Customer Reviews

First Family

5 star:		(104)
4 star:		(57)
3 star:		(43)
2 star:		(25)
1 star:		(42)

 

 

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.

I'm not a kindle user, so am not involved in the controversy that makes up most of the reviews based upon it's Kindle price. This is simply a review of the book after reading it. And, I found it to be a decent thriller with one major flaw. Here's the upsides and downsides of it for me:

Upsides:
- I love the characters in this book: From "superheroes" Michelle, the blunt damaged secret service agent and Sean, her big more laid back partner to the evil-or-is-he-so-evil Quarry.
- Even though Michelle and Sean are from his previous book Simple Genius - this works just fine as a stand-alone thriller.

Downsides:
- The beginning was a little slow, though it picks up in the middle. (There's an interesting side-plot with Michelle in the middle that picked up the pace, but I expected it to connect more with the total story).

- The overall plot is mildly implausible, but that's alright given it's thriller nature and that there's Baldacci's writing to compensate. But, the ending just gets outrageously implausible. There's about 70 pages of it that go from one completely unbelievable action to another. I would just get through one thing that happened that I'd had to convince myself that "alright, maybe it's a little believable", before something even more outlandish would occur! The size of the "holes in the story"- just grew wider and wider!

BOTTOM LINE: A good page-turning premise and characters brought down to a just average thriller(and below what I expect from Baldacci) by some completely implausible action at the end.

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.

David Baldacci creates an impossible situation with believable characters. When the president's niece is abducted after attending a birthday party at Camp David, the question is why? Why are private investigators Sean King and Michelle Maxwell hired to locate the missing child? And what does the abductor want? Why has he kidnapped another woman along with the child? So many questions, which all get answered as the story unfolds. This book had me on the edge of my recliner as I read each chapter wondering where is was headed and why. Great book.

I have read all of David Baldacci's books; and yes, some are better than others. I don't think that First Family was his best book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I like the characters of Sean and Michelle and hope to see them again in future adventures. The "all charm but can't keep his pants zipped" President and his manipulative, powerful first lady were very believable (due to our own country's past history). Sam Quarry was a stereotypical redneck and somewhat extreme example of how some picture Southerners. Since I am from MS / AL, Sam was insulting, but plausible. The story line was, at times, stretching the reader's acceptance; but that is one of the appeals of Baldacci's writing. He pushes the believability factor to the absolute limit and then just a little beyond. But after all, that's why I am reading, for the entertainment factor. It's not supposed to be anything more. I'm anxiously awaiting his next book.

While I normally enjoy Baldacci's potboilers (particulary on long flights), I thought this was his worst book so far. The plot made no sense with a bad guy that was never credible. Recommend that you skip this one. I have a 2 bad book rule that says once an author has hooked me, he/she gets automatic purchases until there are 2 bad books in a row. Then they are off the list until a review requalifies them for purchase. This is the first of two for Baldacci. Another one like this and he is off my list.

First Lady Jane Cox engages Sean King and Nichelle Maxwell to find her 12 year old niece Willa. Willa has been kidnapped following a birthday party at Camp David. The story that follows is simultaneously improbable, unbelievable and highly entertaining. Why has Willa been kidnapped, and where is she?

The interactions between King and Maxwell, and the other security agencies involved are fascinating. The various security processes invoked and the egos of the participants often seem to make it unlikely that Willa will be found in time. At the same time, Michelle Maxwell is dealing with a number of personal issues. The story's focus on these issues serves to slow down the pace of the narrative a little as well as providing some insight into Michelle's past. The kidnapper is only one of the villains in this story, and uncovering the truth is indeed a messy business. I found the kidnapper, 62 year old Sam Quarry, to be the most interesting character in this novel. His planning and his actions are complex, while his motivation (once revealed) is simple.

Everyone, it seems, has secrets.

This is the fourth novel to feature Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, former Secret Service agents who are now private investigators. An entertaining escapist read.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

It is always interesting to read the reviews on line. I think this book, even excluding the pricing issue, has a greater disparity than normal. I vote for the positive side. I think this is a good, but not great, thriller. I also concur that the story of Michelle's family does not really fit in and clutters the story. On the other side I believe the villain is a sympathetic character. I enjoyed watching the plot unfold. I also agree that the ending is far fetched.

I absolutely loved reading David Baldacci's "First Family" starring the former Secret Service Agents Sean King and Michelle Maxwell! Sean and Michelle are drawn into investigating the kidnapping of the First Lady's niece - much to the chagrin of the FBI and the Secret Service. Nothing is as it sees in this well-thought out plot involving the First Lady Jane Cox - how can the kidnapper possibly ever have had any connection with the First Family? This thriller won't let you get any work done until you've finished the last page to see what happens!

I have never written a review but this dreadful book rose to the best seller list based on the authors name and the reading public should be warned not to buy this. Not only for the dumb plot with an unnecessary sub-plot but the dialogue comes right out of the Clive Cussler-Dan Brown elementary school of writing. I shook my head many times as I read the lame discourse among the stock characters. Please David, back to the Camel Club.