First Family (Sean King & Michelle Maxwell, #4) by David Baldacci

May 11, 2012 John rated it 3 of 5 stars

Having been a Baldacci fan since his first book, it was to my great dismay that First Family was a sincere disappointment. Don't get me wrong, it's readable and there are some fun elements to it, but for the most part, it is a succinctly forgettable novel with a very contrived and never believable plot.

Those of you that have read previous reviews of mine know that I detest spoilers. But since it is my recommendation that you skip this particular Baldacci creation, I should be forgiven for the fo...more Having been a Baldacci fan since his first book, it was to my great dismay that First Family was a sincere disappointment. Don't get me wrong, it's readable and there are some fun elements to it, but for the most part, it is a succinctly forgettable novel with a very contrived and never believable plot.

Those of you that have read previous reviews of mine know that I detest spoilers. But since it is my recommendation that you skip this particular Baldacci creation, I should be forgiven for the following allusions to my reasons for not taking to "First Family". Admittedly, some of the premises set out in the story might actually be believable. But put more than two of them together and the whole plot rapidly spins off into an incredible world of implausibility. Judge for yourself.

Ex Secret Service people who get direct access to the Oval Office
Private investigators who are ex Secret Service employees
A private investigator who knows the first lady
The first lady arranging for private investigators to be allowed into the inner circle of an FBI investigation
The FBI actually cooperating with private investigators
A woman who needs constant life support who is moved into a secluded place with minimal level of care
A woman on life support for a decade without bed sores
A Vietnam vet pilot with no visible means of support who has enough money to fly a plane around whenever he wants, pay for a daughter on life support, build special rooms deep inside of a mine, and support himself and others in a relatively middle income lifestyle
A young African American boy and his mother being taken in and supported by the Vietnam vet pilot
A private investigator who during the investigation of a kidnapping and murder has her mother murdered
A sex and drug scandal involving the President unknown to the press and/or the American people

I could continue this list with another 15 to 20 items but you should be getting the point by now. Yes, any one or two of these things might happen in real life but not ALL of them. Really, I've heard of poetic license, but Baldacci must have been off his rocker when he contrived this plot. It is simply not believable. And for a guy who generally writes stories which make sense and that might actually have happened, now THAT is UN believable!

So, my advice is this....DO continue to read David Baldacci....just NOT this contrivance called "First Family". (less)

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Apr 29, 2013 Donna Finke rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: listening

Not possible...
Sean King and Michelle Maxwell team up with the FBI to find the President Dan Cox (wife Jane Cox) kidnapped niece Willa Dutton.
Another politician that can't keep his zipper up...Sen.Dan Cox rapes campaign aide Tippy Quarry > Jane Cox arranges for an abortion that goes bad > Tippy in a coma for 13 + years. Sen. Dan Cox has sex with Diane Wright in car (Sean King sees him and delivers him home to his wife, Jane) Diane Wright gets PG, has baby > Jane Cox arranges for baby to...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Judy Collins rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this audio novel and disagree with a lot of the negative reviews, as thought it was very suspenseful and the narrator (Ron McLarty) is my favorite of Baldacci’s books. Baldacci has other performers which I do not care for; however, I always look for Ron when purchasing audio.

The novel was all about protecting the president (his wife in particular). He was a slime ball and everything from his past becomes a nightmare to many victims. The book begins at a birthday party with a pla...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Elias Kibby rated it 5 of 5 stars

A thrilling mystery that takes readers into the secret life of the First Family.

A kidnapping of the President’s niece draws ex-secret service agents turned private investigators Sean King and Michelle Maxwell into a plot that even their highly trained eyes are hard-pressed to solve. It takes them on a crazy journey around the east side of the United States of America. On their journey they experience crazy plot twists that not even the experienced mystery genre readers could not comprehend until...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Steve rated it 2 of 5 stars

My first Baldacci...picked this up at a library give away and took it on vacation since it figured to be something I could read while distracted by the toddler. I'll give you this...blew through it. I read it in about 4 days during my coverage of nap times on the balcony. So...easy read.

But overall, it was lacking. I'm not expecting James Joyce when I read one of these thrillers, but I expect more than what I got out of this one. I'm not a big one into thrillers, but having read Steve Berry and...more

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Jun 30, 2012 M.A. McRae rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review is from: First Family (Hardcover)
Being an Australian, I tend to notice when a book I read has American spelling, and I dislike the frequent use of 'gotten' which makes me cringe, though I know it's common in the US. I have not rated 'First Family' as mediocre because of that, but because it was a thriller that failed to thrill. (I picked it up second-hand at a school fete at a tiny town in Australia.)
The biggest problem with this book, I think, is poor characterisation. If the reade...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Jim rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, fiction, thrillers

A decent outing in the King and Maxwell series, with the latter continuing to be a very interesting and evolving character while the former is perhaps too good to be believable at times. The writing itself was very uneven at times in this one, with some chapters containing some very poorly structured sentences throughout while other chapters read as if written by a different hand. It was bad enough right out of the gate that I might not have persevered if I didn't already have a long and enjoyab...more

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Dec 16, 2011 Morgan Mussell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sometimes you luck out and find good reads just by browsing, and so it was with David Baldacci’s First Family, 2009, an action adventure novel featuring private detectives Sean King and Michelle Maxwell. As ex-Secret Service agents, both know Washingon, and in this case, the first lady, who calls them when her 12 year old niece, Willa, is kidnapped.

At first, we know who the good guys and bad guys are, and the breakdown of that certainty as the story moves forward is the single most telling featu...more Sometimes you luck out and find good reads just by browsing, and so it was with David Baldacci’s First Family, 2009, an action adventure novel featuring private detectives Sean King and Michelle Maxwell. As ex-Secret Service agents, both know Washingon, and in this case, the first lady, who calls them when her 12 year old niece, Willa, is kidnapped.

At first, we know who the good guys and bad guys are, and the breakdown of that certainty as the story moves forward is the single most telling feature of this tale. In fact, for me, Sam Quarry, the mastermind of the kidnapping plot is likely to be the most unforgettable character. He is ruthless, even fanatical, in the pursuit of his brand of justice, but then we see him stop in a nursing home to read Jane Austin to his daughter who has been in a coma for 13 years. As the story unfolds, we come to appreciate the ingenuity he brings to bear on his personal concepts of right and wrong. Our gradual understanding of what drives him parallels the fall of our admiration for several other characters who at first appeared virtuous but are revealed as anything but.

This is Baldacci’s fourth novel featuring the team of Sean and Melissa. If I’d started the series at the beginning I might know why they left the Secret Service under clouded circumstances. They are a compelling team, and the plot is complicated when Melissa’s mother is murdered in a separate event that parallels the main action when it leads to the exposure of family secrets.

The rhythm of a book, its pacing, is something very mysterious. James Patterson sets a hook or mini-crisis every four pages, which is the length of his chapters. Other writers speed things up even more

Baldacci steps away from constant thrills and chills. Yes, there is the obligatory shootout early on, but the author also keeps us reading as he details the minute preparations Sam Quarry has made on his land in rural Alabama. The little shack he has planned and constructed by hand is lined with metal and surplus dental x-ray blankets. Why? The video camera mounted almost invisibly near the cabin has a hidden feed to a bunker up the hill. Why? Quarry spends hours in the basement of his falling-apart family home, with charts and notes, illustrating a web of connections he has spent years uncovering. We know just enough to keep us reading. Baldacci knows that mystery and nagging questions can keep us turning the pages as eagerly as drama and shoot-em-up action.

I cannot say much more without giving away the plot. I can say this – I am definitely going to read the first of the Sean King and Michelle Maxwell mysteries, and if First Family is any indication, I have a whole new series to enjoy.(less)

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Aug 01, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

The First Family by David Baldacci (pp. 449)

A story of politics, retribution, and loyalty. The niece of the President is kidnapped after her 12th birthday party and the First Lady enlists the help of Baldacci private investigators from his previous novels, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, to track down the kidnappers and bring her niece back safely.

From the start this tale builds strong mysteries, twists and turns that are set off with pyrotechnic-like precision. Character motivations and charact...more

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Jun 13, 2011 Zaira rated it 2 of 5 stars

First Family is the sequel to David Baldacci's No#1 bestseller, Simple Genius.
So, the First Lady's much-loved niece Willa is kidnapped. Lady Jane Cox asks Sean King, a former Secret Service agent to find and bring her home. Sean along with partner Michelle Maxwell investigate the case with the reluctant help of the FBI (cliché?).
The antagonist, Quarry, in my opinion is more fascinating than the protagonists. Baldacci writes in such a way that you have no option but to feel something for him, w...more

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May 24, 2011 Iskreads rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 8th-roberts

Title: First Family
Author: David Baldacci
Rating: *****

Summary:

In David Baldacci's thrilling novel First Family, no one ever thinks of laying a hand on The First Family. A tragedy befalls The First Family on the birthday of their most favorite niece, Willa. An old flame ignites while Michelle and Sean are in the White House and after a few gruesome murders later, they are able to piece together every bit of information. Once again David Baldacci captivates his readers by the use of language and

...more Title: First Family
Author: David Baldacci
Rating: *****

Summary:

In David Baldacci's thrilling novel First Family, no one ever thinks of laying a hand on The First Family. A tragedy befalls The First Family on the birthday of their most favorite niece, Willa. An old flame ignites while Michelle and Sean are in the White House and after a few gruesome murders later, they are able to piece together every bit of information. Once again David Baldacci captivates his readers by the use of language and a plot that has many twists and turns. Once you pick it, there is no way you can put it down until the last page is turned. It is one of those books that needs to be read without any sort of interruption

David Baldacci continues his Sean King and Michelle Maxwell partnership in this thrilling novel First Family and does an amazing job of weaving intriguing and disturbing characters with a complete surreal plot. A plot that makes any read want to dig in deeper into the book to find out the reasons and the masterminds. It is an amazing way to interpret The First Family and the problems it has and David Baldacci sure tells us what he thinks about it. The plots are like a roller coaster ride for those who are reading Baldacci for the first time as well as for those who have had an experience with Baldacci. David Baldacci has succeeded in entertaining his readers once again with the twisting plots and the intelligent characters of Sean King and Michelle Maxwell and never fails to disappoint any one of his readers.

Recommendation:

I would recommend this book for 15 years and older because it does use some abusive language as well as some very gruesome scenes that are described perfectly.This book should definitely not be read by those who prefer novels that are soft and romantic, it is definitely for those who love some action and like those books that have not one, not two, nor three plots but numerous plots and any twists that make it impossible to put down the book.

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Amish (AZSD)
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Apr 14, 2010 T. Edmund rated it 3 of 5 stars

The First Family chronologs an elaborate plot involving the presidential family that not only puts the president’s position at risk, but jeopardises everything and everyone around them.

I have to say the story started out as a bit of a mess. There’s complex and ambiguous, then there’s convoluted and confusing. The initial problem was the old “who is the main character here?” which was party intentional because as readers we were expected to sympathise with all the characters not just the ‘good’...more The First Family chronologs an elaborate plot involving the presidential family that not only puts the president’s position at risk, but jeopardises everything and everyone around them.

I have to say the story started out as a bit of a mess. There’s complex and ambiguous, then there’s convoluted and confusing. The initial problem was the old “who is the main character here?” which was party intentional because as readers we were expected to sympathise with all the characters not just the ‘good’ guys, but still, as mentioned, was convoluted and confusing. The first scenes introduce us to: The presidential family, a mysterious plotter and two gung-ho secret agents/private detectives/ FBI agents (I forget which).

The main problem was that different literary processes suggested each character was the one we should be empathising with: The presidential first lady was introduced early on, and had a crime committed against her family (also the title of the book was first family.) Our mystery plotter seemed bad, but was probably the character with most depth, I found myself relating to them the most, then we had the action-heros, who were cliché overly perfect superhero characters and for those reasons seemed like they might be our protagonists (the fact that I can’t even remember their names however does suggests they weren’t really) Anyways my point is, and sorry if this may be a spoiler, the author wants to play with our ideas about who is the good guy and who is the bad, unfortunately it comes across as clumsy, the story probably could have done without a few of the characters and just been about the key players. Oh well

Other than characters the storyline is quite interesting, and the real page turner is the desire to know just what is going on. Towards the end things start getting a bit over-the-top ridiculous, in a “Now Mr Bond we’re going to put you into an elaborate trap that you will eventually escape” kinda way.

The action is well written and exciting and the prose is easy on the eyes, at first this seemed like a mammoth-long book but it can be read in what seems like no time. Overall First Family is probably better than most thriller schlup out there but doesn’t win any medals (from me anyway)
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Aug 31, 2009 K rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, action-thriller

Following Simple Genius, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell return in an action thriller that begins with a children's birthday party held at Camp David, the presidential retreat which ends with a daring kidnapping . . . which immediately turned into a national security nightmare.
Sean King and Michelle Maxwell were not looking to become involved. As former Secret Service agents turned private investigators, they had no reason to be. The FBI doesn't want them interfering. But years ago, Sean King sav...more

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Jun 22, 2009 Chuck rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another Sean King/Michelle Maxwell novel, perhaps the best one of them so far. For those of you unfamiliar with the Baldacci world. King and Maxwell are both former Secret Service agents who have become private investigators (they were in the agency earlier in the series). King's a lawyer by training who got the itch to go into law enforcement, Michelle's a cop's daughter (her four older brothers are all policemen) who's about as tough as they come.

Two plots here. The first one, and the one whic...more Another Sean King/Michelle Maxwell novel, perhaps the best one of them so far. For those of you unfamiliar with the Baldacci world. King and Maxwell are both former Secret Service agents who have become private investigators (they were in the agency earlier in the series). King's a lawyer by training who got the itch to go into law enforcement, Michelle's a cop's daughter (her four older brothers are all policemen) who's about as tough as they come.

Two plots here. The first one, and the one which gives the novel its title, deals with the kidnapping of the First Lady's neice. When he was in the Service, Sean met, befriended, and earned the trust of the woman who is now First Lady, and, when the kidnapping occurs, she wants someone whose only priority will be finding the little girl alive and who is unaffected by the political power plays of Washington. Enter Sean and Michelle.

The second deals with the death, apparently by aneurism, of Michelle's mother, and her forced return to Tennessee to confront her past. However, it turns out that Mom was murdered, and, at first, all clues point to her father. Michelle must both solve her mother's murder, confrong her father, and come to peace with her own past.

Two things make this a cut above the other books in the series--which I like very much First, the "villain" isn't a villain at all--although he is behind the kidnapping, Sam is more honorable and decent than most of the power players in Washington. The novel rises to the level of tragedy in the literary sense as we watch this good man destroy himself, and others, because he is unable to process the grief brought on by the loss of his daughter, whose life was sacrificed to political ambition.

Second is Sean and Michelle themselves. Baldacci's world tends to be a violent one--brutal killings, assasins, HRT personnel playing major roles (the first Baldacci novel I read, Split Second, dealt with an HRT member as a main character). And Sean and Michelle are about as tough as they come. Although there is gunplay (it is a Baldacci novel), Sean and Michelle rely more on their brains than their physical courage and, for the only time so far in the series, don't kill anyone.

A fine book by an author at the top of his game. Plus, a wonderful Father's Day gift from my eldest son, Lars. Thanks, buddy!
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Feb 02, 2012 April Plummer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime-thrillers-myster

I really do love David Baldacci. I think he's a great author. He has a wonderful way of tying the action in with some emotion. He knows how to make the reader see all sides of the same story, and though we generally root for the good guys, and a tiny part of us will never admit it, we sort of kind of understand where the bad guy gets his ideas.

He also masterfully ties in two different plots with the same theme.

The only reason I give it 3 stars is because I skim the ending.

I do this with so many...more I really do love David Baldacci. I think he's a great author. He has a wonderful way of tying the action in with some emotion. He knows how to make the reader see all sides of the same story, and though we generally root for the good guys, and a tiny part of us will never admit it, we sort of kind of understand where the bad guy gets his ideas.

He also masterfully ties in two different plots with the same theme.

The only reason I give it 3 stars is because I skim the ending.

I do this with so many crime novels, and I'm not sure why. No, that's not true. I do know why. The endings are all the same - the good guy wins. And as soon as I'm certain of that, I get bored. The inevitable fight scenes, the inevitable wrap-up scenes where the major players hash out the who, what, where, when and whys of whatever crime occured. Very few crime novels DON'T do this. Even the best ones tend to do so. And if they do, I end up skimming through the last several chapters. Sometimes the last hundred pages or so, which, in my opinion, is entirely too much paper devoted to the end-of-crime-wrap-up.

Aside from that, I think Baldacci did a fantastic job of offering the reader a glimpse of the First Family and guessing what might happen to the First Family should the President's neice be abducted. Of course, this is no normal abduction. There's no call for ransom, there are in fact, no demands. There's too much involved in the kidnapping. There are too many reasons behind it, and the President and his First Lady hide too many secrets amidst their race to the top.

There's one other complaint I have for David Baldacci - his use of the word "lady." I get that sometimes as writers, we run out of ways to say "she" or "woman" or "her" or whatever. But "lady," to me, just sounds strange. When a friend of the President's wife Jane refer to her as "the lady" it just makes me shake my head and wrinkle my brows a little bit. It sounds funny to me. I don't call anyone "lady," let alone women with whom I'm good friends.

But I seriously do love Baldacci and will continue to buy/read his books. His books are some of the few of his genre that I must own the copy that I read. The paper or hardback...not just an e-version.

David, if you're reading this, that is a high compliment coming from this new e-convert!(less)

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Jan 08, 2010 Ryan Madland rated it 4 of 5 stars

First Family is the fourth installment in the Sean King/Michelle Maxwell series. Once again, Sean & Michelle become involved in an investigation where the truth isn't always what it seems or easy to find.

Jane Cox is married to the President of the United States. They've just thrown a birthday party for Jane's niece Willa. All is find and dandy until after the party when Willa is kidnapped and Jane's sister is murdered during the abduction at their family home.

That's when Sean & Michelle...more

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May 04, 2009 hllf rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not my favorite Baldacci, but still a very good novel. Below is a breakdown of my rating:

Enjoyability: 4
Re-Readability: 3
Character Development: 3.5
Complexity: 3
Writing Style: 3.5
Believability: 3.5
Overall: 3.42

This book is the fourth in the series involving Sean King and Michelle Maxwell. It appears to pick up shortly after the events in Simple Genius, although the exact timing is never formally confirmed.

It strays a bit from classic Baldacci, as this novel focuses a lot more on personal elements...more

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May 04, 2009 Jeffrey rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Baldacci fans of his Sean King stories

Shelves: thriller, read-in-2009

This continuation of the Sean King & Michelle Maxwell series is an unrelenting thriller. A grieving father, Sam Quarry and three AWOL soldiers, one of whom is Quarry's son, kidnap Willa Dutton, the daughter of the brother in law of the President and an unknown woman as well. The First Lady who knows King from long ago recruits King and his partner to find her daughter.

The First Lady, Jane Cox, has been keeping her husband out of trouble and getting rid of his problems, mostly women, for yea...more

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Nov 21, 2012 Sarala rated it 3 of 5 stars

David Baldacci has been a recent discovery and I'm loving him.

He's good at the thriller stuff without being overzealous about it. First family follows the story of the first family (What else!) David manages to make the first family seem utterly human. The book talks about making mistakes and taking the heat for them. The president is running for yet another term and the past has finally decided to catch up to him. Hi niece Willa goes missing and the kidnappers sends a series of letters addresse...more

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Feb 05, 2012 James Perkins rated it 3 of 5 stars

Baldacci always delivers a taut, exciting thriller, and this one is no exception. The main problem with this novel is that it is a little too dialogue-driven, and he is sometimes so sparse in describing the action that the characters move from one setting to another and you don't even realise that they have until they refer to something around them that is different. Personally I think this is sloppy writing; while I appreciate that the author needs to keep up the pace, he should not do so at th...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Phyllis Sommers rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another suspenseful & well-written David Baldacci novel. This time mainstay characters, private investigative partners Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, get brought into an investigation involving the President of the United States, after they are hired by the First Lady, Jane Cox. Jane hires them to find her niece, Willa Dutton, whose kidnapping appears to reach all the way to the First Family. Baldacci paints a very detailed history of circumstances and events that begins to evolve and ultim...more

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May 15, 2009 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Normally I am not a fan of thrillers except for Baldacci- he is a great writer and his books always promise excitement and good mystery.
First Family is definitely one of his best- just when you thinks things are calming down, more fuel is added to the fire and the plot thickens! He brings back Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, two of his heroes from previous novels. You don't have to have read the other books to follow this story, but it does help in remembering their backgrounds, etc.
The niece of...more

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Apr 29, 2009 drey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-reads, mystery-suspense-and-thriller

David Baldacci's First Family is a thriller with non-stop action, lots of suspense, and a run-around-in-circles-till-you-figure-it-out mystery in the middle of everything.

When the First Lady's niece, Willa, is kidnapped on her 12th birthday, former Secret Service agents Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are asked to find her, even if they no longer serve in an official capacity. And in doing so, they unravel a secret that's been kept for 13 years, a secret that threatens to tumble the presidency in...more

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Apr 28, 2009 Jaime rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, thriller

Even though this is part of a series, it works pretty well as a stand-alone novel. In fact, I didn’t even realize until I started preparing for this review that I haven’t yet read the book before it, Simple Genius. I like Sean and Michelle, friends and partners who are still trying to figure out their boundaries and what exactly they are to each other. The storyline here is one that isn’t easy to figure out on your own. I had a couple of things figured out, but the whole picture was elusive unti...more

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Sep 10, 2009 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: David Baldacci fans, Nelson DeMille fans.

Recommended to Michael by: Have enjoyed the author's other work.

Shelves: hardboiled, mystery, read-in-2009, reviewed

This is almost a two plot story.

Ex CIA agents Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are asked to meet Pam Dutton, who wants to hire time. When they arrive at Pam's home, someone has just murdered Pam and kidnapped her twelve year old daughter, Willa. Willa is the First Lady's neice and when the First Lady, Jane Cox, finds out about the kidnapping, she hires King and Maxwell to find Willa.

We find that Sam Quarry is behind the kidnapping. He sent two men to carry out the crime. When Pam Dutton fought bac...more

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Jul 05, 2009 Charity rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 27, 2013 Mark Soone rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I would call this a 3.5 stars read, but still it does not remain a goodreads option!

My oh my how this series is rapidly spiraling out of control. I love Baldaccai's writing, and while I don't find this quite as engrossing as some of his earlier work I am still drawn in like a bug to a light. This series has certainly...not sure how to word it??? I guess this would be best be described as a Soap Opera in print. Michelle's family is the epitome of dysfynctional, and their continued drama is someti...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Kim Maya Sutton rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a thriller!
I meant to treat this as a leisure book. What that means for Will and me? Well, normally, one of us reads one book and the other another. That way, between the two of us, we can read more and just report to each other on our jogs in the morning.
With this book, that was outright impossible. It was so exciting and I kept wanting to read passages to Will; I was worried I would miss a detail and we'd thus not be able to keep at the guessing game as to what happened why and who did it...more

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Feb 22, 2013 Paula rated it 4 of 5 stars

On their way to meet the First Lady’s sister-in-law Pam Dunton, former FBI agents turned P.I. s Sean King and Michelle Maxwell stumble on a crime scene. Why had Pam Dunton wanted to see them? Why has the President’s niece has been kidnapped?
Now hired by the First Lady ,they set out piece together the scant evidence in a race to save her niece ,Willa . Hindered by the lack of evidence and intentional omissions of evidence they are led on a trail of deceit. The muddied waters of politics leave...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Kelci rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the book that started my obsession with David Baldacci's stories. It was my first book of his, one that jumped out at me for some reason in our local grocery store's very small book/magazine section. I'm sure glad that it did! It did cause me to read the King and Maxwell series completely out of order, but that's okay! It's still my favorite series of his.

I began reading this at age 12, so I could identify a bit with Willa (the girl who gets kidnapped), which I believe made me love the b...more

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First Family (Sean King & Michelle Maxwell #4)

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