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A review by weaselweader
King and Maxwell by David Baldacci
2.0
“ … we were trying to do something positive, something that would help another country become free.”
RANT ON
Former Secret Service agent and now detective Michelle Maxwell hit the nail on the head with her response to the president’s musings, “The best of intentions, the worst of outcomes”. I’m inclined to agree, although as a Canadian reader with Canadian sensibilities – sick to death of Donald Trump and now attempting to survive the USA’s grossly mishandled response to the Covid-19 pandemic – I often have my doubts that the USA’s intentions could even be characterized as good, let alone the best. But she sure got the bit about the outcomes right!
KING AND MAXWELL is a formulaic geo-political potboiler thriller – and it has to be admitted that Baldacci has them down to a fine art – that involves national anti-terrorism policy, FBI, CIA, military, Islamic governments, assassination, black ops, computer hacking, double crosses, triple crosses … the whole nine yards. And, goodness knows, it certainly reads easily enough and quickly enough. Sean King’s and Michelle Maxwell’s character development as devoted business partners hanging on the edge of the cliff of romantic involvement is masterfully done. But, ultimately, the entire plot rests on American jingoism – the belief that the USA can do no wrong – and this Canadian reader is sick to death of it all. If a decision made by Congress isn’t seen by those in the secretive, dark halls of moneyed power as being sufficiently in the interests of the USA (notwithstanding the fact that Congress is supposed to represent its citizens), then that decision will be ignored by the money and the power and the black ops will take over.
If you’re a fan of David Baldacci, I can recommend KING AND MAXWELL as an easy reading addition to his work and to the King and Maxwell series in particular. If you’re an American reader, you’ll probably love it and wonder just what the hell I’m railing on about.
RANT OFF
Paul Weiss
RANT ON
Former Secret Service agent and now detective Michelle Maxwell hit the nail on the head with her response to the president’s musings, “The best of intentions, the worst of outcomes”. I’m inclined to agree, although as a Canadian reader with Canadian sensibilities – sick to death of Donald Trump and now attempting to survive the USA’s grossly mishandled response to the Covid-19 pandemic – I often have my doubts that the USA’s intentions could even be characterized as good, let alone the best. But she sure got the bit about the outcomes right!
KING AND MAXWELL is a formulaic geo-political potboiler thriller – and it has to be admitted that Baldacci has them down to a fine art – that involves national anti-terrorism policy, FBI, CIA, military, Islamic governments, assassination, black ops, computer hacking, double crosses, triple crosses … the whole nine yards. And, goodness knows, it certainly reads easily enough and quickly enough. Sean King’s and Michelle Maxwell’s character development as devoted business partners hanging on the edge of the cliff of romantic involvement is masterfully done. But, ultimately, the entire plot rests on American jingoism – the belief that the USA can do no wrong – and this Canadian reader is sick to death of it all. If a decision made by Congress isn’t seen by those in the secretive, dark halls of moneyed power as being sufficiently in the interests of the USA (notwithstanding the fact that Congress is supposed to represent its citizens), then that decision will be ignored by the money and the power and the black ops will take over.
If you’re a fan of David Baldacci, I can recommend KING AND MAXWELL as an easy reading addition to his work and to the King and Maxwell series in particular. If you’re an American reader, you’ll probably love it and wonder just what the hell I’m railing on about.
RANT OFF
Paul Weiss