The Whole Truth

The Whole Truth
by David Baldacci

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Book Summary Information

Author: David Baldacci
Edition: Hardcover
Format: Bargain Price
Published: 2008-04-22
ISBN: 0446195979
Number of pages: 416
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Book Reviews of The Whole Truth

Book Review: Don't waste your money
Summary: 2 Stars

For a synopsis of the book, I would refer you to other reviews that are more favorable to it. I have read all of Baldacci's books as they have been published, and I enjoyed the early ones and the Camel Club series. I have noted, as others have, that his stories have recently become more formulaic and less compelling. This book in audio form was given to me, and I took it along on a 3-week cross country trip.

Ron McLarty does a great job with the narration. His characters are voiced consistently, and he never breaks down in uncontrollable laughter at the ridiculous dialogue--or maybe the sound editing is excellent.

The story starts plausibly enough, but it inexorably becomes more and more preposterous. I am very good at suspending my disbelief, but Nicholas Creel, Dick Pender, and their minions are portrayed to be so evil that the effect is comedic. Add to this the portrayal of Shaw, the superhero, and his handler Frank, who previously was shot in the head by Shaw, and the stage is set for a story even less compelling than Robert Ludlum's worst pot boilers.

At times, overcome by laughter or gagging, I had to stop the book and switch to NPR. After 15-20 minutes of driving accompanied by NPR, I was bored enough that even this dog was a relief. I am proud to report that I was able to listen to all 12 disks. Will I read Baldacci's next effort? Probably so. But I won't buy it--I'll check it out from our library.

Jack Reacher is a more believable hero than A. Shaw. I would recommend Lee Child's latest book, Gone Tomorrow (Jack Reacher, No. 13), for a much better written, more engaging action book.

For Baldacci's next book, I hope he spends more time with story boards and editing. This one was obviously spun out with little attention to craftsmanship.

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Summary of The Whole Truth

"Dick, I need a war."
Nicolas Creel is a man on a mission. He heads up the world's largest defense contractor, The Ares Corporation. Dick Pender is the man Creel retains to "perception manage" his company to even more riches by manipulating international conflicts. But Creel may have an even grander plan in mind.
Shaw, a man with no first name and a truly unique past, has a different agenda. Reluctantly doing the bidding of a secret multi-national intelligence agency, he travels the globe to keep it safe and at peace.
Willing to do anything to get back to the top of her profession, Katie James is a journalist who has just gotten the break of a lifetime: the chance to interview the sole survivor of a massacre that has left every nation stunned.
In this terrifying, global thriller, these characters' lives will collide head-on as a series of events is set in motion that could change the world as we know it. An utterly spellbinding story that feels all too real, THE WHOLE TRUTH delivers all the twists and turns, emotional drama, unforgettable characters, and can't-put-it-down pacing that readers expect from David Baldacci-and still goes beyond anything he's written before.

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