This is my first review of a David Baldacci book so before I begin, I will give a little background of him. Baldacci is one of my favorite American novelists, he writes thrillers and has written a few children literature. His first novel Absolute Power was written in 1996 and it marked him as a front liner instantly. The book was made into a film directed by Clint Eastwood and starred nClint Eastwood and Gene Hackman. Since then he has published 27 novels all of which are international and national best sellers, with some others made into movies, tv series, and all together translated into more than 45 languages, sold in more than 80 countries and over 110million copies in print sold worldwide. He has a bachelors degree in Political Science, a law degree and has practiced law in Washington D.C. He and his wife established a Wish You Well Foundation that supports family and adult education in the United States.
Split Second was published in October 1, 2003 and is the first of a 6 part King and Maxwell series.
Synopsis
8 years ago Special Agent John King is security aide to candidate Clyde Ritter. He gets distracted for a second at a campaign rally and the candidate gets shot. He guns down the shooter but his career in the secret service dies along with Ritter.
Now, a terrible coincidence brings two agents paths together, and a young promising female agent is about to go down the same way. Agent Maxwell is in charge of the safety of John Bruno; a presidential candidate, but she lets him out of her sight briefly and he vanishes into thin air.
The kidnap
Disguised as the old widow of the candidate's deceased friend, is Tasha, a deadly young woman who is hired to kidnap him. Tasha, had made a call to Bruno earlier as his late friend's widow claiming she had important information about his friend that he needed to hear so he should meet her at the funeral home. Together with "Officer Simmons" an assassin who also is in disguise as the first police officer to get on the scene after Bruno is reported missing, they abduct the candidate in a well orchestrated kidnap that leaves agent Maxwell and her men baffled.
Revenge, Lies, Betrayals
8 years ago, Peter Morse was campaign manager for Clyde Ritter and in love with his friend Arnold Ramsey's wife. He sets about manipulating Arnold to shoot Ritter at a rally, in order to get him out of the way and free to marry his wife, Regina Ramsey. He thinks by having Arnold taken out of the picture this way, Regina will get to loathe him.
Arnold gets killed by agent Sean Kings but instead of turning to him as Morse expected, Regina takes up with another man, one quite remarkably similar to her husband; Thornton Jorst, a professor who was her husband's colleague.
In not so surprising event, Arnold Ramsey's daughter, Kate is a young woman now and wants revenge on the man who killed her father. She has been brainwashed by Morse over the years into believing her father was wrongfully killed by agent Sean kings.
In a dramatic fashion worthy of the villain he is, Morse has spent years preparing a replay of the scene where Ritter was shot by Arnold, only this time, he intends for Arnold to be played by his daughter Kate and Ritter played by Bruno whom he had kept alive for this purpose.
Agents Kings and Maxwell save the day, John Bruno is rescued and Kate realizes she has been misled by Morse for his own selfish reasons. Kate is killed by Morse albeit mistakenly in a death meant for Kings.
Is it just me or did the author weave in a parallel between this and the story of King David in the bible who sent Uriah out to the forefront of battle, so he'd be killed and he, David'd have room to take his wife? Lol...
A good read but I'm a fan of really intense endings and found the climax rather weak but then again the book isn't much of an adrenaline pumper so I guess it was in keeping. The characters Baldacci created are strong and he's got me looking forward to them in the sequel 'Hour Game'. The prose is direct and easy but lacked a certain grip in the overall tone. It kinda made it more like a coffee table read to me. All in all, it's a really good book, well written.
Rating: 4 stars
