Bombproof: The misadventures of Sami Macbeth

I'm writing this review after a second read of Bombproof, a story inspired by the 2005 London bombings and the police shooting of a Brazilian man two weeks later. This man was wrongly deemed to be involved in a subsequent failed bombing attempt. Bombproof was written by one of my all-time favourite authors, Michael Robotham. To me, he can do no wrong as a writer 💞.

Check out my review of Robotham's series on forensic psychologist, Cyrus Haven, and the young woman rescued from horrific abuse that he helps, and the Joe O'Loughlin series about a clinical psychologist. There's also a cracking standalone, Life or death, published in 2014. I haven't written a review of that one but I highly recommend the book. It's the only novel Robotham has written to date that is set in the US. It's a beautifully crafted story of Audie Palmer, a man who served time in a Texas prison for a robbery who vanishes upon his release.

The other two standalones that Robotham has written to date - The secrets she keeps (2017) and When you are mine (2021) - are top shelf reads as well. You can probably guess what the first one is about - secrets and lies that have the ability to wreak havoc. The second one introduces a new Met police officer, Philomena McCarthy, the daughter of a London gangster. I liked her but was really hoping for another book featuring Ali Barba from The night ferry (see more on this book below).

Anyway, here's my review of Bombproof. I love this book!

Bombproof | Published January 2008 | Read twice to date (2019 and 2022)

Bombproof explores what happens when you're in the wrong place at the wrong time, something that Sami Macbeth experiences frequently in the novel. He's spent time in jail for this very thing, then once released, his bad luck continues. He is forced to fight to save his sister who is being used to coerce him into doing something he neither wants nor is able to do.

I loved Sami. He's clever and loyal and quick with the one-liners. The story is fast-paced and kind of crazy but I love that it shows how an ordinary guy brings a bunch of bad guys unstuck. The novel is quite graphic in bits, although the gritty, intense parts of the story are balanced out with humour.

The novel features another band of colourful characters who flesh the story out. Michael Robotham always seems to give depth to his peripheral characters and humanise them, even if they are doing the wrong thing. Retired DI Vincent Ruiz features in the story, the second key character in the author's Joe O'Loughlin series. You can never go wrong when Ruiz is involved!

(Another book featuring Ruiz is The night ferry (2007). I love Ali Barba, the Met detective, in that book. Her working partnership with Ruiz to bring down the bad guys was a joy to read. The story was really interesting as well, stemming from Ali's friend, Cate, and the lengths she went to to have a baby of her own.)

Michael Robotham's writing style draws me in, and his astute observations on humanity and society that are interwoven into his stories never fail to make me stop and think. Bombproof is up there with the best of his works.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐