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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
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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,
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,
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,
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.
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