Baldacci's new hero, A. Shaw, shines

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	• The Whole Truth David Baldacci Grand Central Publishing, 2008 - 416 pages average customer review:based on 86 reviews view larger image
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Great Book

I really liked this book. When I first saw the title of the book I thought it might be the next book in the Camel Club series (which I LOVE). At first I was a bit disappointed when I realized it was not part of the Camel Club series but my disappointment was short lived. If you like an action packed book with a hero that has all the human frailties yet still seems indestructible, this book is for you. It is also very thought provoking and you really start to wonder just how much truth there really is in this book. Baldacci has a winner here. Other than not having a clue as to what a "hack saw" is, Baldacci made an outstanding effort at the detail that went into the story. I hope we get to see lots more of the lead character (Shaw) in future books.

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Truth or Fiction?

In every story there is a premise. The plot can be real or a figment of one's imagination. If it is unreal or illogical, it can interfere with the reader's enjoyment. Such is, perhaps, the case with this novel.

The plot is a fairly simple one. Nicolas Creel, the head of a large defense contractor somewhat on the skids, undertakes to recreate the Cold War to encourage another arms race. Along the way, to accomplish this aim, the collateral damage is widespread, with many people left dead, Russia and China at each other's throats. Only Shaw, a larger-than-life protagonist, and Katie James, a two-time Pulitzer Prize journalist turned unemployed alcoholic (along with a little help) can uncover the plot and prevent Armageddon. Meanwhile, trillions of dollars of arms contracts flow to the instigator of the plot, as well as other defense companies.

The problem is, the premise is highly improbable. For a defense contractor to sell weapons and other materiel overseas, permission and a license has to be granted by the United States Government. Without such an OK, no sale. So the truth is the premise for this novel is pure fiction. But, after all, that's what novels are for. So, if the reader can by-pass this little impediment, a highly charged and entertaining read is available.

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Can Baldacci deliver The Whole Truth

Ron McLarty delivers the narration while David Baldacci delivers The Whole Truth about a crooked defense executive with one thing on his mind, war. From the opening moments when Nicholas Creel utters the line "Dick, I need a war" to the explosive conclusion, McLarty and Baldacci deliver one of the most exciting thrillers since Baldacci's own The Camel Club. Dick Pender is a Perception Manager, able to fabricate stories and scenarios for any situation or scheme that he is hired for. When the head of a major defense company (Creel) hires him to create a war, Pender goes to work planting false stories about Russia, deemed "The Red Menace". Through the creative use of e-mail scamming, and some planned murders along the way, he creates a world-wide paranoia that has everyone on the brink of war. Creel's defense company, Ares who does business with the US, Russia, and China stands to benefit the most as a result. Unfortunately for purists, this scenario is unbelievable as the United States government has ITAR (International Trade & Arms Regulations) which closely controls the sales of Defense weapons internationally. But it is a novel after all, and that's part of the fun. The other fun is how Baldacci and McLarty unveil two of the most unconventional hero's and heroines in years. Shaw, a reluctant hero thrust into the scene by government types to keep himself out of prison, and a two-time Pulitzer Prize winning journalist by the name of Katie James who is an alcoholic and seems to show up at all the wrong times. These are not characters with the same interest-level as an Oliver Stone from the Camel Club series, yet over time they could grow on you if Baldacci chose to create a series. In summary - The Whole Truth is not on par with the Camel Club series, but it's enjoyable and fun to listen to none the less.

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wonderful, exciting

once again this author has topped himself with another really exciting mystery. He is once again on top of what is really happening in the world at large. Very, very good!!

Baldacci's new hero, A. Shaw, shines

It looks like David Baldacci may be trying to create a new James Bond-type hero. Shaw is a secret agent who has nerves of steel to take on terrorists single-handedly.

Shaw is a man of action, but he wants out and he wants to settle down with the woman he loves. That is, until she is killed.

Now he's on a mission to find the person responsible. The mastermind is Nicolas Creel, a philanthropist, but also a man who believes the world is better off believing nuclear holocaust is only a button push away.

As a defense contractor Creel benefits from the weapons build up so he not against creating public opinion where it serves his needs. However, it isn't necessarily the truth.

The Whole Truth has some great plot twists and it reads quickly (with the help of short chapters). While it's a great thriller, the central question of the book is intriguing: Just how easily can public opinion be manipulated and to what ends?

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