Deliver Us from Evil (Shaw Series)

well written, characters come and go and much later are included again, takes some concentration - hard to put down - wanting to know what happens next, the ending was impressive although it could have gone on for longer.

My book arrived in a really prompt manner. And a first - it was wrapped inside the mailing envelope so it was better than new. The book was a typical Baldacci thriller although I am not into those mosters who wipe out civilizations being chased by strange heros.

Normally Baldacci produces a good read, that is not the case here. I think this is probably his worst effort. The characters are uninteresting and he spends way too much time introducing his new character Reggie Campion. There is not much new to the plot in this book, its all been said before. And worst of all its BORING!!! I hated it.

I am a Baldacci fan; but more of a Maxwell and King fan. I decided to try one of his other series so decided on Shaw and James. Deliver Us From Evil's title gave the impression that both characters would play a major role AGAIN in this sequel. Not true. I found James' presence was less exciting than I expected, and she appeared rather meek and a damsel. I found it interesting that Shaw instantly fawns over Reggie/Janey, but is so cold hearted towards Katie. Seems quite contradictory of Shaw's persona. I sped read through the book and still was bored. Definitely did not like the ending. Left questions unanswered. I'll stick with Maxwell and King.

Has anybody read this on Kindle? Chapter 16 and 17 do not jive, there seems to be a whole scene missing. Do I need to reload or something?

OOPS I just read through the chapter, it's all good! Nevermind!

Ill review it later, I liked all of his other books.

Happy reading everybody!

Absolute drivel from the author that penned the superb 'Absolute Power'. Sadly another example of how Baldacci has just lost it. Like so many authors who are living off their name, this is a typical example of a book that wouldn't have made it to the shelves if it were written by an unknown author. Lacklustre, no pace and just pure dull ! Avoid like the plague.

This book is one of the worst books I have ever tried to read. I read half of it thinking it would get better but it didn't. It was a waste of money. I will never buy another book from David Baldacci.

I'm glad this wasn't my first DB book: I would never have picked up another. Sophomoric writing, really amateurish characters, plot non existent. I hated it. If this is your first book by this author, DON'T!!! It's almost as though someone else wrote it, with a few good paragraphs actually written by Baldacci. I usually read a Kindle book in 3 days (prolonging the end because I hate to finish a good story), but this one dragged on, Why did I keep reading it? I kept hoping it would get better, I kept hoping the characters would graduate from junior high, but nooooo.

I was disappointed in it. Predictable, frequently boring. I forced myself to finish reading it so that I might not miss something good (which Baldacci usually has in abundance) in case the book got better. It did not. I think the rave reviews were secondary to his reputation, not this production.

I have read several of his books and have enjoyed his writing, character development and looked forward to this next one. I was disappointed with the torture and detail of violence. Other reviews had warned of this but I did not enjoy it or the extent of it. While I would recommend several of his books I will not recommend this one and carefully review his books before buying more.

Ever since his first book Absoult Power, I've been a fan of Balducci's and have purchase all his books. I was shocked at how much I didn't like this one. I kept thinking it would improve, but it doesn't. I hated the subject it was based on, had I known that I never would have purchased it. I believe the Holocast happened but it is one subject that I simply can't handle reading about, it gives me nightmares. I want a story to entertain, challenge and full of supense. I wish Mr. Balducci would follow up on the Camel Club and it's wonderful characters. I hope this is the last we read of Shaw.

I really disliked this book. I have read and enjoyed probably over 20 of DBs books but this was very divergent from his usual material. He is not kidding about the evil part. It was grisly, graphic, violent and highly disturbing. Unfortunately you don't know until later in the book and it's too late. The torture scenes are horrendously brutal and awful. I was very disappointed with this one.

He (and some other male writers) cannot make women characters believable or natural when they speak. More hard-boiled than their male counterparts, more obscene. The book also needs a good proof-reader and editor, but no matter, apparently, these days. Just sell it; that's good enough.

I was not prepared for the content of this novel. Part of it might be that I have only read a couple other titles that Baldacci has written. But based on those (Wish You Well & The Christmas Train), I was anticipating something similar. I have to say I got about 5 pages into this one and packaged it up to return to the store. Sometimes I just really wish that more detail were given related to content like warnings placed on movie content. The first 5 pages were devoted to what I consider (almost) every man's sexual fantasy. It was graphic (too graphic for my tastes). I was surprised by the crude manner of approach and also the language, especially since the other two books I read had none of this sort of content and little objectionable language. I was looking for a good thriller but could not get past the beginning which set the tone (and not one that I chose to participate in). This has actually scared me off of reading any other books by this author. I do not consider myself a prude by any means but I am also not a fan of soft porn either.

The book by Baldacci is up to his standards and really quite good. My problem is that it doesn't work correctly on my iphone even though it cost more that other books. I have read 25-30 books on my iphone and have never had any problems until now. You would think that whoever decided that this should cost more would have better quality control over their product. I will think long and hard about buying another book from this publisher.

A thoroughly stupid book. Oh look! Here's a man who was smart enough to escape the murderous mob in the Ukraine when the USSR fell and has lived his life under an alias in remote (snerk) Montreal for thirty years. But he throws caution to the wind when a twenty-something American girl swims naked in the villa next to his on vacation in Provence and forgets all his usual precautions. Oh look! We're from a secret group that kills bad guys. And you're from a secret group that captures bad guys. We don't know who you really work for and you don't know who we really work for. But let's trust each other and work together. Oh look! They've captured this woman I am guilty about not calling for 7 months and are using her to lure me into a trap. You other guys want to come and get caught in the trap too? Great idea! Oh, and in order to keep the scent hounds from following us, let's dip ourselves in the sulfur-laden water that we were told two chapters ago never gets warmer than 10C even in summer because hypothermia is so much fun.

Ludicrous. Badly plotted. It was okay about 3/4 through the book. Then it collapsed into chaos and I couldn't finish it. Undoubtedly the good guys will win and the bad guy will be brought to justice and the good guy will sleep with the good girl (or feel guilty about sleeping with the other girl and sleep with no one).

Utter drek!

And really, if you can't write convincing English and Irish characters, just don't bother trying. The Irishman speaks like no Irish person who's ever lived. If he wasn't trying so hard to make him Irish, it would have been fine. But he just made him sound idiotic. And the English "professor" is like a cartoon character. Don't these NYT bestselling authors have editors to fix these mistakes?

For the most part you must approach this book with the anticipation that it is an extremely fast-paced action thriller in which you will probably have to suspend your disbelief sensors and simply enjoy the reading ride; well, maybe not you, but it was the way I approached the book and I did enjoy it.

Basically you have the secret agent Shaw teaming up with a team of international vigilantes who travel around the world assonating war criminals (In this case it was a former KGB agent in charge of Russian death camps, and they kill these guys in rather gruesome and humiliating ways. The story carries us around the world since the guy they are hunting here is now multi-millionaire who has made his money through selling young girls from around the world into prostitution and dealing with enriched uranium and selling it to Arab terrorists. Pretty evil and wretched kind of guy – huh!

Now do be warned that the author, David Baldacci, who I rather enjoy reading, has pushed the vile violence level several leaps in this one. There is torture and rather violent killings taking place so if this is not your cup of tea...well, skip this one.

I got the sense that the author could not make up his mind if he should make Shaw, the secret agent, a James Bond sort of fellow or a simple Super Hero pulled from the pages my beloved comics from when I was a kid. Again, you sort of have to suspend your disbelief from time to time with this one.

Now I say the above fully realizing that 98 percent of all action thrillers have implausible plots, characters and action sequences. Being of the generation that grew up read all of the John Carter of Mars books, over and over and over again, I personally have no problems with this and in fact enjoy and expect it in this particular genre. Hey, it is why I read them. But hey, that is just me.

This was a pretty quick read with a lot of action and I enjoyed it as it entertained me. I really did not learn much from it but that was not the purpose of reading this thing.

This was a library find.

I have several thriller authors on rotation and if there is a character series, I make sure I read them in order. Baldacci has multiple series and this is the second book about Shaw and Katie James - although, in this book, Katie is really more of a plot device than a character. As many have already pointed out, this is a Good vs. Evil story with two shadowy organizations trying to take out a very very bad man. There is great action and many misdirections as you get closer to the climax. I have three major issues with this book. First, the final showdown includes a deus ex machina moment which is adequately explained, but it does not feel true to the story. You know the good guys will win eventually, but this seemed forced. Secondly, Shaw can't decide whether he is a cool operator or an emotional wreck. Baldacci toned it down from "The Whole Truth," where Shaw would collapse in a puddle of remorse every three or four scenes. In this book, he does not do it as often, but the device remains overblown. The third complaint is one which I am finding tiresome in the genre. In thrillers, if there is a "lone wolf" hero, the author often creates a love interest, but cannot have the lone wolf live happily ever after. Therefore, it is decidedly unhealthy for a female to fall in love with our hero. You can see this used by Lee Child, Vince Flynn, Baldacci and even the great John D. Macdonald. That said, I felt this was more predictable than most occurances.
All that said, if you enjoy Baldacci (and I do), and you need a book for a long airplane ride, this is an enjoyable diversion. But it is not quite up to his Camel Club or King and Maxwell stories.

Deliver Us From Evil is David Baldacci’s follow-up novel to The Whole Truth featuring A (no first name, just the letter) Shaw, a member of a secretive agency dedicated to fighting evil in the world without the niceties of following the law. I found the “bad guy” to be so repulsive and the novel to depict such vile acts that I cannot recommend it and thus rate it at one star.

While the two novels are largely independent, it is better to read The Whole Truth first. The one bad guy here has a dual history and the hook of the plot is that there is another secretive group out to get him for an entirely different reason and neither group is aware of the other or the different lives of the villain. Shaw’s group is out to capture Evan Waller, whose crimes include trafficking in kidnapped young girls, but now he is trying to sell weapon’s grade uranium to a Muslim group bent on making a nuclear weapon. The second group knows Waller as Fedin Kuchin, who in Ukraine in Soviet times was responsible for the deaths of “hundreds of thousands” of innocent people. This second group is headquartered in London and headed by a professor, Miles Mallory. The team consists of Regina (Reggie) who is the head of field operations (the one who actually kills people) and four others. Reggie is young and beautiful as well as being a skilled killer. It turns out that Waller/Kuchin is going for a vacation in the Provenance region of France. Shaw and Reggie adopt different personas and go there as well. They meet and sparks (of a sort ) fly, but when Waller/Kuchin arrives he also digs Reggie.

Finally an attempt is made to kill the evil one, things go wrong and the action continues for another 300 or so pages. Meanwhile the other main character from the previous book, Katie James, finally shows up to add to the plot. The book ends in the usual way—lots of violence and justice of a sort triumphs.

This book, like its antecedent is pure escapism and hard to take with any degree or rationality. There certainly are evil persons in the world who have committed acts such as those described in this book. But it is not necessary to read about such acts in a novel and certainly not desirable to reward Baldacci for writing it.

Although i generally really enjoy this author, he’s written some books that I consider a humongous waste of time. I felt this way after reading his last one, True Blue (I’m reading his works sequentially). Fortunately, I thought this one was much better - although a glance through reader’s reviews on the store tells us that many felt otherwise.

Not only does Baldacci have many books devoted to “King and Maxwell” and “The Camel Club”, but this story, as well features yet another recurring group of characters. Our hero in this story is named Shaw. I honestly don’t remember if he has a last name or not. We first met him a few years ago in “The Whole Truth”. He’s an older, powerfully trained government operative who is working somewhat against his will bringing down various bad guys all over the world. He doesn’t really enjoy doing this kind of work, but those in power in Washington don’t care. He’s good, and he’s needed. If he doesn’t like it, tough.

His latest target is evil Evan Waller. Not his real name, he’s actually a former evil KGB assassin that many think is dead. He’s very much alive, and very much bad. Among many of his sins are human trafficking, which seems to be about the worst thing anyone can be guilty of these days.

Well, it seems like there’s another clandestine group somewhere in England that works behind the scenes eliminating bad guys as well. They’re a very well crafted organization, and one of their mercenaries is beautiful Reggie Campion. She knows how to use her looks to her advantage, so she is recruited by her organization to go after the same exact guy that Shaw is targeting. Quite the coincidence.

So we see Shaw and Campion show up in the same general vicinity of the target, and of course, being professionals, they’re quite wary of each other. Who is this person so close to my target? So there’s a lot of suspicion - especially when Campion befriends Evan Waller to win his trust (his lust, really), and things get murky in a hurry.

I won’t give away much more of the plot other than to say I thought the book took a nice neat turn into a direction that I didn’t think it would go. If you read the first “Shaw” book, you remember Katie James. She shows up here in this book as well, although I thought her presence was a bit unnecessary and mainly thrown in out of obligation to keep the character fresh in everyone’s mind.
I’ve really enjoyed the two “Shaw” books. He seems quite cool and calm under pressure. and his advanced age (I’m guessing he’s in his 50s - don’t remember if Baldacci ever told us) makes his quick thinking quite believable as he always seems to know exactly what needs to happen to get out of tight situations. I’m not sure if there have been any other Shaw novels, but I wouldn’t mind reading more of his adventures. Baldacci has been hit or miss for me recently. Fortunately, this one was a plus for me.

Reluctantly I started book two of Baldacci's new A. Shaw series. Book one was not Balducci's usually engaging style. I was frustrated with the excessive background and character moodiness. The plot was slow and tedious much of the time.

Book two was better---plot, character development, and pacing. Still, Baldacci needs to humanize Shaw a little to add appeal to the stories and to curb the excessive "tall, dark, and morose" facade that wears out the reader. Shaw is too long suffering for "reader endearment." At this stage, Shaw's no Will Robie or Camel Club peer who has struggles and failures that prompt the reader to root for the much anticipated comeback.

However, from the improvement in book two from book one in expanding characters and story lines, Baldacci has a good canvas to paint exciting characters and stories in future Shaw books. After all, there's the whole Anna, Katie, and Reggie knot. Baldacci is one of my favorite authors, and I believe he will find a rhythm for the A. Shaw series.

And…as for other reviewers' claims that the plots are extreme in their plausibity, these books are escaptist fiction-- not historical commentary. Think Indian Jones for some of the escapes--and enjoy!

We sometimes don’t particularly care for Baldacci’s novels, as many become quite politically oriented, especially when based in Washington DC. “Deliver”, though, is for sure an international thriller – set mostly in France, and featuring a self-run group of English vigilantes out to assassinate left over Nazi murderers and other really bad elders guilty of mass murders and other atrocities. The opening scenes amuse with how they operate and off a really bad old guy. But when they try to capture a younger, more clever and better guarded evil perpetrator of long-standing violence, Evan Waller, their best laid plans do not necessarily proceed according to script. Mix in Shaw, the second novel to feature this leading man, who seems to work for some sort of clandestine US agency with similar efforts to the vigilante group, and the plot thickens to say the least. We found the lead character of Reggie interesting as was her apparent attraction to Shaw, despite her uncertainties about his motives and background.

We’re somewhat surprised that this novel disappointed many reviewers, as while we are far from devoted fans of the author, we found this outing both suspenseful and captivating, despite its 600-page length in paperback form!

I gave this book five stars because, from the minute that I read the first sentence, I wasn't able to put it down! It seemed as if a different author wrote this book! It was just as good as David Baldacci book, just different in the pace and background. I would certainly recommend this book to friends and family.

mythoughts

If you are looking for a thrilling, fingernail biting suspense thriller...then look no further. David Baldacci has done it again with "Deliver Us From Evil". I really enjoyed the story line...the good vs. evil. But, I have to admit that there were some parts that had me reading through them very, very quickly. They were a definite part of the story line in that they helped to formulate the "essence" of the most evil character that could possibly be, Evan Whaller. But they were difficult to read because of their intensity, the description and the fact that my mind just can't comprehend that level of depravity.

Evan Whaller is a business man with a horrendous past. An individual without a soul or compassion for anyone or anything. His entire life is devoted to domination. He msut be on top and as his motto goes "If he gets hit...he'll hit back harder". Needless to say he does and has repeatedly. So...while the descriptions were graphic they did paint the picture of the evilness inside of Evan very clearly. I have to warn you there was one specific part that was extremely graphic. During Evan's interrogation of a Terrorists...I was tempted to read the passage twice because it so crazy...but I chose not to because I didn't want those images blazoned in my mind. If you are at all squeamish...you may want to skip those pages. So what makes Evan so evil? The better question would be what DOESN"T make Evan evil. The descriptions of his deeds, motives and goals in life will make you sick to your stomach and thankfully that this is just a story. I could not put the book down but was drawn into the intense web of secrets.

As a reader I enjoyed the descriptions David Baldacci included of his main characters: Shaw, Reggie, Frank, Katie and Evan. I was able to create a true image in my mind as I read their story. Reggis is a tough, strong women that has overcome more obstacles and monsters then most people will EVER encounter. When she meets Shaw it is clear that while there is a considerable age difference the sparks will fly. How could they not? Both strong, attractive, and ready to fight the evil Evan Whaller. While it takes a few chapters before they realize that while on opposing teams they are truly fighting the same opponent.

Giving a glimpse into Reggie's past helped me to understand her unnerving desire to go after the "monsters" of the world. She is desperate to prove that a "monster" does not live within her as well. In proving this she must fight for those who could not fight for themselves.

Shaw was a bit of a mystery to me as I have not read the prior book where his character was created. He comes across as combination James Bond, Terminator and Professor all at once. Tough, debonair, smart, strong and witty. Just like a hero should be. At the end of the book....I had wished for a slightly different outcome....but realized that really that was the only outcome that could possibly happen between Shaw and Reggie.

This is a great read...unless you are a very squeamish person.....but if you are not? Pick it up...you'll only put it down when you are done.

This was an awesome book to listen to and it had me hooked from the opening scene. McClarty does a great job of narrating this action packed story that takes us through another of Shaw's assignments. Little does Shaw know that another organization is tracking the same villain, but for a totally different purpose.

I enjoyed this audio so much that I went to see if I missed any other books that are part of the series. At this time, the only other book with Shaw is The Whole Truth, which I also listened too, but enjoyed Deliver Us From Evil much more. You can also read my review of The Whole Truth here if you are interested.

Shaw and his men are tracking down Waller, hoping to put an end to his part in a human trafficking ring. During his assignment he crosses paths with Reggie and her crew who are tracking a man named Kuchen, for war crimes he was never convicted for. Reggie has made a career of this, and cannot anticipate the monster that Kuchen really is.

I feel I should warn you that Kuchen truly is a monster. There are torture scenes in this novel unlike any I have read previously. And maybe that is because I don't usually read this genre, but they were very graphic, leaving me gripping my steering wheel and screaming down the highway like a nutjob.

Without giving too much away I will tell you Shaw and Reggie join forces to get their villain. This book not only contains plenty of action, but even a little bit of romance. And I think I also have to admit I developed quite a crush on Shaw. I mean who wouldn't, with a 6'6" package of muscled man that also has a soft side? I don't hesitate in recommending the audioversion of this novel.

I've never rated a book at one star before, and I've written a lot of reviews. But this cliche-riddled disaster is deserving of that lowly rating. It is truly one of the worst books I've ever read (I actually listened to it on audio- and like a car wreck you can't look away from, I continued listening, even as it grew more absurd and juvenile by the minute).

Where to start? Sure, I could tell you about the ridiculously cliched characters, like the 6'6" muscle-bound spy (one would think he'd have a hard time blending in), the tough-talking Irish "wild card", or the pipe smoking professor with the "clever" name of Miles Mallory. Or I could tell you about how Baldacci decides to go way, WAY overboard with his graphic depictions of what I'd imagine he thinks is "inventive" torture scenes (in reality, it comes off like a teenage boy who is trying to gross you out). Or perhaps we should mention that the "femme fatale" character struggles with her ethically muddied life choices... and Baldacci attempts to "flesh her out" by adding that her father was a murderer. Oh, but not just any murderer, mind you... he's "the worst serial killer since Jack the Ripper". Um, yeah. That's our hero's love interest.

This band of cliched characters (oh, I almost forget to mention the gruff detective who wears a PORKPIE HAT and articulates his thoughts in single-word sentences) gets into a hot mess of an "adventure" that is supposed to be a thriller, but it turns into nothing short of a literary disaster. I hate to give any book just one star, but this one honestly deserves it. Sorry, Mr. Baldacci.

I'm an avid book reader, and was introduced to David Baldacci about 5 years ago by a friend. I've read, "Absolute Power, Last Man Standing, True Blue, Wish You Well and Split Second." My favorite thus far is, Absolute Power. I also really enjoyed Wish You Well, which was a little off the beaten path from his traditional style, but very enjoyable. It's a must-read.

I've only gotten halfway through, "Deliver Us From Evil" but still feel the need to comment. I've enjoyed all of DB's books, but this one just seems out of the norm. I've been tempted to actually put it down. The torture descriptions are extremely graphic. They actually make me feel uncomfortable while reading. I just don't believe they are necessary in order to get his point across.

When following an author over a period of time, you begin to be able to relate to their way of thinking. Almost as if you can interpret their thoughts. This book just didn't seem like David Baldacci. It was gruesome. One would think a ghost writer had written it.

I'm not accusing Mr. Baldacci of anything. I respect him as a writer. I just remember in Highschool, I used to read Stephen King a lot. When he reached the apex of his career, I then noticed that his style of writing had changed. His words no longer sounded like his own. I also noticed that prior to that time, he would come out with 1 book per year.

After he became a worldwide best seller, he began to come out with 1 book per month. Hmmmmm.......

Deliver Us From Evil, the novel by David Balducci, is the type of action-packed drama loved by Hollywood producers. One could describe this novel as a new-aged middle-class James Bond drama, with grisly murders, gratuitous sex, and an ending reminiscent of the Most Dangerous Game. Hollywood would probably change the ending of the novel in order to serve the guy-saves-world-and-gets-girl formula of these types of suspenseful thrillers.

Two different secret organizations vie for the same target, a Canadian businessman named Evan Waller. The first organization employs William Shaw to disrupt a deal where Waller contemplates selling enriched uranium to Muslim terrorists. The second organization is a vigilante group who sends their agent, Reggie Campion, to kill Waller.

The London-based vigilantes killed several former Nazi officers in South America. Next they targeted a former Russian KGB officer formerly known as Fedir Kuchin who assumes the identity of Evan Waller, a Canadian businessman. The right hand man to the butcher of Kiev engineered a similar program to the Holodomar, the man-made famine of the 1930s in Russia. While it is true that Russian policy was at odds with nationalism in the Ukraine, it is also possible that the famine was a product of radical economic changes implemented during Soviet industrialization of the 1930s. Most people believe the famine was a deliberate attempt of ethnic cleansing in the Ukraine.

There is no grey area with Kuchin, or Waller. He trades in prostitution and other underground activities, and is not shy to use torture techniques learned from the KGB in his interrogations. His activities in the KGB were befitting of the butcher of Kiev. Several scenes in the novel amplify the sadistic nature of this deviant.

Both agents plan their operation on Waller in Provence, France at a villa in a town called Gordes. The town is a wonderful tourist attraction, with activities such as exploring the caves at Les Baux, paddling a kayak down the Fontaine de Vaucluse, and sightseeing at the Palais des Papes in Avignon. Taking a page from the Lanny Budd novels, the author uses a visit to an exhibit of Goya in Les Baux to describe some of the famous works of the Spanish master.

The scene is a perfect setting for romance, and one buds between the two principle agents of the two different secret organizations. Both are in town a few days before Waller arrives. They meet each other and spend time with one another, both, at first, for business reasons. The main reason is to ascertain that the other person will not interfere with success of their operation. Later, the girl, Reggie, planned to use Shaw to make Waller jealous. A jealous man is more susceptible to letting down his guard. The man, Shaw, found that Reggie had leased the villa adjacent to the one where Waller was staying.

There is a surprising revelation that one of the main characters of the novel was sired by a mass-murderer. A minor character in the novel is also the son of Waller, who knows that he is the father, but is confident that his son has no idea of his father. Dr. Phil could make an appearance here. On his television show, he counseled a woman who was the daughter of a mass murderer.

The novel was somewhat entertaining. A friend gave me the novel almost two years ago, and I finally got around to reading it. I prefer novels with a historical dimension to the story, but the historical premise of one of the characters was hard to believe. A victim of the vigilante organization was a loyal Nazi who admired Stalin, although followers of Schickelgruber despised Uncle Joe and his Russian subjects. There are too many settings in the novel to make any one location a character in the novel. Some of the complicated and interesting aspects of several characters were explored peripherally. Still, a reader does root for the main characters, and their dangerous mission gives an extra layer of energy to the plot.

I have read some David Baldacci books and found most of them to be formulaic and repetitive. This one starts out really well with an unusual premise that I had not thought of before. We have two unrelated shadow organizations out to get the same guy, with no knowledge of the other. This guy is so bad that these two organizations want him for unrelated reasons. The two organizations are so deep underground that they would never communicate on objectives. The British organization are Nazi-hunters who branched out a bit now that all the Nazis have died of old age, sometimes accelerated by pharmaceuticals. They dispense their own justice, without too much concern for legal constraints, while the American side is so covert that they dont even know who they are, but are chasing Waller to prevent him selling nukes to Islamic terrorists.

This is a fabulous premise and we get to spend some weeks in the south of France, watching the two sides following their prey. Everyone is also following Reggie who is the leader of the British side. Waller and his men keep an eye on her, especially during her late night swims. The two crime fighting teams cross paths, realize they are putting each other in danger, and ultimately mess up what should have been an easy kill. Waller escapes, but now is well-warned to the danger and takes more precautions, such as stockpiling big guns, kidnapping friends and family, training dogs to kill, and setting up remote safe houses.

In the end the bad guy goes down, as is required in these books since the American team is apparently Baldacci's franchise and annuity. I wont say what brought down Waller but it is not always true that the only source of security is surrounding oneself with one's own kin. I think Saddam Hussein also learned this lesson.

All and all a well written book. It starts out great and then gets a bit formulaic. Some of the characters are cartoonish enough to be Jim Rockford's cell mates from the Big House. Keep reading Baldacci, he is no Grisham but still a good way to spend a winter afternoon.

He was an experienced military man trained to capture and extract dangerous arms dealers to hand them over to the world court.

She was a stone-cold killer, dedicated to hunting down ex-Nazis and giving them the death they deserved.

Is there really much more you need to know?

*Let me warn you. This review may become more about me expressing my angst then actually providing a fair and thorough discussion*

The absurdity of this novel was apparent from the get go, and for the first time my philosophy of "Reading is always beneficial, even bad books teach you something" (stolen from some-one wiser than me) was almost dropped. In the first scene we are introduced to a bad-guy who literally sits around reading communist manifestos to `enjoy the descriptions on how the populace is subjugated'

Of course he is also brash arrogant, mean and everything else a bad guy should be `Reggie' our Nazi-killer quickly dispatches him.

Then the novel suffers the superman problem - we already have characters established as being experts at taking down the bad-guys, we already know they hunt histories evilest baddies. So where on earth can any literary tension come from?

By the way the Mr and Mrs Smith love story between was only unpredictable in terms of how drawn out and annoying it was.

Anywho, D.B. tries to make our antagonist more compelling with some torture scenes (he tortures some Muslim terrorists who betrayed him, it seems the D.B. perhaps wasn't quite brave enough to have the ultimate evil bad-guy a Muslim but was happy to have them closely associated though). But really just ticks the same boxes that every other bad guy does. Including using James Bondian plots that allow the heroes to escape - justified with the explanation that the baddie wanted to milk the satisfaction of killing the heroes.

Rather than continue I will just sum-up. Deliver Us From Evil is effectively the aftermath of a failed James Bond plotline with all the research, effort, good humour and style sucked out of it. Normally when I read a book I don't like I at least accept that some people may be into it however, in this case I would not recommend this book to anyone.

DELIVER US FROM EVIL is definitely not a novel for the faint-hearted. Some of the scenes were positively gruesome but I suppose necessary to convey the true evil of the character known as Canadian businessman Evan Waller. This man relives his violent and malignant past in a safe room located in his Montreal apartment while viewing movies of the atrocities he committed in his previous incarnation as member of the Russian KGB,Fedir Kuchen. Waller is a sadistic soul who is still practicing his own particular brand of brutality on those who cross him.....and the graphic descriptions of his methods are enough to make your stomach churn, hence my warning at the beginning of this review. He has amassed great wealth by dealing in every filthy endeavor known to man. (Think an amalgamation of Adolph Hitler, Joseph Mengele, the Spanish Inquistion, Kaiser Soze in the Usual Suspects with maybe just a dash of George Soros).

Hot on his trail, but for different reasons, are Shaw the ruggedly handsome and tough but intelligent operative who works for an organization never really identified in the book and Regina (Reggie) Campion, beautiful, seductive agent with a personal agenda for seeking to rid the world of war criminals. (Both organizations come across as vigilante groups.)

While the overall story has plenty of twists and turns the story really is mediocre. I believe it is fair to say that one keeps reading not because of the literary value of the book but rather because it appeals to the voyeuristic tendencies most of us possess. It's sort of like watching someone being gored by a raging bull, you are horrified but you can't tear your eyes away. You have been warned, so proceed at your own risk. 2 1/2 stars

I am a longtime fan of David Baldacci's and was a but dismayed when I read some of the reviews for this book. I almost didn't read it but changed my mind and read it and I am so glad that I did!

Mr. Baldacci has re-introduced "Shaw" from his other novel "The Whole Truth" into this book. Comparing Mr. Baldacci's other novels to this one is not really fair as he has changed the way he is writing. Shaw is an aggressive, complex individual and the situations he gets himself into calls for a more grittier type of writing and Mr. Baldacci delivers. Yes there are scenes with torture, gore and violence, but it is not drawn out and I have definitely read worse. Due to Shaw's character, it is appropriate for this type of book. Mr. Baldacci seems to be changing his writing style to more action, thrills and adrenalin running reading, more so than any of his other books. Bravo to Mr. Baldacci for adapting in an ever changing and highly competitive market of writing novels.

If you are used to Mr. Baldacci's earlier novels such as the "Camel Club" series, then this book is not really for you. Don't get me wrong, those are really good books, but this book is a bit different. I personally like this new type of book and I hope he continues the "Shaw" series.

In David Baldacci's new thriller "Deliver Us from Evil," the story starts off with Reggie Campion--a femme fatale who murders an elderly ex-Nazi and returns to her secret agency which specializes in carrying out justice, for a new assignment. She is assigned to travel to Provence where ex-KGB agent and mass murder of the Ukranian people--Fedir Kuchin, nowadays a legitimate Canadian businessman who goes by the name of Evan Waller--is due to spend his vacation. Reggie rents a villa next to his, and waits for his arrival.

Meanwhile Shaw, who works for a rival agency, has similar orders. His boss Frank portrays Waller as a human trafficker who kidnaps young girls from Asia and sells them into the sex industry. Most bothersome is Waller's connection to nuclear remnants from the former Soviet Union and his plan to sell them to Muslim fundamentalists, to make explosives. Shaw's plan involves tackling Waller during his guided tourist excursion in the caves.

As Shaw travels to Provence to carry out his own agenda regarding Waller, he meets Reggie who is posing as a rich and clueless socialite. Unaware of her true purpose, Shaw also plays the game and poses as a lobbyist. Suspicious of each other, they form a brief bond until the arrival of their target changes everything. Soon enough, Reggie is dangerously flirting with Waller as Shaw is becoming increasingly nervous about their safety. Meanwhile, Waller has a near-death experience of his own while meeting with his nuclear buyers, and vows to carry out revenge.

Overall, the plot is interesting if a bit predictable. I enjoyed the love triangle between Reggie, Waller, and Shaw. Baldacci succeeds in portraying his characters as either sympathetic or evil. Reggie has a secret family history, becoming an orphan after her father murdered the family. Shaw's life is shaped by the loss Anna--a woman he loved whose death was related to the dangers posed by Shaw's work. Disappointed that he was unable to protect her, Shaw is unable to get on with his life. Waller is a chameleon who blends in perfectly with his new identity, while treasuring his old one. Unable to trust anyone and vengeful towards his enemies, he lives his life as a warrior. Though a bit slow at times, the action kept my interest. The writing is graphic and easy to visualize.

Make no mistake - there is evil out there. But the world is just a bit safer with good guys and gals like "Shaw" and Regina "Reggie" Campion hunting the bad guys down.

In "Deliver Us From Evil," the second "Shaw" book by best-selling author David Baldacci, the bad guy is former Soviet Union henchman Fedir Kuchin, who staged his death and disappeared to Canada, where he's taken the name Evan Waller. Waller's made a lot of money in the sex slave business and is now toying with the idea of selling uranium to Muslim terrorists.

Shaw is an American operative under deep cover, with no first name and a sketchy personal history. Shaw's superiors have their sights set on Waller because of his dealings with the Muslim extremists.

Campion works with an underfunded clandestine group in England. She's on the hunt for Waller because of his gruesome history under the Soviet regime.

In a recent News-Telegram interview, Baldacii shared his views on "covert operations" like the ones in his book.

"I'd like to think that there are organizations out there that fill in a gap where legitimate agencies can't tread. I'm not into vigilantism per se but I also am into justice. Reggie's group came to mind based on my reading of the Nazi hunter organizations, with the twist being that Reggie's group also performs the judge, jury and executioner roles.

"Shaw's group is probably more imaginative, but if you think of "snatch" missions that go on across the world, sometimes using special forces groups or even outside contractors, it's not so much of a stretch to think that a G8 funded organizations like Shaw's is a viable concept."

A less experienced story teller might have had difficulties meshing the two plot lines, but Baldacci's skills are to the task of bringing Shaw and Campion together to nail Waller/Kuchin.

In addition to weaving a real nail-biting thriller, with Shaw and Campion, Baldacci has created two characters that we'll hopefully see again. And again.

Warning: Explicit, graphic sexual situations and violence

This sequel to the "The Whole Truth" started well and I was beginning to think Mr Baldacci had once again reached five star quality after a dry spell but the ending was weak. I just cannot believe four pros would knowingly just blithely walk into a trap without preparation or a plan and hope that everything would turn out alright.
I liked the idea of two different agencies going after the same bad guy and how the lead person in each group suspected the other person as having ulterior motives when they met in the town where the hit was to take place and doing what they could to find out for sure if the other person was a threat before taking down the bad guy. Shawn was the good guy for the mysterious American agency and Reggie, a female operative, was working for a British vigilante outfit who comb the world hunting down old Nazis and other wrong doers.
The two grew to like each other and would work well together despite a few flareups. They had mutual respect for each other and their friendship grew into a relationship. Mr Baldacci is good at building a congenial relationship but I must say the culmination of that relationship, as usual, is bland and nondescript.

The bad guy is Waller, an ex KGB Department Head living in Canada, who is currently a seller of fissionable materials and flesh merchant with a terrible past of mass murders. To make sure the reader understands how evil he is, descriptions of his torturing his victims is divulged. I'm not into torture but reading about it really ascents how bad Waller is. While he's a really bad guy he's also smart and was tough to bring down. The hit attempt goes bad and Waller escapes and is now hunting the good guys. The rest of the book develops where both sides go into hiding to regroup before moving ahead to hunt down the other group. There are several twists to the story and the author does keep you guessing for the most part.

The other key players in the story: Frank, Mallory, Whit, Rice, Pascal and a few others had appropriate parts and Mr Baldacci does a good job of given each of them credible personalities. With the different personalities, the dialog between the characters was good and appropriate. Both Shaw and Reggie have profound guilt over their separate pasts and it plays into their personality and actions as the story unfolds. They could both, especially Shaw, use the help of a good shrink. And the way the book ends, Shaw is even more depressed.

For the most part I enjoyed this book and its clearly better than "True Blue" and if the ending had been more realistic it would have been a five star book. The way that Waller found Shaw and Reggie was good but the part with them walking into an obvious trap and hoping everything will work out without a plan or backup is beyond by imagination. Also Waller didn't interrogate his captives to find out who was after him; that was unrealistic also.
If you like "The Whole Truth", "Hour Game" or "Split Second" and if you're a little forgiving you'll probably like this as well.

TEASER
Most authors have eschewed teasers, a loathsome device intended to catch bookstore browsers with upfront action, which have been the rage (or required by editors) for the past several decades until recently. Unfortunately, Baldacci opens Deliver Us From Evil with a 2 teaser. In practice, teasers usually serve only to confuse readers.

In the first teaser, Regina Campion (as a nurse/companion named "Barbara") murders an old Nazi. Later in a flashback to her first "job", she murders a different old Nazi, possibly confusing some readers.

In the second teaser, Shaw kills a Muslim terrorist who uses child suicide bombers.

THE SETUP
Two different groups are simultaneously attempting to exterminate bad guy Evan Waller. One is a private group apparently organized by an English university professor. Their lead assassin is Regina Campion. The second is a vague international "agency" which hunts down ultra-bad guys. For that story, their lead assassin is "Shaw". In addition, Waller's customers implausibly turn on him and try to kill him. Regie and Shaw meet in Provence, France, days before the planned assassination and become involved. That's the setup.

CAVEATS
Several dozen characters are introduced early; complicated by many having pseudonyms, even multiple pseudonyms which are used as appropriate. Most characters are poorly distinguishable, many are throw-away, appearing in a single chapter and never again. I was confused by the plethora of characters and had to restart the novel twice until I began taking notes. In short, there are only three characters you really have to pay attention to: Regie (Barbara in the first teaser), Waller (Fedir Kuchin), and Shaw.

The first portion of the novel drags a bit as the backstory is filled in. That gives readers time to be annoyed by the confusing teasers, over-dressing, silly unnecessary complications, and other minor storytelling defects, including the tortue scenes (so much so that at the 3/4 point I initially wrote this review with only 3 stars). However, once the book get going, Baldacci more than makes up for these shortcomings. Within the context of the whole novel, even the torture scenes are appropriate. I suspect that many of the negative reviews were written before the reviewers had finished the book.

"Deliver Us from Evil" can be described as Margolinesque, because of the front-loading and poor introduction of characters (intermixing main characters with indistinguishable insignificant characters); but the opposite of Deaveresque---Deaver always starts out great, but inevitably self-destructs before the end.

CUDOS
The characters (at least Regie and Shaw) are very well developed---some of Baldacci's best. Once past the opening chapters, the plot is compelling and complex. Warning, once you reach the 2/3rds point, you can't stop reading---so plan accordingly.

VERDICT
Baldacci is back (but perhaps he should be looking for another editor).

> Click on “Stoney” just below the product title to see my other reviews, or leave a comment to ask a question.

Not a bad one-off story. What starts as two different sides with almost the same goal ends up with two forces combining to take down the bad guy. At least with this one, unlike the almost awful True Blue, the ending was more satisfying.

I liked both major characters and they way they interacted. Told in solid third-person, the author kept the narrative fairly brisk though he did dwell quite a bit with each characters back story. I didn't mind that too bad as at least those back stories were interesting. However, despite all that space given to them, he never gave much resolution to Shaw's background, saving most of it for Reggie and the bad guy. In that way, the story was a bit unbalanced.

Also, in the end, though everything came out fine, there was one aspect that wasn't all that great about one of the characters and left me unsatisfied. I guess that was more like real life but I would have preferred it to be a bit different. Can't have everything, I guess.

A decent read. Recommended.

In this world, there exists unspeakable evil. Sometimes it comes in the form of human beings who prey on other human beings. Of course, they don't see themselves as evil; they see themselves as simply superior. One such human being is Fedir Kuchin.

Two distinctly different factions are after this man for two distinctly different reasons. Neither of them knows about the other...until they meet in a charming little village in Provence. Their target? A monster who killed a multitude of innocent men, women and children, and enjoyed doing it. While that time is long past, the monster still enjoys killing.

Years ago, Kuchin was a high-ranking officer in the KGB. He excelled so much partly because he was very good at torture, and this is mostly because he loved his job. But that's all ancient history. When the Nazis' reign came to its welcome end, Kuchin fled Germany in favor of Canada, where he changed his name to Evan Waller and became an extremely successful and rich man. If only that were enough for him. Instead, Waller wants more. Always more. He thrives on challenges, much like he thrives on other people's pain.

Now along comes a covert agent named Shaw, recovering from his last assignment that didn't go quite according to plan and facing his newest one: "extract" Waller while he is on holiday in the tiny picturesque town of Gordes in Provence. Why there? Because he will be more exposed with less security to protect him, and that pushes the odds of success more in Shaw's favor.

At the same time, another group is hatching plans to neutralize Waller in their own way. They are a curious mix of scholars and mercenaries, doing what they do for the good of mankind. Highly educated and motivated, they have studied history and traced some of the world's worst butchers who ever terrorized Europe. One of the group's members, Reggie Campion, had her own, very personal reasons for joining them. And they were good, virtuous ones. So why does she have nagging doubts about the work she does?

It is, of course, inevitable that Shaw and Reggie would meet. They are both in Gordes and staying as close to Waller as they believe they safely can. With Waller, too close can be fatal, as Reggie and Shaw soon find out. A man with well-developed instincts to match his cruelty, Waller shapes up as a formidable opponent. Outsmarting him proves far more difficult than anyone had imagined. Add in the distraction of an electric physical attraction between Reggie and Shaw, and the operation teeters seriously on the brink of failure. Everyone involved faces acute jeopardy. When the smoke clears, there will be more than one body to dispose of.

DELIVER US FROM EVIL, a sequel to 2008's THE WHOLE TRUTH, is packed with David Baldacci's signature pulse-quickening action. From the first page to the last, the pace keeps ratcheting up until it finally comes to a smashing end. This is one thriller not to be missed.

This work has a little bit of mystery weaved into the story line about a person who rents a villa. The individual is explained as a wealthy, but ruthless dealer of drugs and larceny throughout Europe. However later it is learned he really is a former nazi who is being sought for war crimes and torture. An example of his ruthless character is given after an attempt on his life by a radical group. A beautiful young girl takes the villa next door and of course there is an immediate attaction between the two. However, the girl proves out to be someone sent to kill the former nazi since she works for a secret organization that believes in disposing of such people rather than bringing them to trial. Another character enters the story who also works on capturing these nazis, but for a different group, and the girl and this character link up to pursue their prey. However the prey out smarts them both and they are captured and subjected to a trip to a secret lab where they are drugged into telling about thier roles. They break away from their captor and then pursue the nazi to another of his safe houses in the cold area of Iceland. Here the final battle is fought and the reader is given a little more of the intrigue of a human hunt that turns out quite differently than intended. The book rambles at points, but does follow a logical story line. The reader is given to wanting to read on to the end to find out if the nazi is captured or killed and what becomes of the two central characters. In this there is a bit of mystery along with the unknown. Overall the book is interesting, but a bit yawning at points.

Evan Waller has built a fortune through his willingness to buy and sell anything to anyone. In the present, his activities have drawn the attention of the enigmatic Shaw (introduced in The Whole Truth) and the shadowy organisation he represents. At the same time, Waller's past has been investigated by a secret vigilante group based in the UK and their agent, Reggie Campion is also seeking him.

Independently of each other, and for very different reasons, Shaw and Campion arrive in a small village in Provence in pursuit of Waller. Both Shaw and Campion are encumbered by their pasts and while the Campion story is covered in this novel, relevant aspects of the Shaw story are in `The Whole Truth'. While you don't need to have read `The Whole Truth' to follow this story, the character of Shaw and his reactions will make more sense if you have.

This is fast-paced, not always believable fiction. There are some detailed scenes of torture and violence, which are not for the squeamish. These scenes serve to paint a detailed picture of the bad guys involved, just in case a reader needs additional reinforcement.

Overall, while I found this an interesting page-turning escapist read I didn't enjoy it as much as `The Whole Truth'.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

is personified in Baldacci's antagonist, Evan Waller. This is a character who, like some of Deaver's villains, just makes your skin crawl whenever they are the object of his prose.

His protagonist, A. Shaw, has a lot less going for him. This guy is self-absorbed and self-centered in the extreme. Even though he's the "good guy" it's hard to relate to him on an emotional level. He really needs to grow up, especially in terms of his relationships with women. No matter the situation, Shaw manages to make it all about him. Booooring! He's tough, he's relentless, he's a super-spy... but he's also a childish jerk.

He reminds me of the old joke... "If a tree falls in the forest and my wife is not there, is it STILL my fault?"

I love to read David Baldacci's books and, though several people here have a problem with it, I don't mind a predictable thrill ride now and then. So this isn't his best book, but I enjoyed being engaged by his typical really, REALLY descriptively bad guy Waller--okay, so you can switch names at this point--and the fact that he has developed another strong female in the form of Reggie Campion. Baldacci always treats his female leads with strength and respect, so I love him for that.

I liked most of the characters, but had problems with one: Katie. God, could he have come up with a more annoying and unsympathetic girlfriend for Shaw? I was really hoping Waller would have succeeded in killing the wench because I wanted Shaw and Reggie to be together. Instead, the ding-dong one dimensional journalist gets to live for reasons I don't understand while awesome Dominic gets killed. What happens between Shaw and Reggie? We get a mellowdramatic cliffhanger that satisfies nobody, and makes you wonder if you'll care enough to get the sequel. LOL, of course I will! Good or bad, Baldacci's books are always entertaining, and I suppose that is good enough for this reader.

This was quite the book. It was kind of disturbing, but it was still a pretty good book. I really liked the narrator in this audio book. His voice was easy to listen to. He used different "voices" for each of the characters, much in the same way I do in my head when I'm reading a book.

The story in this one is great. There were a few characters, but I was able to keep track of who each person was and how they related to the story. Like I said earlier, it was a bit disturbing. There were a few scenes that had I been reading it I probably would have skipped over them. They were a bit graphic and gave me chills, one scene actually made me nauseous.... But the scenes were really necessary for the story. Without the disturbing scenes the character development would have been way off for one of the characters.

That brings me to the characters. They were so well developed. I got a good feeling of who each of them were, and their motivations behind their actions. The opening with Regina was a bit confusing at first, but once I realized what was going on it all made perfect sense.

The writing was excellent. Everything was so well planned and thought out. I don't normally talk about foreshadowing and such in my reviews, because to me the "technical aspects" of a book are not what make or break it for me. But I have to mention that there was quite a bit of foreshadowing in this one. It made me a little more prepared for the gruesome scenes that were coming, but it didn't make them any less disturbing.

This book was so well executed that even despite the gruesome scenes in it I was engrossed in this one. I really liked it and if all Baldacci's novels are written this well I think I'll have to pick up more of them. Truly a great writer.

Baldacci was never so appealing as in his novel "The Winner." In "Deliver Us From Evil" he has gone overboard in the terrorist genre for which he is not ready. "Evil's" plot is utterly unconvincing. Superhero Shaw, who is affiliated with a secret U.S. (I think) government anti-terrorist organization, goes after Evan Waller, who is really from Ukraine and a mass killer. The man is obscenely rich, has bought up vast quantities of Canadian land to hide in. At the same time Shaw is after Waller, Reggie comes from a small group of vigilantes in England to capture and kill Waller. So far so good. Here comes the "but." The plot thereon becomes improbable. The implied romance between him and Reggie even more so. Shaw's boss wears his signature rumpled suits and hat at all times, which must help in remaining unnoticeable. Shaw is six feet six inches tall. He bends his knees only once that I read of, so he would blend in. Then Baldacci delivers a visual image in a fight that brings startled laughter from me: Shaw comes out of hiding with his arms akimbo to do battle. The elbows sticking out are meant to be lethal weapons as he connects them with jaws. That may be so, but I could only think of the Hungarian dance, the Czardash.

A great read from start to finish! This is an exciting book that grabs your interest right at the beginning and has you hooked throughout.

This book is hailed as the "blistering follow-up to the international bestseller "The Whole Truth". I have not read that book, and it isn't necessary to enjoy the sequel. I am, however, going to order that book though, because if it is half as good as the sequel, I'll be in for a treat.
The story does have its' dark side with the "good guys" chasing the monsters of the past, such as Nazi torturers and other evil people who have caused thousands and thousands of deaths. During the chase there are lots of twists and turns, all woven around personal relationships that add depth and interest to the tale.

Now, I'm hoping there will be a sequel to "Deliver us from Evil". Loved it!

Diana Young World-Traveler - currently sailing in the South Pacific & #1 the store Best-selling author [...]

It has been some time since I have read a Baldacci Book and I had forgotten just how good he is. Shaw is back in this book and he is hunting down Evan Waller who has links to Islamic Terrorism in that he is selling them nuclear warheads. However, there is another group after Waller for completely different reasons. There are two stories running through this book but Baldacci weaves them together like the master story teller he is. There is something for everyone in this book and it keeps you guessing throughout. The ending is tense and explosive and keeps you guessing. The characters in this book are expertly drawn and each of them seems real. Although this is the second book in a series, it can be read as a standalone. There is just enough of the backstory included that it informs, without turning off those who have read the first book. This is a first class, fast paced thriller and I would highly recommend it as I would all David Baldacci's books.

I'm at a loss to understand why David Baldacci sells so many books. His latest, Deliver Us From Evil, reprises protagonist Shaw from an earlier novel, and introduces a new character, Reggie Campion. Katie James also appears in this novel. Reggie works as a killer for a vigilante organization that selects as targets criminals who have escaped justice, characters they call monsters. Think of the work as a battle of evil against evil. Shaw meets Reggie as his clandestine organization and Reggie's have targeted the same monster. Set mostly in Provence, England and Labrador, the novel provides a fast-paced plot delivered with bite-sized chapters packed with poorly written dialogue. The descriptions of torture are too vivid and add nothing to but more unnecessary evil to the novel. Deliver us from Baldacci. Readers who like to stick to familiar authors will find action here, along with poor writing. Discriminating readers will find plenty of better choices from Daniel Silva or Alan Furst.

Rating: Two-star (Mildly Recommended)

If you are a Baldacci fan, you may like this book. I found it heavy with evil things, such as torture. Well, it’s about Evil, so that is to be expected, I guess. The story has several well-built characters and it is very mysterious. The chapters jump from one group, or person, to another, but they are short, which lends itself to readers with small bits of time. I wasn’t so happy with the ending, but it does lead to a series concerning the main characters. I have always enjoyed Baldacci’s writing, so I will continue to enjoy his other works. If you are put-off by reading realistic portrayals of evil, you will not like this book.

I've been reading a lot of David Baldacci books lately, since I finished reading all of the Lee Child books. And, I have found his writing up and down a little bit. There will be fits of really solid writing that roll into cliche filled sections or unreadable passages.

That being said, I really have liked both of the Shaw books. This one was compulsively readable. I think I read it in less than a day and a half.

Unlike a lot of Baldacci's writing, the characterizations were very solid. You also got to know the characters in a way that really drove the narrative. And, I have to admit that I really didn't see the ending coming and, it could be construed as withholding information from the reader, but I imagine if I re-read the book I would find that all the clues were there. So I really feel that this book is a strong thriller and that if you like thrillers, you will enjoy it.

This book must have been ghost-written by someone else.

I have read ALL of David Baldacci's novels, and this was is so stilted, and inane, with no story structure.
that it is hard to believe that it was written by Baldacci.

It was 200 hundred pages too long. The dialogue of the characters was shallow.

Half-the book was endless descriptions of how guns work or who the bones of the body functioned.

Such a senseless waste to time reading it. Only the last 50 pages have any meat to the story.

I have loved all his prior works but this one
just stinks!

I will give him one more time for his next book, but perhaps trying to churn one out
every year is the true evil of the product that he has produced in this sorry excuse for a book.

Fast-paced, a familiar term to readers of mystery and suspense is often heralded as a key ingredient to success in this genre. Readers know that the flow is going to move forward at a pretty good clip and we can honestly expect little downtime and minimal fluff within the pages. "Deliver Us from Evil", David Baldacci's latest edition to the Shaw series doesn't quite fit into that classification. When in reality, "Deliver Us from Evil" moves at hyper-speed.

A combination of intrigue--through circling covert operations--met with highly intelligent, though clearly damaged characters makes the hunt for a modern day monster electric. New readers may find Baldacci's writing style can catch you slightly off guard when the reality of certain scenes literally makes your stomach turn. But don't quit there because as the story races around the globe the unexpected climax makes this a first-rate thriller.

[...]

. Heard DELIVER US FROM EVIL (Hachette Audio), written by David Baldacci and read by Ron McLary.

It's a thriller about a Canadian businessman who is secretly a human trafficker involved with selling children into prostitution. But now he has expanded his operations to include arranging nuclear weapons deals with Islamic fundamentalists.

He is being sought after by two individuals from different groups, both of whom are not aware of the other's mission.

The plot is somewhat convoluted. But Baldacci manages to keep your interest, in large start because of a love story that's a key part of what happens.

My only criticism: There's a lot of violence in this book. I think it could have been toned down some and readers would have enjoyed it just as much.

So many of the reviews for this book suggest this is not one of Baldacci's best efforts. While I will agree it is not the norm for him, I posit that perhaps it is simply not a style of novel to which we are accustomed from him. Having said that, I found the book to be far better than a good thriller, even if not outstanding.

For those who have commented on the violence depicted in the book, I agree it is at times severe; however, it also adds to the story as a whole and more specifically to the depravity of the main "bad guy" character.

Other reviewers refer to the unlikely or unbelievable escapes that the heroes enjoy. True, some moments suspend belief, but this is not to be wholly unexpected in a thriller.

Don't buy the book thinking it is a Camel Club-type experience. It definitely is not. It is, however, very much worth reading.

"The faithful man has perished from the earth,
And there is no one upright among men.
They all lie in wait for blood;
Every man hunts his brother with a net.
That they may successfully do evil with both hands--
The prince asks for gifts,
The judge seeks a bribe,
And the great man utters his evil desire;
So they scheme together." -- Micah 7:2-3 (NKJV)

What's to be done with monsters? David Baldacci offers two alternatives in this book about eliminating evil: Leave them alone if they aren't harming you or erase them at any cost. He stacks the deck in favor of the latter solution.

If you are looking for a philosophical novel, this isn't it. The book's strength is its as compelling a portrayal of a horrifying villain as I remember in recent years. If you are a sensitive person, this book will upset you . . . as it's intended to do.

The portrayal of Evan Waller loses its punch in the book's second half, and the plot seems anemic without it. What happens is pretty predictable and not that satisfying.

Shaw, the main character from The Whole Truth, is portrayed in very superficial terms. He barely exists as a character aside from his guilt and skills.

Unless you are very devoted to reading David Baldacci's books, I think you could easily skip reading this one.

I am a huge fan of his books, but the bad guy in this book was so vile I stopped reading after a couple of chapters. This book is only for those who have no problem with excessive, excessive forms of torture.

David Baldacci has crafted another thriller featuring the enigmatic super-secret police agency and its agent, known simply as Shaw. This book is a sequel to Baldacci's previous work , "The Whole Truth", featuring Shaw and his handler/supervisor, Frank. While it would be nice if readers had read the previous novel; "Deliver Us From Evil" stands alone as a thriller in its own right.

In this book, Shaw and Frank have targeted a Canadian businessman, Evan Waller, who makes his money as a sex trafficker and who is currently planning to sell nuclear materials to Islamic terrorists. Shaw and Frank plan to capture Waller and force him to reveal the identity of the terrorists. Their plan is complicated by the appearance of a group of self-spoken vigilantes, headquartered in England, whose mission is to find and terminate people who have committed war crimes and atrocities during wartime. Devoted mainly to finding and killing ex-Nazis, the group has now focused on more recent war criminals. Although they work as a group, the lead agent is Regina "Reggie" Campion, a strong individual in her own right.

Thus, it turns out the Evan Waller is an ex-KGB officer from the Ukraine, Fedir Kuchin, who specialized in torture and mass murder for his KGB superiors. A sociopath who enjoys torture, Kurchin runs his criminal empire with the ruthlessness required to keep his followers in line and his enemies afraid.
When Waller/Kurchin journeys from his base in Montreal to the Providence region of France, this presents both Shaw and Champion the opportunity to engage Waller for their own purposes . . . Shaw to kidnap him and Reggie to execute him.

In this manner, the author has set up a point-counterpoint- counterpoint situation in which the three strong protagonists (Waller, Shaw, and Reggie) find themselves. Coupled with some subplots, this provides the reader with a thriller of the highest order.

This is an excellent thriller of the highest order which embodies the theme of good versus evil.

Ed Benjamin, author of "Cash In on the Obama $3 Trillion Spending Plan!: How to make large amounts of money by conducting business with or receiving grants from federal, state, and local governments" also available on the store

Should have read The Whole Truth first; however, starting it next. Waller a Canadian businessman (horrible man who sells children into prostitution, plus many other things) with many enemies. Shaw is out to track him down and at the same time Reggie is out to find him as well. Waller is on vacation in Provence and pursues Reggie. Reggie (not one of my favorite characters) and Shaw team up (among other things) to bring him down. In the meantime Shaw is dealing with his past and two women which he cannot completely forget (Annie and Katie). A weird ending. Seems Shaw always winds up sleeping with someone. As usual, Ron McLarty does an excellent job with the audio.

Entertaining and easy to read are trademarks of Baldacci thrillers. Not because of a simple story, but because of exceptionally well crafted sentences. I know he could pack the writing density like Dan Browns if he only wrote twice as many novels. Well Baldacci writes about six times as many novels. Deliver Us from Evil has some real nasty characters that prove a challenge for dispatch. Hmmm....I think that thread runs through a lot of thrillers. I have enjoyed every Baldacci thriller. After spending this much time, I am starting to feel a bit like a brother in thought ... or something.

Review of DELIVER US FROM EVIL - David Baldacci

WARNING - This story contains several extremely detailed scenes of torture and violence. It is not for the squeamish or individuals with a weak stomach or vivid imagination. They are not so frequent that I was unable to finish the book, and they are essential to the story so that it is difficult to skip them and fully comprehend the horror that is the basis of the narrative. However, if I had not been a fan of Baldacci and had not thoroughly enjoyed THE WHOLE TRUTH, the earlier novel in which the mysterious Shaw and his controller Frank were introduced, I might have chosen not to finish the story since I am not a fan of the type of gruesome scenes scattered throughout this book.

The focus of this story is the battle between good and evil. If the prospective reader has not read THE WHOLE TRUTH, I recommend that be read first to get the detailed backstory of Shaw; in addition, one of the key incidents in that book which changed Shaw's life irrevocably is an integral part of this story and thus reading this book would destroy much of the emotional impact of that story if read later. Shaw and Frank develop a plan to capture Evan Waller, a totally immoral Canadian businessman who is both a trafficker in human beings and has a new sideline of selling nuclear material to terrorists. They plan to neutralize his omnipresent bodyguards and kidnap him while he is on a rare holiday in Provence. Meanwhile, a parallel operation is planned by a secret unofficial rogue vigilante group operating out of England who hunt down and execute unapprehended war criminals, and which knows that Waller is actually a deep cover identity for a Ukranian war criminal who faked his own death and disappeared decades ago. This group includes several members with various talents; however, the point person for this op will be Regina "Reggie" Campion, a young woman of steely determination the reason for which is only gradually revealed. Of course, the plans and motives of each operative are unknown to the other. Thus, there are three intertwined stories within the one novel. First, the backstory of Reggie and her team and their attempt to capture and execute Waller in a certain prescribed manner which will make him aware of the reason for his death while maintaining the invisibility of their organization. Second, the parallel efforts of Shaw and his group to capture Waller and achieve their goal of diverting the nuclear material and neutralizing the terrorists' plan. Third, and equally intriguing, the gradual realization on the part of both Shaw and Reggie that the carefully constructed covers of each are just that and that they both have some relationship to Waller's activities and how they attempt to carefully work around each other despite a mutual attraction.

I thought that the storyline was very well constructed, and while there were a few unbelievable coincidences even given the latitude I allow an author, they were minor and did not detract from my enjoyment of the book. Waller was truly evil personified, and his actions throughout were consistent with that portrait. The term sociopath hardly does him justice. The toll that Shaw's career has exacted on his life was notched up even further, Baldacci's implicitly sympathetic portrait of Shaw's plight is a window into the lives of many undercover operatives. The events in Reggie's life are both the definition of "tragedy" and a tribute to the ability of the human spirit to not only survive but also cope. And there is a thought provoking implicit and at some points explicit undercurrent to the story involving the examination of the morality of the tactics employed by such organizations and individuals in the pursuit of such objectives as justice or the elimination of terrorist attacks.

After much debate with myself I decided to rate this book five stars because I enjoyed the story despite the violence and thought that the plot was very clever. The author created enough tension that I was anxious to finish it for several reasons. First, I wanted to discover who lived and died, since the ending of THE WHOLE TRUTH was definitely bittersweet, with not all the `good guys" surviving and even those who did psychologically damaged. I assumed that the bad guy would eventually get his "just desserts", but assumed that not all would end well for Shaw's and Reggie's teams. Second, I was anxious to discover if Katie James reappeared and if so if a relationship developed between she and Shaw in light of the introduction of Reggie Campion. Third, I was interested in whether Baldacci could create and sustain the supposed tension implicit in the incomplete knowledge of both Shaw and Reggie regarding the motives and plans of the other team, while the reader was omniscient in that regard although not with regard to author's handling of the eventual outcome of the story. My satisfaction with regard to all three points is the reason for my high rating and why I anxiously await an inevitable sequel, while wondering what direction it will take and who the central characters will be. If you want a well written traditional thriller with action filled suspenseful twists and turns and you don't mind gruesome violence, I recommend reading THE WHOLE TRUTH and then DELIVER US FROM EVIL. But beware - in order to bring the evil Waller to justice, the "good guys" will experience significant physical and psychological collateral damage.

Tucker Andersen 4/20/2010

David Baldacci needs to read the definition of 'Deus ex machina.' According to Wikipedia, it is 'a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem is suddenly and abruptly resolved by the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, . . .' The key word here is contrived.
On page 391, Baldacci must have gotten a call from his publisher. They wanted their book. So Baldacci slapped together a truly asinine ending and finished the book 12 pages later.
I expect that kind of crap writing from authors like Clive Cussler, but come on Dave--I'm not buying it.
And I'm not buying any more of your books.

The Evil that Men Do.
Deliver us from Evil is a very well crafted suspense thriller. Mr. Baldacci returns to his earlier high powered action writing in this intricate story of bringing evil men to justice. Although it is never really clear who or what the two competing vigilante type organizations are, nevertheless their single goal is to hunt down and bring to final justice evil men who have done the most heinous of acts. This tale centers on bring to justice the "Butcher of Kiev" (KGB Colonel Fedir Kuchin) who is currently a wealthy Canadian businessman known as Evan Waller who is also dealing in human sex trafficking. The main characters of the two vigilante organizations are Shaw, a solitary man of extraordinary people "hunting" skills, and Reggie Campion a female counterpart of the legendary Shaw. Both are on the trail of Fedir Kuchin, BUT, neither knows the other is on the hunt! And that leads to an extraordinary high impact tale of suspense and action. All around an excellent novel.
Some graphic violence but germane to the plot. No gratuitous sex or language.
Excellent character development. There are many major and minor characters in this intricately woven suspense novel but fortunately Mr. Baldacci does a wonderful job of keeping everything straight and the reader well informed. He does a masterful job of developing the numerous characters which helps bring the reader into the story. Well done Mr. Baldacci. It strongly appears that there will be more Shaw and Campion thrillers in the offing. I certainly hope so as the two mix well as they challenge each other to greater personal development. As Bogart says in Casablanca, "........ I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Just don't let us down Mr. Baldacci!
Hearty recommend. This is the best Baldacci novel in awhile. He shows that he really is an excellent writer when he wants to be. I just hope he keeps it up. The only drawback is the steep price for a hardback book today; even the Kindle prices are spiraling upward. Think library or wait for the paperback. I am looking forward to more Shaw-Campion adventures.

As a long time Baldacci reader I'm sorry to say that this book is far from his best. His literal descriptions of horrendous acts toward victims, including children, were way more than I wanted to read. I'm quite familiar with the Nazi atrocities and quite honestly don't want to re-live them in a novel, especially when a normally good writer and storyteller like Baldacci can create suspense, action and drama without resorting to cheap tactics. This is a dreary read with little to recommend it and, oh, the love scene, embarrassingly awful. Perhaps Mr. Baldacci should read a few novelists such as Nora Roberts, Sandra Brown and Linda Howard for a hint or two. Hope his next book is more creative like his Camel Club novels.

This is the first Baldacci novel I've read and I enjoyed it. I bought the audio version from Audible and found myself gripping the steering wheel with anxiety while listening to it on the road. The reader of the Audible version was excellent and made the story even more compelling. The bad guy is really bad, his evil originating from the Ukranian Holodomor, and the competition between two secretive agencies in puruit of him was an interesting and unpredictable plot design.

As mystery thrillers go, the charcters were well done, though Shaw, the primary protagonist, was somewhat inconsistent - sometimes strong, prepared and alert, sometimes not. The settings, particularly in Provence were fun to read, maybe because I've been there and knew many of the settings.

On a minor note, I would recommend to David Baldacci in the future, that he talk to a woman who has ridden a scooter before he dresses his heroine in a tight dress for a ride on the back of a Vespa. This vision may appeal to male readers, but speaking as one who has ridden on the back of a vespa, this is not plausible.

I listen to many audiobooks because I spend long hours driving in remote areas. I generally check out what's available in my local library.
This book has an okay story line and main character (Regie, a Nazi hunter working for a private organization which finds, confronts, and executes those who have committed crimes against humanity). The author, however, spends an inordinate amount of time on detailed description of torture. One wonders if Baldacci was being paid by the number of words he produced. He also devotes whole chapters to scumbags whose thoughts are appalling to share - truly "bad scenery." Again, he could have reduced these chapters to a page or two, advanced the plot, and not left the reader appalled and depressed. The author dismissed the idea that we are a society of laws, and that vigilantes are outlaws.
The narrator (actor) has two major flaws: his reading does not distinguish between some characters, so, for example, in conversations between Regie (a woman) and Shaw (a man), I sometimes had trouble distinguishing which was speaking. He was able to change his pitch between two men - Shaw and Frank, Shaw's partner, so why couldn't he do that with Regie? His other flaw is that he did not bother to learn pronunciation of French words and place names (much of the action occurs in Provence). He doesn't have to roll his r's - a difficult feat for many Americans. But he could have gone online and found out - within seconds - that the "t" in croissant is silent, as is the "d" in Gare du Nord, a famous railway station in Paris. Clearly the publisher did not consider this to be important.
My advice: skip this one. It is garbage. I only gave it two stars because I didn't pull it out of my cd player and trash the library's property.

This book left little to the imagination and so seemed to take little creative energy to read or write. All the plot elements were there - mysterious woman, tall man, bad guy, double identity, and so on. The beginning of the book seemed like a gothic novel with absolutely horrid dialogue (speak some of the lines aloud to another person and you'll get the point). The book picked up after the first couple of chapters but everyone knew the entrapmenrt would be botched based on the length of the remainder of the book. The final showdown was hopeful but without the "deus machina", our herose would have had to use their wits more. Altogether not a stimulating book.

Shadowy operative Shaw, from the author's thriller The Whole Truth, and photojournalist Katie James are reunited in a deadly duel of nerve and wits against a surprising enemy, in a struggle that leads them around the world at a breakneck pace. See further summaries above.
I really liked this one. It was fast and suspenseful. Filled with action. Yes it did get a little graphic in parts but it was crucial to the story. The only problem I had was with the less than satisfactory outcome of the evil-doer. Definitely should have been more drawn out.
Love this series and think Baldacci is on a roll.

Shaw belongs to an agency that ignores legal limitations when it comes to capturing those who threaten the free world. His latest project is billionaire Evan Waller who makes his money kidnapping third world teens and selling them in the Western markets. However, he is widening his capitalist operations with the sale of nuclear weapons to Islamic Fundamentalists. Shaw and his team are to prevent the sales by eliminating the beast and his customers.

Fahir Kuchen killed and ordered massacred thousands in Kiev to keep the survivors in line and not give Moscow any problems. When the Soviet Union collapsed, he escaped making a new future for himself.

Reggie Campion works for an elite group that hunts down mass murderers. She and her unit are in Provence to make a hit on Waller whom she believes is Kuchen; Shaw is shocked after the two groups cross paths and hunt their respective villain.. Shaw persuades Reggie they need to unite before the hunted become the hunter as Kuchen has someone inside working for him and whether he is Waller or not, Evan is a deadly predator.

Many of the protagonists possess ulterior motives so that double crossing teammates and the other squad seem a way of life. This is the key element in the return of Shaw (see The Whole Truth) that makes Deliver Us From Evil a fascinating thriller. Shaw remains an enigma who is perfect for the jobs he undertakes in contrast with Reggie who has a secret agenda that makes her seem more human yet not detached enough to be his equal in the cold deadly field. David Baldacci is at his best with this exciting suspense thriller.

Harriet Klausner

I had bought the hardcover edition of this book at a tremendous discount, but was very leery after reading the extremely mixed reviews. Although I generally like the author, I think that he has had a few misses in his repertoire, so I was anticipating that I would likely not enjoy this one after seeing so many negative comments.
So it was a pleasant suprise that I actually found the book engaging. It's not literary fiction, by any means, but I did find the characters interesting, especially the primary villain. He really was the persona of evil. Also, the idea that there might be groups out there like Reggie's is intriguing. I thought that the action moved along at a reasonable pace and I would not be disappointed to see these characters reunited in a sequel.

Wow! Some who write these reviews must be out of work English majors--long and erudite. This one was long and boring. The many characters spent way too much time in endless and endlessly tiring bickering. Even when the bad guy comes for them with dogs and rifle and they are trying to escape--they bicker about which way to run. The main character, Shaw, has all these women who throw themselves at him, but he just cannot man-up and talk to them. Run Shaw, run. Blessedly, I got this free at the library. Do that or wait until you find one for a buck on the used pile--I am sure lots of used books will be available soon.

This book has been well-reviewed, so I'll try not to be redundant. I have only a few comments on the book.

It was a fast read, moved along by plenty of "events (dialogue and action)." Baldacci knows how to tell a story and keep it moving along. But the Ukrainian bad man was simply too evil to be credible. He has religious sentiments, primarily because of his long-dead mother, and yet relishes tormenting fellow humans in a truly fiendish manner. He just didn't seem believable, as if the author went out of his way to make him the most despicable character imaginable. Literary villains don't have to be the sick spawn of the devil to get the reader's antipathy.

And Shaw, the protagonist, is hard to understand. Does things out of character because of his obvious attraction to, and feelings for, Reggie, and yet at the end of the story he just walks away from this fascinating character in a Western-style ending, like Shane, the outsider, riding off into the sunset. Was very disgruntled by the ending of the story, just left me feeling crabby for a good while. Why do so many talented authors give us "ecch!" endings to their novels? You spend several hours with the hero and heroine, sweating through each episode, and then it seems the author gets tired of the book and decides to end it in a manner guaranteed to frustrate and annoy the reader! There should have been some resolution and closure. Shaw, for such a whiz-bang veteran hero, is so afraid of losing another love that he acts like a coward and sneaks off to lick his wounds and feel sorry for himself. I'm a guy, mind you, but I thought Reggie deserved much better than she got from Shaw, and I didn't find it credible that a strong and super-competent agent could be such a cry-baby, after all.

I listened to this book while out walking. I have not been a fan of David Baldacci's novels in the past, but I really enjoyed this fast-paced and intriging novel,and I certainly will be willing to try some of his other novels in the future. There is one scene of torture contained in the novel that we could just as well do without, or at least without the graphic, detailed description. I was also disappointed with the ending! However, the story is a well-developed, interesting one, and I would judge it one of the best books I have encountered recently.

As I write this comment on Deliver us from Evil, on May 9, 2010, David Baldacci's book has reached number one on the New York Times best seller list, as indeed it should, for the book is an excellent, groping, suspenseful, and exciting novel, with interesting characters with whom we can identify, that are different in many ways from what we usually encounter, and a truly vicious villain. The novel is easy to read. Yet at this same time, one hundred and eleven people commented upon it on the store and close to 70 percent indicated, by giving it only one or close to one star and by their comments, that they disliked the book. This is tragic. Why did they do so?
Unfortunately, most of the negative comments did not address the book at all, but focused solely on the price of the kindle edition; it was more than the usual $9.99. Others disliked the subject matter; they felt it was too gruesome. A few felt it was too long.
Other than the price conscious people, I thought that the reactions were fair; everyone has their likes and dislikes. While I also hate violence, I can read about it, but I understand that others cannot. I also felt at times that I wanted the novel to move a little faster, but all in all I did not lose interest. When I felt it was too slow, I thought I was most likely simply not interested in something that Mr. Baldacci felt was significant. This is alright. We can disagree. But what is important is that overall I liked the book. I wish I could write one like it.
What I felt was sad was that I had the feeling that, the violence issue aside, some people rejected the novel because they were unable to see and hear things that are different than what they are accustomed to seeing and hearing, unable to open their eyes to something new, people with negative attitudes about life and unable to enjoy the grand experience of life.

Deliver Us From Evil by David Baldacci

Not my favorite Baldacci book, but still a thrilling ride, action never lets up. The violence was too graphic for my tastes and the plot was implausible, but I'm willing to suspend reality for the sake of a good story. However, the bad guy was able to pull too many tricks out of the hat and I'm not convinced that money and cunning could accomplish all of that. That said, all of Baldacci's books, including this one, are above average compared to what is available to read today. He is a good writer and story teller.

I was tempted to give this five stars just to balance some of the irrelevant pricing dings, but three stars is fair. It lost one star for some of the plot's outlandishness, and another for the pedantic passages that finally got to me.

The tale is reasonably well told and the sentences are full, complete and adult, very adult. Hope that makes sense, but some of the popular material being published these days seems written on a fourth grade level. The basic plot is fine; two different groups chasing one sociopath. One of the groups is amateurish, underfunded and undisciplined close to the point of incredulity. The other's an unspecified US government/multi-national agency. It's believable the amateurs could run down targets with limited resources, but the one they tackle here is clearly out of their league. Ambition is good; stupid may be noble, but also tiresome. It's melodramatic and unrealistic when the good guys and the bad guys get to a crucial decision point and want to banter with each other. The evil one's a sociopath, there's no point in trying to hang a guilt trip on him.

The novel drags with pedantic recitations about the evil target. It seems like every chapter includes a couple of pages of this guy's history or thoughts; it's overdone. One of these early on was enough to convince a reader he's a monster and shouldn't be walking the face of the earth. The bigger problem is the wrap up. It's irritating when people, especially professionals and en masse, do something that's so stupid, so absurd, so obviously suicidal and so hopeless that the only way out is contrived, disappointing and at least in the general sense entirely predictable. (I had correctly concluded there were either of two characters within the sociopath's organization who would provide one of two solutions) Baldacci's worked hard to develop the twin protagonists and they deserve a better last couple of chapters. It's tempting to conclude the author needed to meet a deadline and was struggling with the end.

I stayed with this novel through to the end. Criticisms, aside I wasn't tempted to hang this one up. It's just not one of Baldacci's best and not a worthy follow up to The Whole Truth. I'll buy Baldacci again because his prior writing has been better and this was acceptable. I'd like to see Shaw and Reggie again.

I actually enjoyed a few of Baldacci's earlier works. This one is intellectually lazy, utterly lacking in craftsmanship, and a desperate try at getting something to press for the money and nothing more. It is an insult to readers. To suggest that he phoned it in would be an insult to his phone. Save your money. Wait till Baldacci writes a book that rates solid 4+ before wasting any more money on his pap. If there were a NO STAR rating, this stinker would get bucket of word rot would get it.

OK, maybe it's unfair to rate a book that I didn't finish but here's why I didn't finish: the cruelty of the violence was just too much for me. I LOVE Baldacci's books and have read all of them; but this one...it seemed out of character for him to write something this evil. Maybe he was going through a bad period and this was cathartic to write. I don't know. But for whatever it's worth, these are my thoughts.

Story kept me going. I honestly wanted to find out what happened. Bet there are a lot of secret vigilantes out there trying to correct mankind's evil. An eternal task that will never end.
Mediocre writing but a pretty good yarn.
Enjoyed the setting - a quaint and romantic part of the world for vicious characters.

David Baldacci just keeps cranking out terrific novels. This is no exception. In fact, this may be the best series since the Camel Club.

The characters in this Shaw series are very intriguing and mesh well. The intricate plot and twists will keep the reader engaged throughout the novel. You may have a difficult time putting the book down. I hope that he does more books in the series.

Usually when you pick up a Baldacci book you are HOOKED from the first chapter. Not so with this one. I agree with the other posts, if I had not read The Whole Truth where Sahw was introduced, I probably would not have continued reading this book - took so long to get going & I thought often about putting it down! gettingt o the end became a chore - this is an unusal departure for Baldacci so hopefully his new book coming out later this year gets back on track.

This story was gratuitously violent and I would not have started it if I had experienced this kind of violence in Baldacci's earlier books.

Once again the plot was confusing and the book didn't really sort itself out until half way through. I would have put this one down if I hadn't been planning to review it. Baldacci is an excellent writer, his characters are interesting enough, he uses the geography of place well enough but his plots are dreadful.

I have often dropped best selling authors in the past only to find them reinvented in the next book. But this one was bad enough and violent enough to make me think twice before buying the next one.

This book is OK as a Spy-Thriller for the first 80% of the book. Some of the technology alluded to is a little far-fetched, but not out of the realm of possible. The concluding drama, however, falls into the "and at this point a miracle occurred" category. To have four people volunteer to be disarmed and handcuffed by a mad-man to save a woman that three of them don't know transcends credibility and shows lazy plot movement. Buy the book at the used book store.

DELIVERY US FROM EVIL (2010) is a middle of the road, sometime entertaining, sometimes hard to believe, violent spy-action thriller, about two International Spy groups, who somehow end up arriving at the same European location (South of France) wanting to bump off the same extremely bad guy, and end up getting each other's way, as well as getting into romantic entanglements.

This is the second Baldacci novel I have read; the first being "True Blue" which I couldn't even finish. If people are rating this one and two stars, I wonder how his other books are. This was exciting and fast paced although predictable at times. The torture scenes are not for the faint of heart, but I feel are necessary to portray the character's evilness. I can't wait to read my next book by this author.

I have read and enjoyed many Baldacci books, and was unpleasantly surprised by this. I was constantly distracted from the "plot" lines by tons of irrelevant details. I can only guess that someone was being paid by the word...

Baldacci's clever "Deliver Us from Evil" moves at a blistering pace. It may slow down a tad after the first attempt on Kuchin fails. The story seems to drag from here, bogged down with flashbacks. However, when the story picks up again, it gallops along to an exciting and satisfying conclusion reminiscent of the classic short story "The Most Dangerous Game." Baldacci creates one thrilling scene after another, spiced with lively dialog and interesting characters. Several of the hairbreadth escapes are ingenious. Bravo, Baldacci!
--Bryan Cassiday, author of "The Kill Option"

I disliked this book intensely. The pace was slow, the writing bulky, and the plot predictable. The author was high recommended but I found the characters somewhat cliched and the action dragged down by unnecessary detail.

I am a huge David Baldacci fan. I have read every one of his books. Gotta say, I was highly disappointed in "True Blue" (his book that came out late last year). I was a bit leary of "Deliver us from Evil" I was afraid Baldacci had lost it, much like I consider John Grisham to have lost it (no matter his success). Sometimes an author just becomes stale and you have to move on. I am extremely glad to say Baldacci is back. "Deliver us from evil" is great!!! Fun, fun read. I had to slug through True Blue, but polished this one off in 2 days. I now have the sadness I always have after having read a great book. I've got to wait 9-12 months for his next one. I liked "The Whole Truth" and the characters but this book really cements them as a true franchise. I love the new additions. Shaw has much more depth in this book and has really grown on me. I was so disappointed when the Camel Club came to an end. It was such a great concept and I really enjoyed that set of characters. However, Baldacci now has a younger, hipper version of the Camel Club which can go on for many years. I hope he gives this group of characters a long run. Great effort and I can't wait for the next installment.

I don't have the gift of words like many reviewers but having just finished Mr. Baldacci's latest book I wanted to at least be able to give this author 5 stars because of the many low ratings due to many reviewers beef with the Kindle price. I felt this was an excellent storyline. IT was different than anything else I've read lately and the twists and turns were the work of a gifted author. I thought the author gave you plenty of background and detail on the characters-and some were very evil and some were there to offset all the evil. Of course you were rooting for good to win out. I will admit that some parts are pretty graphic and being a bit squeamish I skimmed a bit. The author inserts some of the violent history of the Nazi's and Stalin which is real evil so to come up with a monster so terribly evil is not a stretch.

I give it 5 stars because I think for the author to weave such a story takes amazing talent and I wonder if he had a few nightmares himself. Possibly he can remove himself from what he writes.

Hopefully more will actually read the book and leave a review based on the content of the book.

I don't know who is responsible for the price but I'll wait until the price drops and will simply read other books. Since June I have purchased 48 books and if the prices start to increase like this I will have to consider other reading materials.

I've listened to a number of Baldacci's books on audiobook and was looking forward to this one, based on the synopsis. For some reason, I just couldn't get into this one, and gave up on it about 6 CD's in. Maybe his next one will grab me, but this one certainly didn't.

This book centers around the pursuit of a war crimes criminal named Evan Waller. He specializes in the kidnapping
of young girls and then sells them into prostitution. He is also starting to move into the field of selling of nuclear materials to jihadist fanatics. In a previous life he was Fedir Kuchin a monster who caused the deaths of thousands od Ukranian citizens. He was one of the most feared of the KGB. He has escaped justice and moved his operation into Canada. He is being hunted and pursued by Reggie Campion who belongs to a vigilante group who had
previously killed Nazi war criminals. Also hunting for Kuchin is Shaw the hero of a previous Baldacci novel. He
intends to assassinate Kuchin. Both sides plan to move on Kuchin in Provence. Both sides have carefully planned manuevers. They soon discover that Kuchin has a large security force and is well armed.Later in the book you discover that Kuchin has a mole within his ranks. After several running battles they have a grand show down in
the end. This book displays the savage methods that Kuchin uses to deal with his enemies. This is a very good book and I would reccomend reading it.

The detailed description of the torture and murder of the Arab is the most ghastly thing I have ever read.
But Baldacci is better when he is writing about the former Secret Service agents than he is in this book. He spends way too much time detailing way each character is wearing and how the clothes fit. I don;t really want to know.

I read this book faster than any book I've read. You literally can not put it down. The story has a hero and a heroin and David Baldacci blends their roles beautifully. Also he does a great job with the characterization of the villain. This book truly deserves the title of #1 New York Times Bestseller.

It is inevitable that an author as prolific as David Baldacci will deliver a turkey now and again.

A flimsy plot is populated with equally unconvincing characters. I got the point about the villain being an evil monster who needs to be brought to justice but fewer descriptions of gratuitous violence would have been just as effective.

An entertaining Baldacci novel that is a the second in a series--but don't let that stop you from reading it as you don't need to have read the first one to enjoy Deliver Us From Evil and the Shaw character. The book centers around two groups of loosely affiliated individuals who engage in revenge killings. Colleagues of mine who have read this book mentioned that it took them a while to get through--although I did not experience this. Baldacci has an enjoyable writing style and I recommend this book.

In this sequel to The Whole Truth, Shaw accepts the job of 'extracting' Evan Waller, a millionaire whose legitimate businesses launder the profits from trafficking in sex slaves and selling weapons-grade nuclear materials to Islamic terrorists.

Unknown to Shaw, Regina Campion, an assassin from a shadowy British vigilante organisation, plans to kill Waller, who she knows to be Fedir Kuchin, a KGB officer who continued Stalin's genocide of Ukrainians until the collapse of communism. Waller/Kuchin also has the character flaws of many movie villains: bad taste in henchmen, and a weakness for overly complicated deathtraps.

Action-packed, with little else to distract.

Evan Waller is evil personified. A former war criminal responsible for the deaths of thousands under the communist regime, he now earns a living as a sex trafficker. Intel suggests that Waller has terrorist ties and is looking to enter into a new venture that could kill millions more worldwide. The mysterious agent/operative known as "Shaw" has been tasked with capturing Waller to bring him in for interrogation. As he closes in on the enemy he discovers another covert group that wants Waller dead. Both sides must find a way to work together because Evan Waller is proving to be far more dangerous than they anticipated.

David Baldacci consistently churns out high quality thrillers that raise the bar for other writers in the genre. Deliver Us from Evil continues that trend in grand fashion giving us not only a tightly knit plot, but some well crafted characters that really carry this story. We've met Shaw in Baldacci's previous release, The Whole Truth, and his character is just as mysterious and even more engaging. The star of the show is easily Reggie Campion, a beautiful, yet tough covert agent who goes head to head with Shaw. Their scenes are easily the best written with some clever dialog and some fun back and forth that Baldacci somehow manages to seamlessly weave into the story.

Never fear, there are some great action sequences and just the right amount of suspense. Indeed, Shaw is a force to be reckoned with and it never gets old as he finds new and inventive ways to take down the bad guys. Even Waller is the perfect villain: on one hand the kind of man you love to hate; on the other, a smooth talker that draws you in with his charm and intelligence, despite the harsh reality of the monster he truly is.

At its core this is a story of good versus evil and the sacrifice that must be made for good to win. Baldacci brings all the elements together to bring his fans another top notch thriller, and easily one of his best. I hope more novels with Shaw and Reggie are planned for the future, because fans will be demanding it after this superb offering.

Can someone tell what is so "special" about this edition other than the price? I am a great fan of both Baldacci and Kindle, but this is not right. If the price is the same where is the benefit of having a Kindle, beyond the obvious, of course.

The book has its ups and downs. Maybe more downs than ups but
nevertheless it will keep you interested in the story. So not the best
from DB but a readable one. The plot sometimes makes some kind of
sleight of hand to keep going and I reckon there must be a prequel to
know the story of everyone.

Some folks are eye candy...and some books are mind candy. This book is mind candy. (Not a bad thing.) An adventure in turning the tables and hunting down the bad guys with the sole purpose of....well, you know, delivering us from evil! :) A fun, quick read. Won't tax your brain.

This book was good. No! Better than good. This is the kind of book that they make into movies. It was that good. it was so good and suspenseful that I had to keep putting it down to digest the plot and action. It was a bit graphic but that was part of the plot.

David Baldacci has the ability to spin a tale that does not become easy to figure out.He is a master of connecting disperate plots into a thrilling conclusion.This was a most exciting read.

S.J.Tagliareni author of Hitler's Priest

It is hard for me to believe this is the same David Baldacci that, in the past, wrote entertaining novels. This book is proof that as long as you are a recognized author, you can get anything published. This book is unbelievably, slow, boring and incredibility awful. Save your money and your time! Hopefully, Baldacci will recover from his malaise/coma for his next book.

I have read a few of David Baldacci books. I didn't think this was one of the best. I had trouble figuring out who was the main character. I find it difficult to believe in hush-hush no name agencies such as the one Shaw worked for. I liked the story line of fighting evil in a very personal way. I didn't like Shaw walking away from both women in the book. The chase scene in Canada was very good.

A good read. I finished it so it wasn't boring but a tad disappointing. I won't go into the plot in detail since others have covered it well.
I guess it's tough to stay on top forever. Much like Clancy Baldacci's star may be fading a bit.

Really develops the main character and his internal struggles. He has an approach - avoidance conflict about caring about others. Plot full of surprises that make sense. I read until exhaustion made me stop. Enough said.

Baldacci's Deliver Us From Evil is well written and fast paced. It was exciting from start to finish. Characters are well developed and the story is rich with suspense; although violent at times. A battle of wits. 4 stars****

i really enjoyed deliver us from evil, it was very entertaining, and hard to put down! i'm looking fwd to the next installment! fair warning: the torture passages are very brutal, be prepared to cringe.

Aside from the diatribes against Kindle prices, which are indeed a crime, there seems to be general consensus that this is a very badly written book. I agree that Baldacci's writing is in terminal decline. What I have not seen other reviewers remark upon is the essential immorality [evil] implicit in the author's premise.

In his previous book Baldacci shamelessly revelled in zionist racicst stereotypes: evil arabs plotting to produce blue-eyed blond white children as terrorists, only to be foiled by mossad, an organization of super powers and with no wishy-washy concern for international law. pure hate literature with arabs as the scapegoats. no wonder new york publishers lapped it up.

In this book, B repeatedly defines the word 'justice' to mean murdering people on what he cheerfully agrees is a 'vigilante' basis. One only has to reverse the roles to see that he is actually justifying so-called terrorists, who themselves are killing people who THEY deem 'evil' [basically you and me].

It is no coincidence that this comes at a time when a supposedly liberal president has authorized the assassination of any American citizen anywhere in the world, without any recourse to any court, simply on the basis of assessments by various 'security' agencies.

If a right wing author had written about revenge killings and luxuriated in the details of torture, gloating over violence for the sake of violence, readers would be appalled.

Authors of potboilers are seldom intellectuals. But they are expected to impress us with their knowledge of foreign travel, guns etc. This author is an ignoramus. A previous reviewer explained how what B wrote about the Austrian Glock and ammo is nonsense.

The author is similarly embarrassed every time he writes about computers. In a previous book he repeatedly confused the processor {chip} with the computer case [tower], showing he has no idea what the term CPU means. Here he refers to 'a high-def LCD screen with megahertz levels'. Duh.

Equally irritating is his pathetic command of the English language. He appears unaware of the difference between 'none' and 'no one', or else thinks the latter is spelled as the former. He thinks 'bemused' means something like amused. And his inveterate hillbillyisms are legend. No one ever takes hold of anything in a Baldacci novel, they take 'ahold' of it.

Reader, I burned this book

Deliver Us from Evil was a very quick read for a long book with very short chapters. For a first time reader of David Baldacci I was happy with the thrill factor. Then ending was not what I thought it would be as the hero walks on. The villian is as expected - insane and as the title states, "evil". Another quick read finished in three days.

A review should not be a mere description of the plot as so many are on this site. It should be a critical appraisal with evidence adduced.

Like many here I reject categorically the policy of charging outrageous prices for ebooks, especially when those books are available for free on usenet. I disagree with those who have written that the `torture' scene is too gruesome. I do think the author went too far in using a 20cm glass rod, given that the victim was an Arab.

I am an enthusiastic fan of Baldacci's earlier work. Other reviewers have noted precipitous declines in the writing of once vibrant writers like Kellerman [whose career is really in the cellar] and Cornwell. Baldacci too seems to have signed up to produce a series of books for which he will be paid no matter the quality.

Aside from the rote writing and typical hillbilly grammar [always `ahold' instead of `hold'], this book strikes me as profoundly immoral. As he has in other books, Baldacci asserts that laws and civil rights count as nothing when a vigilante group decides to murder whoever they don't like on the basis of meting out `justice'. No doubt the author is a big fan of Guantanamo as well as the current president's recent decision to allow American `security agencies' to kill any American anywhere in the world who is determined, without recourse to any court, to be a threat to `national security'.

When an author is making millions, readers should demand minimal standards. Mistakes would perhaps be more forgivable, if the author did not on virtually every page condescend to the reader with lectures lifted from Wikipedia on history, art, cuisine, enriched uranium, weapons manufacture, geography etc. Not all authors turn on their readers in this way, retailing their own entrée into the world of the nouveau riche with accounts of the travels and toys our money now affords them. But Baldacci, Grisham and Cornwell [the queen of product placement] do.

Also, it is not always fair to blame the author. It is his job to entertain and be creative. When he makes blunders in grammar and fact it should be the editors and proofreaders who come to his rescue. But even allowing for dramatic license, serial solecisms erode our trust in the author and convert the joy of reading into a chore.

Early on in the book the hero says:
"I work for something loosely called an agency that doesn't officially exist doing things around the world that none [sic] will ever know I did."
Native English speakers will assume Baldacci means `no one', which he apparently is unable to spell.

Later mention is made of:
"...a high-def LCD screen with megahertz levels"
There is no such thing. LCD monitors and televisions typically range between 60 to 120 Hertz [Hz], not megahertz in any instance.
In a previous book Baldacci repeatedly confused the computer housing of a desktop [tower] with the processor [chip], thinking as a certain segment of ignorant Americans apparently do that a CPU refers to the large box housing the computer's RAM, hard disks, motherboard and--among other things--its Intel or AMD central processing unit.

Baldacci confides:
"The French... are very pious about their faith."
Another ignorant American assumption: France is the most militantly anti-clerical nation in Europe, with strict laws against wearing religious clothing or symbols. Fewer than 10% of nominal Catholics attend mass. [see nb. for some reason the store removes all web links to references] And what is `their faith'? Many observers predict that in a matter of years there will be more practicing Muslims than Catholics in France, if that threshold has not already been passed.

At times, Baldacci can be comic:
"Because of the time difference it was one hour earlier back in England than in France."

Clearly the author is proud of his tour bus knowledge of Europe. Alas as he gets closer to home, his errors escalate. On several occasions he alludes to `the province of Labrador and Newfoundland'. Americans are notoriously indifferent to Canadian sensibilities, however inverting the correct name of Newfoundland and Labrador province only compounds anti-American resentment.

When it comes to logic, Rumsfeld has nothing on Baldacci:
"For forty years fishing yields had been reduced to nearly zero simply because all the sea life was dead."
Who says you can't get something from nothing?

Kuchin is worried about `the threat of being gored or trampled by a moose or a caribou'.
According to [again, the store has removed the [...] ling to refrence] there is no recorded evidence, ever, for a caribou attacking a human. Moose do attack. You can see them kicking people on YouTube, but there is no record of a moose goring a human. It is almost impossible for a moose to reach the ground with its huge but rounded antlers.

Baldacci pins down the location of Kuchin's compound precisely, in the extreme south of Labrador. Here he speaks of `massive mountains' and expanses of `arctic tundra'. Southern Labrador is not in the arctic zone, being more than ten degrees south of the official latitude of 66 degrees defining the arctic region. Moreover, the terrain there is not `barren tundra' but taiga. The largest mountain in the province is Carbuick at 1652m, not remotely among the top 100 in Canada or the top 1000 in the world. Talk about making mountains out of molehills.

I adduce no further instances of crappy writing, because at this point in the book I tossed it in the trash.

A good read. I really enjoyed my $ 7.49 copy of this book that I picked up from WALMART . I'm a new Kindle user but I'm no dummy..50% savings made me smile and smile and smiii.....CAN YOU HEAR ME the store?????m merritt/Fayetteville,NC

I have enjoyed all his books. Yes there was graphic violence, but it served to make the bad guy bad. Liked the ending although was a bit unbelievable. I will continue to read this author until he bores me.

"Baldacci always shoots straight to the number one spot on any best seller list and Deliver Us From Evil is no exception. Bad guy Evan Waller - who appeared in Baldacci's The Whole Truth is back again, crazier than ever and this time he is hunted by two determined agents. We love Baldacci."

There are a lot of stupid questions floating out there in the psyche of American minds. Is the sun hot? Was Michael Jordan the best ever? Was Ray Charles blind as a bat? Is Kim Kardashian a hoochie mamma? Can David Baldacci write his ass off? Every single one of these can be answered with a big ole' fat YES!! 'Deliver Us from Evil' is another reason why! The thrilling and unstoppable action on these pages is breathtakingly unbelievable. I almost hate to put the word 'thrilling' in there because it makes it sound like a flippin' roller-coaster. So let's try some others: *Ahem*: 'Deliver Us from Evil' was (choose two) highly charged, engaging, exhilarating, gripping, heart-stopping, maddening, mind-blowing, sensational, and thrilling (sorry).

This book is a stunning piece of work that only cements Mr. Baldacci as one of the reining authors of the "thrill read". I'm a sucker for vigilante justice and getting rid of aberrant evil, minus the courts. Oh courts have their place, yes. But not when it comes to Nazi's and other cowardly terrorist roaming the earth. The main characters and group in this book feel the exact same way. And they spend their lives hunting down and decimating the Nazi's who made the lives of six million others, a pure living hell. I do warn you that Baldacci does not hold back on the extremely graphic description of torture, mutilation, and violence. So prepare yourself for a trip that your brain and mental pain receptacles will not want you to take.

Should you proceed, you will be taken on a terrific trip of revenge, blood, pain, heroism, hunger, desolation, and finally, redemption. I've read a number of VERY good books so far this year and this is definitely in the stratosphere of the best.

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My take on this idiot "$9.99 campaign".

If any of you posted a review on this book because you were mad at the price of the Kindle version, you are pathetic. Actually there are not words enough to insult you and not enough curse words to spew at you for being so incredibly and exponentially stupid! If the store is going to look the other way as you degrade another man's hard work because you are too cheap to pay more than $10, then they can look the other way while I call you out. There are UNLIMITED discussion boards all over the web for you to cry and moan over this. Catch a ride on the small yellow bus and take your whining there. Please. To give this book... any book... a one-star rating because you feel that you are OWED a $9.99 tome. Wow. I've seen smarter people on `I am Sam'.

Unfortunately I fear my words will be wasted on you because if you are stupid enough to rate a book based on the price set by SOMEONE else, then you are probably too stupid to understand what I'm saying. What's more embarrassing is the fact that big-box faceless the store allows this. But why am I not surprised when the faceless teams up with the brainless? Stop crapping on art plebes. What you are doing to this author and author's like this is unfair, wrong, and extremely dishonest. People come to the store to shop and to read reviews by people who have actually READ the book or used the product. They didn't come to hear you and your ilk scream and cover your face in ash because you have some bone to pick with the store. Grow up. If you don't want to pay more than $9.99 for a book, then don't. Shop the web until you find the price you want. But stop degrading work that isn't yours because you feel that capitalism turns your stomach.

I do understand part of your frustration though. Like most lemmings, you followed the crowd, jumped on the one-trick-pony-Kindle-bandwagon, and wasted almost $300 on an inferior device that can only read books. Then you got duped when the store snatched that one book was on there illegally, now they are reading your highlights, AND they aren't standing by their promise to give you the Kindle version of books (that aren't theirs by the way) for the embarrassing price of $9.99. Therefore, while I completely disagree with your anger, I do see WHY you would be angry. (not). Freedom of speech is an amazing thing to have. However, use the proper venue and stop crapping on another's work just because you feel you have a bone to pick with your master. To do this on a book that sucks is bad enough. To do this on a book that will probably make every Top 5 list for 2010 just adds to the madness!

Ugh, I'm done. Talking to you guys makes me feel like I need a shower. (Anyone seen my Zest)?

I'm not a Kindle owner, so I'm not involved in the price issue that makes up so many of the reviews currently. So, this is mostly just my thoughts on the story.

I did, however. read parts of this on a Sony eReader, and was surprised to find that the ebook has extras - like an alternative ending not found in the printed book. After the review of the story, I've added my thoughts separately on these.

Short Summary: Woman who's a part of a group of international vigilantes goes after people like ex-Nazi's and KGB agents who have slaughtered masses. Her path crosses super-secret spy agent Shaw's as he goes after the same guy for a different reason. Will they get him? Or will he get them? And, will Shaw get the girl in the end?

Here's the ups and downs of it to me:
1. Fast-paced international plot and action:
As always, Baldacci keeps the plot and action just zinging along - and this time on a globe-trotting trip through Europe the U.S., and a trip down world history memory lane. That along with his ability to keep the twists and turns coming,kept me turning the pages.

2. Interesting, occassionally over-the-top cast of characters:
Reggie is a highlight, as the dedicated hard-core vigilante with a heart. She's a nice match-up for Shaw. The evil guys are really evil, and enjoy wallowing in their evilness. For me, this went over the top sometimes, creating bad guy caricatures. It seems torture scenes and violence were thrown in, just to be sure we get that head evil guy is REALLY, REALLY evil.

3. I really had to force myself to suspend disbelief on this one:
Half-way through the book, I realized the complicated plot the vigilantes use to trap the bad guy vs. other options is just ridiculous. On top of that, the characters just keep making such unbelievable and dramatically stupid choices (like all of them riding into a known set-up by the REALLY EVIL guy with no back up plan). It became a bit frustrating. Add on a big over-the-top EVIL, EVIL GUY with GOOD GUYS against incredible odds ending, and it really brought the whole thing down a bit for me. This has been a problem for me lately w/ his books. If you've thought his last couple were great, you'll enjoy this one more than I did.

4. Not really a stand alone book:
Do you remember the story from The Whole Truth? Who Anna is and what happened? Who Katie is and what happened betweeen her and Shaw? I read it and could only vaguely remember - and you probably need more than that to get full enjoyment of this one.

The Enriched ebook: The ebook version is for people who want a behind-the-scenes look at how a book is written. It has pictures of the actual places Baldacci used for characters homes and settings, an alternative ending, hand written outline, first draft manuscript pages, etc. It even has web links to some of the art showings and other things discussed in the book (that my ereader can't access). Still, I loved this! It's like the Directors cut of a DVD.

Bottom Line: An entertaining, fast-paced action thriller with some over-the-top characters, implausible action and references to a book I couldn't remember well - that brought it down to just an above average thriller, and less than I want from Baldacci. Still, for a light read on the beach or an airplane ride - it'll keep the pages turning and make the time fly. And, if you loved his last one -you'll love this one.

Yup, like others have already stated, there are several places where the torture mentioned can hardly be handled by a regular reader of this author. There is one chapter that went into such detail, I had to skip that chapter.
Story line is excellent as most of his books are. I am enjoying the book but had to comment on this horrible piece of the book that I couldn't tolerate.

Baldacci's books are well-developed and thought out including the characters, geography and plot. This book has layers that will have the reader putting together all the pieces as the story unfolds. Deliver Us is a well-formed story that is quite fun to read. I appreciate the tie-ins and small points that are addressed early in the story and play a larger role later in the book. Yes, the torture is gruesome, but the reader has to understand the details are part of the attempt to create the villain of villains - and it worked for me. True Baldacci, David leaves the door open for further adventures with Shaw. Keep up the good work David and don't let the the store one-starred wonders fog the value and appreciation from your loyal fan base.

With wonderful characters and a storyline that is so engrossing, Deliver Us From Evil is a page-turner! Never wanting it to end, leaves us wanting more of A. Shaw and his complicated and exciting life. Hopefully, there will be an A. Shaw Book 3 in the near future!

I love Baldacci. Every 4 or 5 yrs I read all his books all over again. This book is my least favorite. The very graphic evil and violence is just not my thing. A lot of his books have a little evil in them, but this was beyond comfortable.

This could have been a great 5 stars but torture was to graphic. A reader does not need to read such in-depth graphic torture. The story slowed with too much scenery detail. Once you get past the gore it is a very interesting book.

A very exciting adventure in the realms of evil. Evan Waller is the prey and Reggie Campion and "Shaw" are the hunters. Evan Waller was a mass murder in Ukrania for the Russians and he is mega-evil. This is what I would call a "real page turner".

Just order a Kindle and looking to load it up with books for holiday. Like David Baldacci as an author but enjoying this book appears to depend upon having read "The Whole Truth" which isn't available in the UK (at least not in a Kindle Edition), so there doesn't appear to be much point in adding it to my Wish List.

I appreciate the problem with copyright issues in different countries but...

Baldacci is usually an interesting read so this was a complete and total disappointment. There are plot holes, completely cartoonish characters, lousy dialogue, and the book takes entirely too long to set up the action. The most glaring plot hole might be the fact that there is a mole inside Reggie's "Shadow Organization". This is brought up numerous times before being dropped without identifying said mole. Probably setting up a sequel that I will most certainly not read.
Baldacci has been gradually going downhill since his outstanding early novels. Unfortunately the speed of his descent seems to be picking up as he has started to churn out a couple of books a year. Memo to David - take your time go back to releasing one book a year rather than a couple of lousy reads.
The spy game does not seem to be Baldacci's area of expertise, one wonders if there was any research done here at all. If you want to read a spy novel try Daniel Silva or Vince Flynn. If you want action try Lee Child.
A final complaint with Baldacci is his Pattersonesque two and three page chapters. Absolute Power his first book has twenty nine chapters. Deliver Us From Evil has over one hundred chapters. Three pages is not a chapter - it makes the book incredibly choppy. My guess is that the publishers wanted four hundred pages so the easy way to get there is to have a ton of blank space every third page when each "chapter" ends. Maybe Baldacci wants to be the next James Patterson and release as much junk a year as he can but if he wants to write books that you remember more than five minutes after you finish them, then he needs to take a hard look at what direction his writing and editing have taken.

Is there a way to prevent those reviews that are price based from muddying the waters? How can you review a book you have not read? If you do not like the price then do not purchase the book on Kindle. Toddle yourself to the nearest bricks and mortar and plop your plastic on the counter, read the book, then review. Looks to me that the author has added extras for those who jump ship to the Ipad. Gave 5 stars to balance the 1 star non readers.

Worth the time to read but just barely. Too predictable throughout and unlike most of his other work I had no problem putting it aside at bedtime. All the elements were there for another great read, but it just never came together as a whole.

unlike other lower raters, i have actually read the book. the book was disappointing. having read all of baldacci's work, this is by far his weakest. some of the plot points are not believable.
having to pay a high price adds insult to injury. i will need to reconsider my devotion to this author.

I've read a number of Ba;dacci books, and am familiar withj the main characters in this one. Therefore I didn't need more info.prior to my purchase. The book was a fast read, and the story was compelling. I liked it.

I have read all of Baldacci's books and have enjoyed every one of them except this one The plot started out well but became tiresome and predictable,and the story contained much unnecessary,stomach-turning cruelty perpetrated by the completely evil villain. I recommend all of his other books but not this one.

First of all this book should have ended the first time the three main characters converged for a violent shootout about halfway through the story.Everything after that was "padding". The story was somewhat good except when the three main characters converged. Then events were too unrealistic. There were several loose ends that should have but never were explained. There was a lot of inprobable technology. I don't recommend this book.

Could not put it down, graphic as everyone has stated, but wow. Has he had a more evil character? Really enjoy this series. Not for children, let's hope the next includes several of the new characters as a team.