The Wreckage

Debut novel from Robin Morgan-Bentley released by Trapeze Books on 6th February

Morgan-Bentley is a debut author, but one who works in the world of Audio books, a new voice who spends a lot of time listenting to other people's words in his day to day life, this has led to the creation of a traditional well told story but with a twist on the narrative.

The Wreckage tells the story of a road traffic accident told from three different viewpoints. Ben is a primary school teacher who is driving to work one cold wet January morning and then he sees a white flash. He has hit something, or more like someone. That someone is Adam, who has jumped in front of Ben's car that morning - this has led to his untimely death a few weeks later leaving behind a grieving wife, Alice and seven year old son, Max.

Ben, understandably, feeling guilty from breaking up this domestic bliss attempts to make contact with Alice at the hospital to explain himself. Following a frosty first reception, the two start to become more entwinned into each other's lives; Ben provides a shoulder for Alice to cry upon and a parental rock for Max during this difficult period of transition for all.

The book so easily could become a rote tale of the stalker, and RMB does flirt with that at times with the shifting perspective from Ben to Alice which never allows you to fully sympathise with one narrator and the balancing act of emotions and feelings from both parties does the service of oddly seeing and appreciating both sides of the story.

That is until the twist reveal which opens up a totally different storyline and plot, when the realisation to Alice of what has happened to her husband is shown to her.

A tale as much about mental health and well being, reaching out to those you love for the help required to overcome; and in this new year the resolution to be more open about the interiority of ourselves and channel that in a way that people can understand. All people have these moments of inner torture, how Adam deals with it is not the best way to go about it and how he attempts to make life better for his family is evidence of someone who went too long without help. Help is available to us always, starting with the ones we love.

Morgan-Bentley is an author to watch out for, this is a very interesting debut and one that shows how the benefit of reading and listening to an abundance of literature over the years leads to a unique and personal voice telling an often told tale with a different twist.

The Wreckage is out from Trapeze Books on 6th February.