He seems like a prolific writer and I enjoyed the movie “Absolute Power.” Political thriller is really not my usual genre, but I was on a Kindle binge and in exploration mood. So, with a click and its whisper net, I started reading my first Baldacci. Would it be my last?
There was a brilliant and gripping scene, if this is a movie. The climax was clearly the mastermind’s plan and careful execution. There were lots of difficult sacrifices, and they were moving. There were some lectures, but I enjoyed their educational purposes. Like a good book, even for novel, I felt a bit deeper and broader after reading it. I am officially made a fan now.
Unlike the movie there was no Clint Eastwood. Instead, there were about 4 or 5 main characters and it took me a while to figure out heroes from villains. Maybe I have been brainwashed by all those simple-minded plots, but a third into the book and I was wondering where the book was going.
Baldacci was not kind to the US foreign policies and I am, for the most part, in agreement. In general, the policies cost the government billions and the result is, at best, waste of money and usually many lives perished unnecessarily. The US government liked to create conflicts to keep some small wars going in the world. Those small and regional wars are useful. They keep those regions poor and dependent on the US dollars. They create market from the US weapon makers. They also keep presidents re-elected.
I don’t think I will get my next Baldacci in several months and he is not likely to become my favorite. He is, however, a good writer and probably among the bests in this genre. Just that, well, political thriller? I will still go SciFi.