First Family (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Plenty of intense action drives bestseller Baldacci's stellar fourth novel to feature former Secret Service agents Michelle Maxwell and Sean King (after Simple Genius). Maxwell and King, D.C. PIs, step on the toes of everyone, including the FBI and the Secret Service. They even manage to bruise the ego of First Lady Jane Cox, who hires them after her 12-year-old niece is kidnapped following a birthday party at Camp David. Baldacci excels at making the improbable believable as one obsessed man, 62-year-old Sam Quarry, takes on the best security the U.S. can muster from his Alabama redoubt. Even more impressive than Quarry's determined campaign is the ingeniousness with which Baldacci manages to disguise both Quarry's precise motivation and aims. Meanwhile, Maxwell has to deal with her mother's death and a host of other personal issues. Baldacci's careful plotting and confidant depictions of national security procedures make this a thinking man's thriller. (Apr. 21)
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Review

"Ron McLarty is the perfect choice to present Baldacci's latest thriller. His clear, strong voice shifts effortlessly among the story's varying passages of sadness, anger, and irony. His facility with multiple characters of both genders and many ages, races, and regional accents enables the listener easily to keep track of everyone. Music and sound effects, used liberally in the opening sequences, trail off as the story progresses, becoming less frequent and lower in volume with each chapter. Too bad-their use enhances the story." (AudioFile ) --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; First Edition edition (April 21, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446539759
• ISBN-13: 978-0446539753
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (198 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,433 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 4 in The Sean King and Michelle Maxwell Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating and satisfying, August 6, 2009

By	allie Brummond - See all my reviews

First Family is David Baldacci's follow-up to Simple Genius. Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are summoned by Pam Dutton to instruct them on their next case. Before they can meet with her, however, they notice two men running from the scene firing their guns. As they investigate the house they notice Pam is dead, but, Willa, her eldest daughter, is missing. Subplots are plenty as Michelle, who is still struggling to come to terms about her mother's death, returns home to be with her father. First Family is a beefy book with twists and turns reminiscent of a roller coaster. Its politics and scandals are so complex that the reader stays in tune with the book from page one, and doesn't blink until the book ends. David Baldacci has once again delivered a novel that will captivate its readers....

I would also highly recommend: S is for Sirens a novel that ranked one of the best this year.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars flimsy family, May 15, 2009

By	Cynthia Klein (Texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

as a long time fan, this is his worst book yet. the author tries to fit an uworkable plot with predictable characters...

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Too many loose ends, August 5, 2009

By	Soferet "soferet2" (Jerusalem 93715 Israel) - See all my reviews

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I am always ready to go for a ride with Sean King and Michelle...but even the wildest plot has to respect a minimum of rules. Not all questions are answered at the end, which is a little too predictable. I won't go into details so as not to spoil the story for new readers, but our heroes get to the solution through a wildly implausible clue left by a murderer. Overall the pace of the book is a little slow, though there are some pleasant interludes and some clever red herrings. Bottom line - will I buy the next Baldacci? You bet.