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 First Family Intrigue Nov 15, 2009
David Baldacci is one of the more recognized writers today and known for his character driven stories and a lot of action. Yet First Family is the first Baldacci novel I've had the pleasure of reading. It took only a few pages to recognize why he's so popular.
First Family is the fourth in a series involving characters Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, former Secret Service agents that now share a partnership as Washington D.C. private investigators. I'm sure there is some back story I missed by starting with book four, yet Baldacci provided enough insight into the characters to give me an understanding of who they are and their personal issues. The plot itself is stand alone and introduces an assortment of new characters.
The 12-year-old niece of First Lady Jane Cox is kidnapped following a birthday party at Camp David. King and Maxwell are hired to investigate, much to the obvious disapproval of the Secret Service and FBI. Meanwhile, we follow 62-year-old Sam Quarry, eventually discovering his involvement with the story from his compound in Alabama, called Atlee.
Baldacci throws in several plot twists as well as twisting our feelings and perceptions of characters. I enjoy novels in which things do not seem as they are, and First Family has that same that same form of attraction.
The story is full of scandals involving murder, high politics, and national security. The novel also creates believable scenarios depicting Secret Service and FBI procedures.
First Family is a long story, but it did not give me the feeling of hoping it ends soon. In contrast, it did give me the feeling of wanting to read the previous three novels in the series.
 Not his best Nov 11, 2009
I've read all of the other books published by David Baldacci. This one was the least enjoyable. There were too many disfunctional families and an unbelievable plot.
 Baldacci, First Family Nov 09, 2009
Cliff hanger! Superior writing. Hard to put it down. Will make a fabulous movie.
First Family Nov 05, 2009
First Family was a very fast moving interesting CD. I would highly recommend this book to all to read and listen to.
Weak protagonists, but a highly sympathetic villain and a few real surprises Oct 19, 2009
During a birthday party at Camp David, President Dan Cox's niece Willa Dutton is kidnapped and the girl's mother killed. Suspicious eyes turn toward Tuck Dutton, father of the girl and brother to First Lady Jane Cox. Almost immediately, Jane calls private investigator Sean King.
Years ago, when Dan Cox was a senator and Sean was in the Secret Service, he saved the young senator from a potentially career-ruining situation, and now Jane trusts Sean completely. So, he and partner Michelle Maxwell begin investigating the mysterious murder/kidnapping, until she is pulled away by the death of her mother, and she notices that all the evidence points to her father.
Elsewhere, Sam Quarry is angry. His daughter Tippi has been in a coma since a tragic occurrence years ago, and all he can do is wait -- and read to her from her favorite book, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Or is that all he can do? Could it be that revenge is the answer?
First Family takes its time getting started; there's a lot of character history to impart before the book can really get moving. After disc 3, I was close to putting it down for good, but two discs later I didn't want to turn it off. This is a testament to author David Baldacci's skillful plotting.
He has three different main plots going simultaneously (only one of which feels redundant), and yet things never get confusing or out of control. And he really knows just the right spot to spring a surprise bit of information. Although I had low expectations for First Family, I ended up being very impressed. Which is especially surprising since I generally don't care for this brand of mainstream mystery-thriller.
Baldacci offers a highly sympathetic villain. In fact, by the end of First Family, you'll be asking yourself just who the villain really is. Protagonists King and Maxwell (Simple Genius) are comparatively weak. Their developing relationship is such a minor part of the story, since they're so busy, that scenes that bring them alone together feel forced.
However, audiobook narrator Ron McLarty gives one of his best readings yet (assisted by the occasional melody and sound effect). He is equally proficient at all types, but it is his portrayal of Sam Quarry that really shines. Sam is a full-bodied individual. He is really the only character in First Family that feels that way. It almost seems as if McLarty were not involved at all, and that Sam himself were simply caught on record. This is one case where the narrator is able to bring more to the experience than just words on a page.
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