Rating: 
Summary: Last Man Reading
Review: After 500 pages of learning about the ultra-brave, ultra-smart, ultra-dedicated, ultra-sensitive, and ultra-caring Web London, I was actually hoping the bad guys would kill him.The author constantly needs to remind the reader that Web can kill you ten ways with a toothpick, while trying to make you feel sorry for him having a pathetic lifestyle stemming from child abuse. At least the book is a fast read. However, after 400 pages of set up, the hero solves the mystery involving about 5 different bad-guy characters in less than 10 pages. My favorite part is when Web discovers someone may have tried to kill him by finding a wound from a tack(!) on a horse's back twelve hours after the event. Give me a break!!!! You could not find a tack wound on a poodle 12 hours later. As I said, this book is a quick read, but be careful if you have a sixth grade education or higher.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but a little immature
Review: I've read almost all of Baldacci's work, and in some sense I'm impressed with his writing. He does his research, you can't discount that, yet most of his books up to "Last Man Standing" have been repetative, with much of the same plot. I found this a refreshing and new side to Baldacci, and enjoyed it very much, was unable to put it down, in fact.
The only two things which kind of threw off the potential for this to be an exceptional book, was his naive way of explaining things. I found it to be a tad annoying at times, but overall good.
I also feel that the end could have been different, but I give this five stars because it's definitely a worthwhile read.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite novel of 2001
Review: I'm a big fan of David Baldacci's books and "Last Man Standing" is a great one. I really enjoyed it and found it hard to put down. If you like action-packed thrillers, you will love this book. Web London is a member of the FBI's elite Hostage Rescue Team who finds himself under suspicion and wracked with guilt when he freezes during a routine drug raid-turned-ambush where everyone but Web is killed. London tries to get to the bottom of what happened through traditional investigative means while also delving into whether he froze due to some psychological problem. All the while he also has to deal with FBI higher-ups scapegoating him, the distrust of his colleagues and someone wanting him dead. There were a lot of plot twists that I didn't anticipate, which I enjoyed, and I liked the fact that not everything got wrapped up neatly at the end - it was more realistic that way. As an aside, while reading this book I gained even more respect for the law enforcement officers (the Hostage Rescue Team, in particular) who put their lives on the line every day to protect our way of life.
Rating:
Summary: Terrible disappointment
Review: After reading and enjoying Baldacci's other novels, I was disappointed and perplexed with this facade for an action, suspense thriller. The "last man standing" - Web London - was complex indeed. Fact is, he was totally unbelieveable! And his friend and co-HRT member, Ramano, was another version of Superman with emotional hangups. The plot, trying hard for action and intrigue with strange, intricate subplots came off like "Ken and Barbie Visit Star Trek". The heroes and villains were plastic to the point of being ridiculous. Even the females; Web's mother, his shrink Claire, and Gwen of the horse farm subplot were unexplainable, unrational characters. Too bad! I was so tempted to leave LAST MAN STANDING unfinished, but I kept hoping for some redemption of the book. Never came! The writing style was shallow...almost a Danielle Steele quality to it. Hard to believe this author penned "The Winner" and "Total Control" or else, maybe he didn't. Possibly a ghost writer?? Whatever, David, please take some time off - rest - enjoy life. Your other books were too good to have this one limping haltingly along.
Rating: 
Summary: Baldacci's Back, But Not As Believable as Before
Review: I am a Baldacci fan hoping for the author to recover from "Wish You Well," a book that was not his signature thriller style. This book is the start of hopefully another run of Baldacci thrillers. With a satisfying and unpredictable ending, I forecast he will have a scorcher the next time around. However, I had to get through a slow moving and unfocused beginning. For example, I could not figure why the plot lingered around Randall Cove's home. I found Cove to be fundamentally irrelevant to the book. Perhaps Baldacci was using his character to trash the FBI. Cove's big exit was at a drug bust, the lone FBI agent, with no cell phone. Could the FBI be that stupid? But then in real life there is John Walker, Aldrich Ames, Jonathan Pollard, and Robert Hansen, spies who easily eluded the FBI and CIA making a laughing stock of USA's espionage efforts. Maybe this is close to real life and Baldacci is bringing that ineptitude to light along with the story line of the FBI bureaucracy intent on career building at the expense of real results. By and large the book seemed a bit flat. Or perhaps the edge was taken off this and other thrillers out this season by 9/11, the real thriller.
Rating:
Summary: Good but not Great
Review: Baldacci's previous books have been outstanding and I have loved everyone of them. This one is good, but is not a well written as his others. Normally I can't put a Baldacci book down until I have finished it. With Last Man Standing I did not have that problem. It is still worth buying but I was disapointed that it was not as good as his previous work.
Rating:
Summary: Engaging Work
Review: Last Man Standing spins a complex web of deceit, psychological drama, action, and, oddly, non-traditional family bonds. The book is fast paced and weaves a very complex story with well developed characters and a realism that is rare among techno-thrillers. The author drops hints throughout the book leading to an awesome conclusion. Just when you think you have the story resolved, Baldacci sends you on another even more intriguing tangent. I particularly like the ending of the book. Baldacci seems to write with a real world perspective -- in other words, the hero does not ride off into the sunset with all issues resolved. Rather, the hero remains human even after the conclusion. Excellent book.
Rating:
Summary: Is it Baldacci or Baldacci as ghost writer?
Review: I usually love Baldacci. This one was worth skipping. It was disconnected (except by far too frequent "oh, by the way" fill-ins) and seemed, in fact, to have been patched-together by an inexperienced author, a poor stylist, and an overworked editor. The final acknowledgment to an FBI hostage rescue team operator and would-be writer may tell the tale. Baldacci wishes him every success in his writing career. So do I -- but I hope Baldacci rediscovers his muse.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Solid and Involving Novel in Thriller Genre
Review: I haven't read a thriller novel in awhile and this one was quite good. I also hadn't read a novel by this author since his "Absolute Power," which also was a good novel. "Last Man Standing" is better than "Absolute Power." Baldacci is best at moving a story right along and he doesn't fall down on the job here. The basic plotline is straightforward. An FBI agent in an elite unit is the only one to survive a shootout in an alley. The only reason he survived is that something caused him to freeze and fall down. It's back to the FBI approved psychiatrist for him and the woman shrink he gets this time starts making remarkable progress into uncovering the secrets of his early life, much more progress than her predecessor shrink in the same clinic. The powers that be are not pleased with all of her progress, in fact. Also, all hell is breaking lose after the shootout, with more killings that tie into a failed mission by the elite unit. This is very plot driven fiction, which is true of most bestsellers. It could have stood more character development. You also are not going to read this novel for gorgeous writing style because plot driven fiction does not take the time to develop literary fine points. But this is great entertainment and that is all many readers are looking for in a novel. I couldn't take a steady diet of this type of novel but as an occasional read, the genre and this novel in particular certainly have their moments.
Rating:
Summary: I love David Baldacci's books!
Review: Baldacci books are required reading in my house! I always start looking for them around Nov 1 and buy the first one I can find. I have read all of these reviews and many from his other books. It seems that most people find a favorite and the rest are disappointing simply because they are not the same. Oddly enough, that's what I find most intriguing about them. It's not always a love story or a lawyer story or an espionage story. They are each unique, well researched, intriguing, thrilling page turners written by a skilled storyteller. This one has several characters that are easy to relate to and develop a relationship with them. The plot takes you all over-from the inner city to rich horse country and back. There is a child for whom your heart aches but has the brains of a street scholar for handling himself. You spend the entire book thinking, "Okay, I've got this one, now" and David throws you for another loop. Some things seem obvious but are not. Other things would never occur to you and then sneak up to kick you in the teeth. It's great! If I had a complaint with his books, it would be two fold. First, I wish they came out in October when there was less to do so I didn't spend so many nights up until 2 or 3 a.m. to finish it! Because once I start, I can't stop! (Is there any such thing as a Baldacci addiction?!) Second, I wish they'd give me the book for a week before they publish it so that I could weed out the typo's. They are in every single Baldacci book and they drive me to distraction!! They are obviously proofed by computer and since the word is spelled correctly (albeit the wrong word,) it goes through. But I will say this, I liked it well enough to give it out as Christmas gifts.
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