End Game: David Baldacci (Will Robie series, 5)

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I mentioned in my review of David Baldacci’s previous Will Robie book, The Guilty(published in 2015), that it wasn’t a series I knew well. In fact, I was a latecomer to the series but that book took Will (and his erstwhile partner Jessica Reel) out of his usual spy / assassin / government agent role and had a more personal twist.

Will Robie and Jessica are two of my favorite Baldacci characters. Their developing closeness than pulling away from each other adds conflict to an all-ready exciting and tense relationship. And the mystery surrounding the Blue Man plays out in a personal and revealing manner that adds depth and sincerity to both his character and the series mythology. Will and Jess had a ‘moment’ at the end of the last book but when this book opens they’ve not seen each other for six months and Will’s at a bit of a loss as to why. Jess is no help to us because – although we’re in both of their heads – Baldacci probably identifies more with Will so it felt like we were keeping his secrets rather than Jess’s. Sent to investigate, Robie and Reel arrive in the small town of Grand to discover that it has its own share of problems. A stagnant local economy and a woefully understaffed police force have made this small community a magnet for crime, drugs, and a growing number of militant fringe groups. It begins with Luther Whitney breaking into a home, something he does often and for a living. Baldacci explains that Whitney doesn’t carry a weapon, but rather prefers to rely on his skills to do the job. One night Whitney is witness to an unexpected tryst in the bedroom, trapped in the closet and unable to leave without revealing himself and possibly getting injured. As the lovemaking between the man and woman turns violent, Whitney unintentionally is the sole witness to murder. Last seen in rural Colorado, Blue Man had taken a rare vacation to go fly fishing in his hometown when he disappeared off the grid. With no communications since the team can’t help but fear the worst.There’s a sense early in the book that this might be the final outing for Will and Jess and I wondered if that was going to be the case, which I guess had me reading while on edge a little more than usual. Overall, it’s a very enjoyable journey for the reader to follow their journey and try to solve the mystery before they do. In my case, I think I damaged a few brain cells trying to beat Robie and Jessica to the resolution. If you haven’t tried reading Baldacci, this is one of his best series to start with if you like fast-paced plotting, robust mystery elements, and strong multi-dimensional characters you can cheer for. Memmott, Carol (February 27, 2013). "David Baldacci clues kids in to Smithsonian's treasures". USA Today. McLean, VA: Gannett. ISSN 0734-7456 . Retrieved 17 May 2013. At the time I appreciated the deviation because I was worried having not read previous books in the series may have been a disadvantage. It wasn’t. Similarly, it doesn’t matter if you’re meeting these characters for the first time in this latest installment as Baldacci does a great job at introducing them to us via James Bond-esque style opening sequences. David Baldacci (born August 5, 1960) is an American novelist. An attorney by education, Baldacci writes mainly suspense novels and legal thrillers. [1] Early life and education [ edit ]

Meanwhile Jessica reveals personal secrets to Will that throw him for a loop. Will they be able to stay partners? Their reunion is more or less amicable, but Will and Jessica are of the same mind when it comes to their mission - find Blue Man at any cost, including their own lives should it come to that. Needless to say, as they bump up against infestations of skinheads, neo-Nazis and other undesirables in this godforsaken territory, there's a good probability that's exactly how it will end. Throw in a few abandoned government bunkers and silos and it closes in on a sure bet. Now I don’t know about small-town America but I wondered whether rural Australia has similarly sordid (and exciting) underbellies; as Grand in Colorado is resplendent with a religious cult, luxury doomsday preppers, skinheads and Neo Nazis. (And I had always thought the last two were the same thing, so was a bit confused on that front!) The local sheriff and her deputy and even the state troopers tend to take a ‘hands-off’ approach when dealing with the groups, knowing they’re is significantly outnumbered. After the huge opening scenes we settle down a little into an unfolding storyline around Will’s boss, known to them as the Blue Man. (Which is something to do with his revered position in The Agency.) Two of the government’s most lethal assassins scour rural Colorado to find their missing handler–and discover an insidious and lethal threat along the way in this New York Times bestselling thriller.This was probably the worse David Baldacci book I have ever read. I have loved the Will Robie series starting with The Innocent, but each book following has gotten a little worse. It's hard to believe that the same person who brilliantly wrote The Innocent actually wrote End Game. So, as much as I have enjoyed Will Robie, I will not be reading another one unless I know for sure that Baldacci actually wrote it, which means, if there is not a disclaimer saying he wrote it all, by himself, it won't be on my reading list. Two of the government's most lethal assassins scour rural Colorado to find their missing handler--and discover an insidious and lethal threat along the way in this New York Times bestselling thriller. David Baldacci is a #1 New York Times Bestselling Author and popular writer of twenty-six novels as well as three children’s books. He has sold over a 100 million copies worldwide in print of his novels and over 3 million ebooks. His books have been translated into over forty-five languages and his books are sold worldwide in eighty-eight countries. Baldacci’s novels deal with scandals and compromising situations, cover ups and pursuits, romance and the search for the truth. The Club discovers a spy is selling secrets, and with the help of an unexpected ally, they may just be able to triumph. The Shaw and Katie James series consist of two books, The Whole Truth and Deliver Us From Evil. James is a journalist about to get her breakout story and Shaw is a mysterious man with a past and a plan. In Zero Day and Forgotten, John Puller is a combat veteran and a military investigator, searching for the truth in cases and in the sequel investigating the death of his own aunt.

Update 2022 Re-read this book. Still a great book and I really enjoyed reading it now after I've read all the previous books in the series. The group eventually witnesses a murder and decide to go after the party themselves rather than risk not being believed. Joining with Veteran Secret Service Agent Alex Ford, the group gets caught up in a complicated game of intrigue and conspiracy that goes all the way to the top. The books go deeper into the real identity of Oliver Stone and his history as a legendary assassin. In the follow up book The Collectors, the Camel Club once again must go to work when the Speaker of the House is assassinated. Baldacci knows his stuff or does A LOT of research. His fight scenes and those involving weaponry are very detailed. I tend to skim them looking for bits I understand but I know those who actually know something about that stuff would care passionately that he’s accurate in his descriptions.

David Baldacci Biography:

Our heroes have several clashes with the Neo-Nazi's, always showing their superior skill and intelligence. At the very end they will need all of that skill and intelligence to overcome the forces of evil operating on a grand scale in the town of Grand. Until Will and Jess came into town to find Blueman no one in Grand had any idea what was going on. Definitely the worst Baldacci book I've ever read. No depth of character. No emotion. Ridiculous plot and contrived settings. I've been a fan of his since Camel Club but his Will Robie/Jessica Reel stuff is terrible compared to his earlier books. I slogged my way through to the end of this book but I won't get another Robie/Reel. It's almost impossible to believe this book was authored by the same man who wrote Absolute Power. Now that I think about it, maybe it wasn't. Maybe Baldacci is going the Clive Cussler/James Patterson route. This is sad to ponder since I truly loved his earlier work. I mean, how could the man who wrote the King and Maxwell series put out this drivel? Baldacci was a consulting producer on King & Maxwell, a TNT television series based on his characters Sean King and Michelle Maxwell. Jon Tenney and Rebecca Romijn starred.