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297th out of 1,040 books
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Absolute Power
'Accomplished and amazing - one of the hottest reads around' "DAILY MAIL"
Set in Washington D.C., this fascinating thriller of unparalleled suspense dares to explore an unthinkable abuse of power and criminal conspiracy: a vicious murder involving the US President and a cover-up orchestrared by his zealously loyal Chief of Staff and the Secret Service. But, unk
...morePaperback
Published
by Pan Publishing
(first published January 1st 1996)
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I think this may not be a 'great' novel and has probably been panned by those far more astute than I, but I loved it. I was about 100 pages into in when I started on my trip of 1 one hour flight, 1 one hour layover and 1 five hour flight. It totally kept my interest until I finished the last page as we landed at my home airport. A veteran burglar chooses the wrong mansion to rob on the wrong night and witnesses the President of the United States trying to kill his sex partner and his secret ser...more
Harmonybites
rated it
Recommends it for:
Fans of Popular Thrillers (Which I'm Beginning to Suspect Isn't Me)
Recommended to Harmonybites by:
The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Ultimate Reading List
As popular thrillers go, this isn't badly written. Baldacci is a better writer judging from what I've read than a James Patterson or Dan Brown. Not high praise--just means he's not obviously eye-bleeding, but this is still reads as a generic pot-boiler. Nevertheless even Brown and Patterson have held me to the end of a couple of their books. Baldacci didn't here.
The thing is, I couldn't wrap my head around the basic premise. A cat burglar, Luther Whitney, is trapped in a vault with a ...more
The thing is, I couldn't wrap my head around the basic premise. A cat burglar, Luther Whitney, is trapped in a vault with a ...more
A good friend of mine has recommended David Baldacci books to me in the past and I never had time to check him out until now. I'm glad she recommended him.
Absolute Power is set in Washington D.C. and is about Secret Service Agents, The President, The Chief of Staff, lawyers and the filthy rich. Nothing better, right? I love me some political/lawyer drama.
The book starts out with the heist of the very rich Walter Sullivan, but during the robbery the burglar is surprised ...more
Absolute Power is set in Washington D.C. and is about Secret Service Agents, The President, The Chief of Staff, lawyers and the filthy rich. Nothing better, right? I love me some political/lawyer drama.
The book starts out with the heist of the very rich Walter Sullivan, but during the robbery the burglar is surprised ...more
The President of the United States is involved in the death of a woman of questionable character, and a thief witnesses the whole unsavory act. Following in its wake is a cover-up of enormous proportions, and a strain of people fighting for their lives and freedom.
I always have a difficult time reviewing audiobooks, probably because I am always doing other things while listening to them. So there is a big "distraction factor". However let me first say that this narrator was...more
I always have a difficult time reviewing audiobooks, probably because I am always doing other things while listening to them. So there is a big "distraction factor". However let me first say that this narrator was...more
Let's face it. Baldacci is no Shakespeare. There is no need to judge his books based on their literary and artistic values. Like other popular writers, e.g., Gresham, Patterson, etc., his works belong to the popular culture with focus on entertainment. This book is one of his early works and it shows in both positive and negative ways. First, you can feel his passion and endeavor to write something memorable to many. He created a very interesting plot and introduced genuine characters. Then, you...more
I'm not a big Baldacci fan but a friend gave me the book. In typical Baldacci style, the book was very wordy and descriptive. Basically a rich old man has a sexy, young trophy wife who conveniently gets ill right before a trip out of the country. A cat burglar breaks into the mansion to rob the closet safe which is hidden behind a two way mirror. The burglar is in the safe when the old man's wife walks into the room with the president of the U.S. who is totally drunk. A fight ensues and...more
Impressive plot for first novel, much better than Eastwood movie !
We enjoyed the author's later work, "Simple Truth", so decided to catch up on this his first novel based on his lawyer-turned-writer's ability to craft a good plot and keep us in suspense. We were not to be disappointed! Baldacci has spun another fine tale, starting off hot with a rich man's trophy wife murdered by the Secret Service as her bedmate, U.S. President(!) Alan Richmond, was in danger of being stab...more
We enjoyed the author's later work, "Simple Truth", so decided to catch up on this his first novel based on his lawyer-turned-writer's ability to craft a good plot and keep us in suspense. We were not to be disappointed! Baldacci has spun another fine tale, starting off hot with a rich man's trophy wife murdered by the Secret Service as her bedmate, U.S. President(!) Alan Richmond, was in danger of being stab...more
I think this is the third book by Baldacci that I've read in the past 10 years and again I ask myself why I haven't been devouring them. This was his first, written in the late 1990s, as he was determined to become a writer instead of a lawyer. He wrote to would-be agents that if they read the first page, they wouldn't stop until the end. He was right. We listened to it as an audio book, but oh man, the action starts at the beginning and doesnt let up.
Basically a career thief brea...more
Basically a career thief brea...more
Michael
rated it
Luther Whitney is a thief with a conscience. He's breaking into the home of a wealthy family in Washington D.C. when the woman of the house returns unexpectedly. He hides in the closet and she enters her room with her lover.
The two way mirror lets Luther see the action as the sex turns rough and when the man can't perform due to his alcoholic state, she ridicules him. A struggle ensues and the woman picks up a letter opener and is approaching the man when two other people come into ...more
The two way mirror lets Luther see the action as the sex turns rough and when the man can't perform due to his alcoholic state, she ridicules him. A struggle ensues and the woman picks up a letter opener and is approaching the man when two other people come into ...more
You think hard of what to put down about some books and surprisingly they do not turn up much, I file this book in that archive. This belongs to the I-should-have-read-this-earlier genre of novels wherein a read during pre-teen times would have give quite a kick. Conspiracies,bad cops, steamy hollywood-ish sex and blah di blah all combine within these covers. Knowing that this was a debut novel from Baldacci I have no doubt as to why he catapulted to the best seller lists.
Go into the...more
Go into the...more
Luther Whitney is considered a career thief by some and an honorable man by most. He will find it difficult to balance the two when a routine job turns into a nightmare that will have causalities.
I saw the movie before I read the book which for the most part doesn't have much affect on me. But in this case as I am reading I can hear the characters from the movie in my head. The book was very well written and thoroughly enjoyable. Having seen the movie didn't wreck it for me. Usual...more
I saw the movie before I read the book which for the most part doesn't have much affect on me. But in this case as I am reading I can hear the characters from the movie in my head. The book was very well written and thoroughly enjoyable. Having seen the movie didn't wreck it for me. Usual...more
The set-up of the story is simple: Luther Whitney, an aging thief, witnesses the lady of the house he is robbing in a tryst with Allen Richmond, the President of the United States. Things get out of hand and she is killed by secret service agents. Luther gets his hands on a key piece of evidence and is suddenly on the run for his life. Seth Frank is the detective on the murder case; Walter Sullivan is the millionaire husband of the deceased and good friend to the President; Jack Graham is Lut...more
A thief, Luther, got more than he bargained for when he visited a mansion in Virginia thinking he could make it out of there with a few prize pieces. He becomes trapped in the wall when two people being having an intimate moment. The shocking part is the murder that takes place and it has to do with the US president.
Jack is an attorney and he is determined to find out what really happened that night. Who is telling the truth, a burglar or the man entrusted with the most powerful job ...more
Jack is an attorney and he is determined to find out what really happened that night. Who is telling the truth, a burglar or the man entrusted with the most powerful job ...more
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Luther Whitney, a career burglar, finds himself in a very dangerous situation when he witnesses the President of the United States assault a woman. If that wasn't bad enough, two Secret Service agents kill her when they hear the President Allan Richmond in a struggle. Luther watches them from inside asecret vault hideen by a one-way mirror as they clean up all of the evidence. However when the Secret Service leave, they accidentally leave a big piece of evidence behind.
This novel wa...more
This novel wa...more
It was made into a movie, but I don't think the stories matched up. The movie seemed to have written out the main character completely!
It's a suspenseful legal type drama in the style of Grisham. The writing style is a little juvenile I think, but the plot was entertaining. It reminded me of how I would write a book with its description of people and things. But I am not a writer so I don't think that's a compliment.
Overall the plot was very good. It reminded me of...more
It's a suspenseful legal type drama in the style of Grisham. The writing style is a little juvenile I think, but the plot was entertaining. It reminded me of how I would write a book with its description of people and things. But I am not a writer so I don't think that's a compliment.
Overall the plot was very good. It reminded me of...more
My least favorite of Baldacci's because of the graphic violence. I ended up skipping most of the book just to see how it ended.
This is the first book I've read by Baldacci, and I don't often read books of this genre, but I loved it. I liked knowing the who and what about the crime right from the beginning and being an observer in the investigation process. I was concerned about there being too many characters to keep straight, but character development was perfect. The level of suspense was excellent too and he didn't leave something hanging for so long that you end up forgetting all about it. I have several other Balda...more
First piece of fiction I read on my Kindle on recommendation from my mother. I figure that since I inflicted J.C. Hutchins' 7th Son: Descent upon her, fair's fair, and I'd read something she enjoys.
And it wasn't bad! It's definitely more of a popcorn book than I'm used to, and it was Baldacci's first work after all. I'm more used to techno-thrillers in the Tom Clancy vein than the law procedural. It definitely read very quickly, though, and reading it on the Kindle was especially...more
And it wasn't bad! It's definitely more of a popcorn book than I'm used to, and it was Baldacci's first work after all. I'm more used to techno-thrillers in the Tom Clancy vein than the law procedural. It definitely read very quickly, though, and reading it on the Kindle was especially...more
"If I told you who did it you wouldn't believe it." The book was a definite page turner for me. At about 30% in, I wanted to find out how it was going to end. There were a few twists and turns along the way, but the outcome was inevitable. This was the second Baldacci book I had read. I am a big fan of James Patterson and I must say that this book was better than any Patterson book I have read in a long time. I would love to see this made into a movie...it would definitely be a hit. Th...more
Wow! I really enjoyed this book, it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout, despite it's length. I found myself dissecting the clues and looking for ways the characters could use these clues to help themselves (or how it could be used against them). I was rooting for Luther throughout. I found myself cheering on Jack, and then being disappointed by him for not seeing the differences between Jennifer and Kate. Like any truly good story, I felt I wanted to befriend the heroes and rally against...more
This is only the second book I have read by David Baldacci but so far I am very impressed with his work. I tend to avoid politically-based literature but this author does an amazing poltical thriller!
This doesn't start up quite as quickly as "The Camel Club" and the characters take a longer time to warm up to but they eventually do reach that point leaving nothing to be desired.
The ending is a lot more realistic than I tend to see in even good books. It ends on ...more
This doesn't start up quite as quickly as "The Camel Club" and the characters take a longer time to warm up to but they eventually do reach that point leaving nothing to be desired.
The ending is a lot more realistic than I tend to see in even good books. It ends on ...more
It's hard to know how to rate this book. On the one hand, it DID have me on the edge of my seat most of the way through. So, that's 5 stars. However, the plot was or became pretty "over the top" and the writing was overdone or overwrought, I'd say. So, I'll settle on the 3 stars. I do think that if you like political thrillers, you'd like this one. I've read other thriller type books, and this definitely was up there with the best of those in my opinion. In the end, I would rea...more
First things first - I love David Baldacci. I started with an audiobook of his from the library. It was the first one in the Sean King and Michelle Maxwell series, Split Second (which I did not know was part of a series) and then lucked up when the next one I listened to was Hour Game. Since then I have working my way through his backlist and when the opportunity to listen and review his first book came up - I jumped at the chance.
The first thing I loved about this audiobook...more
The first thing I loved about this audiobook...more
I liked the film starring Clint Eastwood, so I bought the book on Audible to listen to.
I liked the book, even though at times it was too descriptive and sometimes long winded.
Still, it was an exciting read and I enjoyed it very much as I walked kilometers listening to it on the treadmill.
The characters are well drawn, the plot is fine although after the murder it is quite clear what is going to happen......with some twists.
I very much enjoyed this first Baldacci thriller,...more
I liked the book, even though at times it was too descriptive and sometimes long winded.
Still, it was an exciting read and I enjoyed it very much as I walked kilometers listening to it on the treadmill.
The characters are well drawn, the plot is fine although after the murder it is quite clear what is going to happen......with some twists.
I very much enjoyed this first Baldacci thriller,...more
Mr. Baldacci has a franchise of thrillers. This was my first experience and my last. The good news is that I will know what to do with the suggestions a particular friend gives me in the future. I read the whole thing, I will confess, while watching whales from the Hawaiian lanai. The plot is preposterous (so much so that there is an apology to some of the villains in the back of the book, a shout out to the Secret Service—they're really not evil), the characters are cardboard cutouts and the wh...more
Good read, and while the movie based on this one isn't as dismal as a lot of movie adaptions, the book is still better. The opening is accurate...a thief happens to be present when the President (of the US) is involved in an extramarital liaison that brings about the killing of his "prospective sexual partner". The thief escapes and the Secret Service protection detail are involved in laying the murder at said thief's feet.
From there on the story spins off in a more involve...more
From there on the story spins off in a more involve...more
the first half was great, but then I got bored. even tho it was written in 1996, and that was like 14 years ago, he's written a WHOLE lot better! this first one he ever wrote was interesting. "can the President of the United States get away with murder?" great question, but it was just boring towards the end from the 2nd half. I satarted skimming and then just decided to quit. a lot of people loved it but it wasn't my favorite of Baldacci's. it was alright, but not amazing. so yeah. I'...more
"Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely."
The action in Absolute Power begins as a grizzled professional cat burglar named Luther Whitney gets trapped inside the bedroom closet of one of the world's richest men, only to witness, through a one-way mirror, two Secret Service agents killing the billionaire's trampy young wife as she tries to fight off the drunken sexual advances of the nation's chief executive; Alan Richmond, President of the U.S. ...more
The action in Absolute Power begins as a grizzled professional cat burglar named Luther Whitney gets trapped inside the bedroom closet of one of the world's richest men, only to witness, through a one-way mirror, two Secret Service agents killing the billionaire's trampy young wife as she tries to fight off the drunken sexual advances of the nation's chief executive; Alan Richmond, President of the U.S. ...more
This is the first novel I've read by David Baldacci. I'm not likely to read another one. While I found the overall plot well planned and entertaining, I found Baldacci's writing too wordy. He spent too much time describing details that I found to have no bearing on the plot.
His introduction of Jack Graham, the hot shot defense attorney, was also lacking. Graham is engaged to be married to a wealthy, beautiful DC socialite, and he's just landed a job at one of the most prestigio...more
His introduction of Jack Graham, the hot shot defense attorney, was also lacking. Graham is engaged to be married to a wealthy, beautiful DC socialite, and he's just landed a job at one of the most prestigio...more
David Baldacci's Absolute Power has a decent story, but it was hard for me to enjoy because I found the writing so hackneyed that it distracted me from the plot. Here's a representative descriptive passage:
At the sound of the explosion, the playing stopped as three pairs of eyes turned as one toward the house. In another minute they were inside. It only took one more minute for the screams to be heard. The quiet neighborhood was no more.
Forget, for a moment, the clumsy us...more
At the sound of the explosion, the playing stopped as three pairs of eyes turned as one toward the house. In another minute they were inside. It only took one more minute for the screams to be heard. The quiet neighborhood was no more.
Forget, for a moment, the clumsy us...more
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David Baldacci was born in Virginia, in 1960, where he currently resides. He received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Virginia Commonwealth University and a law degree from the University of Virginia. Mr. Baldacci practiced law for nine years in Washington, D.C., as both a trial and corporate attorney.
David Baldacci has published sixteen novels: Absolute Power, Total Cont...more
More about David Baldacci...
David Baldacci has published sixteen novels: Absolute Power, Total Cont...more
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