The Winner by David Baldacci Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Winner
Book Review: A "Winner" Indeed
Summary: 4 Stars
What would you do if someone offered you $100 million dollars and all you had to do was leave the country and never return? Yeah, me too! But then I read THE WINNER.LuAnn Tyler is only 20 years old and already a dirt-poor single mother with an 8 month old daughter living in a trailer in Georgia. When a strange man, whom she thought was offering her a job, says he can guarantee that she'll win the national lottery, LuAnn's better judgement tells her to decline. But she comes home to find her boyfriend murdered and herself killing another intruder in self-defense. Alone and desperate, she takes the stranger's incredible offer which leads her to New York City to accept her lottery winnings: $100 million dollars. She has, however, agreed to the stranger's stipulations: She must leave the country and never return; he will control and invest the lottery winnings; LuAnn will live off the investment earnings; at the end of ten years, the entire $100 million will be returned to her in full. Ten years moving around Europe doesn't sound too bad. But LuAnn secretly returns to the US after the ten years, putting herself in grave danger, as well as the lives of her daughter, Lisa, and the two men she loves.
This is my 2nd Baldacci book, the first being his latest, WISH YOU WELL. Hard to believe they were written by the same author. Both incredibly well-written but with very different writing styles. Baldacci has outstanding character development. The stranger, the financial genious, is a great villan. He's truly evil. It seems there's nothing he can't get done. I also picked up on the changes in LuAnn after the ten years had passed. She's such a strong-willed character. Her growth and maturity is so apparent.
I don't know enough about the government or the lotteries to say if "a fix" is really possible. However, Baldacci's brilliant writing makes me want to believe it could happen.
Book Review: A Loser
Summary: 1 Stars
I wouldn't have finished this book if I hadn't been stuck on a long airplane ride with nothing else to read. The plot is generally clever, but has several gaping holes and the "twists and turns" depend largely on the stupidity of the stereotypical, cartoonish characters. Don't waste your money or time on this book.Book Review: A New Baldacci Fan!
Summary: 5 Stars
This was the first book I have read by Baldacci and he has really drawn me in! I've recently read through all of the booys by John Grisham and Dan Brown and I've been looking for a new author to read. After this book, I have found one. This book was captavating. I found myself staying up late to read it, and trying to get in a page or two as I brushed my teeth in the morning. I highly recommend this book.Book Review: A bit of a stretch, but very entertaining
Summary: 4 Stars
Baldacci often writes fiction based on politics and Washington. The Winner is different and I think it shows his skill in writing something fresh. The plot has some very new twists - fixing the lottery, for example. The story has some amazing or rather incredible parts (escaping New York with a full hunt on; her boyfriend summoning the U.S. Attorney General and the FBI Director to quickly negotiate with him, etc.) The main characters are quite engaging. LuAnn, the poor girl who becomes rich, and Jackson, the diabolical genius mastermind, are quite memorable. Charlie is a less developed character who spend years with LuAnn, lives with her overseas but inexplicably has no romantic interest in her or apparently with anyone else for that matter. But, this is escapist literature and Baldacci does an excellent job in moving the story along with great suspense. I found the book to be engrossing and a satisfying read. I read the Kindle version and I wholeheartedly recommend this book.
Book Review: A books that keeps you guessing till the end
Summary: 4 Stars
After having read absolute power and total control I was wondering wether DB could do it again. And with that I mean could the man devise a plot that would be new and give his interpretation to it - meaning that is wouldn't have to do anything with a corrupt government or the hunt for money in the IT - industry. And, well, he did.. The way Baldacci describes the plot en the technical issues makes you wonder if he will one day frame the national lottery himself - or maybe his book will give people ideas.. Anyway, one of his best works - rated second only to Total Control, but surely way ahead of Absolute Power!