With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the advanced readers copy.
Whilst the storyline was intriguing, having an anxious and subsequently suicidal parent and the second male character also needy and anxious, I wasn’t able to resonate with any of the three main characters in the storyline and whilst I perceived with the book and finished it, it wasn’t really a book I would recommend.

The Wreckage– it’s clear from the offset the tone this story is going to take. A car wreck. Speeding towards an end goal that destroys lives. Whiplash that leaves you feeling pained and distraught. It’s a real play on the title and the deeper meaning behind it is poetic brilliance. This book hits you in the feels like a ten-tonne truck to the chest. You need to escape from the wrecked car, you’re injured, your disorientated and you have to drag yourself to safety. It’s pitch black and your senses have left you. You need to stumble from one event to the other – this book is the direct correlation to this.

As a debut I didn’t know what to expect. Let me tell you this – rarely have I read such a fully immersive, compelling and eye popping read such as The Wreckage. Robin Morgan-Bentley knows just how to lead his readers down a maze, blindfolded and panicky. A Suicide. A Grieving family. A driver left with an incredible responsibility. A mysterious note.

In mere hours Alice’s world is turned upside down. A stay at home mother to her cherished son, Max. she loves a wine or two but tell me what mother doesn’t? Was she expecting the news on that fateful day? What would drive someone to make the decision to throw themselves in front of a moving car on the motorway? I was in my element reading the alternating POV’s in The Wreckage – both Alice’s and Ben’s narrative was emotive and heart-wrenching. It left me with an extreme sense of urgency and it was compelling to have the POV of someone that had been driving the car as opposed to the usual fallout from the victim’s family.

Both Alice and Ben were victims. It was as clear as the nose on your face. Ben really struggled with the feelings of guilt and seemed to only want to do right for his perceived wrong. Alice was left to raise an eight-year-old boy who had his father and her husband wrenched from their lives. There was secrets, lies and a sense of foreboding that kept creeping into my peripheral vision. They are both trying to navigate their own versions of the highway to hell.

I found Ben to be the more interesting character. The Inspectorates proclaimed country’s best school teacher. He has a solid routine that he sticks to, doesn’t drive recklessly, the patience of a saint – the accident hits him very hard. It is also the catalyst that sends him down a destructive and obsessive path. Imagine dominoes – once that first one gets sent on its way, there is no stopping the wave of destruction. This book gave me such an addictive need to find out what happens next – I raced to the finish. The author gave me such a need to work out why Ben, Alice and Adam behaved in the way they did.

In all honesty, I really struggled with Alice. Yes, she was struggling with the death of her husband, but she presented as a bit reckless and irresponsible. She seemed to be so focussed and lost in her own grief that she seemed to lose sight of the most important person – Max. she drank too much and couldn’t acknowledge help when offered. You can tell that her world has turned grey, but she has to be strong for her son. I think the author wrote the character in such a way that you feel conflicted in how she behaves and her motives. Is wrong vs. right so obvious in this story?

The Wreckage is a tightly weaved plot that could cut your oxygen. The story left me guessing right until the end. I doubted every character and felt conflicted around every corner. Be prepared to be catapulted onto a lake of ice, you will need to navigate the thin ice without falling into the cold depths below.

One morning, on Ben's usual daily motorway commute, a man (named Adam, we later discover) steps out in front of his car and is fatally injured. Ben is, understandably, completely devastated and tormented by guilt. Desperate to somehow atone for the accident he inveigles himself into the lives of the dead man's widow and young son. What results is a tense and nuanced character-driven drama, that creates an increasing sense of foreboding as the novel heads towards its remarkable conclusion.


The important and under-addressed issues surrounding men's mental health lie at the heart of this novel. Adam, a family man crippled by depression and eventually compelled to take his own life. And Ben, wracked with guilt at having been collateral damage in Adam's suicide, obsessed with trying to make amends to the dead man's grieving family.


The story is told from the dual perspectives of Alice and Ben, in the form of short sharp chapters. I've got to be honest, their internal monologues did little to endear either of them to me. Alice is spiky, entitled and sometimes just downright mean, and I didn't think much to her parenting skills. Ben, as a teacher, seems much more paternal, but he's immature and becomes increasingly obsessive and strange as the novel progresses. Of course, this is exactly how we're meant to feel about them, but I do often struggle to fully connect with novels where I'm not keen on the main characters. I did, however, really love Alice's son Maxy and was rooting for him from the outset, though I wasn't quite sure what I wanted the outcome for him to be!


The Wreckage is well-written and very readable. Do check it out if you like a dark, psychological drama. I'm looking forward to seeing what Robin Morgan-Bentley comes up with next.

In this tale of love, loss, grief and death, the reader is plunged right into the story at the time of the titular car wreck. The intersection of the life of Ben, driving to school and Adam, the man he runs over, are inextricably interwined from then on in, in an ever increasing,claustrophobic thriller.

There is no buildup to the characters, so there is a mirroring of beginning with a crash, then reassembling the parts afterwards- this is Ben's life, as a teacher, his immediate concern is his professional face, how it effects the school, being late, all the immediate concerns after such a horrific incident that turns the everyday into a living nightmare.

The description of the car crash is not gratuitous, this leaves Ben and the reader shocked and under the impression that this was a pure accident, and that nothing could have been done about it. The proedural analysis by the paramedics, the police, the physical and psychological aftermath on Ben are drawn with swift, deft strokes as you find yourself catching your breath and hoping that Ben is going to be ok.

And then....a massive and swift 360 degree turn is achieved by introducing Alice, Adam's wife. Again a quick pencil sketch of her and you have the jaw dropping realisation that this was not an accident, Alice has been living in fear of something like this for quite some time. Suddenly, blame and accountability swap places and guilt is a nebulous concept to pin on Ben.

The exploration of grief, loss and trauma is so well conveyed, I had absolutely no difficulties sinking into this novel and tapping into feelings of anguish and pain, the author creates his characters so well, with so many layers that it is impossible not to. You want resolution for both of them, but when out of misplaced guilt, Ben starts spending a little too much time with Alice and her son, you begin to question everything you just read over and over again.....

What is he doing?

Is it a misplaced sense of guilt or is he actually playing a longer, darker, more twisted game?

Wrong footed so many times I had whiplash, but never in the sense that the author is out to trick you, more that he is creating a masterpiece of tension , this is a nail biting, stomach clenching, heart pounding debut of suspense. It's very visual so I can absolutely see this as tv series in the future,at any rate that is what I am hoping will happen! Very highly recommended for a rainy, wintery night where you can just switch off and read through till morning. Great stuff!

Ben is having a nightmare only he isn’t asleep. He was on the motorway on the way to his school teaching position and a man ran out in front of him.He learned from visiting him in hospital that he had left a note “ Tell Maxy I’m sorry” which relieves some of his guilt. He meets Alice who is Adam’s wife and they develop a relationship. Ben is desperate to make amends and is an anxious nervous sort of guy with little life experience despite his years, naive perhaps. I liked Ben and felt that he had others best intentions at heart. Yes there is an obsession of sorts but when something like that has happened who is to say how we would react? There are some sensitive subject issues handled very well- mental health, suicide, bereveament etc. and the many layers that each of these have and we all have and experience in one way or another. That said this is an easy read. One of those that doesn’t put you on the edge of your seat in a nice way- it’s a comfortable read mostly before the twist (Of course there is a twist!). A cleverly written engaging read, my first from this author- and one to look out for,
(rest of links as part of blog tour) (amazon done- misfits farm)

We are thrown into the action right from the start with Ben hitting Adam with his car on the motorway. Adam ends up in hospital in a critical condition and on life support. While Ben ends up answering questions and being breathalysed by the police. What then follows is told from both Alice Adam’s wife’s perspective and Ben’s.

You get to read about the impact the accident has on both sides, watch Ben slowly become more and more obsessive and anxiety take hold of him.

I liked Alice as a character, she deals with death in a very blunt manner and I relate to that. Death happens and you either sink in grief or learn to swim and keep your head above water. She also has their seven year old son Max to think about. Ben although I felt sorry for him gave me the chills. I found him creepy and as things escalated I found I was shouting at a book.

This is not just a thriller it’s also touches on many difficult subjects and to make the men the weaker characters was a refreshing change. Men suffer depression and anxiety, men commit suicide, men can struggle with dealing with emotions and need a healthy outlet.

The plot was very tight and the pacing was good but the ending wow. I really didn’t see that coming and being a debut novel this makes that even more impressive. I feel totally hoodwinked.

I read the synopsis for 'The Wreckage' and it certainly sounded like the deliciously, creepy sort of read that I absolutely love. I grabbed a cup of tea in one hand, picked up the book in the other hand and began to read. Oh my word, 'The Wreckage' was one hell of a read and I thoroughly enjoyed every single second of it.
The two main characters in the story are Ben and Alice, who are brought together in the most tragic of circumstances. Ben is a teacher, who is driving to the school where he works when a male deliberately steps out in front of Ben's car. Ben tries to take evasive action but he couldn't avoid hitting the male. It turns out that the male is called Adam and he was married to Alice and they had a son together. Ben develops an obsession with what happened, which is understandable in a sense. He feels responsible for killing Adam, which is technically true, and he carries a lot of guilt around with him. Following the accident Ben develops a friendship with Alice and Alice's son. It was almost as if he was trying to make amends to Alice for what happened. Ben becomes increasingly obsessed with Alice and I began to fear for her safety and that of her son. What happens? Well for the answers to that question and so much more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
Oh my word, 'The Wreckage' was a fantastic read. I was gripped by the characters and the story from the moment I picked the book up until the moment I finished the last word on the last page. This was one of those books that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. I picked the book up only intending to read a couple of chapters but I became so wrapped up in the story that I read far more than a couple of chapters. In fact the first time I picked the book up, I read 12 chapters in one go. I was itching to read the book over the course of a day but boring things like life got in the way and it meant that I had to take three of days to finish the story. If I wasn't reading the book, I was thinking about the book and I was wanting to pick the book up again. I became so wrapped up in the story that I lost all track of time and I was staggered when I realised just how long I had been reading. It didn't take me long to reach the end of the story which I had mixed feelings about. Don't get me wrong, I was pleased to finish because it meant that I knew how the story ended but I was enjoying the author's writing style, the characters and the storylines so much that I wanted the book to continue for longer.
'The Wreckage' is superbly written. The author has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. Robin certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and he reels you in. The chapters are written from the different viewpoints of Ben and Alice. I did wonder if that way of telling the story might prove to be confusing but I needn't have worried because this way of telling the story worked well and the story flowed seamlessly as a result. I had my own suspicions as to what was going to happen but I had the wrong end of the stick so Robin certainly kept me guessing. Robin uses such vivid and realistic descriptions that I felt as though I was part of the story myself.
In short, 'The Wreckage' is a cracking read, which I will definitely be recommending to other readers. I will definitely be reading more of Robin's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Ben was driving to work when Adam jumps in front of his car. Je passes away a month later. He leaves behind his wife, Alice and their son Max. Ben is wracked with guilt. He decides to attend the Adams funeral and forms a friendship with Alice.

Thisnstorynis told by Ben, Adam and Alice's perspectives. It deals with the vulnerable and mental health issues. The characters were well rounded but at times I both sympathised and despised them. This is a gripping, well written and page turning psychological thriller. A great debut novel with a twist at the end that I did not see coming.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Orion Publishing Group and the author Robin Morgan-Bentley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Thrilling Debut Not to be Missed

It can happen to anyone, right? You are driving home from work... your normal route, any old normal day... but then what if the worst happens? In The Wreckage, school teacher Ben is going about his normal day, when a man jumps in front of his car. From that moment on, his life will never be the same again.

It can all happen in a split second - but how do you go about 'righting' the world after such a tragedy?

Well - like I suspect many of us would, Ben tries to heal the wounds of the grieving widow. Desperate to have himself seen as remorseful. But when do you draw the line?

I am not going to lie, I have been in a bit of a reading funk for the last few weeks. The Christmas period wiped me out and I picked up this book with low expectations, but how wrong I was. Robin Morgan-Bentley has expertly crafted a fabulously thrilling debut and I already have much higher expectations for his future work.

Depression, PTSD, and Anxiety, as well as all-round mental health, is highlighted at the heart of this book, and it is an aspect of the novel I really admired. It was tackled thoughtfully and with care.

I would love to say that I connected with the characters, that they pulled me through the novel and I was left missing them... but honestly I don't feel that. For me, the characters were irksome - but I strongly believe that was a device used purposefully by the author. Instead, the plot and themes of this book kept me hooked. That's not to say the characters were not well drawn, in fact, the opposite is true. They were perfectly crafted, flawed and very real. I just didn't like them - but as I said... I don't think I was supposed to. If you want to know why - you will have to pick up a copy and read it for yourself.

Overall - it was a strong debut, one I very much enjoyed and certainly another author I will add to my 'to watch' list.

The Wreckage has been one of my most anticipated reads of 2020 and I’m glad to report that it didn’t disappoint! This creepy and compulsive psychological thriller slowly unravels with a tension so tightly strung that you just know is leading somewhere you aren’t expecting. And the twist when it comes is certainly unexpected!

The opening few pages are quite horrific as the aftermath of a horrendous car accident is detailed as it becomes obvious a fatality has occurred. We are then introduced to Alice who wakes up and gradually comes to realise that her husband Adam isn’t home. She finds a letter in his office and, after her her neighbour to watch her 7 year old son Max, she rushes to search for her husband-a search that won’t end well…

It was the characterisation that kept this storyline afloat and me invested in the narrative. Ben, the driver of the car that kills Adam, is an interesting character but I was never quite sure about him and his intentions. The relationship he develops with Alice became one where I was never sure who was in control and where it would lead so I found it fascinating to watch them leading for the “car crash” collision that emerged from the liaison that they formed.

I thought the ending was inspired and really did give me food for thought about what had come before and how our characters behaviour had lead to their fate. I don’t think I ever particularly liked Ben or Alice, I found them both to be very damaged individuals but instead of feeling sympathy towards them, I felt frustrated! Frustrated by their tunnel vision and inability to see that the toxicity of the aftermath was clouding their character judgment. It was refreshing though to see a more detailed account told from a male point of view and the emotional fallout following a life changing experience.

The Wreckage isn’t a fast paced adrenaline fuelled thriller but more of a sophisticated slow burner that delivers a disturbing and uneasy premonition of impending disaster. It’s gripping, involving and a very uncomfortable read at times but delivers a narrative that will probably divide readers sympathy’s.

From the opening chapters of The Wreckage you are thrown headfirst into the most devastating of scenes, when a man throws himself into the front of a car on a busy motorway - leaving not only a traumatised family, but a traumatised car-driver. Lives are changed within a blink of an eye for these characters. How do you cope and continue life normally when someone throws themselves in front of you?

A story of Alice, Max and Ben, told through the eyes of Alice and Ben who become to know each other from the events of this one morning - it's a story of obsession, of mental health and the effect of suicide on others.

There's no doubt that this is a well written debut novel, it keeps you on your toes wanting more, with the lingering sense of something just not quite right going on in your head. but. and it was a big but for me, I didn't like the characters. Now, I've loved books with unlikable characters, and I realise that these were characters written to not like, but I just found Alice so foul-mouthed and self-centred. and Ben was just so immature and needy that this frustration and anger I had towards them just went past them being unlikable in a good kind of character way to them really spoiling any enjoyment of the story.

Overall, a mixed kind of novel, but more due to personal preference. I wouldn't let it put me off other books in the future from this author because I certainly see a lot of potential in the thriller aspect.

This is an engrossing story about a tragic accident and how it affects the lives of the people involved. A very quick read that still has plenty of gripping story and believable characters. I look forward to seeing what this author comes up with next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Trapeze for my early copy of this book.

Alice wakes up one morning to find her husband is already up. Nothing unusual in that until she finds an envelope with ‘Tell Maxy I’m sorry’ written on the front. She goes into a panic, leaves her 7 year old son Max with the next door neighbour and heads out to look for him.

It is raining heavily and Ben is struggling to see the road in front of him. Then he sees a white flash and something hits his windscreen.

Alice and Ben’s lives become intertwined from that moment.

Exceptionally well written alternating between Ben and Alice so it is easy to see the little misunderstandings which begin to happen.

Excellent debut novel and I look forward to what comes next.

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Considering this is a debut author this book is cracking! It’s definitely a roller coaster of a ride from the car crash to the devilish twist at the end of the book! One I did not see coming from a mile off.
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Plot aside this book has well developed characters, even if I didn’t like the character (Ben) I still felt empathy for the situation he was in. The son Max is just simply adorable.
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The only reason this isn’t 5⭐️ is because I don’t think you can rely on people acting a certain way. I can’t really say much more than that as it would be giving the twist away at the end.
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This is definitely a page-turner, I finished it in one day! I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending this to friends!

Wow! What an exhilarating and breathtaking rollercoaster ride this was. The Wreckage is an utterly gripping debut. Cleverly crafted, perfectly paced and full of heart-stopping tension, I devoured this book, unable to put it down and staying up to the early hours until my eyes betrayed me and I had to sleep.

The two protagonists are flawed and fractured characters, but that is where the similarities end. Their approach to life and how they deal with trauma is vastly different and were fascinating to observe. Ben is immediately shaken by the accident and struggles to cope with the knowledge that he’s killed a man. An already anxious person, it plunges him deeper into his anxiety and brings on a depression that he can’t seem to climb out of. When he decides to visit Adam’s family it’s as a form of restitution, to try and make amends for what he’s done. He’s a sensitive, kind soul who falls apart easily and is very concerned with how others see him. I could relate to his anxiety and felt a great amount of sympathy for him. Alice is a different kettle of fish. She’s stoic, spiky, pragmatic and resilient. She doesn’t seem to care what others think and can come across as unemotional at times. I soon warmed to her though, especially her often scathing observations that made me chuckle, especially when they were at such odds with the tragedy or seriousness of a situation. They both go on an emotional journey over the course of the book and I enjoyed seeing how they changed and the way it affected my feelings for them, with my sympathies drastically changing by the end of the book.

As Ben and Alice became closer, it was clear that he thought there was more to their relationship and had deeper feelings than she did. As his feelings grow he also begins to lose control and things start to take a more sinister turn. We see a different side to him as he becomes obsessive, menacing and unhinged. The atmosphere was ionised as his behaviour became increasingly unpredictable and frightening.

The Wreckage is an outstanding page-turner from a sensational new talent. It’s a story that has tension running through its veins, the pulse beating more rapidly over its course until we reach an electrifying crescendo and an ending that gave me chills. If you enjoy well-written, exciting thrillers, then do yourself a favour and read this book.

Thank you to Trapeze and NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#TheWreckage #NetGalley
Best psychological thriller I have ever read.
Ben, a school teacher driving on the motorway and suddenly a man from nowhere comes in front of his car. After that incident, his life completely changed. He developed a friendship with the widow Alice and her son Max. But everything is not as simple as it seems. What are Ben's motive? Who was that man? What will Alice do? Read this psychological thriller to know. I want to tell more but this book is so wonderfully written that if i tell one thing then it will become a spoiler. I loved the characters of Ben and Alice.
Narration of the story is smooth. Characters are really good.
Thanks to NetGalley and Trapeze for giving me an advance copy of this book.

This is an incredibly well written book. Full of twists and turns, I was hooked. I disliked some of the characters, Such is the author’s skill! You should definitely read this one!

The Wreckage is an outstanding debut from Robin Morgan-Bentley. This book was one of my first reads of 2020 and I loved it; I definitely started my reading year with a bang!

School teacher Ben is driving on the motorway on his usual, careful commute to work when a man jumps out in front of his car. This horrifying moment turns Ben's world upside down. He is desperate to clear his conscience so (somewhat unwisely you might think) strikes up a friendship with Alice, the widow, and her seven year old son Max. His attempts to make amends soon begin to cross boundaries and it's not long before people begin to question his motives.

I'll be up front and say that I didn't really like any of the characters in The Wreckage but I don't think you're supposed to. Ben has suffered with his nerves and seems like a lost soul searching for comfort. From the start I was wondering what he was up to and it wasn't long before he gave me the absolute ick, you know that shuddery feeling when someone's a bit too much. Alice appears neglectful of her son, has a drinking problem and is just not a nice person! Saying all this I could see why they act the way they do and partially excuse some of their behaviour.

At the heart of this book is the subject of men's mental health. Alice's husband was clinically depressed and had attempted suicide previously and Ben is in need of help due to his anxiety/post traumatic feelings. Alice is left picking up the pieces from her husband's suicide and then dealing with the overbearing (but always well meaning) Ben. The Wreckage would be an excellent choice for a book club as there are so many discussion points within.

I look forward to seeing what is next from this author!

Really enjoyed this book and following the journey of Alice and Ben. I liked the aspect of reading the story from both points of view and enjoyed the twists and turns. Great debut novel.

Wow what a brilliantly addictive book this is, very compelling and full of twists and turns, well written and I was on the edge of my seat throughout. All the characters were believable and had their own story to tell which made this an intriguing fantastic debut book.

The twist at the end was brilliant and not what I was expecting, well done Robin I look forward to your next masterpiece.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orion Publishers (Trapeze) for giving me the opportunity to read this fantastic book.