Hit and miss (David Baldacci in general)

Member Name: masterchef98

Product:	David Baldacci in general
Date:	27/10/09 (8 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Decent enough thriller writer

Disadvantages: Not a fantastic writer and has chosen some dodgy material for his non-thriller work

David Baldacci is an author of a wide variety of novels. I read Absolute Power which was quite a gripping thriller which I enjoyed although I found it a bit simplistic, especially when compared with my favourite authors Tom Clancy and Frederick Forsyth but possibly it is a slightly different genre and it is easier to read.

I enjoyed it well enough though that when I saw another of his novels in a charity box I picked it up and eagerly started reading. In hindsight maybe I should have read the cover to see what I was getting (often I like not to so that its more of a surprise). After a chapter of 'Wish You Well' I stopped in confusion and read the cover. This book was about young children moving to rural America eating cornbread and running around barefoot - not at all what I was expecting. Reading the cover apparently it is the same David Baldacci but he thought he'd try his hand at a different style of writing. I tried to carry on but the book (that was started two years ago) still has a bookmark a few chapters in. The writing was not great but not terrible but the book just held no interest for me whatsoever. I don't just read thrillers and do like books about different cultures but after a few chapters nothing was happening and it didn't seem to be going anywhere so I gave up.

My advice - probably best to read the cover of a book before you start it, and I think I'll be taking that advice myself in future!

Summary: Make sure you know what you're getting, he writes in different genres.