Book #67 - The Whole Truth by David Baldacci

I know it seems like my reading mission has slowed to a crawl, and it actually has. With the start of school, it seems like I don't have the energy to read like I was before. So, because it took me so long to read this book, do not use it as a judgement on what I thought of this book. It was a great adventure, but not one typical of David Baldacci. If you had given me this book with no cover or title page, I would have thought it was a Brad Thor novel. This book really got you thinking about whether our entire political structure and decisions are totally controlled by propaganda that can be totally made up if you have enough money to hit all media outlets. The story was a great cat and mouse chase and had a very unpredictable ending. I highly recommend if you are up for a page-turning thriller, but you have to be able to stomach a little bit of gore.

Book #52 - The Collectors by David Baldacci

This is the 4th or 5th book by Baldacci that I have read, but it is the first involving the four old guys in the "Camel Club". I have to say that by far this is the best I've read (although I really liked the Christmas Train). Not only was there great adventure, but for the first time in one of his books, I really liked and felt engaged with the characters. Interestingly, the first 200 pages had 2 very different very exciting plots going on simultaneously. It wasn't until page 205 that the link between the stories was divulged. There was great artistry in the story telling as well as a enticing plot. I have to say, I'm excited to pick up copies of the other Baldacci books starring the famous foursome: Oliver, Milton, Caleb, and Reuben. This one I'm sending to my brother who will devour it in 8 hours or so...

Book #37 - Total Control by David Baldacci

In case you are wondering, no, I did not read this entire book today. I actually started it last week and couldn't wait to read the new Grisham, so I set this one aside for a few days to read the other. I have had so many people swear by Baldacci. I've had several people tell me he is better than Grisham (to this I say, blasphemy). So, with that being said, I decided to order one of his from Amazon. I wasn't sure if he used recurring characters, so I got the first one written by him. The reviews said it was a "fast-paced thriller." I have to say that it took me almost 300 pages to get hooked in to this book. Then, Baldacci turned up the heat. He really held the cards close, and didn't even give the reader a morsel of information as to what was going on. That was one of the things I didn't like. I felt like he didn't even want to give us a chance of figuring out who did it. Overall, a good book, but way to long.