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A mysterious high-profile homicide in the nation's capital collides with the dark side of national security in David Baldacci's new, heart-stopping thriller.
TRUE BLUE
Mason "Mace" Perry was a firebrand cop on the D.C. police force until she was kidnapped and framed for a crime. She lost everything-her badge, her career, her freedom-and spent two years in prison. Now she's back on the outside and focused on one mission: to be a cop once more. Her only shot to be a true blue again is to solve a major case on her own, and prove she has the right to wear the uniform. But even with her police chief sister on her side, she has to work in the shadows: A vindictive U.S. attorney is looking for any reason to send Mace back behind bars. Then Roy Kingman enters her life.
Roy is a young lawyer who aided the poor until he took a high-paying job at a law firm in Washington. Mace and Roy meet after he discovers the dead body of a female partner at the firm. As they investigate the death, they start uncovering surprising secrets from both the private and public world of the nation's capital.
Soon, what began as a fairly routine homicide takes a terrifying and unexpected turn-into something complex, diabolical, and possibly lethal.
David Baldacci lives with his family in Virginia. He and his wife have founded the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across America. He invites you to visit him at www.david-baldacci.com and his foundation at www.wishyouwellfoundation.org, and to look into its program to spread books across America at www.FeedingBodyandMind.com.
While his stories hinge on the complex machinations behind the presidency, the FBI, the Supreme Court and other spheres of influence, Baldacci (a former Washington, D.C.-based attorney) finds his way into a mystery through the eyes of the innocents. Semi-innocents, at least: small players who often don't realize they're players at all end up hunting down answers, and their hunt becomes the reader's.
According to Baldacci, reading John Irving's The World According to Garp convinced him that he wanted to be a novelist. Absolute Power -- in which a thief finds himself accidentally connected to a murder involving the president and the ensuing coverup -- was hardly Irvingesque; but it did begin Baldacci's friendly relationship with the bestseller lists, which has continued over his writing career.
Baldacci's style is brief and plot-driven, but he's not afraid to linger on macabre and vivid details, such as a rosary clenched in a plane crash victim's hand, or hard-learned lessons from a sniper's life (pack your food so you can find it at night, by touch). These small but memorable -- indeed, almost cinematic -- details give his books another layer that distinguishes them from the average potboiler.
Although the author has occasionally departed from his usual fare (examples include the tenderhearted coming-of-age tale Wish You Well and the holiday-themed adventure The Christmas Train), it is high-octane thrillers that are his true stock in trade. Whether it's a taut stand-alone or a new installment in his Camel Club series, readers know when they crack the spine of a new Baldacci book, they're in for an action-packed page-turner.
.He worked his way through college as a Pinkerton security guard and by washing and detailing 18-wheel trucks.
Baldacci writes under his own name except when published in Italy, where he uses a pseudonym because it is the homeland of his ancestors.
Bill Clinton selected The Simple Truth as his favorite novel of 1998, according to Baldacci's web site.
MLV
Posted November 27, 2009
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Very disappointing -- I agree with another reviewer -- I paid for the hardcover so I was invested --- I too wanted it to be over. Characters that I could not care about and a silly plot. But that was not the worse the dialogue was simply terrible -- who was David Baldacci's target audience for this terrible book? Just a waste of hard earned money. Unless you have the mind of a fourteen year old -- you will be disappointed. That's it for me Mr. Baldacci -- I'm out.
11 out of 11 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 14, 2009
The story starts out slowly as Mr. Baldacci introduces new characters. It then becomes interesting and while one can believe the premise of how the agencies entrusted with the security of the United States operate, it's hard to imagine this is reality. The story ends quickly in the last two chapters with the bad guys being exposed, however what happens to them may be reality, but it is hard to accept. A fair David Baldacci book, that might be ok as a paper back purchase, but at $25 it is not a good value.
10 out of 11 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 22, 2009
Baldacci has been such a badas for the his last few novels, and I guess they were too good and successful that he decided to go completely away from his previous story lines. This book is about two women that with every turn of the page are set on proving they can compete in a man's world. The main character is laughable - an ex con/ex cop who rides around on a Ducati as a "rogue investigator". I have read every book that Baldacci has published, and I picked this up without even reading the plot summary. I will never do that with any of his books again. Plain and simple, for any true Baldacci fans, this book will leave you wondering what he was thinking... maybe his wife made him write it... dont waste your time.
8 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Mason "Mace" Perry has been fighting for her mental and physical survival her entire life. She suffered through an emotionally stagnant mother and the devastation of her father's murder when she was 12 years old. Her older sister Beth provided a stellar role model and her star catapulted her all the way to rise through the ranks to top cop in Washington, DC. Mace followed in her sister's footsteps and became a police officer as well. Beth provided stability and it gave Mace guidance but even this was not enough when the walls came down upon her and she fell so far from grace she found herself looking through the bars in prison.
Mace had been framed for a heinous crime she did not commit and after two years in prison she is now free and seeking retribution and reinstatement to the force two things that will most likely not happen but something she will fight for. Like rats in hiding those that set Mace up are going to be difficult to find even for a woman who not only defined her existence via the uniform and losing the badge took away everything. Beth is still taking care to watch over Mace and finds her gainful employment on the outside but before she can unpack her bag and get started Mace finds herself following Beth to a crime scene and getting involved in finding the killer against Beth's protests. There are a too few suspects but one great witness in Roy Kingman and he proves to be an invaluable resource for both sisters.
Roy is a fast-tracking lawyer who five years ago had been a great college player that didn't have the tools to take his career to the professional ranks. Becoming a lawyer had somehow made sense but did not define his soul - the chase on the court did and he will never forget being that close to having it all. But when he finds a co-worker and friend murdered in the officer refrigerator the last place he thought he would be is with a crazy woman chasing down leads and interrogating suspects. But Mace has him strapped behind her on the Ducati she treasures and Roy is literally playing the game of his life with thugs and trying to figure out what he has gotten himself into and stay alive and keep the one man he knows did not commit the crime from being convicted.
With too many people working against her Mace is fighting an uphill battle and one politically motivated woman is determined to take both sisters down in one fell swoop. Mace is not going to let that happen nor is she giving up on any of her goals no matter what sets itself in the path.
David Baldacci is the master of this genre and in this book he shows why. The twists and turns are enough to make you car sick but you can't stop reading long enough to lose your lunch you might miss something. The crime is heinous, the details intricate and every one of these characters is strong and stands up to every conceivable test of strength. You are kept guessing, assuming and concluding who the bad person is and when the facts are revealed you are still scratching your head wondering - did I just read that right? Perfection! This book is recommended highly to anyone with a desire to see who really runs this country.
Mary Gramlich ("The Reading Reviewer") www.marygramlich.com
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 9, 2010
I received True Blue in abridged audiobook format as a gift. I normally would never buy an abridged audiobook (instead preferring the unabridged version).
The abridgement provided a benefit since it allowed me to get through this horrible book more quickly. This is one of the worst books I've read (heard) in a long time. The writing is lazy, cliched, and the plot is entirely unbelievable. The dialogue is clearly written by someone who is not familiar with how people converse in real life. More than once I laughed out loud -- not at the content -- but at the silliness of the dialogue itself.
I know that pop fiction isn't literature, but this book is sub-par -- even for the genre.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 10, 2010
Every plot cliche was in this book. Listening to it on audio books made it even worse. Don't waste your time.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 13, 2010
I really enjoyed this book. I love all the Baldacci books and this was just as good as the rest. Entirely new characters were the basis of this one and I hope that it becomes a series so I can follow the sisters. The story was original and kept me on the edge of my seat as I tried to determine who the villain was. I thought this was a great book! The plot with the guy in the mansion needs a little more development but I hope that their will be a next book and it will possibly build on that plot line.
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 15, 2009
This book took me by surprise. I didn't expect to find a woman as the lead. The book held my interest, so much so that I finished it in two days. The plot was different, but also similar in that it involved national security issues.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 15, 2009
Fair. Would love to see the Camel Club return.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I Think Baldacci is back! I have read his last books Stone Cold, Divine Justice, The Whole Truth, but this book made me know why I am Baldacci fan. He has created exciting new characters in Mace and Roy. These two make an interesting team. The story in this book has just enough twists and turns to keep you engaged. It certainly made me forget about the two hard days I had a work this week. Thank you Mr. Baldacci for a great read.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Sisters Beth and Mace Perry have always had each other's back as kids and adults with both becoming cops. Temperamentally opposites they love each other, but their police careers go also in different directions. Beth has become police chief of Washington DC while Mace was kicked off the force spending two years in prison after being kidnapped and framed.
Mace wants vindication affirmed only by regaining her badge. Beth at the risk of her career will do what she can to support her younger sister because she is perhaps the only person in blue who believes Mace's story. Attorney Roy Kingman is in the middle of a gigantic case involving the murder of a US Attorney and the rape-killing of another lawyer. He is attracted to feisty Mace who sees solving the spectacular case as redemption. With her sister's support and a need to work in the shadows as another US Attorney wants to return her to jail, Mace investigates only to find roadblocks from the affluent who prefer the case go cold.
This is an action-packed fast-paced over the top of the Washington Monument investigative thriller that grips fans throughout as long as the reader ignores credibility. The sisters make the tale with their support of one another as they seek a killer and redemption for Mace. David Baldacci provides his fans with a very entertaining whodunit with hopefully more appearances from the TRUE BLUE blood siblings.
Harriet Klausner
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.VickiMBH
Posted September 12, 2010
The female characters are alpha-females so if you don't like women who are in touch with their "male-side", then this isn't for you. The characters are strong and strong-willed. The plot is written with an old detective style flair but it really does keep you on the edge of your seat. There were times I didn't put it down until I just absolutely had to. It has mystery and intrigue so if you like that type book, I highly recommend this read. I enjoyed it.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 9, 2010
Don't bother with this until it comes out in paperback and you are stranded in an airport with this as your only choice in English. As many other reviewers have said, nothing about this novel is up to usual Baldacci standards. It is plodding in plot and dialogue and the characters are shallow and annoying. Mr. Baldacci usually produces much better work and his readers deserve far better than this. I certainly will hesitate before buying his next book.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 3, 2010
Did not measure up to Baldachi best
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 26, 2009
This was not one of my favorite books. I have read all of his books before this one, but this did not make it for me. The ending was not good at all. Just not a very good book. I read a lot - usually a couple books a week. But this one just did not hold my interest, it took me a while to finish it. Sorry Mr. Baldacci.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I am a real fan of Baldacci, but this book was disappointing! I felt like I was totally left hanging in the end. The only thing that will redeem this book will be if there are other books coming with Mace and Beth.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 26, 2010
True Blue starts off and gets your attention with the drama that Mace is experiencing in prison and the death of the Federal prosecutor by people that are somehow connected to the White House. From there it goes down hill and becomes a slow rambling story. The introduction of the social engineering sub-plot has no effect on the story except to bring in more characters, dialogue and words that slow the major story lines down and drag the story out. The use of an old Viet Nam vet as the prime murder suspect was shallow and did not contribute to strengthening either the lead characters ot the main plot. The bottom line is that this is not one of the author's better paices of work.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I liked the main characters and some of the dialogue in the story, but I was disappointed at the end. So many contemporary authors are using the "bad guy behind the bad guy is really a terrorist" device that it is becoming old news. Also the theme that the U.S. government is not lily-white is an old theme. All-in-all, I was disappointed in this novel, Mr. Baldacci.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 6, 2010
The plot and writing style are almost childish. This book is a real good one to take a pass on.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 18, 2010
I have so enjoyed his previous books and order the next one coming because of it. HOWEVER, I found this book to be frustrating. Suspension of belief is a key when viewing and enjoying any of the arts and entertainments. But you just can't believe that the main character is that bull headed and makes such bad decisions that of course work out to her favor. It was a long book with the ending unfinished. The book could have been better with an ending that gave explanations to how Captain was tricked for his sperm, or why was Beth so concerned for her safety, or whatever happened to Chester. Not Baldacci's best.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Overview
A mysterious high-profile homicide in the nation's capital collides with the dark side of national security in David Baldacci's new, heart-stopping thriller.
TRUE BLUE
Mason "Mace" Perry was a firebrand cop on the D.C. police force until she was kidnapped and framed for a crime. She lost everything-her badge, her career, her freedom-and spent two years in prison. Now she's back on the outside and focused on one mission: to be a cop once more. ...