The Whole Truth by David Baldacci Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Whole Truth
Book Review: Enjoyable diversion
Summary: 4 Stars
I've read many of the reviews about the "unbelievable" plot and action sequences. I can understand someone disliking the style, or character development, and even the editing. But come on, I don't read these types of novels for real-world believability. I read them for a diversion. From that standpoint it's an enjoyable read. I like Baldacci's style and I wasn't disappointed. I do have some lingering questions, however. I just hope they will be answered when I read the sequel.Book Review: Evil Corporate Chieftain, Shadowy Police Agency, and Driven Hero in Conflict Because of a New Threat
Summary: 4 Stars
This thriller has a lot to commend it: An evil corporate chieftain worthy of Ian Fleming at his best, a sinister police agency that seems worse than crime in some ways, a hero who doesn't want to be one facing a fate like the gladiators slaves did in ancient Rome, a plot to manipulate world opinion, and dire consequences at stake. These elements don't often all make it into the same thriller. Overhanging the story is a profound sense of doom that makes the page-turning appeal higher.
Like the best thrillers, you'll also learn about behind-the-scenes technology that will fascinate you . . . in this case relating to how public opinion can be formed and manipulated. I was also pleased to see that David Baldacci provided lots of memorable locales for his assignations and events.
What's to complain about? The story is built up too big: It's beyond being as credible as a good thriller should be. The basic premise is that no one ever checks anything that shows up on the Internet. While that premise makes for good satire, it doesn't provide a sound-enough foundation for a thriller. In addition, Baldacci takes liberties with how things work in the arms industry: U.S. arms makers aren't free to peddle whatever they want to anyone else. There are significant restrictions on advanced military technology.
I do hope that this will be the start of a series. The leading characters could provide a good center of focus for many other thrillers. Bring them on, Mr. Baldacci!
Book Review: Eye Opening Thriller 4 1/2 Stars
Summary: 4 Stars
While the head of the world's largest defense contractor and his minions secretly conspire to gain even more riches by instigating a war, a multi-national intelligence agent reluctantly travels to keep the world safe, and an ambitious journalist receives a mysterious offer to interview the sole survivor of a recent massacre. BT.
"Why waste time discovering the truth when you can so easily create it?"
This is the main idea behind Perception Management (PM), an interesting and eye opening theme behind Baldacci's latest thriller.
With a heroic good-guy and some ultra-powerful villains, this latest novel will please most of David Baldacci's fans. I found it both intriguing and entertaining and enjoyed the heck out of it.
Highly recommended.
Book Review: Far fetched and silly - but not terrible
Summary: 3 Stars
The Whole Truth is middling effort from David Baldacci. It's nowhere near as bad The Camel Club, not nearly as good as Stone Cold, slightly better than Simple Genius, and a far cry from Absolute Power.
The premise of the novel is extremely farfetched. Certainly, perception management is practiced all the time, but the magnitude of the deception in this novel is so huge and dependent upon so many variables that it's hard to accept. The story hinges on the notion that citizens of the Western world become obsessed with the plight of a Russian dissident who was allegedly murdered by the state. This struck me as highly improbable. Human rights violations occur all over the world all the time, and frankly we try not to think about it too much, particularly if that Country's economy is important to our interests.
As improbable as the whole plot seemed, it didn't really bother me. Elaborate conspiracies are to be expected in novels of this type. What really brings the novel down is the clichéd and silly characters. The villain in this novel is as cartoonish as any Bond villain and the heroes are one dimensional (and apparently invincible).
Frequent attempts to kill our heroes are predictably unsuccessful. As is often the case in these types of novels, our heroes are left for dead, only to survive by some miracle. The villain, of course, ultimately decides that he wants to personally kill our heroes, which enables them to find out who is responsible for everything that has happened when they otherwise never would have.
Don't these villains ever watch action movies? Apparently not, otherwise they wouldn't keep making the same silly mistakes that every other villain makes.
All in all, this novel isn't terrible. It moves along briskly enough and is marginally entertaining. I can't recommend it with much enthusiasm, but I suppose you could do worse. I hear the new Lee Child novel is a real stinker.
Book Review: Fast paced thriller
Summary: 4 Stars
Baldacci sure has been pumping them out lately but this is the best of the lot. An arms magnate uses the media to generate potential world conflict and a change in world order. A small group battle to expose 'the whole truth'..
So far nothing new and I have read many variations on the plot for years. So why four stars? Well, for one it is a page turner, it also has strong characters (most of whom are flawed in some way), entertaining bad guys and sufficient twists to move away from the well trod path of the these types of thrillers. You don't dwell on the slightly flakey aspects of the plot because the story whips you along. The themes of media control and perception management seem daft until you remember that the invasion of Iraq was based on 'facts' that were incorrect....