Saving Faith [Hardcover]

David Baldacci (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 9, 1999

In the field of popular fiction David Baldacci is far ahead of the competition. Continuing his string of New York Times bestsellers, Baldacci presents his most electrifying story to date-a novel of nonstop action, vividly etched characters, and an astounding vision of the inner sanctums of our government. Not far from Washington, D.C., in a wooded area of Northern Virginia, a small house at the end of a gravel road serves a secret purpose. With its sophisticated security apparatus and hidden miniaturized cameras, it is being used by the FBI to interview one of the most important witnesses the agency has ever had, a young woman with an incredible story to tell. But a few people know about the secret meeting. And for them, a violent drama is about to begin. One man-a local private investigator named Lee Adams-has come to the house on the orders of his client. Another man, a hired killer, stakes out the house on orders from his powerful paymasters. And the witness, Faith Lockhart, is coming to tell the FBI everything she knows about the powerful lobbyist with whom she has worked, a man who manipulates U.S. government policy and who, in the process, made some very dangerous enemies. Then, before Faith can tell her story, the hit man pulls the trigger and the wrong victim falls. Now Faith Lockhart is on the run-from the most dangerous people in America-with Lee Adams, a man she doesn't know, yet must trust. A relentless chase novel that unfolds as both the FBI and a killer search for Faith and Lee, this is also a searing and utterly suspenseful tale of power gone mad in Washington, and of one woman's desperate attempt to break out of a web of corruption and terror that reaches much further than even she can know. In the hands of master storyteller David Baldacci, Saving Faith elevates the thriller to a new level and poses stunning questions about the rules we live by, the rules we are governed by-and what happens when some people make rules of their own...

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

It sounds like a movie pitch: "The story is like Tom Clancy crossed with John Grisham set in the Washington D.C. political world." But David Baldacci's Saving Faith successfully fuses elements from both of these chart-busters in this political thriller spiced with techno-wizardry.

The villain is a classic spy caricature: cold-war CIA super-patriot Robert Thornhill wants to reclaim the glory days of the Central Intelligence Agency--when money flowed like the Mississippi during a flood, and the FBI watched helplessly from the sidelines. Working from his secret underground bunker, he blackmails Danny Buchanan, one of the great Washington lobbyists, to front an enormous bribery scheme that will force Congress to bend to the CIA's whims. But Thornhill's plan springs a leak: Buchanan's assistant Faith Lockhart discovers her boss's dirty dealings, and she intends to expose the whole mess to Thornhill's nemesis, the FBI. Thornhill's associates attempt to assassinate Faith, but their bullet kills her FBI escort instead. Faith finds herself on the run with Lee Adams, a fit-and-trim PI who had been shadowing her at the behest of Buchanan.

If all this sounds a bit confusing, it is at times. Baldacci works hard to keep the tension steadily rising, but it is sometimes difficult to remember why Faith and Lee can't just stop running and go for help. Nevertheless, they are very likable heroes, and Baldacci's depiction of the world of lobbyists and the internecine warfare of the FBI and CIA (complete with state-of-the-art spy gadgets and transmission-proof chambers) elevates the novel with details that can come only from careful research. --Patrick O'Kelley

From Publishers Weekly

Baldacci's fifth high-concept premise in as many novels (The Simple Truth; Absolute Power; etc.) propels his hard-working new thriller: a renegade CIA faction attempts to reassert the agency's primacy over the FBI by manipulating members of Congress who fund both outfits. To do so, the CIA conspirators aim to take over a bribery scheme they've discovered. The scam was concocted by legendary lobbyist Danny Buchanan, who has been greasing the palms of lawmakers to gain their support of bills aiding the poor and hungry overseas. The spooks plan to assassinate Buchanan and his prot?g?, the lovely Faith Lockhart, and force the legislators, under threat of exposure, to support the CIA over the FBI. First, however, they'll have to kill the FBI person guarding Faith, for she has confessed everything to the bureau in hopes of working a deal for herself and Buchanan. But the CIA villains haven't reckoned on the resilience of the two lobbyists, nor on the grit of FBI agent Brooke Reynolds, nor on the skill of PI Lee Adams, who gets caught up in the attempted hit on Faith and her guardianA and who then goes on the run with the lobbyist. The novel evolves into a frantic, exciting chase, FBI after CIA after Lee/Faith, with a few nifty twists. Baldacci's characters continue to grow in complexityAthere's an exceptionally fine scene in which Lee, drunk, nearly rapes FaithAbut, alas, so does his plotting. This novel is overdone, with too many heroes and subplots and enough data withheld from readers to generate confusion. Baldacci's prose can still break the jaws of subvocalizers, too. The novel moves fast, though, and its players and suspense are strongAas should be sales. Main selection of the Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club; simultaneous audiobook.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 451 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (November 9, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446525774
• ISBN-13: 978-0446525770
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 1.5 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (189 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #467,321 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Baldacci was born in Virginia, in 1960, where he currently resides. He received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Virginia Commonwealth University and a law degree from the University of Virginia. Mr. Baldacci practiced law for nine years in Washington, D.C., as both a trial and corporate attorney.
David Baldacci has published seventeen novels: Absolute Power, Total Control, The Winner, The Simple Truth, Saving Faith, Wish You Well, Last Man Standing, The Christmas Train, Split Second, Hour Game, The Camel Club, The Collectors, Simple Genius, Stone Cold, and The Whole Truth; and in his young adult series, Freddy and the French Fries: Fries Alive! and Freddy and the French Fries: The Adventures of Silas Finklebean. He has also published a novella for the Dutch entitled Office Hours, written for Holland's Year 2000 "Month of the Thriller." Baldacci authored a short story, "The Mighty Johns," as part of a mystery anthology published in 2002.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Baldacci Saves Faith but Disappoints Readers, December 18, 1999

By 

"dcityofcaz" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Saving Faith (Hardcover)

As a diehard Baldacci fan I consider this book his weakest effort so far. The plot is a little too contrived, the characters lack depth, and overall while the book is a decent read, it is not a thrilling page turner like his previous novels. If you have not read Baldacci before don't start with this one. Try "The Winner."It is far more thrilling and much better written.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Baldacci great read, November 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Saving Faith (Hardcover)

Complete with inside the beltway powermongers, hidden agendas, and a lot of dangerous dudes, and hired guns, Faith Lockhart, about to spill the beans to the feebs, finds she is, instead the target of an assasin's bullet. From then on, folks, hang out to your hats. It builds with all the speed of a Canadian logger roaring down I-89 during rush hour.

Baldacci accomplishes this in a book that can actually be finished in a couple of sittings and is guaranteed not to put you to sleep.

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing - Contrived and Completely Predictable, December 30, 1999

By 

Mitch Vaccarino (Mill Valley, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Saving Faith (Hardcover)

I had high hopes for Baldacci's latest based on online consumer reviews and on professional critiques of his earlier work. The best indicator of my post-read opinion (other than the title of this review) is the fact that, rather than pass the book on to a friend, I left it in the hotel room where I finished the novel while taking a short vacation.

Problem 1: If the villain had been any more evil and unlikable, he would have resembled an old Sunday morning cartoon character like Wile E. Coyote or Snidely Whiplash. Look, I know it's fiction, but can't I expect even a modicum of plausibility?

Problem 2: Once Baldacci had described the hero and heroine, I could have written the rest of the book for him, with only marginally less impressive results. I certainly knew how the book would end (although my own ending was more creative than Baldacci's), and I easily forecast most of the trials and tribulations these characters experienced.

Honestly, by the midpoint, I was feeling as if I'd wasted over $, and found finishing the book more an exercise in self-discipline than a run towards an exciting and enjoyable finish.