The Wrecker
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The Wrecker Audible Audiobook – Abridged

Clive Cussler (Author), Richard Ferrone (Narrator), Justin Scott (Author),
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,842 ratings
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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.

Previous page
  1. Listening Length
    6 hours
  2. Author
    Clive Cussler, see all
  3. Narrator
    Richard Ferrone
  4. Audible release date
    October 21, 2010
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Penguin Audio
  7. ASIN
    B005G4WNFU
  8. Version
    Abridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 6 hours
Author Clive Cussler, Justin Scott
Narrator Richard Ferrone
Audible.com Release Date October 21, 2010
Publisher Penguin Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Abridged
Language English
ASIN B005G4WNFU
Best Sellers Rank #321,438 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#683 in Mystery Action Fiction (Audible Books & Originals)
#2,740 in Action Thriller & Suspense Fiction
#17,021 in Mystery Action & Adventure

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
2,842 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Gnomes Rule
5.0 out of 5 stars Good things come to those who wait
Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2009
Verified Purchase
The second book in the Isaac Bell proves that good things come to those who wait.

What we liked in the first Isaac Bell series are in this book plus more.

Isaac Bell is self-confident without being arrogant, intelligent and methodically. He isn't afraid to face a foe in a gunfight or to admit that he is in love with a beautiful woman even when a spectacular beautiful young woman who happens to be the daughter of the rich client is making a play for him.

I give the authors credit on how they had their character handle the situation. Bell was able to diffuse the situation quickly and firmly without being hurtful. No insulting their own character by letting him fall into the women's trap. The character is far too intelligent not to recognize what was happening.

When faced with a man who has caused large financial losses as well as a number of deaths, he gathers around him an army of investigators. Accountants, lawyers, experts in their field all needed to bring the villain to ground. All without letting his ego get in the way.

Secondary characters are interesting, intelligent and realistic. No inept sidekick thrown in to add what some authors consider humor.

Scenes are well thought out and there is a plenty of action that flows easily from one scene to the next. Technical and historical material and details are skillfully handled. You learn without having the material shoved down your throat or bogging down the flow of the story.

The book seamlessly blends fiction and real events into a fantastic action story.

One little comment concerning other reviews, they refer to the writing style as being stilted. I personally had no problems with the writing style. Since the story takes in the early 1900's, a more modern style would have been inappropriate.

My thanks go out to both Clive Cussler and Justin Scott for a terrific read. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
Scott Brick what can I say; when you have the best reader narrating your book, it's only better.

Lastly, for all of us who have ties to Jersey City, NJ we thank you.
26 people found this helpful
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Jeffrey T. Munson
4.0 out of 5 stars Isaac Bell At His Best
Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2011
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In "The Chase", Clive Cussler introduced readers to a new character: Isaac Bell. Bell is a detective with the Van Dorn Detective Agency, and it's his job to travel the country to catch notorious bad guys. In "The Wrecker", Isaac will face his biggest challenge yet.

The story is set at the turn of the 20th century. Financial unrest and labor strifes have beset the nation, none more so than on the Southern Pacific Railroad. Osgood Hennessy, president of the Southern Pacific, controls most of the railroads in the West. It is his plan to build the Cascades Cutoff, which will help the flow of railway traffic. However, Hennessy is faced with a saboteur on a grand scale; a man known simply as "The Wrecker". The Wrecker recruits down-and-outs from the hobo villages along the train lines to perform acts of sabotage against the railway, then kills them. Hennesy hires the Van Dorn agency to catch the Wrecker, and soon, Isaac Bell is on the case. From the west coast to New Jersey, Bell chases the Wrecker, but to no avail. To make matters worse, the Wrecker has his sights set on blowing the Cascade Canyon Bridge. Will the Wrecker succeed, or will Bell catch him before it's too late?

I've become a big fan of the Isaac Bell series, and "The Wrecker" is packed full of action and adventure. Isaac Bell is the prototypical hero, sporting a stetson hat, white suit, and blond mustache. The Wrecker is a devious, well-disguised bad guy who is cleverly hidden by Cussler throughout the book. The supporting characters are well-developed and they add to the suspense of the story.

I recommend "The Wrecker" very highly. The story is full of thrills, and the characters jump off the page. Don't miss this great story from Clive Cussler.
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J. Urie
5.0 out of 5 stars The Oregon Series has a Worthy Competitor
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2010
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I have read every one of Clive Cussler's books. As he is getting on in years, he now works with "co-writers" to pump out series beyond his original Dirk Pitt books. Unfortunately, the quality of these books has become uneven. The Pitt series, given to his son, is suffering greatly in my opinion. The Oregon novels with Jack Du Brul have become consistently excellent. Now....out of nowhere comes this historical Isaac Bell detective series. The first book, The Chase, was pretty good even though I thought that the characters weren't sketched out all that well and the narrative didn't draw me into the world of the the late 19th century.

Now comes The Wrecker, which I just finished yesterday. Absolutely fabulous. The author (I'm assuming ol' Clive in reality has little to do with the book other than lending his name to it) does a phenomenal job fleshing out all of the characters, but leaving just enough hidden to keep you guessing. I guessed the identity of the bad guy pretty early on, but I just couldn't swear on it until he was truly revealed later on in the book. The various subplots were skillfully weaved together. I had no trouble remembering who was who and never once got confused. Finally, the greatest strength of the novel was the way the author brought the America of the early 1900's alive. It was as if I was a part of the scenery. This book is 80% thriller, 20% history book. I was excited by both the plot and the vivid description of the mighty industrial revolution fever that was gripping the country at the time. Yet, the author does not just paint bright pink hues here--the seedy underside of the times are there as well: the financial panics, the out-of-work drifters, the overt "yellow" racism and "accepted" black racism, and the gritty dichotomy between the haves and have-nots.

Get it, read it, and be prepared for some sleep deprivation for a couple of days.
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Gail Tavis
5.0 out of 5 stars Good
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2023
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This was a really good Isaac Bell story. I really learned a lot about the railroad in the early 1900’s, and what America was like. There was adventure, mystery, murder and love in the book.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Shan Peiris
5.0 out of 5 stars Love Clive Cussler
Reviewed in Canada on June 29, 2023
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Awesome author and characters
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Ankur
5.0 out of 5 stars Typical Cussler - engaging and adventurous!
Reviewed in India on November 4, 2023
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Great storyline, detailed and classic Bell adventure! Surely, this is a worthy read. Kudos to the late Clive Cussler.
Give this a try, you won’t regret it!
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Christy Anne
2.0 out of 5 stars Des lourdeurs comme Dostoïevki
Reviewed in France on September 1, 2014
Verified Purchase
Déjà lu deux Cussler avant donc j'ai pris celui là pour boucher un trou dans les éditions de mes favoris. Wo purée ! Une semaine pour 100 pages et je l'ai posé : alambiqué. Et il faut avoir le vocabulaire concernant les trains et voies ferrées montrés sur la jaquette ! Deuxième trou je m'y remets = dur dur. Pour l'intrigue, avec le rythme de l'écriture, je me suis souvent retrouvée avec l'impression de lire un script de dessin animé comique voire un film saccadé de Chaplin.
Il ya des cours sur les explosifs et la "grande" banque mais je n'ai pas consulté quant à leur véracité.
Suis soulagée de l'avoir fini et vais relire mes favoris en attendant leurs suites et devinez qui je n'achèterai plus ?
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Eugen R. Wohlgemuth
5.0 out of 5 stars Wrecker
Reviewed in Germany on June 29, 2013
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A very good story with lots of twists and difficult to put down before the last page. Different from Dirk Pitt but still a real Clive Cussler, good reading.
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David R Watson
4.0 out of 5 stars Still a GOOD
Reviewed in Australia on November 17, 2015
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Cussler has a tendency at times to make Isaac Bell out to be somewhat of an immortal, as against those around him who are constantly being bumped off. Still a GOOD read
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