive Cussler (P)2009 Penguin

A Must Listen

The Wrecker is one of those stories that makes you feel like you are there. The narrator has done a masterful job of depicting all the varied characters in this story. Wonderfully done!

Definitely a 'Must Listen'.

10 of 10 people found this review helpful

Great

Lots of Fun - Characters were excellent and the story was very cool - Finished it in 2 days

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

A great read

I enjoyed "The Chase" but wasn't thrilled with it. This book, on the other hand was terrific. It was everything I expect from CC but without the water and/or ships. It's Defiantly worth the download and read. I highly recommend it!

10 of 11 people found this review helpful

I Love This Series

This is a great series. I can't wait to dig my claws ito the next book. The characters are excellent! I could totally see Dirk Pitt reading all about Issac Bell. :-)

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Awesome!!!! Buy it 100%

This is what Audible is all about--a great story--great characters and , as always, Scott Brick bringing it all to life. The man is just fantastic. If you like historical fiction, you will be in heaven. One that i wished wasn't ending.
Mike, New Canaan, CT

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Wonderful historical action thriller!

Audible currently has all eight books in the Isaac Bell serieson sale for $4.95 each. Isaac Bell is the lead investigator for the Van Dorn Detective Agency, a national private detective firm. The series is set in the early 20th century and this book is set in 1907. Isaac Bell is the son of a fabulously wealthy Boston banker, but decides to become a detective rather than go into the family business.

The Wrecker, book 2 in the series, is about a man determined to keep the Southern Pacific Railroad from completing a railroad through the Cascade Mountains. His method is use of explosives and fire. He kills many people. The Van Dorn Agency is hired by the railroad to find the Wrecker and stop him.

This is a wonderful action thriller with lots of suspense. There is a poker game in the book that is worth the price of the novel.

Scott Brick narrates. That alone is reason enough to listen to The Wrecker.

7 of 8 people found this review helpful

Fantastic Time Period Mystery!

Clive Cussler certainly knows a lot about the turn of the 20th Century. He knows not only the period, but many of the cities. He names streets from Denver, Oakland, San Diego and San Francisco like he lived there (I know, I did).

This is a great mystery where the Van Dorn Detective Agency works har' to get "their man." Of course Van Dorn is very much like (and may actually be an alternate name for) the Pinkertons. It is not just a mystery, and a well written one, but it is also a nice love story not filled with sex when the plot needs a boost. Instead we see a Gentlemen first courting a lady, and later as they flash forward in time, a romance still burning hot over 30 years later.

Well-written and all with class. It gets 5 starts from me.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

"Great Sale series Book"

If you could sum up The Wrecker in three words, what would they be?

Inventive,Clever, Educational. Reviewer said he like this one, and Striker so I started with this one. I didn't realize it was 14hrs long! The others are not as long so I can only think that author or editor realized better editing keeps the reader/listener connected.

What did you like best about this story?

This was about 4 hours too long for me, however, the story was developed so well and it had great characters and plot. Worth the listen for sure.

What about Scott Brick’s performance did you like?

He is my new fave reader and I am downloading so many new authors due to his reading skills! He makes the stories all come to life and each in a way the author intended.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I did enjoy this book, no doubt about it! I personally would have liked it a bit shorter as I lost some of the author's impact! The beginning was great and when it was finally tied together, I had forgotten all about it.

Any additional comments?

Great listen at new 1.25x speed. My first of this author, I can only hope the rest of 7 in series was a good buy. Thanks audible for the sale, as I did buy all 8 at once!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Serious fun.

This is a series where Cussler keeps writing amazingly well although just a bit cartoonish. The narrator is perfect for its style. precise elegant diction, might almost be pompous if it weren't so entertaining. No one has written as enthusiastically on the marvels of Victorian era technology since Sherlock quoted rail timetables to Dr. Watson.

There's nothing wrong with cartoon characters, Superman and Batman were. Cusssler's cast of characters are fleshed out a lot more than those guys for amusing adults, and that works.

Would make a great movie series. "Bet you can't eat just one."

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Wanted to Love It, But Didn't

Scott Brick does a great job narrating this book, in fact he really does a phenomenal job bringing this to life. My biggest issue with The Wrecker was its heavy emphasis on trains. Unless you have had a childhood of train sets and history of train books lying around your bedroom floor I don't think you will get a lot out of this book. The action in the book is good, and The Wrecker proves to be a worthy villian, but the books heavy reliance on trains starts to run thin throughout the book.

7 of 9 people found this review helpful