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Executive Times |
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2008 Book Reviews |
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The Whole
Truth by David Baldacci |
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Rating: |
*** |
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(Recommended) |
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Click
on title or picture to buy from amazon.com |
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Absolute Nuance
and subtlety are rarely characteristics of the action novel genre, and David
Baldacci avoids both in his latest book, The Whole
Truth, a perfect choice for summer reading pleasure. Everything is
absolute or extreme on these pages: the villain exudes evil (despite a
philanthropic distraction); the hero is both competent and capable, appearing
in the right place at the right time doing the right thing. Here’s an
excerpt, all of Chapter 3, pp. 12-14: “What’s
the “A” stand for?” the man asked in fluent English with a Dutch accent
layered over it. Shaw
looked at the gentleman standing opposite him at Passport Control in Schiphol
Airport fifteen kilometers southwest of Amsterdam. One of the busiest
airports in the world, it rested five meters below sea level with trillions
of tons of swirling water nearby. Shaw. had always considered this the height
of engineering daring. Yet much of the entire country was below sea level, so
they didn't really have much of a choice on where to park the planes. "Excuse
me?" Shaw said, though he well knew what the man was referring to. The
fellow stabbed the photo page of Shaw's passport with his finger. "There.
Your given name is just the initial `A'. What does it stand for?" Shaw
gazed at his passport while the Dutchman looked on. As
befitted the tallest nation on earth, the passport man in his regulation
uniform was six foot two, only one inch above a Dutchman's average height,
but still coming in three inches under Shaw's imposing stature. "It
doesn't stand for anything," Shaw answered. "My mother never gave
me a Christian name, so I named myself for what I am. A Shaw. Because that is
my surname, or at least it was my mother's." "And
your father had no objection to his son not taking his name?" "You
don't need a father to deliver a baby, only to make one." "And the
hospital did not name you, then?" "Are
all babies born in hospitals?" Shaw jabbed back with a smile. The
Dutchman stiffened and then his tone became less adversarial. "So
Shaw. Irish, as in George Bernard?" The-
Dutch were a wonderfully informed people, Shaw had found. Well educated and
curious, loved to debate. He'd never had anyone before ask him about George
Bernard Shaw. "Could
be, but I'm Scottish. The Highlands. At least my ancestors came from
there," he added quickly, since he was holding an American passport, one
of a dozen he actually possessed. "I was born in Connecticut. Perhaps
you've been there?" The
man said eagerly, "No. But I would like very much to travel to
America." Shaw
had seen that lustful look before. "Well, the streets aren't really
paved with gold and the women aren't all movie stars, but there's a lot to do
and lots of room to do it in." "Maybe
one day," the passport man said wistfully before reassuming his duties.
"Are you here on business or pleasure?" "Both. Why come all
this way and have to choose?" The
man chuckled. "Anything to declare?" "Ik heb niets aan te
geven." "You
speak Dutch?" he said in a surprised tone. "Doesn't
everyone?" The
man laughed and smacked Shaw's passport with an old-fashioned ink stamp
instead of the high-tech devices some countries were using. These, Shaw had
heard, implanted a digital tracking device on the paper. He'd always
preferred ink to tracking devices. "Enjoy your visit," said Shaw's new
Dutch friend as he handed back the passport. "I intend to," Shaw replied as he
walked toward the exit and the train that would carry him to Centraal Station
in Amsterdam in about twenty minutes. From
there it would, only get more exciting. But first he had a role to play. Because
he had an audience. In fact, they were watching him right now. Shaw
is the hero of The Whole
Truth, and what he does in Amsterdam and after will keep readers turning
the pages. Steve
Hopkins, July 18, 2008 |
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The recommendation rating for
this book appeared in the August 2008 issue of Executive Times URL for this review: http://www.hopkinsandcompany.com/Books/The Whole Truth.htm For Reprint Permission, Contact: Hopkins & Company, LLC • E-mail: books@hopkinsandcompany.com |
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