Absolute Power

I like to read an author's books in the order that they wrote them. My local library did not have Absolute Power as the first of the David Baldacci series. I decided to buy the book and give it to the library. It was certainly not a disappointment! I can see why Baldacci has gone on to be a NYT best seller!

I have the impression that the author had a bunch of intriguing notes and was confident that his readers were smart enough to fill in the details and connections. I usually like his books. This one disappointed me. I like to read a good story with a well developed plot. This one allowed me to write too many of my own conclusions.

I bought this book because I had read and enjoyed other David Balducci novels. After reading for a brief time I realized that this was a movie staring Clint Eastwood. I was intrigued how although the plot in the end had the same results the road was somewhat different. The Clint Eastwood character in the book died, but the movie had him at the bedside of his daughter who was injured as part of the plot. There were other differences that made the twists and turns of the novel more compelling than the movie. I liked the movie but the book was better. A very good read.

This story is a pretty good one, perhaps a little bit long. But the quality of the writing is poor: too much unnecessary descriptive material. It looks like the writer used a synonym dictionary and chose unusual adjectives and adverbs that did not contribute to the story.

David Baldacci is one of my favorite authors and I have read and enjoyed a lot of his books. I was profoundly disappointed to see his use of vulgar profanity and a soft pornography that I have never seen in any of his previous works. I now am reluctant to purchase Mr. Baldacci`s in the future.

The story is a good yarn and kept me awake till I finished the book.
I am sure a lot of souls would like an opportunity to win $100mil. But I hope the opportuity to cheat is not too common and this is not possible in a national lottery where there is a lot of belief in honesty and intergrity by the populace.

I am afraid that the Clint Eastwood script and action superseded the book by miles.
I almost interrupted the lecture of the book. Once Luther is dead it starts to loos coherence and
the end is very hasty and badly done.

I really only liked Kates Theme and the end which is an elongated 4.6 min version of same.

How long has this post been up and no details on the tracks, like 10 years, the store!!!!!!!!

Post a very readable Front AND Back photo of CD or product, that way when things are not listed, you may still see it on the box or case!!!!!!!!

This is not the 1st time I have brought this up to you the store, finish the product pages info so an the store purchase does not seem like a crap-shoot, as in you can buy it and take a chance or return it... !!!!!! NO you can finish the product page description!!!!!

The rest of the album stinks, high tension OST music like you would expect in a movie like this, Kates theme is all that is good
If you liked kates theme, look for it on a compilation with the length you like the short 1st one or the last one with end credits.
I will post the back so you can see what I originally wanted to know before buying, that would have been on the back of the CD!

I have read several of Baldacci books. This one I really didn't like. If you like to hear God's name (damned) then this is the book for you. It is (damned) by every character in every chapter many times.

I have to say this was one of the longest and most boring books I have ever read... The characters show no depth and the storyline was slow.. the main characters were so boring I was shocked... I just dont know what else to say I wish I could get back the hours I spent reading this novel.. For once the movie was better than the book! Dont waste your time

I was very interested in the plot, but the language (F bombs everywhere!) made me quit reading. I just couldn't tolerate language, graphic sex and choose to stop reading it. A book doesn't need this to make it a good read.

David Baldacci’s novel Absolute Power was his debut publication and became a hit because of it action and intrigue. In 1997, Clint Eastwood directed and acted in a movie by the same name based off this novel. If you have seen and liked the movie, do yourself a favor and read the book; it is much better. The premise for each is the same, a heinous act is committed by the President of the United States and a couple of rogue US Secret Service agents endeavor to cover it up. The characters in the book are similar yet different and unlike the movie, several people are killed in the cover-up. There is plenty of suspense in this novel and though it is not much of a whodunit (we know the President did it), it does make you wonder how it will all resolve. All in all it was a good – not great – novel but a worthy debut for David Baldacci.

Often the simplest plots provide the most value. In this novel we see someone witness a murder. That is the simple part. It gets more complex. The woman killed is a billionaire's wife. The murderers are members of the Secret Service but the real villain is the American President. He was coming on a bit too strong with her and she fought back. The agents misinterpret the scene and shots are fired. Adding to the richness is the witness. A tough old cat burglar (played by Clint Eastwood in the movie so you get the idea) sees all from behind a one-way mirror.

The burglar, Luther Whitney, escapes but his presence at the scene of the crime is discovered so a covert manhunt takes to ensure he never talks. The pace builds like a boulder rolling downhill. It brings in many more characters whose motivations will have you question human nature. No one is innocent in this novel and that makes it intriguing. The President tops everyone though and is portrayed as a shocking psychopath. This is a page turner that resolves itself in a highly satisfying way.

If you like a good thought provoking thriller, then David Baldacci's "Absolute Power" is for you. This is one of Baldacci's earlier works; never-the-less, Baldacci is a gifted story teller and this book will draw you in. One of the things I like most about Baldacci is his ability to develop complex plots and strong characters. This is certainly true of "Absolute Power" as he characterizes several in such a way that you care about them as people (or you want them to get what they deserve!). For example, as the story progressed, I found caring for Luther Whitney, a career thief, who has a certain degree of courage and integrity. The plot is certainly fast-moving, enjoyable, and a little unpredictable.

Plot wise, the story deals with murder, and how one who possesses "absolute power" can get away with almost anything. The irony in this book is the President of the United States is the bad guy, whereas Luther, the criminal, is revealed to be a man of integrity (the good guy!).

My wife recently gave me "Absolute Power" to read; somehow, I missed this book when I first started reading Baldacci. Although an earlier book, it will still capture your interest! It was actually hard to stop reading to even go to sleep; at the end of each chapter, I would say to myself: "Just one more chapter." There are many subplots running through the book which are well crafted and tie together as the reader moves toward the end. This is a page turner; the carefully crafted compelling plots and brilliant character development had me turning pages long into several nights. Although Baldacci's writing skills have certainly improved over the years, "Absolute Power" is still packed with action, suspense, and a plot twist or two near the end. If you are a Baldacci fan but have not yet read this book, I strongly recommend "Absolute Power" to you. You will not be sorry.

I really enjoyed this book. Interesting characters and a suspenseful plot make it a real page turner. I'm very impressed that this was the first effort by this author, and enjoyed it much more than Deliver us from evil - a later book.

Two quibbles - would a rich man use a mirror on his vault?? NO, the one way mirror could have been on a closet nearby for the storyline, but doors that can be breached with a brick do not go on vaults with many millions of dollars in them. The chief of staff's 'assault' on her boss was just really icky and also stretched believability too far -- was he not said to tolerate vast quantities of alcohol with minimal effect? How then did he stay passed out through that?
Other than those points, the plot was fairly believable throughout - as the Sec Serv 'could' arrange most anything they wished to, if they had no conscience. Using characters that had top skills and unlimited funding works a whole lot better than some average guy pulling off all those feats (which happens in other thrillers way too often)

Baldacci has a gift for writing ans this story delivered. Right off the start we have, Luther Whitney, a career break-in-artist trapped inside a secret room, watching as the president of the United States and a woman start to make love. While Whitney waits for an opportunity to escape, the passion turns deadly between the two lovers. Witnessing a brutal murder, Whitney finds himself running for his life as the president of the United States, a man with Absolute Power, will stop at nothing to keep his secret hidden from the world.

I've read a bit of Baldacci, mostly his "Oliver Stone" series. Thought I'd give his older stuff a look. It was worth the time it took. The premise of this book is a bit far-fetched -- professional burglar gets stuck in a bedroom while the President of the U.S. goes on a romp with the young wife of an old guy. Okay, I suppose it COULD happen. Then the President gets a little too rough, and the "lady" roughs him back, and things get a little out of hand, and so the Prez's Secret Service guards bust in. Just as she's about to stab the Prez with a letter opener. So they kill her. Of course. Then cover the whole thing up.

In Baldacci's world, people in power just don't know how to restrain themselves. The rest of the book is a cat-and-mouse chase between the Prez and his corrupt staff, especially his Chief of Staff, an ambitious woman named Gloria Russel. She most definitely has a dark side. His Secret Service agents become somewhat misguided in their duty to the Chief Executive. The podunk police detective investigating the homicide definitely smells a rat, and as the tentacles of corruption creep out into the upper echelons of the Washington, D.C., power base, the bodies begin to stack up.

The burglar -- a guy named Luther -- is a character that will make future appearances in Baldacci's work. Not under the same name, of course, of even the same guy. But the character type will show up again. So will plenty of sinister government power mongers. Baldacci's world seems to have an endless supply of those. As well as badly behaving rich people, an occasionally virtuous protagonist, and plenty of other iconic characters right out of Central Casting.

But if you want an enjoyable read, want to see how it all started for Baldacci, and a little insight into how he has developed as an author, you won't want to miss this one.

Absolute Power by David Balducci
Book summary interested me and I rarely read this type of book but like to switch things up every now and then.
Luther has broken into houses and had served his time. Once he gets out he does it again a place where he was in before, with others.....
Interesting to learn of all the devices and technology for home security, but it's no barrier to Luther. he was there to get the diamond necklace but he found the mirror glass that looked into her bedroom.
Story also follows Jack, a lawyer and his fiance, Jennifer. Political groupies and the president is the one who takes care of the whores that run to him. Problem is this time things didn't go as planned. His body guards did come to his aide.
They weren't the only ones to see the scene or the actions as they happened....the president is a married man and the woman was married, but not to him.
Story follows those in charge as they try the case and the proceedings that happen...Luther has taken it upon himself to gather the evidence and given it to another who, after his death will mail the items to his lawyer.
A lot of people are put in harms way....lots of action and adventure.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

I guess I saved the first for last without realizing it. I’ve now read every thriller he’s ever done, tactfully skipping his romance novels. I had no idea until I purchased it that this was not only his first novel, but was made into that movie with Clint Eastwood. It was a long time ago that I saw it, and I’m almost certain that the movie wasn’t anything like the book except in a vague facsimile.

The author did a pretty decent job for a first novel, early on displaying some great chops at weaving intricate plot twists and keeping me on my toes as I tried to figure out what was going to happen next. All the while knowing, or pretty much guessing how it would end, it was still a fun ride getting there.

My only issue, as with a lot of his novels was the incessant head-hopping. Sometimes done with dizzying effect, he hopped from one character to the next with abandon, though he displayed some amount of skill in keeping track of who was who. Though it annoyed me greatly, I didn’t lose track of which character was which, though it was hard to tell who drove certain scenes. The overall effect weakened what was otherwise a great to outstanding thriller. Obviously a lot of other people thought so too as this not only became a movie, but the launch of a prolific writing career.

Overall, this thriller fit the bill. It kept me glued to my seat and I finished it with a smile on my face. Highly recommended.

Luther Whitney is a thief with a conscience.

He breaks into the home of a wealthy family in Washington, D.C. and while there, the woman of the house returns early for a romantic interlude with her lover. Luther hides in the woman's closet and can see what's happening.

The sex turns rough and the man is unable to perform due to his alcoholic state. When the woman ridicules him, he grabs her throat and a struggle ensues. The woman grabs a letter opener and moves toward the man when two other men break into the room. They see that the woman is about to stab the President and the men fire and kill the woman.

The President's Chief of Staff, Gloria Russell tries to sanatize the room. She forgets the letter opener which also has the President's fingerprints on it.

When Luther sees them leave, he takes the letter opener and escapes. When the Secret Service realize they don't have the weapon, they rush back to the room only to realize that someone has taken it.

David Baldacci ratches up the mood instantly as the Secret Service tries to cover their tracks. Luther attempts to set something in motion that will lead to uncovering the President as being involved in the killing and exposing the political corruption.

This is my second reading of Baldacci's blockbuster debut novel and it is every bit as powerful as the first reading. We follow the hunted and await the death knell as the realistic characters collide in their attempt to hide, or for others, to unearth the truth.

ABSOLUTE POWER by David Baldacci.

REVIEWER'S OPINION:
Bad things keep happening to good guys. I didn't have anybody to root for or to be excited for. No good guy was smart enough. The bad guys kept outsmarting the good guys. And luck was on the side of the bad guys. I never smiled while reading this book. My feelings were unpleasant. One night I had trouble sleeping because I was anxious and worried about things in the book. The bottom line is that I did not enjoy the experience. I kept thinking about The Firm by John Grisham which was so different. Mitch the good guy in The Firm was a victim against powerful people. Yet he did smart things and I was rooting for him. I was excited watching him. I enjoyed that experience. Absolute Power creates anxiety. I wanted it to be over.

One guy who was supposed to be very smart guessed who the bad guy was. So why does he do something stupid, go off by himself and get killed? Also the detective was not smart enough and trusted the wrong people which caused more bad things to happen.

The author used a plot device I don't like. Sometimes it's ok, usually if the victim outsmarts the bad guy. But here, it was annoying. The bad guy says to a good guy, if you do this, I'll kill your daughter. So this good guy turned wimpy, meek, and compliant. It would have been so much better if he did something cool to outwit the bad guy.

And then I was annoyed at the vague ending. A loves B and misses B. All of a sudden the door opens, and A sees someone enter. A "slowly got up and moved toward the door." That's the end. We don't know who entered. We are supposed to believe it was B (I think), but the author doesn't say. I prefer things spelled out.

STORY BRIEF:
Luther is a career burglar breaking into someone's safe in a closet. Before he can leave, the wife comes home into the bedroom with a lover Alan, who happens to be the President of the United States. Alan is beating her. She attacks back. Alan calls for help and his secret service guys rush in and kill her. Luther is a witness and is on the run. Other characters connected to Luther become involved and end up in danger. They are Luther's estranged daughter Kate and Kate's former boyfriend Jack who is now engaged to a wealthy woman Jennifer. Others end up dead as well during the cover up.

NARRATOR:
I had problems with the narrator Scott Brick. I was frequently unhappy with his tone of voice. I'm not sure how to describe it, but I came up with the following words: sarcastic, sneering, smart-alecky, jaded, bored, cynical, condescending, arrogant, and angry. He did not express all of them all of the time, but he used them when I felt they did not fit the character or mood. Some characters were less sympathetic to me because of the tone of voice. Frank Muller narrated some of the Grisham books, and had a wonderful style and tone of voice. Scott was unpleasant. He reminded me of a hard nosed jaded detective from the 50s.

DATA:
Unabridged audiobook reading time: 19 hrs and 7 mins. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: about 10. They are mostly referred to with no details shown. Setting: 1995 mostly Middleton, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Book copyright: 1996. Genre: mystery suspense thriller. Ending: Bad guys get caught. Things are resolved satisfactorily, but I did not feel good.

OTHER BOOKS:
I read one other book by David Baldacci. I gave 4 stars to The Winner copyright 1997.

SHORT STORY AT THE END OF THE AUDIOBOOK:
"No Time Left" is a 34 minute short story by the same author. It was ok, but nothing special. It was about a hit man hired to kill someone.

This book has a GREAT plot and many twists. However, I rated it down because of the consistent and irreverent bad language. The story is that the President of the U.S. is having an affair with the wife of his biggest financial supporter and she ends up getting murdered all while a burglar who was almost caught watches from inside a closet size bedroom safe with a built in one-way mirror. Then he watches as the chief of staff supervises cleaning the room while she herself slips a bloody letter opener with the President's fingerprints into her purse. It turns out that the burglar is friends with an up and coming attorney who once dated his (the burglar's) daughter. This attorney gets involved after the burglar is caught and murdered by those trying to cover up the original crime. There is so much more...

We enjoyed the author's later work, "Simple Truth", so decided to catch up on this his first novel based on his lawyer-turned-writer's ability to craft a good plot and keep us in suspense. We were not to be disappointed! Baldacci has spun another fine tale, starting off hot with a rich man's trophy wife murdered by the Secret Service as her bedmate, U.S. President(!) Alan Richmond, was in danger of being stabbed to death during a kinky sex scene gone bad. Amazingly, a cat burglar is watching all this from a closet through a one-way mirror; and he escapes with a bloody letter opener as well as the money and other prizes for which he came originally! From there, it's a suspenseful cover-up as the thief's lawyer, Jack Graham (a young stud super-star attorney reminiscent of the hero in Grisham's "The Firm") and the G-agents race to find or eliminate the clues which will bring the truth to light.

Many rightly complain that the Clint Eastwood movie, not all that bad itself, made too many changes by eliminating the lawyer and having the burglar do all the detective work. We agree the book is better, and if you're in the mood for a legal/crime thriller, then we feel confident you'll find "Absolute Power" an entertaining page turner, with some ruthless politics thrown in for good measure!

David Baldacci's first novel is a strong opener, enough like John Grisham's work to satisfy Grisham fans but more unique than a simple knock-off. Luther Whitney is a crime story cliché: the career burglar who steals things "only from those who can afford to lose them." He avoids violence toward himself and others. As Luther burgles a Virginia mansion, he demonstrates an expected facility with electronic surveillance systems, locks and assorted tools and techniques of his trade. But it all goes wrong.

Fleeing from unexpected visitors, Luther hides in a room-sized vault with a one-way mirror view of the master bedroom. There he watches Christie Sullivan begin an adulterous affair with the philandering President of the United States, Alan Richmond. Their night goes badly, too. Rough sex turns to anger, then violence. He hits her; she slaps him, he beats and tries to strangle her. When Christie defends herself with a letter opener, Richmond screams. His Secret Service detail rushes in and shoot her dead. Now everyone's evening is ruined.

The rest of the story plays out as the President, his Chief of Staff Gloria Russell, and his two trusted Secret Service agents, Bill Burton and Tim Collin, try to cover up their involvement. Luther escapes immediate detection, but his burglary provides a convenient trail for the investigation. Along the way we meet a well-developed cast of characters. Luther's daughter Kate has been estranged from him for years, but returns to his life in the middle of its current crisis. Jack Graham, who Kate once intended to marry, turns from his lucrative law practices and ludicrous, high maintenance fiancé to help his lost love and her father. Seth Frank is a hard-driven Virginia homicide detective who drill's for the truth through layers of loyalty and deception. And Walter Sullivan, Christie's aging, billionaire husband, brings his resources into play in the hunt for his wife's murderer.

The story is worth your time. There are a few surprises along the way and a few telegraphed events that the reader can see coming. And there are a few details that require some suspension of disbelief. Chief among them is how much mischief the four White House characters can cause without anyone around them noticing. Don't be distracted from your enjoyment by this--just watch the play without pointing out that some of the props don't look real. They are real enough for the characters, and it's the interplay between the characters that make the story good.

The book is highly recommended. If you have enjoyed the movie version of Absolute Power starring Clint Eastwood, you will still enjoy the book. There are enough differences to keep you surprised and entertained. Luther Whitney comes across a bit...flat in the book, but the other characters make up for it. I have a renewed appreciation of how much additional depth Eastwood brought to the character.

A career thief decides to rob the home of a rich couple who is away on vacation. Except, just as he's stealing their stuff, the president and one his many mistresses walk in. The president kills the mistress. The thief sees it all and runs away. Then he finds himself on the wrong side of the law caught against a system that wants nothing more than to destroy him utterly for daring to stand against it.

This book was written in 1996. Several themes question the government and those in power. Were it written in 2016 (twenty years later), it would probably be a lot darker and would have a different ending.

I typically read over a hundred thrillers each year, and I think ABSOLUTE POWER is one of the best I've read recently.

ABSOLUTE POWER is David Baldacci's debut novel, and was released in 1996 with much fanfare. Baldacci got paid over a million dollars for this book, which was a remarkable sum for a debut novel. After reading this book, I can see why he got paid the money. Obviously, the publisher made a good investment, because this novel was a huge hit, and Baldacci has since become one of the top selling writers of the past decade.

I won't rehash the plot, which is essentially a murder plot involving the President. In fact, the plot of ABSOLUTE POWER is its weakest point. Most of the story is rather over-the-top and based on a series of unlikely coincidences. Some of the characterization is also on the cardboard side. But I can forgive that problem (a common one with most thriller fiction) if the story is well written, and this one surely is.

ABSOLUTE POWER, quite simply, delivers the goods. It's an extremely well-written suspense story, and kept me turning the pages. It is also a suprisingly well-done crime procedural. Baldacci clearly did his research on forensics and crime scene investigation. My guess is that Baldacci spent a lot of time on this novel, and it shows in how effectively the story unfolds.

I have read some of Baldacci's later work, and I don't think it measures up to his debut. I therefore suggest you first start with this novel, which is the best of Baldacci's books I've read so far. If you dislike this one, you will probably dislike most of his more recent work.

I've been a fan of David Baldacci's political thrillers for a while now, but realized I had never read Absolute Power - the one that started his string of bestsellers. (17!)

Luther Whitney is a master burglar. For the last twenty years, he's tried to keep his nose clean. But he pulls one last job for an old friend. He breaks in without incident, but is suddenly forced to hide when the owner and some others come home. He is stunned when the unthinkable happens - even more unbelievable is the perpetrator - the President of the United States.

Luther turns to lawyer Jack Graham - the ex boyfriend of his estranged daughter.

What a great premise for a story! And Baldacci does it masterfully. The plotting is tight and the action non stop. I enjoyed discovering Baldacci's 'beginning.' He has made the secret service/White House thriller genre his own.

But the reader in this case was fantastic. Scott Brick is an award winning audio book narrator. His voice is rich and resonant, conveying the suspense of this novel, keeping me on the edge of my chair. His voice conveys so much, from the malevolence of the bad guys to the uncertainty of a bewildered daughter.

There was a bonus short story included on the last disc (17!) of this set. I didn't realize that this book had been made into a movie starring Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman in 1997.

This is the first Baldacci novel that I have read, but not the last. It kept my attention and was difficult to put down. If I have any complaints they would include the never ending hard to believe way in which the main character always gets out of pending death and the unlikely conclusions that make the character all knowing. That being said, I intend to read more from Baldacci.

This review is for the Warner Books First U.S. Paperback edition, November 1996, 505 pages. ABSOLUTE POWER was on the USA Today top 150 best sellers list for 54 weeks in 1996 and 1997, reaching the peak position of number three.

The opening scenes in ABSOLUTE POWER initiate a clever, imaginative plot. Luther Whitney, an experienced burglar in his late middle years, stealthy enters the master bedroom of an opulent mansion after disarming a sophisticated alarm system. Possessing inside information, Luther uses an innocuous remote control to open a walk in vault hidden behind a large wall mirror and loads his satchel with over a million dollars worth of goodies. Before he can leave, though, unexpected visitors enter the bedroom, switch on the light and Luther discovers the mirror is a one-way window used by the aged husband to watch his young wife entertain lovers. Trapped in the vault, Luther witnesses the lady of the house engage none other than the President of the United States in a tragic tryst that ends in her death.

The engaging plot continues through about three fourths of the novel when the accumulated coincidences begin to diminish the story, which then turns sour with several needless killings, and finally finishes with an unimaginative ending.

ABSOLUTE POWER would have been an absolute joy if it were a hundred pages shorter. The movie version eliminates the heedless subplots, but wipes out some of the good stuff too. I recommend both the novel and the movie; between the two, you can imagine the perfect compromise.

Absolute Power was written in 1996 when Bill Clinton was then President.

Would this be an insinuation on Clinton who had the good looks and charisma of a president as described in the book? The Lewinsky scandal had not yet broken out but I cannot help surmising that Clinton's womanizing inclination might have instigated the author to write a story that unfolds after a president's adultery acts go awry. The acts in the story result in the killing of a young wife of a rich and powerful friend (an octogenarian) of the president.

This book has a list of interesting if unlikely characters. There is a career burglar who has a daughter who is a prosecuting attorney. The burglar is righteous enough to earn respect of his daughter's boy friend Jack Graham (a lawyer) who later works with a police detective to uncover the evil deeds of the president of USA.

The president in turn is surrounded by minions including the Chief of Staff (an unscrupulous lady herself) and Secret Service agents who will do whatever it takes, including murders, to protect him.

After the killing of the wife, the agents do everything to eliminate the traces and cover up their acts. Incidentally, the acts are witnessed by the burglar Luke Whitney. He manages to escape from the scene and take away a letter opener which can link the murder to the president.

Whitney wants to expose the president but does not want his daughter to be subject to life threatening danger should he speak the truth. He prefers to remain silent and willingly walks into a trap and be caught by the police. He wants to sacrifice his life to save his daughter. However, he leaves behind the evidence so that Jack can pursue the case in the event that he dies. Whitney ends up being killed by one of the Secret Service agents before the case is solved.

Of course, the story does not end here. The powerful husband finally finds out that the president is betraying him and causing the death of his wife. Before he can bring down the president, he is killed.

There are interesting twists and turns that finally lead to the apprehension of the president.

In short, this is a story about the righteous criminal against an evil president. It is an interesting read. This is the first Baldacci novel I read. I like his writing style and skills. I am reading his Zero Day now.

When lust, power and greed are coupled with a belief that money can buy anything and that the ends justifies the means regardless of the consequences, we have all of the ingredients of an explosive thriller.

When a sexual encounter between the US President and the young wife of a billionaire goes horribly wrong, a number of senior figures become involved in attempting to wipe out all evidence of the crime. Unfortunately for them, there was an eyewitness who has the only material evidence that can link the President to the crime scene.

So why was Luther Whitney robbing the billionaire's house? Not all answers are as obvious as they may seem. Why is Jack Graham prepared to sacrifice his promising career as a partner in a leading law firm in order to defend Luther, and will he make the right choices? There's plenty of action in this novel and believability is not necessarily an issue in escapism.

This novel was a great way to spend a couple of hours. I understand that this was Mr Baldacci's first novel and was published in 1996.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I read a LOT of books that try to do as this one... a righteous lawyer, youthful upstart type, fields unsurmountable odds in the pursuit of some tawdry character that leads him through some merry chase... and 99 times out of 100, the good guy wins unequivocally.
This book is different.
Oh, I won't be overly idealistic and say the story is completely fresh. It's not. Our protagonist is readily familiar as the tenacious youthful lawyer longing for seduction by the trappings of wealth and status. Yet, he (predictably) has inclinations beyond his yuppie-princess fiancee and father-in-law-blessed business deals, namely in the form of one Kate Whitney, ex-girlfriend. This character, who doesn't even appear in the movie version of this novel, is both likable and amusing, if interchangable with everyone from Mitch in The Firm to Butch Karp in the Robert Tannenbaum legal thrillers.
What makes this novel different is its scope. The crime is different, the secondhand murder of a vapid and embarrassignly young D.C. matron by her extramarital stud, the President of the United States. The sincere friendship between accused killer Luther Whitney (father of the aforementioned Kate, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time) and our hero is fun to watch, considering Luther is an accomplished cat burglar and the hero an attorney. Kate's father-related angst rings true, as she has issues with how he earns his living and how it affected her childhood, adding a level of tension in the already-tense relationship with her otherwise-engaged paramour who LIKES her father.
The best thing about this book is that it never, ever stops. The surprises come one after the other, and they are somehow believable beyond expectation. What I mean by this is you neither anticipate nor dismiss the events of this book, events which fall over one another in a ceasless waterfall of action.
Don't relax. That's when Baldacci clobbers you!
I recommend this book wholeheartedly. Having read many par and even sub par legal novels -- even some by the same author -- this one stands out and alone as one of the best of the bunch.

Baldacci's first novel, "AbsolutePower" is a well-crafted suspense thriller which I enjoyed reading. It offers a super plot, well developed characters and a protagonist who is real and likeable.
Baldacci, like any good writer, has written a strong beginning; elderly, real-life burglar Luther Whitney, engaged in his criminal occupation, is caught in the web of a powerful spider while attempting to burglarize a home, but instead is forced to watch a brutal murder in which Alan Richmond, President of the United States is intimately involved. The reader is quickly hooked and steadily reeled in, until there is no way out for him but to read on to the end.
Protagonist Jack Graham, young lawyer and former lover of Luther Whitney's daughter, Kate, is inexorably drawn into the events by his desire to help Kate and her father, and, if possible, re-build the lost relationship he once enjoyed with Kate.
Seth Frank, chief homicide detective in the county where this crime occurs, is propelled by a sense of duty, as he attempts to piece together the clues that will unravel the mystery and reveal the perpetrator.
But, it's through President Richmond and the people around him that we are shown what this novel is really about. These people are all moral relativists. They neither believe in any objective standards, nor do they believe that truth exists. This is a dangerous combination of faults in anyone, but it's particularly dangerous when present in politicians or those in positions of power.
President Richmond is a man corrupted by the power of his office. He mistakenly believes that the most important person in the world is himself, and that he can do anything he wants to do. His top assistant, Gloria Russell, is driven by her lust for Richmond and a misguided quest for shared power. Secret Service Agent Bill Burton, victim of an overdeveloped sense of loyalty, does the expedient thing again and again, until finally he understands that a life without self-respect is a life not worth living.
This is an adult story for adult readers. Lord Acton is often quoted as saying, "Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely." It's from this famous quote that Baldacci's title is drawn. But let's not forget that power, no matter how absolute, will only corrupt if its possessor is devoid of high standards of morality. Freed of the sound restraining influence of moral values, a person can and often will exercise power badly. The result? Strife and turmoil in his own life and in the lives of those around him.
I heartily recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the dangers of moral relativism through the words and actions of fictional characters.

Professional burglar Luther Whitney is in the middle of robbing a mansion when, trapped behind a one-way glass mirror, he witnesses the murder of a woman involving the current President of the United States. This leads onto a fast paced political thriller such as you've never read before.

A clever plot with believable characters that will keep you hooked from start to finish.

I read this book a long time ago but just realized that I've never gave it a review. It's about a sadistic US president who kills a young happy-go-lucky young woman with whom he used to have a secret liaison at her place.

He accidentally killed the girl during rough sex, and then his secret service guys cleaned up all the evidence and tried to cover everything up.

The only problem was that there was a secret witness to the whole thing: a burglar hiding in the bedroom closet in which the murder took place.

The story feels like something that really happened, and that's the most scary part. It is fraught with intimidation and betrayals which eventually caused some suicides.

I don't remember what eventually happened to this rogue president in the end, but I do remember that this story kept me on the edge of my seat for days, and I couldn't wait to see what was going to transpire next.

The following is a fictional short narrative inspired by ABSOULUTE POWER:

"The sight of Washington DC's spring was blooming and bright. With today's Weather Channel forecast of a clear and sunny 80 degrees, it could not have been any better for the average commuter to sightsee the memorials and monuments of our fallen heroes, not to mention enjoying the warm breeze by passing through Capitol Hill. There was no excuse for anyone residing not go out and enjoy the view of such a picture perfect atmosphere. That was so whether if it was either to go for a casual bike ride or to relax and eat a mediocre deli sandwich on the park bench.

Such a serene sight on this particular afternoon was highly enjoyed by the one and only U.S. president; nothing else could've placed a bigger smile on the face of Alan Richmond. His ecstatic thoughts of the weather began to shift over to the sight of the Marine Corps War Memorial. With the view of those several soldiers waving the American flag during their triumphant day in battle, Alan had come up with a new plan of his own, one that would make this pretty picture turn very ugly.

Bill Burton, one of Richmond's most trusted Secret Service Agents, opened the door to the Oval Office, finding Richmond sitting in the sole mahogany desk with the fancy Mount Blancs along with the other usual presidential memorabilia. Today, Alan thought, was the beginning of any typical day at the White House. Only thing is that today will include one little twist. A twist that will change his life forever.

"Agent Burton," Alan called. "It's an honor to see you. I wasn't expecting you to arrive this early. I hope that you don't mind explaining to me the reason for your early arrival."

"I've just received word on the news that Washington is on a reckless spending spree." Burton replied. "I think that it would be in your best interest to hold an afternoon press conference to explain the ordeal, Mr. President."

"A press conference, so you say."

"Yes, sir."

"Splendid idea, Agent Burton," Richmond said. "I have to admit to you, however, that there's one little problem." Following this reply of his, he slowly opens up his top right hand drawer, which contained a razor-sharp letter opener. Beside it came a bleached white cloth, the one that Alan would use as a cover to surprise Agent Burton.

"And what would that be?" asked Agent Burton.

"You are not inclined to be there," Alan boomed as he poked Burton on the left side of his neck. The poke from Alan turned out to actually be a stab at Burton with the letter opener. As he violently removed the sharp weapon blood began to gush out of Burton's neck as if a maître d' were pouring exquisite red wine out of a bottle.

Burton immediately fell down to the floor while holding the would that just became imprinted on his neck, trying to cease the blood flowing while gasping for air. Despite the serious injury now implanted aside his neck, the least that he could do now is delay his own death.

Alan walked around his desk and crushed Burton's neck with the force of his right shoe, taking out the very last phases of his life.

"Agent Burton," the president ominously called. "You just don't know when to stop creating your own ideas, don't you?" As Alan looked down on Burton, the drapes near the windows to the Oval Office began to wave like white flags of surrender. "May God be with you, Agent Burton." Following this final request, the president stomped on Burton's bleeding neck and taking away the last moments of the agent's lifeless body. When Burton's vision finally faded to black Alan was instantly relieved. He felt as if he was reliving himself as a new Macbeth.

"Daddy?... Daddy?... Daddy, are you there?" Commotion came from outside the Oval Office. A familiar voice. It became known to Alan to be a voice that he has known for a long time. His one and only daughter. Oh, no, he thought to himself. What have I done. How is my one and only daughter going to react when she witnesses this. There's no possible way to hide the body in such a short frame of time. It is too late.

The doors of the office had opened and came the sight of a long blond-haired girl wearing a beautifully flowered dress. The face of warm and lively smile immediately faded into a state of shock as she saw Burton's lifeless body laying face down on the carpet.

"AAAAAAAAHH!!!" The loudly shrilling scream came out of her lungs as though an elite group of terrorists are now planning to kidnap her for ransom. With the quick glance at the bloody letter opener in Alan's hand, she then realized that her very own father, the man behind the Ralph Lauren suit and shiny Allen Edmonds, was nothing but a stone cold killer.

The blood from Burton's mutilated neck now began to seep through the carpet on the presidential seal."

Fans and readers who are into the usual politically adventure stories involving scenes of scandal and power conflict will admire the effort of David Baldacci's debut in ABSOLUTE POWER. In the first novel of his career, Baldacci takes the quagmire of Washington DC to new heights, including it with the ripped-from-the-headline elements of power, greed, and corruption. He lays them out exceptionally well to make your reading adventure fun and entertaining.

Luther Whitney, a long-time felon and master thief, is widely known for making his stealthy break-ins. With the close encounters of the law that he has been through, he has faced the criminal odds at their worst. Refusing to give up his illegal passion, Whitney continues his pursuit at robbing the rich. Despite of all his master skill and stealth, nothing prepares Whitney for what he is about to witness next. During a failed attempt at robbing an estate, he hides behind a vault and views a mistress and an unidentified accomplice making love. The erotic rendezvous suddenly turns violent, leaving the mistress dead. While witnessing this abrupt tragedy, Luther shockingly discovers the accomplice to be none other the president of the United States. The mistress's fall of her death proves to be the beginning of Whitney's descent into a living hell of his own; it is one that includes a vortex of power, greed, along with a race to stop one of the biggest cover-ups that America has ever faced on its own soil. After witnessing the murder, still in shock, Whitney then confides with Jack Graham, a young lawyer who is also his long time confidante. Before they discover the truth about the murder, the two both find themselves as critical players in a deadly game of political chess. To survive they have to swim through a typhoon of absolute truth and absolute power.

Of the many political thrillers that are out there in print, ABSOULUTE POWER is without a doubt one of the best ones that have been created. The thing that makes this thriller very admirable is of the fact that Baldacci creates a story that has makes a great melting pot of suspense, intrigue, and high-stakes action. Throughout the entire plot, the author lays out a plot that turns out to be a good clean story that both men and women can enjoy. He lays out all of the occurring events in not only successfully winning readers but, in addition, challenging their imagination regarding the executive operations of our national government.

With all of the pros that this book possesses there do, nonetheless, contain two important flaws. The first one is in regard to the excessively long narration Baldacci includes throughout the entire story. As they witness it through chapter to chapter, readers will thus find it rather tedious and uninspiring. In specifics Baldacci tediously blabs on and on about unessential details that add nothing to the plot of the book.

The biggest disappointment in ABSOULUTE POWER, nevertheless, is the lack of deep character development. Yet though Baldacci creates a set of characters, he doesn't, however, probe deep into the senses and emotions that the characters possess and react with as they come to face the situations held.

In spite of a few minor quirks, Baldacci's first novel can be categorized as a highly enjoyable read; that is so for those who enjoy action adventure stories, certainly ones involving governmental scandals. It provides the reader with an enjoyable insight into the inner sanctum of one of our governmental branches. Without a doubt, ABSOLUTE POWER also challenges the readers' imagination regarding who plays the role of cat and mouse.

This was a wonderful, exciting book. I just loved it! I had seen the movie again a couple of years ago and couldn't remember the specifics of it and I'm glad I couldn't. The book was much better than the movie and was different in several areas, which made the book even better. I have read all of Baldacci's books and would recommend all of them. I particularly like the fact that he is apolitical in his writing. There is nothing I hate more than when an author shoves his ideology in your face, no matter if you are right or left in the political spectrum. I also like the fact that at the end of his novels everything is nicely summed up. I finally quit reading John Grisham's novels because the endings were disastrous and left you hanging. Baldacci remains one of my favorite authors.

I am an avid reader and used to go hunting for new authors to read especially when their books are on offer in big bookshops. I came across David Baldacci this way when his books, The Winner and Simple Truth were on offer. I grabbed them and was totally impressed by his work. Since then I have bought all his novels and thoroughly enjoyed reading them. He is now one of my favorite authors along side with Michael Connelly, Phillip Margolin, Lee Child, Harlen Coben, Robert Crais, Wilbur Smith and many others. Only book by him which I did not read earlier was "Absolute Power" because I have already seen the movie and loved it then. Recently, I decided to buy the book and was really glad I did. It was even better than the movie with much more depth. The personality part between Jack, Luther and his daughter are very well written and add interest to the novel which the movie failed to portray as it completely left Jack out. Moreover, the movie completely changed the ending of the story and thus left out some of the best part of the story I guess due to time constrant. Clint Eastwood did that also to Michael Connelly "Blood Work" with disaster result. Although some of the facts such as about the US President is rather unbelievable and far fetched, we must read this with some reservation as it is just a fiction. I really enjoy reading the book even more than the movie and advise those who have seen the movie to also read the book.

If you don't mind how implausible the whole story of this book is, this is a really fun book. The beginning is electrifying. Imagine being an accidental witness to the death of a woman having sex with the President of the USA. From then on, everything goes straight downhill. The witness, a lifelong burglar, flees the country, but decides to come back at great risk to himself and make the President accountable for his part. More agents become involved - some feel guilty about what they're doing; some feel no remorse at all. More and more innocent people die at the hands of the Secret Service. I personally don't believe two agents would cover up a shooting, even involving a philandering President, without going to their superiors. But that's why fiction is fun.

"Absolute power corrupts absolutely" --Lord Acton. That truer words have never been spoken is proven by David Baldacci's thriller "Absolute Power".
Alan Richmond is the President of the United States, he is also an adulterer who finds himself in a lethal situation, when the woman he is beating up grabs a letter opener and tries to kill him. Poised outsided the door, Secret Service agents Burton and Collins hear him cry out for help and rush to his aid. They simultaneously shoot his attacker, the much younger wife of billionaire Walter Sullivan.

Quick thinking by Chief of Staff Gloria Russell, begins a coverup that would have been effective if only aging burgler Luther Whitney hadn't been trapped in the one-way mirrored vault by the President's lustful intentions. Luther sees the whole thing, and is horrified. He fully intends to just keep his haul and fade into the background until circumstances dictate that he needs to step in.

And so begins a page-turning thriller whose plot twists and turns in the established bestseller format. Absolute Power is a quick read and very hard to put down. It gives a view of what could happen if a corrupt President puts his loyal to the death Secret Service into an impossible situation.

Very impressive for a first novel, I can't wait for the next one!

I have read many books by author....in cleaning the cellar came across this ...first read over 20 year ago....just finished rereading and it is so much better than his current books. Made me remember why I enjoyed the author.....think I will dig out some other of his first few books.

My understanding is that the timing of this books completion coincided with a lot of scandal surrounding the White House, resulting in a first time author getting a huge advance as several publishers were interested. It's a page turner in the fiction category I place it in, far above many of the cardboard character driven popular novels that make it to bestseller lists. It's for that reason I gave it a four, much like I gave The Da Vinci Code a five, not because either book has anything going on that could possibly have happened.

It's easy to come up with a complaint here, the book just pushed the edge too far, too much happened, too many "that could never happen" events and too many coincidences. A few, I'll take, but really, there's a line. Perhaps it could have been much shorter and less complicated with better results.

In any case, it's a page turner and highly entertainingly, I flew through it in a couple of readings and would have no problem recommending it to any that enjoy this type of fiction, murder/mystery with a bit of Grisham type lawyering thrown in for good measure.

It is too bad that it took only over 20 years for me to find this author and this book. Could not put it down almost. It kept me captivated throughout. Even Hollywood made a movie out of it.
They definitely followed the book but with a big twist to it. It was disappointing but that is Hollywood for you.
The book is a great read and I am reading the next book already.

Here we have a book where the President of the United States is the bad guy.....and the criminal is the man of honor. This book is a thriller with political intrigue and takes place mostly around the Metro D.C. area.
The book starts with an aging burglar, Luther, breaking into a billionaire's well protected mansion. He is suprised, but not caught by none other than the President of the good ol'USA. Who happens to be with the billionaire's young wife. Luther who is hidden in a safe with a two-way mirror, watches as the President starts to beat on the young woman. The woman in an act of self preservation, grabs a letter opener and stabs the President. The ensuing struggle and yell from the President, brings the very effective Secret Service Agents into the room. Where they shoot and kill her.
The scheming Chief of Staff hatches a quick course of action to start a cover up. But no one is aware of Luther who has watched the whole horrid affair. The story begins to pick up speed when Luther decides he has do what is right and set things straight.
You can tell this is Mr. Baldacci's first book. But worth the read. I read Total Control first, and find that book of a much higher quality. I think he will only improve with each book he writes. There were parts in this book where I just had to read one more section before I put it down.

Set in Washington, DC, Absolute Power is a sizzling thriller about the ultimate conspiracy: a murder involving the US President and the subsequent cover-up by his Chief of Staff and the Secret Service. However, there is a witness, and more killings follow in a desperate attempt to conceal the truth.

As with many good mysteries, we know who the antagonist is straightaway but the pleasure is one of anticipation as we follow the protagonists as they uncover the facts and at the same time try to stay alive!

Published in 1996 Absolute Power is David Baldacci’s debut novel. With hindsight some reviewers have suggested that perhaps it is not as good as his later novels. That is debatable but it is the case that this is one of the best suspense novels I have read in years.

If like me, you missed this novel all those years ago, catch up and enjoy a good read now.

The title of my review refers to the overuse of the words "explode, exploded, exploding..." throughout the book. Otherwise a very decent read, the suspense is sufficiently engrossing, especially since we know from the beginning 'whodunit'.

I'm reading the first novels of several mystery/thriller authors like Baldacci, Connelly, Flynn, etc. and this one is one of the better ones in terms of the unfolding of the plot, and intelligent description of the scenes. My gripe may be with the sheer unbelievability of some of the turns of events in the story. Three stars is not enough, but four is too much. Looking forward to the next Baldacci book in the series (Total Control, I believe).

Also saw the movie right after completing the book. I love Clint Eastwood, but the movie was quite poorly done. Decent cinematography, but awful screenplay. Did not adhere to the book in major ways, but I guess it didn't have to.

Baldacci's first novel may be an oldie, but it's most definitely a goodie. A fast-paced, don't-blink-or-you'll-miss-it thriller, "Absolute Power" explores the idea of the nation's chief executive as a conscienceless murderer.

The smarmy President in this novel seems like a composite of everybody's worst nightmare (depending on what your party affiliation is, take your pick!) -- highly popular with press and constituents, well on his way to re-election, king of the sound bites--and a low-life philanderer who's not above a little violence. The "ew" factor is very high--and his chances of ever getting caught are very low.

Add in a young up-and-coming lawyer with a consience, a female chief-of-staff who has more than a few things to hide (including her unrequited adoration of her boss), a lifetime criminal with a heart of gold, and two loyal Secret Service agents in over their heads--and you've got a whopper of a yarn. I loved it.

The compelling question throughout this book is, "Will the President get away with it?" Alan Richmond is up for reelection and winning in the polls by a landslide. Publicly, he is charming and compassionate. Privately, he is a philanderer and has had his billionaire friend Walter Sullivan's wife killed when the sex got too rough. He goes on TV and makes a compassionate speech of the tragedy, using the opportunity to boost his lead in the polls. The character of Alan Richmond reminds me of the mastermind of the kidnapping in the movie "Ransom". The guy's plan seems about to collapse, as his accomplices bail out on him. So he shoots them all, and being a policeman, calls in for backups. Surviving a bullet wound, he is a hero in the eyes of the rich parents of the son he kidnapped and in the eyes of the country. He almost collects his own ransom! At the last moment, the kid's father puts two and two together and discovers the culprit. In Absolute Power, the reader is kept wondering whether the president will get away with it like the guy in Ransom almost did. In some ways, this book isn't so fictional. Just as President Richmond admits, his "extracurricular activities" aren't much different from those of previous presidents, which is true. I also recommend the book, "Inside the White House" which contains facts about former presidents that much of the public is still unaware of. For example, Kennedy and Johnson were much like Clinton in their sexual lives. When Chief of Staff Russel gathered two million dollars to pay Witney's blackmail, Baldacci noted that nobody really knows how much money the White House uses because the money comes in from so many different government agencies (which is true). After reading "Inside the White House" you will see realistic ties between Absolute Power politics. The critical point of difference between the book and movie is at the meeting of Luther and his daughter. In the book, he is shot and I find it hard to believe that a man that stealthy and meticulous would be killed that easily. In the movie, he was prepared, as we would expect him to be. After the bullet missed him, amid all the chaos of people and police scrambling everywhere, all they find of him is his trenchcoat under the table. He was wearing a police uniform underneath it! He makes a later appearance as the chauffer of Walter Sullivan, which Sullivan hasn't even realized until Witney makes a wrong turn. Witney then informs him who the guilty party is and how he knows, as the White House appears up ahead. Sullivan is shocked and increduluos, but the pieces fit together and Witney has handed him the proof- the letter opener with DNA and prints on it. Emphasized in the book and movie is that Sullivan knows he MUST see to the death of whomever killed his wife. He's able to get through the beeping metal detector because one, he's Walter Sullivan and two, he has a metal cane. On the news, the nation learns about the shocking suicide of the president. What an ending! But in the book, the two best, most extensively characterized people are murdered and their efforts to do justice to Alan Richmond stomped. The book puts more emphasis on the police and the lawyers, with whom we are more apathetic, to solve the crime, wheras the "absolute power" is concentrated into the hands of two key people in the movie. The movie has a happier ending, with more justice because less innocents are killed and also because Luther finally establishes a healthy relationship with his long-estranged daughter.
The killing of Luther Witney complicates the plot because now, it seems, the president will get away with the murder, only now he's even guiltier than before. Though a crook, Witney never killed anyone and only robbed from those who could afford it and he is shown to be very loving and protective of his daughter. All these details help develop Alan Richmond as a "[explative]bastard", as Witney called him. I think the best part of the book's plot, also the most unexpected and depressing, is when Walter Sullivan is shot. Earlier in the book, the reader is bound to have developed a respect for his immense wealth and power. Now, we learn more of his backround- he was a self-made billionaire from a poor family. He bought out the mine where his father worked and paid for each worker's retirement, and he has maintained his vitality well into his 80's. He calls the president from his birth home on an expensive anti-tracking device to let his him know that his presidency and career have only hours left. "Great!" the reader thinks. Sullivan himself has discovered the culprit and will execute the punishment himself tomorrow morning. In the meantime, Sullivan sleeps comfortably on the very bed his father died on, knowing that his whereabouts are known to no one. Just as we think the plot has been resolved and the book is winding down, a gun is put into Sullivan's hand aiming at his head and the trigger is pulled before he knows what happened. Once again, the president has escaped destruction, while his guilt increases and he becomes ever more detestable in the eyes of the reader, just like the "Ransom" mastermind.
After watching the movie, I liked how Luther put himself at risk for the love of his daughter and he still survived and dethroned the president. But in the book, this love and trust of his daughter prevents him from dethroning the Richmond administration and gets him killed. I think the movie ending was better. Much of the book's added details enrich the story but some of them make it boring and drawn-out, like the details about the police and lawyers and the minor characters. I recommend the book and movie.

One of the best suspense-laden novels I've ever read, "Absolute Power" will make the slowest of readers tear through its pages with reckless abandon. The story begins in a lavish Virginia suburb, where a career burglar named Luther Whitney has been casing a particular house for weeks on end. The night he finally makes his move on the house, everything goes perfectly, until some unexpected visitors arrive. One of them is the President of the United States, and when he murders his mistress, Luther witnesses everything.
From that moment on, he finds himself immersed in a web of cover-ups, lies, and murder that rise to the highest echelons of government. This is one of those rare thrillers that will truly keep you riveted to your seat as you wonder whether or not your favorite character will be seen, caught, or who knows what! Definitely give this book a read. You won't be disappointed...
Britt Gillette
Author of "Conquest of Paradise"

This is the most thrilling,exciting book that I've ever read ! The President of the United States is a ruthless womaniser who delights in beating and degrading women who are initially thrilled to be sleeping with the President.He savagely beats the wife of one of his influential,billionaire friends and when she attempts to defend herself with a letter opener,she is shot by two Secret Service agents who are the Presidents personal bodyguards.The whole episode is witnessed by Luther,a burglar,who is hiding behind a two way mirror.The Secret Service agents are ordered to find and kill Luther to prevent a huge scandal.Jack,a brilliant young lawyer, old friend of Luther and former lover of Luthers daughter,undertakes to clear the name of his friend and,with a very astute local cop,becomes very entangled in the affair and a potential victim himself.I literally couldn't put this book down as the excitement level just didn't let up for a minute.I could not recommend this book more !!

Absolute Power by David Baldacci was a fun read. David Baldacci books frequently are suspenseful conspiracy books, and this one delivered. This book involved murder, theft, conspiracy, and government officials: all great aspects for a book that gives you an escape.

This is the second book that I've read by this author, and it was definitely a page-turner. However, there weren't any characters that were really likable. The only character that I warmed to somewhat was Luther, a lifelong burglar who had spent a good part of his life in prison. What does that tell you about the rest of the characters in the book?
Jennifer, Kate, and Jack, although not criminal in a legal sense, were devastatingly emotionally immature and stunted. Their tragic lack of insight and common sense despite their towering academic and professional achievements were incongruities that we have all witnessed over and over again of those in power. Jennifer, in particular, seemed to be an archetypal caricature of those in certain social classes who are chronically afflicted with a haughty lack of humanity.
(...).
On a technical note, Luther proclaims that he voted for the current president, yet he's a three-time felon who lost his voting privileges a long time ago.
Nonetheless, this book was a fun read, and I'm sure I will seek out this author again.

"If I told you who did it you wouldn't believe it." The book was a definite page turner for me. At about 30% in, I wanted to find out how it was going to end. There were a few twists and turns along the way, but the outcome was inevitable. This was the second Baldacci book I had read. I am a big fan of James Patterson and I must say that this book was better than any Patterson book I have read in a long time. I would love to see this made into a movie...it would definitely be a hit. This book has everything you need. Action, drama, multiple murders, a touch of romance, and a bit of rough sex. What else could you ask for? I would recommend this to anyone who likes controversy and crime. (PS After writing this review I found out that there is a movie, going to check it out)

This should be a 5-star book. The writing is fantastic as for characters, story line and originality. However, the punctuation is not that great, and the reading on a Kindle, especially, is frustrating. Too many flat-out typos are here and the worst thing was the break in words with spacing improperly put into words. Such as impr oper, ine resting, etc. From one of my absolute favorite authors, this first download onto my Kindle was a disappointment.

THE SETUP
Aging burglar Luther Whitney, observes the murder of the slutty young wife of a powerful old billionaire, by the President of the United States. The Secret Service covers up the murder, but discover evidence of Luther's presence. Eventually, Luther seeks the advice of public defense attorney Jack Graham, former boyfriend of Luther's daughter. After her mother's death, Kate became estranged from Luther, going to the extreme of becoming a prosecuting attorney. That's the setup.

COMMENTS
"Absolute Power" begins with the burglary. There is NO annoying teaser. The purpose of this deplorable device (which has become "standard" in most popular novels) is to snag potential purchasers, who are skimming first chapters in bookstores, with up-front action. Often such "flashes" have virtually nothing to do with the story. More typically, they only become comprehensible to the reader near the end of the novel, by which time the details have been forgotten. THANK YOU David Baldacci.

The lack of gratuitous sex, in a novel which begins with an illicit assignation, the lack of brandname-name-dropping in a book which involves the hyper-rich, and the lack of political sniping in a novel featuring the President of the United States, are refreshing. THANK YOU David Baldacci.

THE VERDICT
As a first novel, "Absolute Power" is extraordinary, and later novels only get better. Even so, "Absolute Power" remains among my favorite Baldacci novels. The characters are blessedly few (about 7), well developed, and are particularly compelling--even the criminal Secret Service agents, and the unprincipled presidential Chief of Staff. Sadly, in this 1996 novel, the POTUS is a unredeemable scuzball, as we have come to expect of our most popular Chief Executives. Some plot elements are implausible, but "suspending disbelief" is worth the effort.

ADVICE
Buy the hardcover edition. My only complaint is that "Absolute Power" is a stand-alone novel, not a series. Nearly fifteen years later, I'm still eager for more of Luther (even if that requires prequels), Jack, and Kate.

Rough sex, a murder and cover-up and a burglar being in the wrong place at the wrong time is the basis for this thrilling novel about sex, deception, corruption and killings sanctioned by the occupant of the highest office in the land. David Baldacci knows how to tell a story with the best of them although he leads his readers in one direction then introduces twists and turns that sometimes border in incredulity. Baldacci's characters are well drawn and realistic although his hero, Jack Graham, commits maddening blunders and makes questionable decisions at key moments in the story and has more luck than he's entitled to have. Scott Brick's excellent narration makes a great novel better and he gives the many characters in the book their own unique voices which makes this audiobook almost like a multi-cast production.

A thief, Luther, got more than he bargained for when he visited a mansion in Virginia thinking he could make it out of there with a few prize pieces. He becomes trapped in the wall when two people being having an intimate moment. The shocking part is the murder that takes place and it has to do with the US president.

Jack is an attorney and he is determined to find out what really happened that night. Who is telling the truth, a burglar or the man entrusted with the most powerful job in America?

Political thrillers have a way of wrapping themselves around my brain and not letting go until I have finished the whole story. David's work is no exception. He has a way of taking you from point A to point Z and keeping the suspense at just the right level.

I love Clint Eastwood, but his movie changed the story radically, which is a real crime, because the story itself was wonderful to begin with. The characters are real, most of them are likable and engaging. You won't be in any suspense over who to like and dislike, but there is plenty of suspense in other areas. I hate to use a cliche, but this one is a real page turner, and keeps your interest until the last page. Then you're let down because the book is over. I would have been happy to see it go for another 300 pages, but you can't have everything. Baldacci is a terrific writer, and I am now on a personal quest to read everything of his that I can get my hands on. I read this book cover to cover in 6 hours, and they were 6 of my favorite hours. This isn't literature with a capital L, but it is one of the best thrillers you will ever read. I love you, Eastwood, but you should have settled for producing and directing, and left the story alone. It stands on it's own merits quite nicely.

I enjoyed the plot, most of the characters, and there was plenty of suspense, but I found parts of if to be too difficult to imagine actually happening.

I realize this is fiction, but I just could not imagine parts of the book ever conceivably happening.

At first, it starts out as a Grisham-like book, with the protagonist being a lawyer in a major law firm. At the same time, he is conflicted between selling out, or defending the pubilc. The character is very similar to many Grisham characters.

The twist here is that another main character in the novel is a lifelong criminal who witnesses events of significant proportions, and finds himself stuck in a situation that is seemingly impossible to get out of.

In that regard, it is very similar to a Grisham book, as the resolution to the novel is very difficult to predict, if not impossible.

Overall, the writing is not that great, but this was his first novel, and I was much more impressed with this than the other Baldacci book I have read (Hour Game). I'll definitely be checking out other novels by this author.

This book, more than any of the other Baldacci books I have read, is so nerve-wracking with its suspense and sequence of events, that my heart rate actually increased while reading it. I could not figure out why I had trouble getting to sleep, as if I had too much caffeine. It was the book! If you have strong nerves, you may not react like I did, but it is a WOW book about government corruption and bringing fellness people to justice, regardless of their rank or privilege!

I enjoyed reading this book, but it had a few problems. It was written in 1996, and it is surprising how quickly it has become dated with the lack of cell phones, Polaroid cameras, smoking in restaurants, and such. The portrayal of how the White House works feels a bit unrealistic in places. There are also a few plot holes that any editor should have caught. It seems that everyone is addicted to smoking, but not nearly as much as they are addicted to swearing. When Baldacci wants to convey that someone is feeling a strong emotion, that's done by tossing in the F-word throughout the dialog. I think that word is probably on every page.

Despite the shortcomings, it is a solid story that kept me reading to the end.

I read this after many years and many viewings of the movie. So let's get this out front: I liked the movie better. It strained the bounds of belief less.

Baldacci kept throwing obstacles in the way of justice that the movie did not bother to try. In retrospect, it made the outcome of the movie more believeable.

That said, the book was an enjoyable read and, partly _because_ of the discrepancies with the movie, quite the page-turner. You felt that it had to turn out basically like the movie, but it's tough to see how until you get to the end. I guess what I'm trying to say is that knowledge of either (book or movie) doesn't ruin the other. And that's a mark in favor of both.

I saw the movie when it first came out a couple of years ago, and this month I picked up the book and began to read it. They both start out very similar, but end in two totally different ways. I like the movie's ending much better than I did the book's.
Both begin with Luther Whitney, burglar extraordinaire, witnessing a brutal murder. Now it's up to Whitney to save his own hide, and expose the bad guys at the same time. Question is will he expose them, and therefore turn himself in as well, or will he let them go, and get out of the country as fast as he can?
I liked the book because it dealt with corruption and cover-ups at top levels, and how low people will go in order to hide the truth. I liked it so much that I went out and bought Baldacci's next book 'Total Control'.

A little melodramatic, but hey!--this is escape reading. In escape reading we want to get away from reality---that's why they call it escape. We WANT the Good Guys to prevail. We revel in the Bad Guys comeuppance. And we get a warm fuzzy feeling when any Bad Guy turns out to have a good lside.
In Absolute Power David Baldacci gives us all these features. So the ending is contrived. We forgive contrivance in an author who has kept us guessing for most of lthe 505 pages of his story. ( What is harder to forgive is the mayhem Hollywood wreaked in converting this well-written first novel into a conventional pot-boiler, rescued mainly by tough guy Clint Eastwood.)
You want contrived? Start with Luther Whitney witnessing a capital crime involving the President of the United States. Throw in massive cover-up by the Secret Service, the FBI and local police forces. Now add circumstances in which all these august bodies learn too late that Luther was a witness. All this leads to the mandatory chase scene (at which, of course, Hollywood escels.) Contrived or not, we cheer for this career criminal to win, all the while knowing that he cannot.
Move over, John Grisham, James Patterson, John Sandford. Make room on that pedestal for newcomer David Baldacci.

I bought this book primarily on the basis of reviews that I read here. Every year I try to stock up on mindless fiction that can keep me occupied on a flight or my commute and the reviews of David Baldacci's first novel seemed to fit that bill.
Baldacci has definitely crafted a page-turner here. I plowed through this book and was gripped by the plot and an interest in finding how the author would bring it all to a conclusion. The novel centres around Luther Whitney, a sophisticated but aging burglar who stumbles across an incident involving the President of the United States. Whitney is torn between fearing for the influence and power which the President can use against those he loves versus trying to do good.
Nevertheless, the plot almost goes too far at times and borders on the verge of incredulity. Baldacci has a very good knack of making a plot more complicated - finding a way to dispose of evidence or making life difficult for one of the book's numerous protagonists and yet still letting the good guys win in the end by some stroke of luck. This turns the book from a fairly taut political thriller into something a little too fantastical for my tastes (i.e. a Secret Service Agent turning into some crazed homicidal maniac).
Nevertheless, Baldacci's first novel shows a potential to weave a good, complex tale and I fully intend to read some of his later books to see if he can tone down the plots while maintaining the suspense.
If I had the choice, I would give the book 3 1/2 stars but for the time being, have to make do with a middle-of-the-road 3.

A has-been burglar gets trapped in a secret room in a mansion when surprised by two lovers. As he hides in the shadows, he witnesses the murder of the woman. The ‘plot thickens’ as they say when the brutal killing involves the president of the United States.
The story has it all; mystery, greed, ambition, deceit, sex and someone who involuntarily witnessed it all. The limitless power of politicians may or may not surprise you, but Baldacci’s accounts of such will inflame you. An excellent page turning read.

What would you do if you knew the President was guilty of a crime? This book brings the audience into the realm of terrible possibilities. The reader is faced with dilemmas of justice versus national security. The issue of blind obedience and political power facing a police investigation brings forth questions about immunity and the balance of power. We get a glimpse into Washington bureaucracy and are faced with choices of unimaginable wealth versus freedom personal integrity. At times chilling in its enormity, this is a page turner. I listened to the audio book which did not help the book. The reader had a moaning/groaning style that was tiresome.

A David Baldacci novel is a great companion for a summer vacation, and Absolute Power is no exception. At the end of each chapter, I would convince myself that I could read "just one more chapter." It cost me some sleep but I was able to go through large chunks of the book in a sitting. Although not as good as Total Control, which I think was Baldacci's best effort, Absolute Power was still a page turner. Having seen the movie years ago, I was a bit skeptical to pick up the book but I am glad that I did. Although Baldacci has obviously tightened up his writing skills with his subsequent novels, Absolute Power is still packed with action, suspense, plot twists and good character development. I quickly found myself rooting for Luther Whitney, who although a career thief also has an abundance of courage, integrity and personal fortitude. If you are a Baldacci fan but have not yet read his first work, I strongly recommend picking up Absolute Power.

Reading *Absolute Power*, David Baldacci's first novel, was altogether a great use of my time. Having read other Baldacci books after this, I've found Luther Whitney, one of the main characters, to not be nearly as stereotypical of many of his other main male characters (at least in his first couple books, the main male characters are basically all stereotypes - the same stereotype). This definitely makes it more appealing than some of the other books, especially from the perspective that you don't feel like you're reading a book about personalities you know from the previous book (I'd say characters, but the personalities tend to be what's the same).

As a whole, the plot was pretty fantastical (I'd hope we never elect a President that much of a scumbag), but it was definitely interesting. Calling some of the characters believable would probably be stretching it, but it's not completely over the top and it is at least conceivable to some degree. More importantly than whether it's believable, though (I think), is that it's pretty difficult to put the book down because you want to learn the rest of the plot.

I like Baldacci's writing style in that it's pretty easy to understand. It's not amazing, but it's not boring either; and I found the story so captivating that his writing style didn't bother me at all. The only thing to actually annoy me is when at the end of some paragraph he explains how a character doesn't think much fo soemthing or overlooks it but, *oh, how wrong they are*! I can't stand that. Foreshadowing is fine, but that's just obnoxious.

Baldacci also describes the criminal investigation well. I'm going to imagine he knows what he's writing about here, but it's pretty impressive; and the investigation scenes were particularly fun to read because they seemed out of place in a book that basically has the plot as its main selling point (the scenes feel like they could be taken out of an example in a textbook).

All in all, this was extremely fun to read. My review probably sounds harsher than my actual thoughts on the book, but that's probably because I found the plot and just the entire idea of this happening to be so great that I can't really say how much I liked it (I liked it a lot). Some of the other things detract a little from the experience, but if you like thrillers, then read this. Of the Baldacci books I've read so far, it's probably the best.

Too much foul language. Takes the Lord's name in vain so it took the enjoyment out of the reading. I know that people use that kind of language in life but I don't want to read it so I probably won't read anymore of his books.

Had to read for a book club. Everyone else in the club enjoyed this book, for what it's worth. I can understand that the storyline was interesting but to me was unbelievable. The worst aspect was the poor editing and/or writing. Don't know who to blame for clunkers like these: “Frank wadded up a piece of Juicy Fruit and slowly chewed it while compact rows of needle pines flew past his window.” “His curly black hair had seen more affluent days.” “An idea lumbered across the forefront of his mind.” “Jerome Pettis was a tall, cadaverous black man in his early forties with a perpetual cigarette hanging from his mouth.” “He glanced back at the photo, something bothering him, but whatever it was popped out of his head as quickly as it had sprung into it.” “The tears erupted from her with so much force that they spilled onto the front of her robe.” “Things were really improving between Jennifer and him. His brain told him not to screw that up. The organ in the center of his chest wasn’t so sure, but he was thinking that his brain should start taking command of his life.” “Edwina had tried to reason with her daughter but she was not eloquent enough to dent the shroud of guilt that surrounded the slender woman who had started life as a roly-poly baby with thick dark hair and horseshoe legs.” “Like giant rods and reels, they surrounded the pair despite the collective efforts of the men’s respective entourages.”

And another thing: Why was the mansion so hot temperature-wise? Surely the vacationing super-rich don’t save a few bucks by turning up the thermostat like the 99%? It wasn’t mentioned as being hot when Luther broke in… maybe I missed something!

Other annoyances: 1. I grew tired of hearing how expensive and exclusive everything was. Who cares? 2. Jack Graham is a one-dimensional nice guy, who resents the life of entitlement he himself has chosen with Jennifer. 3. If Jennifer is so classy, why does she “almost spill out” of her dress at the White House. Doesn’t she know how to dress? 4. What does Jennifer see in Jack anyway? He should be smart enough to deep six this relationship if he isn’t interested in position and power 5. Predictable scenes. "Enter Kate Whitney", which necessitates "Enter Jack Graham" in a meet-cute scene on the Washington Mall. With a butterscotch ice cream cone. Awwww! Where's the puppy? 6. Why does Luther think if he had intervened with the POTUS and lover that she ‘still be alive’? No, they would both be dead. To be a career criminal he sure has fairy-tale scruples.

I hope that David Baldacci has become a better writer by now. Regardless of what I think, he's very successful so I wish him well.

This book grabbed my attention from the opening chapters and held it all the way through. This is a very interesting, well-written novel about a [dishonest] President of the United States and the theif that knows of the President's crimes. Until the theif is murdered, that is. It then falls on the shoulders of a young, big-shot lawyer and a police detective to somwhow expose and bring down the most powerful man in the world. But the President does not give up without a fight.
This is a fast book that can be read easily in a few days, but will not bore you at all. Recommended to those who like leisurely reading and legal thrillers. Another well-thought out Baldacci book.

I LOVED this book. I usually just read a little bit at a time when I read a book (even when it is good.) I found myself unable to put the book down once I got past the half way point. It captivated me to the end of the book. If you like political thrillers I highly recommend this one. I love the author. I have enjoyed all his books that I have read.

Though Luther Whitney is an engaging hero, he seems lifted from the frames of "To Catch a Thief" and dropped behind an improbable two-way mirror to witness the most contrived murder the history of national politics. Mr. Baldacci has left nothing to chance, spinning into the plot-driven cuisineart an abusive President, a career driven Chief of Staff, untrustworthy Secret Service agents, an aging cat burglar and his estranged daughter who's ex-boyfriend lawyer is -- wouldn't you know it -- a cracker jack corporate attorney who hankers to return to the meaningful criminal defense work he misses. Whew! Did I miss anything? This script -- I mean novel -- is more of a palimpsest than a full blown story. The kind of "runaway besteller" that is most kindly be described as a fast read

The only reason I'm giving Absolute Power 5 stars is that I can't give it 6! This book is riveting. Presidential power - how far can it, or will it go. I love David Baldacci's writing style, and this book does not disappoint. Yes it's about abuse of power, but not in the way you may think.

I strongly recommend this book.

I lost sleep reading this book it was so engrossing. To me, that's the highest praise I can give.

Another great book by Baldacci. I checked this e-book out through my local library and had it downloaded to my Kindle. It was quite the page turner and kept me engaged until the end. Can't wait to read his next book (The Amos series last book is next on my list).

Would recommend!

Most of the books that I'm able to read are ones that I get on tape to ease my commute. This is one that makes you want to keep driving...you just don't have the willpower to turn it off.
Jack Graham is somewhat reminiscent of a lot of John Grisham's heroes...young, wanting to do the right thing, and on the brink of something really big. The effectiveness in which Baldacci brings the most powerful position in the world into this work leaves you breathless. He really convinces you near the end that the world is falling into some degenerate state where the good guys can't win. But, just at the last moment, when it seems all is lost, goodness triumphs.
This is a great read...I'd recommend it to anyone.

Absolute Power was a well-written thriller that held my interest all the way through. That said, there are a lot of things about the book that detracted from making it a great book. I note that when the book was made into the movie, they completely eliminated the protagonist, Jack Graham, and the subplot of him and his rich girlfriend, Jennifer. The movie worked, much better than the book, I think.

The things that annoyed me about this book were:

The premise of the Jack Graham character being hung up by his girlfriend's fit about his not making it to a political reception because he had to work late, is ridiculous.

Luther is really the protagonist of this book, as he is in the movie, and never should have been killed off in the middle of the book. That just about ruined the story and was a cop-out as far as I'm concerned. Luther should have solved the crime himself, not just sent photographs to other people.

Luther's daughter, Kate, is much too bitchy. I cannot understand why she is so mean to Jack Graham and always keeps him at arm's length.

I hated the way every character who knows something about the plot to cover up the murder of Christine Sullivan gets killed before he can do anything. Please, author, think of some other way to handle it.

It was totally incredible that the President, Alan Richmond, could be such a sadistic monster and get away with it. He would have shown his true stripes to alot of people and not been this popular president. That just didn't play.

It was superfluous and uncredible that Gloria had sex with the President in the murder room. Ugghh! Just to be prurient, right?

The whole thing really played more like a farce than a mystery, but at least it kept me interested until the bitter end.

It's not often I find a first book of this quality. It hooks the reader right away and just keeps building as you go until I could not put it down last night to see how it ended. All was logically set up, and the ending was wound up perfectly and completely. Baldacci is a very thorough writer in this story. All the angles seemed to be well covered and resolved to a tee.
It was a really great story. Lots of suspense/tension involved as well. Well written.

Of course I enjoyed this book, being in the political intrigue category and what I love to write myself. The premise was intriguing and I didn’t have to read past the back cover to know I wanted to know how it turned out. The president committees a murder and goes to great lengths to cover it up. The robber who saw him do it has to find a way to stay alive and expose the most powerful man in America. It’s a fantastic read of cat and mouse.

Absolute Power is one of the most memorable books I have ever read. It was the first David Baldacci novel that I read and I was so impressed that I have purchased every book that I can find that he has authored.

Mr. Baldacci really knows how to construct a plot and he definitely knows how to bring the story to a conclusion that is satisfying, much unlike a number of other mystery writers.

I highly recommend that buyers purchase the unabridged version. There is nothing in this book that should be left out, much like John Grisham's "The Firm" and "The Client."

David Baldacci starts out this 469-page homage to his favorite cliches with perhaps the most overused political quote in history: Lord Acton's cant that "absolute power corrupts absolutely." From there it only gets worse. You know you're in for a bumpy ride when an author spends more time describing inanimate objects (in this case, mostly furnishings) than in developing his characters. Unfortunately, Baldacci isn't a talented enough writer to overcome this basic problem, and it shows. His careless, repetitive use of imprecise verbs (as in writing "the car exploded" to describe the vehicle appearing out of nowhere, not blowing up) makes the reader quickly lose patience with his amateurism. As for the plot, well, let's just say Baldacci's got nothing on what the news is reporting every evening. As for the characters, let's just say they make John Grisham's doppelgangers look like intellectual heavyweights. Though after plodding through the print! ed version of "Absolute Power" I couldn't bring myself to see the movie, I do admire Clint Eastwood for accepting the challenge of bringing Baldacci's ciphers to cellulite life. The Starr report will likely turn out to be a more lively read than this clunker.

Great reading, Balducci was on his A game when he wrote this book. Reminds us of some characters we have had in the oval office ---probably a composite of several characters we have had in congress and other places in government. I think a movie might have been made about this book: however I think the book is superior. If you enjoy thrillers this one will sure hold your interest.

Very interesting and timely.. Just shows how far people will go in politics and that many are egocentric. Doesn't really inspire a lot of trust in Government officials but what's new? Recommend to those who want to keep their feet on the grown and don't wear rose colored glasses.

The book had me entertained. I had saw the movie some time ago, but found the book to be more in-depth, as most books are. Not my favorite of Mr. Baldaccis, but a thriller none the less. Luther, the star early on, passes the torch to Jack and Det. Frank. The events towards the end made up for the few lulls in the middle. Strong characters, Sullivans, Baldwins, the law firm make for an overall good read. The corruption at the top of the governmental scale was very evident and interesting. As I say I enjoyed it, and look forward to "Wish you well" by Mr. Baldacci.

An enjoyable page-turner, but I've got a question for Mr. Baldacci. Every alarm company in existence keeps records of every time someone enters the house. They would have told the police as a matter of course that the alarm was disarmed twice that evening, which would have been valuable evidence that two parties entered the house an hour apart from each other. At very least it would have established the time of death. Also, most alarm companies allocate different codes for the cleaning staff and the house owner. With all the valuable stuff in the house and their frequent absences, the Sullivans would want a way to monitor who of their staff comes and goes.

One other thing: Jack gets the letter opener by Fedex. Why doesn't he send it back to Seth by Fedex? Why would you choose a deserted Metro station as a meeting place? I can't imagine a worse place. He has no place to hide, and there's no crowd of people to protect him.

The million-dollar assassin was pretty lame, getting distracted by sun reflected in his eyes. A marksman like that wouldn't just pull the trigger if he was distracted.

Some of the prose is pretty clunky.

"A deep sense of nostalgia that seemed to more and more consume him as he grew closer to becoming a thread of the past himself." A thread of the past?

"A slight red sheen hovering around her cheeks hinted at the internal trauma." Slight red sheen? Hovering around--like in the air above her cheeks?

"She cracked the window and a narrow stream of air engulfed the interior." A narrow stream doesn't engulf.

he "rubbed at his hand, trying to whittle away the filth he felt in every crevice." Whittle?

Still, congratulations to DB for his incredible output and ability to keep us reading. Hard to argue with 90 million copies in print.

Baldacci is one of my favorite writers, and this book is 4 stars and NOT one of his best. His best are all 5 star books because of the depth of the characters he creates. In this book the dynamics and interactions between the protagonists is never fully developed. The plot line is sound, the twists and turns are predictable but still work. This is one of the few books where I can say that I liked the movie better!

This novel of murder and political intrigue is the most compelling page turner I have ever read. A murder. A coverup. Sex. Politics. Love. It has it all. If you like mystery/thrillers, there is none better than this. This is not great literature, but is well written with interesting characters. It is Baldacci's best by far. The movie based on this is terrible. Read this novel! I've read it twice.

It is hard to believe this was Baldacci's first book—it is that good. I had seen the movie with Clint Eastwood years ago, but did not know it came from a book. I enjoyed the movie, but I now know the book was even better. The plotting is tight the characters well written and I really can't find any flaw. Heartily recommend.

I bought this based on the fact that a lady next to me on the plane was reading it. It was exactly what I expected, except it moved very very fast! I think the fast-moving elements of the plot make it race and you are thinking of so many subplots all the time that the author can really glide over trivia. I think it's an amazing book for the speed with which the characters - and while they are stereotypical it does help - race through situations. Classic yuppie/clean-cut lawyer character that takes on the world. I enjoyed the movie and think that Baldacci has a real flair for the multiple plot scenarios.

What really gets me about "Absolute Power" is that the premise while far-fetched is written so well that you don't question it. Baldacci manages to drive the story at a breakneck pace with highly realized characters and subplots. This is one of the first books in a very long time where I did not know what going to happen until the last page. It's a smart read without making the reader dumb. I recommend this to Grisham, Cornwell and Sandford fans. You really can't do better than this, you will love every page.

Absolute Power is one of those 'can't put it down' books. The suspense begins on page one and doesn't finish until the end of the book. I enjoy political thrillers and the two best I've read this year are Absolute Power and E.L.Burton's '$oft Money'.
Baldacci has expertly crafted a plot so breathtakingly outrageous that you HAVE to believe it! As you read, you're so close that you feel like an unindicted co-conspirator. As governmental cover-ups go, this one is unimaginably over the top. Or is it? Think of Monica and Bill - think of David Baldacci !!

Though not the best work of fiction ever put to press, Absolute Power is compelling and brilliant. A much better read than most political thrillers, this novel will take you inside the minds of some of the most interesting characters ever created.
The book outshines its motion picture adaptation. There is no comparison. The stories diverge a great deal and that is as much as you are going to hear from me.
This book is enjoyable and a tremendous read fromcovere to cover.It is not likely to let you down.

Just to put put some trivialities to rest, Merriam-Webster is one of many dictionaries, and others define "grip" simply as the "act of grasping". So "gripping the steering wheel loosely" makes perfect sense. Perhpas you work for the company, and are merely endorsing your product. And to Robert, Baldacci CLEARLY writes that Luther hears Alan Richmond make a "small, involuntary gasp" during the encounter. Unconcious people don't gasp. That being said it's apparent some people refuse to let themselves enjoy a good book.

But the story is high caliber and is what I've come to expect from David Baldacci, other than his standard high body counts, sexual liaisons, politcal intrigue and protagonists who seem to always be down on their luck until the very end. But while most of Baldacci's novels have a formulaic approach, there is always a healthy dose of suspense and unexpected surprises, often culminating into a whirlwind of a climax. And this book is no exception. Reading this book was like being in a stalemate. I had a general idea of what the outcome was going to be, but no idea how it would happen. And after finishing, I came out slightly exhausted but overall feeling satisfied and almost victorious as evil was punished and good rewarded.

Very few authors have the storytelling ability to craft a situation where the most high-profile figure in American politics molds into a monster before our very eyes. The story is absolutely preposterous at most points. But that's what makes it so great. The characters are incredible. Baldacci actually has the reader rooting for a thrice-convicted burglar and shaking their heads in disgust at the President of the United States within the first 60 pages. Alan Richmond's brief smile during the deadly sexual encounter says it all: it is his realization that he is untouchable, and can get away with anything. Absolute power. But of course, he does not acknowledge that the authority comes with the position. Rather, like any egomaniac in a position of power, he credits himself, Alan Richmond, as the source of that authority. The Secret Service Agents and Chief of Staff Gloria Russell are merely there to enforce his will. And enforce it they do.

Luther Whitney is in the middle of a calculated burglary at the home of one of the richest men in the country, and the President's biggest financial contributor. Everything is going as planned until a car unexpectedly pulls in and Luther is forced to seek temporary refuge behind a mirror.

In the initial conflict, a drunk Alan Richmond turns violent during a sexual tryst with Christine Sullivan, who happens to be the wife of his biggest political supporter. In a rage brought on by the fear of her own death, she suddenly reverses the roles and attempts to end her attacker's life with a letter opener. Long story short, the Secret Service comes in, pops her, and his Chief of Staff orders a thorough cleanup of the crime scene. Yet the mirror Luther Whitney is sitting behind is a one-way, and he has seen the deadly events unfold in front of his very eyes.

Luther not only escapes, but does so with the potentially damning letter opener, which is covered in blood and prints, and the agents are unable to make visual identification of the man.

So in turn, we get a very bizzarely constructed plot much like a game of Jenga, with a bunch of loose ends and pieces sticking out at odd angles. The tension builds as the game goes on. And only when one of the original founding pieces is moved at the later stages of the game does the whole construct come tumbling down.

Gloria Russell seems to initially be the maniacal, power-hungry character, as she orchestrates the entire crime scene cleanup. Yet, as her long-dormant feminine side begans to show itself and Richmond's vile personality begins to surface do we see that she does not hold a candle to the abominable Richmond. And at his side are two deadly and obedient Secret Service Agents, a potent combination for their handler.

And caught in the middle is Jack Graham, a former PD attorney whose problems keep mounting throughout the book. Then, at the climax, we see that the harrowing experiences he has been through during the course of the novel grant him the valor to confront those problems in a firm and decisive manner. I personally saw shades of Mitch McDeere from The Firm.

The characters are solid. Luther Whitney who affects the sequence of events til the very end, even in death. Sandy Lord, who gives us a preview as to how quickly power can corrupt an individual and how quickly it can dissappear. Kate Whitney and Jennifer Richmond, each the total antithesis of the other.

I thought the Metro Station scene was great. Just like in "The Winner", the element of disguise is used to perfection to surprise the reader. But my favorite aspect of the book was the fact that in an attempt to obtain the keystone piece of evidence, it was what essentially destroyed their cover-up. Proof that no matter what you do, you can't hide the truth. Especially when its on that large of a scale.

Sure, the plot may be flimsy and hard to swallow. But it's a fiction book. And I give Baldacci credit for taking on this kind of subject material. For such a well-written novel, and the late nights I spent in suspense and anticipaiton, he deserves it. A very good read.

This was a very interesting and absorbing book. The only reason I didn't read it in one sitting was that I didn't have time. I was anxious to see how the characters would unravel. In this story, you wonder if good really will triumph over evil, if only because the 'evil' happens to be the leader of the nation and his Secret Service agents and nobody ever suspected--even when everybody related to the case keeps getting killed. This book was definitely worth the time it took me to read it.

Excellent book. Holds your attention from beginning to end. Baldacci is excellent in creating his characters and making the plot interesting but full enough of surprises to hold your attention throughout. I have been pleased with the majority of his books.

David Baldacci successfully provides entertainment that rivals the best CSI or government conspiracy books. ABSOLUTE POWER is primarily a story about a corrupt presidency that covers up a high profile murder. If that were all, then this story would only rate 3 stars or less since the idea of the government participating in a crime and getting away it is not new, not even in real life - Watergate, Iran-Contra, etc. What is unique is the crime can only be solved with the help of criminals and Baldacci surrounds the story with a number of relatable conflicts that add to the story's intrigue - love versus hate of an absent father, greed versus virtue, and loyalty versus criminal behavior.

The main character, Jack, is a lawyer who is faced with a choice between an easy life and getting involved in a crime that appears to be over his head. His choice ultimately impacts an emotionally high maintenance ex-girlfriend, easy-living wealthy fiancé, a seasoned detective, a prominent law firm with stereotypical attorneys, a habitual burgalar who finds himself at the wrong place at the wrong time, and ultimately a presidency.

My only criticism of Baldacci is that he waites to the end to resolve most of the major conflicts created by the multiple characters. As a result, the story feels like it ends abruptly. I am of the belief that a well written story does not need an epilogue to resolve conflict or finish a story.

Strangely, I looked at the story from the scientific version. The victim was beautiful, blond, great body, had strangulation marks (not the cause of death), was politically connected (wife of a power broker for the President), and the scene was impossibly clean. No hair, no fiber, sheets on the bed were clean, carpet was clean, fingernails were clean, sex organs were clean. Even one of the two bullets that killed her were missing (dug out of a wall; the other was in her brain).

Plus, the place was looted. Vault found was emptied of money and jewels. The victim's jewelry was gone as well. But the evidence showed the thief got in with a combo to the alarm system, and exited via a rope for the bedroom.

The detective involved was frustrated... a totally clean crime scene - no evidence, no witness, no motive.

Shift back to the early chapters and a true rendition of what happened. The President and the young wife of a power broker were going to have sex - at a country estate of hers. As the thief watched from their vault, the President tried kinky sex which was met with violence, which was matched... and ulimately it was her or his life... at which point the secret service entered, and shot the woman. The President's chief of staff ordered the secret service to destroy all evidence.

Shift back to a lawyer... engaged to be married to a power broker's daughter. A friend of the man who saw it all - despite the hatred of his daughter. Trusted with evidence the President orders destoryed - over dead bodies...

I've seen the movie the book is based on a number of times. Curiosity to see how the book differed from the screen play was one of the motivating reasons I read it. The book presents a much more intricate plot with more twists. Very well written and still topical today even though it was published in 1996. If you saw the film, put aside your preconceived notions and be prepared for a very enjoyable read!

It is an intriguing plot and difficult to easily resolve. In the novel, the actual resolution does not come until the very end of the story -- so that keeps your interest very strong. I do recommend the book strongly and I am very familiar with this accomplished author.

A great story only as the author can spin it with lots twists and turns to keep you reading to the end. A story of games people play in their greed to gain power only to learn that it all comes to a revealing END and all for naught.

Not sure how I missed David Baldacci's first book, ABSOLUTE POWER! However, have seen the movie several times over the years with, Gene Hackman, Clint Eastwood, and Ed Harris (1997). A career thief witnesses a horrific crime involving the U.S. President. 4.5 Stars

From the mansion in Virginia, the sexual scandal, passion turned violent, a burglar behind a wall. Passion turns deadly involving the President of US. A witness. New meaning to the wrong place, at the wrong time. Corruption, conspiracy, scandal. An attorney. A wife. a Mistress. A thief. An estranged daughter. Secret Service. Homicide Cop. The media. Power. Danger. Why was the President here and the circumstances leading him here? Suspense, Mystery. Crime. Intrigue. A Coverup. A Political Crime Thriller!

Many of you are aware I am a huge David Baldacci fan; however, I began my reading, with his newer, more recent books-- always anxiously awaiting the next in the series. Over the years, I typically choose audiobook format, in order to further enhance my reading experience with his books.

While my book blog focuses on new and upcoming releases--currently read 95% advanced reading copies and upcoming new releases. However, when I find an author I enjoy, I will use Audible as a great resource to get my fix- to catch up with older books, I have missed along the way. Here I am going from the 30th, back to the first.

Having recently finished two of New York Times best-selling author's latest thrillers, landing on my top Books for 2015, MEMORY MAN, and THE GUILTY, (both 5 stars), I ran across a posting:

To celebrate the release of David Baldacci’s latest novel The Guilty, we find out more about the American thriller writer whose 30 adult novels have sold more than 110 million copies in more than 80 countries worldwide. Learn which of the author’s books are his personal favorites, and find out what it takes to master the depth of research that sets his works apart from the competition.

“Thriller writer David Baldacci selects his own personal favorites out of his 30 bestsellers”: The Telegraph Nov 15, 2015 by David Baldacci: “My Best Five Novels”. When reading the posting, I was quite intrigued and fascinated. These are the books I want to read!

ABSOLUTE POWER (1996) First Novel
THE WINNER (1998)
WISH YOU WELL (2001)
THE CAMEL CLUB (2005)
MEMORY MAN (2015)

When reviewing my own reading list, I had not read and purchased the audible books. ABSOLUTE POWER, offers a new recording (Jan 1, 2010) and cover—the first of the blockbuster thrillers by Baldacci---a book which changes the way you think about Washington. Of course since then, we have seen plenty of scandals; however, all this was prior to.

Bonus: What really makes this edition special, David tells his story at the beginning of the audio. We all think of him as the successful, talented author he is, and the place he has earned in the literary world, as an award- winning author. However, it was refreshing to hear how he transitioned from lawyer to writer. His hopes, childhood dreams, aspirations, and determination, despite his rejections. His writing passion and inspiration behind his first novel, ABSOLUTE POWER. Very moving and inspirational.

He has a truly remarkable gift, a talent. On behalf of all the Baldacci fans, bloggers, reviewers, and readers-- A special, thank you for your dedication and tenacity. Providing readers hours of reading, listening, and viewing entertainment. If you have missed his first novel, highly recommend the audio, narrated by Scott Brick. The book is even better than the movie. Check out the list.

Happy 30th Anniversary!

This is definitely one of my favorite books of all time, read it in just two days because I couldn't put it down. The story is fantastic and I loved the characters. DO NOT MAKE THE MISTAKE of seeing the movie... I know some avid book readers get frustrated at movies but this is definitely the worst butchery of a book I've ever seen (and I absolutely love Clint Eastwood so that's hard for me to say).

If you love House of Cards on Netflix, this is right up your alley. I read it so blazingly fast my eyes about fell out. Couldn't put it down. Awesome and complicated plot. A red - eye special. Lots of twists and turns. A real cliff-hanger!

Baldacci is a master! He takes situations that seem so improbable and makes them believable. I always love his heroes and Jack and Seth are no exceptions. His probing of good and bad are such a study in human nature. From Luther to the Broomes, to the Secret Service agent Burton, the all have good hearts but do bad things. I can't wait to start my next Baldacci.

at last, a Mary Higgins Clark for men! very corny, full of romance, ingenious-bordering-on-fantastic plot, cardboard cast of thousands, speedy pace, easy on the think tank, correct english and real good dialog. won't win a Pulitzer but a fine read. go elsewhere for depth and angst.

I thought this book was well written, never-the-less, it left me unsatisfied as a reader. I didn't care for the ending. It left me down because of the death of a main character. I have never read this author before and I probably won't read him again because of it. I do think he is a very good writer as far as structure and plotting, etc., though.

I read "The Innocent" by the same author and really enjoyed it so I had high hopes for this novel. Unfortunately I was disappointed. Without giving too much away I found myself skimming pages just trying to get to the end and seriously considering giving up on the book all together. I think the main issue is so much time is spent on the villans in the story you begin to genuinely dislike them and I found myself frustrated with having to hear about these characters who were so despicable. I will say it's an easy read and given it is a mystery and there are a few twists and turns (so many that it was a bit cliche) so maybe that will be entertaining for some readers but overall I found it annoying and frustrating.

Thanks to the public library system I found the ebook and was able to read it.
The book keeps me hooked on. And the was the story kept me interested was like a movie.
Just the last surprise about photo was unpredicted and out of tone and hence not a 5 star book.

I had just put down my first Scottoline novel (after 200 horrid pages) and tossed out a Brad Meltzer book (Dead Even) after gagging through the first 50 pages. I was afraid to try another recommended author. I'm glad I did. The plot was (mostly) believable and I experienced all three of my requirements for a good legal/mystery/thriller: I couldn't put it down, I got chills and my heart pounded.

His first novel and it shows. Sometimes the dialogue drags along with unnecessary "fluff", but a great introduction to Baldacci. I am not enamored by Scott Brick as the reader; his stye is annoying and overly emphatic!

This is a fun book to read. There may be a few too many coincidences, a few trite characters/relationships, and at times it seems it is written for TV or the movies, but the plot is plausible enough to keep it interesting.
I would love to know if it is coincidence or if Baldacci has a subtle ironic sense of humor that Luther, a lifelong criminal, has the initials LAW.

This book is full of twists and turns. It also tackles the difficult subject of "absolute power corrupting absolutely." He is a good author. (I have read several of his books now and will read another.)

I finally decided to go back and read the Baldacci thriller that I hadn't read. I was reluctant because I have seen the movie and thought I would be a step ahead every page. I was wrong. As usual, the book is better than the movie. The main premise of the book and movie is the same, but parts of the storyline and characters are a quite different. I would rate this as one of my favorite Baldacci books up there with The Winner. If you like the movie, you'll love the book.

I really enjoy Baldacci's books and on a quest to read them all. Most of his books are hard for me to get into at first but know that if I stick with them they will be great. Absolute power was not one of these, right form the start I was hooked.

This was the only book by baldacci I had not read. I waited for some time after seeing the movie as I wanted to be ready to absorb and enjoy. We know the book is usually better than the movie. Well, for me it did turn out that way. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys politics, law and above all action. I will look forward as many others to his next book published.

Twists and turns in this suspenseful thriller made it a joy to read. The reader wants desperately for the arrogance of the Highest Office to come tumbling down. Suffice it to say Baldacci does not disappoint in this, his first and in my opinion, best story. Also, as usual the book far exceeds the movie for drama, excitement and entertainment.

This has potential to be an incredible book. As it's written, it's good, but not great. The plot carries the novel and drives it, although I found myself skipping through at times. Not because Mr. Baldacci didn't have a good story, not because the characters lacked illustration. But, because he writes in such a passive manner that I found myself rushing through.

The characters in this book are a bit cliche, but I enjoyed them. The continued reference to "the President of the United States of America" grated on my nerves at times. Shortening the title once we got the idea, would have been nice.

The suspense is good. It carries the book. It's unbelievable at times, but it moves along. I enjoyed Mr. Baldacci's scenery and dialogue enough that I kept with the book.

Overall, I feel Mr. Baldacci has potential to write a great book with some experience. I'd love to see him quicken the pace by eliminating all the passive verbs and replacing them with active vocabulary. Especially in a suspense novel. I would recommend this book for a quick fiction read, in spite of my comments.

I will read another one of this author's books, because it entertained me and that's what it's all about anyway. I also wish him luck with his career.

Absolute Power. The President of the United States and his horrible corrupt abilities, including brutality and many
murders! An excellent read with cover ups, lies, and pure deception! I highly recommend this great book.

I really enjoyed this book! David Baldacci is a fantastic story teller! I like the way he tells the background stories of the character's lives, I feel like I'm emotionally invested in the outcome of their choices. This book makes you wonder about the possibilities of the control and Absolute Power one person can have over so many lives.

This is the best Baldacci book that I have read. I have only read two others, but they didn't inspire me to read more of his books; then a friend strongly recommended this one. So I read it and it kept me on the edge of my seat with all the twists and turns. Very exciting.

Baldaccis' debut novel is an entertaining read and an ambitious first effort. Corruption in the White House is no longer a startling subject, so no leap of faith is required by the reader to accept such a concept. Good character development and slick plot twists make this a real page-turner (skip the movie version).

This was my first novel by Baldacci - I'll have to find more! All the while I was reading this, I was thinking, "Man, this would make a good movie". Then my roommate noticed me reading the book and said, "Hey, I saw that movie!" - I'm gonna have to go to Blockbuster now that I've finished the book!

The movie did not do much justice to the book. The book kept me on the edge till the last page.
The crude reality portrayed in the book.. which is the vulnerability of the President of United States and the advantages he tries to take being in such high position..
Does that ring a bell?
A great suspense thriller.

The plot kept me reading even when I knew it was time to go to sleep. The best part of this book are the three dimensional characters--there are no too-good-to-be-true people here. They're all flawed(some more than others) and those flaws make us relate to them. I didn't give the book a 5 because the one main character I was supposed to really like (Kate) was off-putting to me. Also, the plot became a little over the top toward the end. Overall though, an excellent read...will keep you entertained and interested.

If one is looking for a book which focuses on a bizarre possibility of facts, then this book is what the doctor ordered. However, in lieu of what we have been reading lately coming out of Washington, one must wonder just how close are we to some fairly bizarre situations becoming reality. A good read.

Mr. Baldacci is a wonderful storyteller. This was my first book to read by David and it was a great experience. I am a high school student and was in our school library looking for a book. A saw this spine that was comparably large to the other books on the shelf. It did not give a great description of what the book was about. So I proceeded to read the first paragraph and was almost thrown to the floor from the impact those words gave me. I immediately checked it out and since that moment could not put it down. I notice others' reviews who did not enjoy this book but I suggest you grab this as soon as possible. I also recommend other books by David Baldacci, he is an fabulous author.

This is a quality thriller with lots of plot twists and a well-spun story line. On the downside, to truly enjoy it, the reader must simply agree to accept a string of coincidences that rivals a monkey happening to type out Hamlet. But if you can get past that, it's good. Not Dan Brown or John Grisham good, but good.

My sister-in-law lent me this book and said I should read it! I usually like "classic" literature so I really wasn't looking forward to this book, but I ended up liking it a lot.
I think Baldacci is a good writer, especially his characterizations. You see many sides of all the characters, even the "bad guys." You see things from their point of view; they didn't seem like stereotypes to me.
I look forward to reading more of Baldacci's books.

From the beginning of the novel, the reader learns what the president has done, and from this can almost conclude what is going to happen in the end. But I never expected the twists and turns that Baldacci makes in this fast-paced thriller. From the murders of Sullivan's young wife to Sandy Lord, power domintates the atmosphere of this novel. Yet in an ironic twist, Jack Graham, with the help of Kate and Detective Frank, shows that power itself is not as powerful as one may think.
Baldacci is great. I would recommend this novel to all who enjoy a legal thriller.

I have the Audible edition and while I like this book for its plot. I think the adjectives and details are entirely unbelievable. I don't have any specific examples, but this is the second time I've thought this about a Baldacci novel.

I read the book prior to Clint Eastwood's adaptation in the movie. Luther, the thief, was the only character in the book which the aging Eastwood could portray. Therefore, the main character in the book, the young lawyer, disappeared but, who can argue with Eastwood's success. Of the two versions, book or screenplay, the book was a hands down victor in my estimation. Baldacci's portrayal of high level Washington DC politics and the extremes taken in coverups doesn't stray far from reality... presidents included. A must read for avid governmental conspiracy fans.

This is a sharp, entertaining read for someone looking for an escape on a vacation. It is smarter than the average thriller, but not so smart that it becomes tedious. It may one of Baldacci's best works.

this was the first david baldacci book i ever read. i really liked this one! i was trmendously dissapointed in the movie though. when i heard clint eastwood was in it i thought great! when i watched it.. and saw that the main character of the book was not even in the movie.. snoozer.

at any rate.. this is worth reading. i don't think it would make a good cd, several "audio books" i've listened to don't do the books any honor. just the paperback, and nice cold drink and some good lighting.. :) that's all you'll need and it'll be great to read. :)

Excellent idea for a plot line! Though by the time the plot actually resolves so many of the interesting characters have been killed off that I no longer cared where Mr. Baldacci took the story. This may be a more realistic storyline, but it left me feeling like I was plodding to the end of the book. The main characters were a little bit too perfect for me to actually connect with them.

Read this book! I was up until 4:00 am on a work night reading this book. It's been a long long time since I've done this.

Okay, so the premise is a bit far fetched. Who cares! Enjoy it for what it is. Great fiction!

I read this book because I was desperately in need of something to entertain me for a rather long flight, and it was the only thing I could find on a shelf at a train station other than a few romances that I wouldn't come near with a ten-foot pole.

Anyway. On to the review -

It was tediously farfetched. Nevertheless, that could have been forgiven - it is fiction, after all - save for the fact that Baldacci simply cannot write. His prose is choppy, juvenile, and ineloquent (uneloquent?). While the plot was okay, the writing, simply put, was not. It was painful to read at times. Although mildly intriguing, this was poorly written and overall somewhat cringeworthy.

That said, it served its purpose, and was better than nothing for the flight. It was a tolerable read for the most part.

Baldacci's a decent storyteller, but a sucky writer.

I am a BIG FAN of Clint movies, also his music. My only disappointment was that it didn't include the waltz.
I was very pleased with the seller. Everything arrived in excellent condition. I rate the seller with a A++++++

I watched the movie today two days after I had read the whole book. What I can say that the movie is the worst adaptation that I have ever watched. If you watched the movie only, forget it. Pick this book up. You are going to find a definetly different story. Everything is different. You will not regret what you pay for the book!

Everyone I knew told me that I should watch the film rather than read the book! Well, I tried to rent it, even thought the book was on my shelf. I was glad I didn't watch the movie, because the book was so interesting! The story kept pace with the best of suspense novels, and the ending gave me GREAT pleasure for a reading experience!
Can't wait to start the next Baldacci!

What a marvelous book for a first time writer. A very gripping novel all the way to the end. I enjoy the way he takes a unlikely situation and made it believable for me. I do not give out excellent ratings freely, just look at my review on The Winner. This time the author earned my 5 star rating.