David Baldacci
Grand Central Publishing
Release date: April 22, 2008
List price: $26.99 (416p)
ISBN: 978-0446195973
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Review - "The Whole Truth"
Reviewer: Cori Vella
Rating:
In The Whole Truth, we are introduced to secret government agent Shaw, a tough guy with lovely blue eyes and a checkered past. Shaw hops around all over the world, apprehending drug agents, terrorists, and the like. Never knowing if he will come home alive, Shaw makes the mistake of proposing to his girlfriend, Anna Fischer.
The world is in turmoil, and Shaw's boss Frank can't afford to let him go. They are in the middle of a Red Scare (as Charise said in her Get Smart review, the Russians are always the bad guys, aren't they?), which has been manufactured by war-materials billionaire Nicolas Creel in a twisted attempt at his vision of world peace.
Of course, within the turmoil, disgraced reporter Katie James rears her head, hoping to get a piece of the action and to restore her good image. She falls in line with Shaw, and they become friends, something which she takes advantage of for the sake of her story.
Anna Fischer, Shaw's fiancée, works at a think-tank called The Phoenix Group. She becomes interested in the Red Menace, and starts looking into the possibility that it was planted. This doesn't sit well with Nicolas Creel, especially after he learns who owns The Phoenix Group, so he has each and every member murdered. He also plants evidence that The Phoenix Group was responsible for Red Menace — all to frame China, as the owners of The Phoenix Group are Chinese.
Shaw is distraught by the murder of his fiancée, and vows to get his revenge. Katie James tags along, all for the sake of the story — and boy, does she get a story, indeed. Unfortunately, her eye-witness was also planted by Nicolas Creel, and her story is exactly what he intends it to be. She learns this just in time to tell her editor to not print it, but he does anyway. Her purpose in Creel's plan has been completed, and she is now expendable. Even more so when she tries to tell the truth about what is going on. Shaw and Katie work to find out who is behind Red Menace, unaware that there is a traitor in their midst.
The Whole Truth is engaging, but unfortunately, isn't fresh or original enough to merit my adoration. The bones of it were recycled from other sources, and I predicted the ending from the summary on the jacket cover. Predictability is not necessarily a bad thing, but in this case, it definitely was. A book that relies on suspense to move it along should keep the reader guessing instead of saying, "Yep, I knew that was going to happen."
Baldacci has a nearly invisible, clear style, however, which is a definite plus. It was a decent read. Good airport or beach material. Not the greatest, but worth a check.
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