First Family by David Baldacci

First Family (King and Maxwell, #4)

by David Baldacci

When she turned the page and her gaze flickered over the date on top it was as though the lightning outside had somehow grounded right into her. A billion volts of pain, a shriek of anguish you could actually see, and feel, as it pierced her.

Camp David, USA. A birthday party turns into a nightmare when a child is snatched after the celebrations.

The First Lady enlists the services of Sean King and Michelle Maxwell to bring the child home safely. But she and King share a past. Years ago he saved her then senator husband from political disaster. And this may not be all that passed between them.

With Michelle still battling her own demons, the two are pushed to the limit, with forces aligned on all sides against them - and the line between friend and foe impossible to define . . . or defend.

Reviewed by ibeforem on

4 of 5 stars

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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 until the end. I think Baldacci does a good job of playing with the reader’s emotions… At first, I felt for the First Lady, who appears to be the long suffering wife of a Clinton-esque husband, forever cleaning up his messes. At the end, my feelings about her did a 180. In many ways, she was worse than the kidnapper. Also, Michelle comes to terms with some of her own demons, and now maybe it’s time for her to really heal. All in all, another winner from Baldacci!

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 28 April, 2009: Finished reading
  • 28 April, 2009: Reviewed