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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
Two clear plotlines going on with this book. The President's niece has been kidnapped. The First Lady calls in King to help save her. This story is enjoyable with a strong, but clearly laid out believer that while he is sorry to take the action he does the rationale has been deeply thought out and justified in his mind. The author make it easy to follow all of this as the story unfolds around the other main plotline of Maxwell continuing to work through her past that is interfering in her current life. And then her mother dies. So much to work with in this book. Grown up issues to work through. Tough decisions. Who to trust? Who really is good or not? It has my attention from start to finish.
Completing this book made me reluctant to write a comprehensive review here. This shows my disenchantment with what is only the third failure of a book from David Baldacci. It's not really a flop as it gave pleasure to many fans and readers alike. But it could be that the things that worked in the book made people ready to overlook the snags.
I think that the author, because of his experience and intelligence, did all the little things right and bungled the supra stuff. The large details. That can mean the premise. It can also mean the pacing, which though depending on the little things that Baldacci got right, is not so reliant and has a life of its own.
The last few chapters were the book's best. They shifted the villainy from Quarry to an unlikely character. The sympathetic villain is a familiar and favorite trope of Baldacci. Unfortunately, Quarry's openly divulged motives is one of the major beefs I've got with the book. I went in thinking that this thriller would be a proper mystery, because of its predecessors and if it ain't broke, why fix it right? But no. Quarry is the villain. There'll be no pleasant curveball thrown at the reader, no twist. So fine. I decide to be neutral and judge the book on its merits. Then I start to get frustrated because the chapters dedicated to Quarry frankly sucked. Therefore I decided to skip Quarry's chapters and read only Sean and Maxwell's parts.
After a while, even during the revealing of the plot, I was not enjoying the book. That's when I thought the book would score a measly one star. Which it nearly did. Except for the last few chapters, this book would have been a dud. Curious and funny thing is that if you decide to ignore Maxwell's mother's case, you'll be missing nothing if you read the first five and last five chapters. That's how the plot worked. Like I said the small details were fine, but IMHO, Baldacci wasn't on top of his game.
I think that the author, because of his experience and intelligence, did all the little things right and bungled the supra stuff. The large details. That can mean the premise. It can also mean the pacing, which though depending on the little things that Baldacci got right, is not so reliant and has a life of its own.
The last few chapters were the book's best. They shifted the villainy from Quarry to an unlikely character. The sympathetic villain is a familiar and favorite trope of Baldacci. Unfortunately, Quarry's openly divulged motives is one of the major beefs I've got with the book. I went in thinking that this thriller would be a proper mystery, because of its predecessors and if it ain't broke, why fix it right? But no. Quarry is the villain. There'll be no pleasant curveball thrown at the reader, no twist. So fine. I decide to be neutral and judge the book on its merits. Then I start to get frustrated because the chapters dedicated to Quarry frankly sucked. Therefore I decided to skip Quarry's chapters and read only Sean and Maxwell's parts.
After a while, even during the revealing of the plot, I was not enjoying the book. That's when I thought the book would score a measly one star. Which it nearly did. Except for the last few chapters, this book would have been a dud. Curious and funny thing is that if you decide to ignore Maxwell's mother's case, you'll be missing nothing if you read the first five and last five chapters. That's how the plot worked. Like I said the small details were fine, but IMHO, Baldacci wasn't on top of his game.
Ernsthaft. Die ganze Geschichte ist überdramatisch und einfach lächerlich.
not so much a thriller as you would expect.. things were unravelled in an uninteresting way..
Really good. I love how the bad guy is so complex. Sometimes he seems evil and cold hearted. Other times he is gently, loving, nurturing and kind. And so smart, but perhaps crazy. Is he crazy, or is he just terribly wounded. So many complexities, and twists and turns, as usual for Sean King & Michelle Maxwell, but I liked this one best so far.
Very disappointing. Not up to par with his other books. Storyline was slow to develop and not worth following.
I usually like David Baldacci, but it took me well over a week to slog through this long, poorly written thriller. An interesting premise -- a murder/kidnapping that reveals years of First Family secrets -- is tainted by sloppy writing and bad dialog. While the supporting characters are nicely fleshed out, leads Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are utterly 2-dimensional, and their scenes together are cringe-worthy. I like the *idea* of this pair, and I typically enjoy White House intrigue, so perhaps I need to try another book in the series.
Once I started reading the King and Maxwell series I just couldn't stop myself from completing it. just finished the fourth in the series. 2 more to go. My understanding of the book can be found at https://thoughtsofvenus.wordpress.com/2021/01/27/king-and-maxwell-series-by-david-baldacci-iv/
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No