Saving Faith

Rating:
Summary: Not bad but far from great.
Review: After titles like "Absolute Power", I really expected more from David Baldacci. While this isn't a bad book, and actually did keep my interest, it wasn't the dynamic page-turner that I was hoping for.

Like others have said, the opening stages are a little rough. The plot is intriguing but as the book wears on, it becomes predictable. You know what is going to happen, just not HOW it is going to happen. There was a nice twist at the end, but not enough of one to get the book up to 4 stars.

It's a good read overall but not a top priority book. If you have a choice, go for a David Morrell, Tom Clancy, Gayle Lynds, or someone in that class.

Rating:
Summary: Wasn't this originally called The Pelican Brief?
Review: Baldacci has fallen into the same trap that John Grisham did. After writing several engaging stories, he's now churning out books that do a decent job of entertaining but break little new ground. In fact, Saving Faith has so much in common with Pelican Brief that it's scary:

- smart, attractive female lead from hard-knocks upbrining who's making it on her own

- older father figure who acts as mentor

- cardboard cut-out bad guys from the federal government, complete with extraordinary powers

- elite international assassin who screws up his hit on our lovable female lead

The list goes on. Don't get me wrong - this isn't an entirely unlikeable story - it's just that it doesn't break any new ground. The characters are straight out of central casting - the strong but lonely PI, the about-to-be-divorced loner FBI agent who's fighting the system for what's right, etc.

The story moves along at a good clip, and the last 1/3 of the book is quite entertaining. There are a few twists that you may not see coming - and I won't reveal them here - but nothing earth-shattering.

Baldacci's at his best when describing the political system (he once practiced law in DC and knows quite a bit about the Hill). It's when he writes in intricate detail about a certain type of custom-made bullet imported from Europe for the assassin, or when he goes on and on about what type of gun someone is using, that he strays off-target. This isn't his area of expertise - it's as if it comes from someone else verbatim. He may have done his homework, but does it really serve the story?

Overall, this is a decent beach book. Not nearly as good as some of Baldacci's better books, but still a good read.

Rating:
Summary: A Little Short Of The Mark
Review: I had only recently rediscovered how much I enjoyed Baldacci; and had just finished The Winner and Total Control before I picked up Saving Faith. It wasn't planned. I saw the book on my daughter's bookshelf; and I was looking for a good paperback to read during my travels on her city's local public transportation system. I wanted, almost desperately, for Saving Faith (catchy title) to be as good as the other Baldacci novels that I had read. The novel's beginnings promise plenty of excitement; and while the rest of the novel certainly deserves to be read it doesn't live up to what I think most of Baldacci's readers have come to expect. The plot is interesting but a little over-worked (FBI and CIA intrigue). The character development is adequate-certainly Lee, Faith and Buchanan are all likeable characters; and, Thornhill is a nasty enough villain. Saving Faith may satisfy your hunger for Baldacci but there really isn't enough here to put meat on your bones.

Rating:
Summary: Possibly, the worst book I,ve read
Review: Ouch, thats a pretty bad title but I paid a whopping 8 bucks or so for this alleged thriller and was determined to finish it.I have put it down at least ten times for many reasons, 1, it really stinks, 2,very poorly written,3, lousy boring plot 4,naive horridly constructed characters 5.He,s really written a few books we,ve all enjoyed and now is doing it purely for dough.Oh, well, ;its better than getting maimed in a car wreck, or a huge bill from the IRS or your Dr. saying,"oh, this doesn,t look too good" while reviewing your lab work, or various types of std,s.Uh, that would be sexually transmitted diseases and is too much of a low blow to count but its what came to my slightly demented but highly educated mind at the time.Avoid this book.Thanks

Rating:
Summary: Fast, Slow, Predictable
Review: Saving Faith starts out fast paced with many (almost too many) characters introduced lickity split. Once you have figured out many of the players, you get pulled into the action of Lee and Faith. Lee Adams, a private investigator with a less than stellar private life, is hired anonymously to follow Faith Lockhart. Faith, who works for manipulative lobbyist Danny Buchanon, is getting ready to tell the FBI everything she knows about her boss. The next thing you know, an FBI agent is dead and Faith and Lee are running for their lives!

The chase ensues and the plot slows down a bit. The relationship has time to develop between Lee and Faith and other minor and key players.

Finally, the CIA and FBI pick up the pace of the plot a bit....but alas the story falls victim to a very predictable ending.

Baldacci is a good author and the writing in this book is good, it just lacked the pace I am used to in a Baldacci book.

Rating:
Summary: NOT RELIGION BUT A WOMAN....
Review: This book is a slow moving but easyreading that helps keep your interest. At times things getexciting but it is not a pageturner. The same old competitionbetween the CIA and the FBI forfunding and recognition gets a bittiresome. Faith Lockhart is a legal assistant to Danny who hiresLee to follow someone to start thelife and death of Agents (take your pick) as they betray and/orshoot their way up to fame or life's end. It involves Congessmembers vieing for the best gravyjobs after retirement. Someone gets killed by accident, another gets shot by taking the bullet tosave a friend. The reader keeps on reading this to the end and isassulted by a "They lived happilyever after" line you won't wantto hear. Baldacci usually writestoo long a story and has troublebringing them to a close. Thatgives it a 3 1/2 star but it isBaldacci so I gave it a 4. The line "And so he did." actually rates it a 3. This is a book from1999 so don't rush to read it.