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daylight

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Daylight (Attlee Pine #3) by David Baldacci

This post may contain spoilers.

Not a bad book but just very formulaic and dull. This series is starting to feel like it should have been two maybe three books but has been stretched out to four.

Don’t get me wrong, there are loads of twists and turns and plenty of action with people getting shot, abducted, murdered and buildings blown up, there’s a massive blackmail scheme involving politicians, judges and cops but it’s still dull. I get the feeling that the author has a formula for writing by now but has no passion for it any longer.

To try and spice up the bizarre relationship between Pine and her grandmother style sidekick, Carol Blum, the author brings in the Pullers. John Puller’s investigation crosses Pine’s and they soon figure they need to work together. The second Puller brother, Robert, also gets pulled in and we have a sad scene between John and his father. Despite bringing these guys into the story it can’t seem to raise the excitement levels at all.

In the second book I found the character of Carol Blum to be very unrealistic. If anything she has become even more so in this one, following Pine around like a sad shadow of a mother and seemingly only useful as a sounding board for Pine to work through theories, come to conclusions and move the story ahead to the next step on the author’s plot list.

I will read the last installment but, as my only interest now lies in how they manage to complete Mercy’s story, I’m in no rush.

More on Goodreads and Amazon.

My Rating: ⭐⭐

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a minute to midnight

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A Minute to Midnight (Attlee Pine #) by David Baldacci

From Goodreads:

FBI Agent Atlee Pine returns to her Georgia hometown to reopen the investigation of her twin sister’s abduction, only to encounter a serial killer beginning a reign of terror, in this page-turning thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci.

FBI Agent Atlee Pine’s life was never the same after her twin sister Mercy was kidnapped–and likely killed–thirty years ago. After a lifetime of torturous uncertainty, Atlee’s unresolved anger finally gets the better of her on the job, and she finds she has to deal with the demons of her past if she wants to remain with the FBI.

Atlee and her assistant Carol Blum head back to Atlee’s rural hometown in Georgia to see what they can uncover about the traumatic night Mercy was taken and Pine was almost killed. But soon after Atlee begins her investigation, a local woman is found ritualistically murdered, her face covered with a wedding veil–and the first killing is quickly followed by a second bizarre murder.

Atlee is determined to continue her search for answers, but now she must also set her sights on finding a potential serial killer before another victim is claimed. But in a small town full of secrets–some of which could answer the questions that have plagued Atlee her entire life–digging deeper into the past could be more dangerous than she realizes . . .

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Having read a few very detailed and involved books recently I needed something a lot easier to read and this fit the bill nicely. Baldacci is pretty much in auto mode with this series. The writing is good, but not great and many of the structures and characters are very familiar to anyone that reads this genre on a regular basis.

I do like to see a strong female character as the lead, in fact there are a number of strong female characters in this one. I’m also glad to see no evidence of man bashing that often accompanies this kind of character. Mrs Blum’s character also felt better this time. In the first story her two personas were just jarring and too disconnected to be believable. This depiction suits her much better.

Overall an easy to read story, with a few little twists and some interesting detail on Atlee’s back story. I definitely like how he’s developing this as we progress through the books. If you can deal with the Scooby Doo style ending then you should enjoy it too.

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long road to mercy

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Long Road to Mercy (Attlee Pine #1) by David Baldacci

From Goodreads:

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. Catch a tiger by its toe.

It’s seared into Atlee Pine’s memory: the kidnapper’s chilling rhyme as he chose between six-year-old Atlee and her twin sister, Mercy. Mercy was taken. Atlee was spared.

She never saw Mercy again.

Three decades after that terrifying night, Atlee Pine works for the FBI. She’s the lone agent assigned to the Shattered Rock, Arizona resident agency, which is responsible for protecting the Grand Canyon.

So when one of the Grand Canyon’s mules is found stabbed to death at the bottom of the canyon-and its rider missing-Pine is called in to investigate. It soon seems clear the lost tourist had something more clandestine than sightseeing in mind. But just as Pine begins to put together clues pointing to a terrifying plot, she’s abruptly called off the case.

If she disobeys direct orders by continuing to search for the missing man, it will mean the end of her career. But unless Pine keeps working the case and discovers the truth, it could spell the very end of democracy in America as we know it…

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

This story felt like the author was trying to create a female version of Jack Reacher. In doing so he makes her a loner with personality issues and very butch. I think he could have done a better job with this.

The storyline is interesting and very well written for the first half but then it went off the rails into absurdity that I had difficulty with. I also had issues with Mrs Blum’s character. The change she went through just felt wrong as did the dynamic between her and Pine.

Saying all that the book is very readable. It’s styled like Reacher books also with short, snappy chapters that trot along at a fast pace drawing you along.

Overall I enjoyed it and look forward to seeing what happens next with Agent Pine.

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