Split Second (Windsor Selection S.) (King and Maxwell, #1)

by David Baldacci

Split Second is the first in the gripping King and Maxwell series by bestselling author David Baldacci.

When something distracts Secret Agent Sean King for a split second, it costs him his career and presidential candidate, Clyde Ritter, his life. But what stole his attention? And why was Ritter shot?

Eight years later Michelle Maxwell is on the fast track through the ranks of the Secret Service when her career is stopped short: presidential candidate John Bruno is abducted from a funeral home while under her protection.

The similarity between the two cases drives Michelle to re-open investigations into the Ritter fiasco and join forces with attractive ex-agent King. The pair are determined to get to the bottom of what happened in those critical moments.

Meanwhile, high-ranking members of the legal system and key witnesses from both cases are going missing. King is losing friends, colleagues and clients fast and his ex-lover, Joan Dillinger, is playing curious games – she wants Sean back, but she also owes him for something . . .

Split Second is followed by Hour Game, Simple Genius, First Family, The Sixth Man and King and Maxwell.

• ISBN10: 1447248422
• ISBN13: 9781447248422
• Publish Date: 7 November 2013 (first published 30 September 2003)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 4 March 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Imprint: Pan Books
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 608
• Language: English

Reviews

[wyvernfriend]

I saw the TV series first and enjoyed it.

Sean King is distracted by something for a split second and then a presidential candidate is dead. He loses his career and his planned future and has to start again.

Michelle Maxwell is leading a detail to protect a presidential candidate when she lets him go into a room without her and he disappears, the similarity between her and Sean's cases cause her to reopen the investigation and King has to deal with his issues about it. Key witnesses start turning up dead or missing so the two of them are on a race to discover the truth. It will change their lives.

It was entertaining to be reading this while both a presidential campaign, where one of the candidates is interpreted as suggesting assassination as a solution and while the Olympics are ongoing (Maxwell is an ex-olympian), and to crown things off when Ireland were involved in rowing (and getting medals!), it made it resonate a bit more. I like the story and I find the characters entertaining and I could hear the actors in my mind as the banter started between King and Maxwell. I'm looking forward to more in this series.