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    Bombproof
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    Bombproof
    Unavailable
    Bombproof
    Audiobook8 hours

    Bombproof

    Written by Michael Robotham

    Narrated by Sean Barrett

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    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 non-stop adventure full of unforgettable characters and a heart-warming hero--Sami Macbeth--a man with the uncanny ability to turn a desperate situation into a hopeless one.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHachette Audio
    Release dateFeb 11, 2014
    ISBN9781478901068
    Unavailable
    Bombproof
    Author

    Michael Robotham

    Michael Robotham is a former investigative journalist whose bestselling psychological thrillers have been translated into twenty-five languages. He has twice won a Ned Kelly Award for Australia’s best crime novel, for Lost in 2005 and Shatter in 2008. His recent novels include When She Was Good, winner of the UK’s Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award for best thriller; The Secrets She Keeps; Good Girl, Bad Girl; When You Are Mine; and Lying Beside You. After living and writing all over the world, Robotham settled his family in Sydney, Australia. 

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    Reviews for Bombproof

    3.5/5

    89 ratings10 reviews

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    • 4/5
      'Bombproof' is a bit of a departure from Michael Robotham's typical thriller. It's a little more light hearted in a way and some of the action crosses the line into 'huh?' territory, but otherwise it's a fine thriller and a tightly plotted story.Sami, the main character, is both the luckiest and unluckiest guy around. He's thrown into prison for something he didn't do (unlucky), but he's given credit by the other criminals inside for the safe-cracking caper that they thought he did (lucky) so they leave him alone. On his release he discovers his devoted sister has been kidnapped, he uncovers who has her (some really bad dudes, unlucky again), and begins to negotiate for her release. Unfortunately for him, they want him to help another bad guy break into a safe at the London criminal court to steal evidence, even though he has no idea how to do it. The team inadvertently blows up the entire area with an explosive he didn't know how to use. On their escape, the duo gets on an underground train where Sami's partner jiggles his bag with the remaining explosive a little too much, causing the train car to blow up. Sami survives (lucky!) but becomes a fugitive when he's spotted on CCTV leaving the scene (unlucky). However, in his rucksack he retained some of the spoils of his burglary that he can use for leverage later (lucky again).Subplots abound, and they're woven into the main story seamlessly. The remainder of the story involves Sami's attempts to remain out of the grips of the police, his interactions with various criminals who are after him and each other, his attempts to locate and free his sister, his love interest, and so on. The writing is fine, a little simpler than other Robotham novels I've read, and the action moves quickly. Retired detective Ruiz, who has a large role in several other of his books, is a pretty significant character in this one but Joe O'Loughlin, my favorite Robotham guy, unfortunately does not. Otherwise, Bombproof is definitely a worthwhile read!
    • 4/5
      Bombproof was my first Michael Robotham novel, and it was quite an intense ride. Sam MacBeth has recently been released from serving time in prison for a crime he did not commit. Only, the bad guys don't know that. They think he's something he's not. As a result, he gets mixed up in a plot that can only lead to more trouble. On the run from the police who think he is a terrorist after the train he was on blew up, Sami must find a way to clear his name. Unbeknownst to him, he has a little help on his side. Retired police detective Vincent Ruiz is also on the case.

      Bombproof is on the violent side. The author pulls no punches. It is dark and at times quite crazy. Yet, there is also a bit of humor mixed in, which takes some of the edge off. Sami is one of those guys you can't help but feel sorry for and want him to come out on top.
    • 4/5
      Sami Macbeth goes from jewel to a forced "heist" because his sister is being held by bad guys who covert Sami's supposed gift to break into safe.
    • 5/5
      BOMBPROOF may not be available outside Australia for a few months, and it won't be on sale here for at least the rest of this year. It was commissioned from Michael Robotham as part of Australia's Books Alive promotion for which Robotham is the "ambassador". This is a unique literacy, get-back-to reading, promotion largely funded by the Australian Federal government.In BOMBPROOF Robotham unashamedly aimed to write a crime fiction page-turner of broad appeal. It is a thriller with much less of the psychological "whydunnit" focus than his other books. He was commissioned to write a shorter book, and this comes in at 275 pages, although still apparently longer than the promoters expected.It also features retired London DI Vincent Ruiz, a central figure in earlier books: in this one in the role of saviour and good Samaritan.The gist of the story: Sami Macbeth has just finished a 3 year stretch for a crime he didn't commit. He was the victim of circumstances: a man found in the wrong place at the wrong time "in possession" of goods he shouldn't have had. His reputation precedes him to gaol, of skills as a safecracker (that he doesn't have), found in possession of stolen jewellery (that he didn't steal). It is a reputation that keeps him from harm in gaol. His last night in gaol is shared with the ne'er do well son of a self made man. All Sami wants to do when he gets out is to look for his sister and resume his life. Outside the gaol a carload of men he doesn't know are waiting to collect him and he evades them by pretending to be someone else.Two things have kept Sami going in gaol - his sister and his correspondence with his girlfriend. When he can't find his sister, he finds sanctuary with his girl friend. Then his search for his sister leads to his involvement in a robbery of the evidence strong room of the Old Bailey, and eventually to the detonation of a bomb in the London underground. And now Sami Macbeth is a man on the run, again in the wrong place at the wrong time. What should have been a gentle resumption of life outside prison becomes a nightmare, and Sami needs help.Vincent Ruiz has connections with the self-made man whose son was Sami's last cell mate. Ruiz's ex-wife Miranda is Sami Macbeth's parole officer. And so to a degree this story is also about degrees of separation and connection. In a small place like Adelaide, where I live, where everyone seems connected to everyone else, we say there are about 3 degrees of separation. It seems that in a large city like London the cobweb is just as connected. Ruiz becomes involved in Sami's plight partly because his ex-wife gives Sami his number, but also because of his connections with the self-made man, whom Ruiz hates and on whom he wants to wreak revenge.BOMBPROOF really is a page turner. A slightly different Robotham shows his face, and this book will gain him readers, pulling them to his other books. BOMBPROOF won't hit the shelves in its own right for a few months at least, but yesterday I saw it on a second hand book stall, and there has already been one exchange of it on BookMooch. Thousands of free copies have been distributed in Australia.Want to read the blurb? Go to Michael Robotham's site.
    • 4/5
      Not very subtle and the characters are cliche to the core but it's a solid thriller and was a really fun and quick read. And if this review sounds generic then that's probably apt.
    • 4/5
      This completes my Michael Robotham novels (other than Life or Death which hasn't been released in the US yet), I've read them all and I must say that I did not expect to find Vincent Ruiz in this book. Yay!Sami MacBeth... one unlucky soul. You couldn't help but like this poor guy. At the beginning of the book he is released from jail after doing close to 3 yrs for a crime he didn't commit; the system failed him. When he gets out, the only person he wants to see is his sister, Nadia, but when he gets to her apartment she's not there, so begins the rest of the story. The hunt to find his sister leaves him with a list of charges so long that if they catch him, he'll be spending the rest of his life behind bars but he vows to never, ever go back. And that's all I'm going to say, you'll have to read it to find out what happens.
    • 4/5
      I often have library patrons asking me if I can recommend a crime author or series to them. Absolutely! It's my favourite genre. One oft overlooked author is award winning Australian Michael Robotham. He's been on my must read list for quite awhile. Robotham opens Bombproof with an explosive (literally) opening sequence. How could Sami MacBeth's life get any worse... "Three days ago he walked out of prison and swore he'd never go back. Thirty-six hours ago he was shagging Kate Tierney, the woman of his wet dreams, in a suite at the Savoy thinking life was looking up. Now he's carrying a rucksack that could send him to prison for the rest of his life through the West End of London and he's turned himself into the most wanted man in Britain. This is how it happened." I was hooked! Robotham is a master storyteller. Bombproof is fast-paced, action-packed and full of surprises. The plot is dark and gritty, but Robotham inserts some dark humour as well. A bit of stretch in a few places, but absolutely a page turner. Bombproof reads like an action flick. Read an excerpt of Bombroof. Bombproof is an older stand alone story of Robotham's. Mullholland Books has released it in the U.S. as an ebook. Robotham pens a fantastic series featuring psychologist Joe O'Loughlin and homicide Detective Vincent Ruiz. The next U.S. release in this series is Watching You (about a woman who has been stalked - her entire life). It's due out in March/14. Watch for it - I will be.
    • 3/5
      Did somebody say ‘free book’? Being a bookseller, my ears invariably prick up at phrases such as these. Following the success of last year’s ‘Books Alive’ promotion, my fellow staff members ordered plenty of copies of Bombproof, expecting that the 2008 selection would be a hit. I had never read any Robotham, but had sold plenty, and thought him to be quite a good writer. My disappointment, then, was twofold. First; that the 2008 Books Alive selection was a flop. Our bookshop was left with boxes upon boxes of undistributed copies of Bombproof. The second disappointment came when I grabbed a copy and started reading it. Alas; like the promotion that failed to sell it, Bombproof is formulaic, mainstream and uninspired.I was surprised at first. Surely, I thought, this can’t be Robotham’s best work. Then I found the little note in the front that explained it all: “Bombproof was commissioned exclusively for Books Alive 2008.” That’s how this book started. Not with any great inspiration on Robotham’s part, but with a phone call from the Australia Council for the Arts, ‘commissioning’ him to write something conventional. Something fast-paced, please, with lots of violence, a bit of sex, and a nice, cheesy, happy ending. That’s what people like. And so, while this action-farce may fill all of the above criteria, it still makes for quite an average read.Sure, it has a great premise – but it dawdles for too long before reaching it, and lingers too long after finishing it. The result is that, apart from a tense and highly readable middle section, readers are left with a whole lot of gratuitous sex, violence and drug use. I am shocked to think that I gave this novel to purchasers of such children’s books as The Faraway Fairies: Quest for the Crown. To top it all off, sloppy editing has left disappointing typos in quite a few places, particularly in the second half of the novel. Bombproof may be funny, but I’ve read funnier. It may be fast, but I’ve read faster. And it may be sexy, but, (being only 17,) I am at least sure that there are sexier books out there.Don’t believe what you read on the blurb – Bombproof is one novel you’ll put down and quickly forget. But, hey, it’s a free book. You get what you pay for.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Bombproof is a stand alone novel by Australian author Michael Robotham, best known for his crime thriller series featuring London psychiatrist, Joseph O’Loughlin. First published in 2008, Mulholland Books has chosen to release this novel in the US in e-format.Fast paced and action packed this thriller is a quick, entertaining read. The plot is fairly simple as the unlikely hero, Sami Macbeth, is caught between a rock and a hard place. Blackmailed by a drug lord, Tony Murphy, hunted by society criminal kingpin, Garza, with the entire metropolitan police force chasing him across London, Sami has nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Though frequently violent and often crude, Bombproof is also unexpectedly funny at times, as Sami’s life spins out of control.Sami is such a likeable character, all he wants is to find his younger sister, Nadia and start over, but he is dogged by a talent to ‘turn a desperate situation into a hopeless one’. He reaches out to retired detective, Vincent Ruiz who has some sympathy for the kid, and no love for Garza, helping eventually to untangle the mess Sami is embroiled in.Bombproof is a quick, entertaining read with a visual storyline that would make a great action flick. Though it’s quite different from Robotham’s usual crime thriller fiction it is a fun departure for this bestselling author.
    • 4/5
      Synopsis/blurb.......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 non-stop adventure full of unforgettable characters and a heart-warming hero - Sami Macbeth - a man with the uncanny ability to turn a desperate situation into a hopeless one.Michael Robotham is an author who has been recommended to me as someone who I would probably enjoy reading, advice I have managed to ignore until now. Robotham has to date authored 9 novels – 3 standalones and 6 in a series with psychologist, Joseph O’Loughlin. Lost and Shatter, both from his O’Loughlin series have won the Ned Kelly Award for best novel in 2005 and 2008 respectively. Verdict......boom, Robotham blew me away with this one!There’s a lively cast of characters.......a bent cop, a retired cop – still troubled by the old case and the villain who got away from him, the villain – now Mr Clean, hobnobbing with Judges and Politicians, but still dirty in his dealings, his deviant son – a chip off the old-block but lacking his father’s intelligence and cunning, another wannabee crime king-pin, pimp with a ruthless enforcer, various low-level drug dealers, users and general low-life scum. Add Sami Macbeth, fresh out of jail after serving a stretch for possession; then throw in his beautiful sister, Nadia who has suddenly disappeared from her flat. Macbeth thinks he can get his life back on track after being turned over by the justice system. Other people have plans for him though; plans which involve turning Nadia into a crack-addicted whore who’ll dance dirty for another hit from the pipe. If Tony Murphy can persuade Sami into utilising his legendary safe-cracking skills on an evidence locker at the Old Bailey, maybe he can save Nadia.When the Old Bailey gig goes pear-shaped and Sami’s shadow inadvertently blows up an underground train, Sami and his rucksack have all of the Met’s finest hunting him down. It’s hard to save yourself in these circumstances, let alone your sister.Bombs, bullets, hostages, snipers, parole officers, cops, hotels, prison, drugs, sex, violence, death and payback...all make an appearance as Sami’s first few days on the outside don’t go to plan.Overall, a fast addictive read at just over 300 pages. Funny and furious. I’m sorely tempted to try more from the author.......if only the TBR pile wasn't so big, if only I had more time, if only I didn't work for a living.4 stars from 5Bombproof was originally published in 2008 and has just been being re-issued by Mulholland books. I obtained access to this title after receiving an invite on Net Galley.