Last Man Standing

By: David Baldacci

Narrated by: Jason Culp

Length: 22 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

It took 10 seconds for Web London to lose everything: his friends, his team, his reputation. Point man of the FBI's super-elite Hostage Rescue Team, Web roared into a blind alley toward a drug-dealer's lair only to meet a high-tech, custom-designed ambush that killed everyone around him.

Now coping with the blame-filled words of anguished widows and the suspicions of colleagues, Web tries to put his life back together with the help of his psychiatrist, Dr. Claire Daniels. To do so he must discover why he was the one man who lived through the ambush - and find the only other person who came out of that alley alive...a 10-year-old boy who has since disappeared.

Web's search leads him from inner-city Washington, DC, to the rolling hills of Virginia horse country - while people connected to him are violently silenced. Acting on his instincts, Web believes he knows where the killer will strike next. Only this time, he may not survive the attack.

Last Man Standing is an explosive psychological thriller about a man desperate to find answers - from the secret terrors he has kept from himself to his unbearable guilt. His fight to save himself and those he cares for will come at a high cost...and threaten everything he has grown to believe in.

©2001 Columbus Rose, Ltd., All Rights Reserved (P)2001 Time Warner AudioBooks

Critic reviews

"Impressive...immensely interesting...Baldacci's most accomplished thriller." ( Publishers Weekly)
"Has the essential elements of a terrific novel: a tough but tender-hearted hero, dirty dealings in the nation's bureaucracy, and a roller-coaster plot." (Amazon.com)

Complex Characters slow plot development

“Last Man Standing” is an interesting but slow developing story. The writing is great and the book is well thought out and plotted. It starts out with a bang and has some action at points but the majority of the story is character development which can make it feel as if it is dragging at points but also makes for a well-rounded story. If this is the type of book you enjoy with complex characters and an interesting story which will keep you guessing pick this up. If you’re looking for a looking for a mile a minute thriller then you might want to look elsewhere.

Mr. Culp's narration is good from a character perspective but it is slowwww. I normally listen at 1.25X and find 1.5X too fast to follow but this was not the case with this story. Listening at 1X I felt as if it was moving in sow motion!

Web London

And Joe Pike…twins separated at birth?


I finished a Joe Pike novel (Robert Crais/author) right before I started listening to this story and man did it ever mess with my mind!

LOL.

Not in a bad way, I just had to keep reminding myself that Web isn’t Joe, the similarities are so much the same!

Just don’t do this listen and a Joe Pike listen back to back!

I thought I’d read/listened to all of Baldacci books but this one somehow missed hitting my library. It was published in 2001 so some of the technology is a bit dated, but it doesn’t take away from the story over all.

The four-star rating is really a 4.5…but nope…just couldn’t bring myself to give it five stars.

The story theme is a good one and will keep you on the edge of your seat and the true villain(s) in the story was a bit of a shocker.

The story tends to drag for the first few chapters, so you will have to work to stay with it. Push past the first hour and it will be worth your time.

The major problem with the story line is it is way to over told:

Too much needless fleshing out and detailing, which is a Baldacci trait.

It’s 22 hours of listening, could have done just as well in 12, that’s how much filler there is.

But don’t let that stop you, it is true to the core Baldacci.

The character of Web London is an intriguing and interesting one and I am surprised to find it does seem he is a one-shot character for Baldacci. Web London is right up there, personality wise with Will Robie and John Puller. Same ---down to earth, give it all I got to save the ones who count--- glory, guts and grit hero.

Maybe some day Baldacci will see fit to bring Web.
I’d love to know more about his mother, Charlotte and there’s maybe an inside joke there when you factor Web’s mother’s name.

The narration, meeeehhh, wasn’t impressed.

The narrator didn’t do a great job with accents nor inflections and his feminization of dialogue was.... at best.... iffy. It was hard to differentiate the characters at times.

The meeeeeehhhh comment……could be based on my fondness (partiality) for Ron and Kyf and missing Orlagh.

They would have made this listen worth 22 hours instead of 12.

Outstanding!

This was an intriguing story that kept you guessing until the end. I was invested in every Character and found myself genuinely caring about what happened to every single one.

The narration was outstanding. There were multiple complex voices and the narrator made them all sound genuine with no distraction at all.

Overall, a great story and an engaging listening experience.

E-brake

Detail was a bit much but I think it spoke to the precision necessary in the character's life/profession - miss it and die - I guess. My frustration came with the ending, I felt like Baldacci ran out of inked ribbon and had to stop typing.

Great story

This was a great story with a lot of characters, plot twists,and surprises. This a book that I will recommend without hesitation.

excellent in every way. Patriotic, Informative, enjoyable

The details and structure were unparalleled in every way. Even though I am a woman with no military awareness, I was able to easily understand and follow the story line. I was enthralled and riveted at every turn.

The detail didn't bother me

This is easily the best book I've heard since signing up. Better than From a Buick Eight, where King seems determined to tell us every old guy insight he's ever come across. Here the detail helps us understand the characters and their world. It was a terrific, long and complex thriller that I couldn't outsmart.

Okay... Definitely OK

I guessed what was going on too early. Still enjoyed the rest, but since it was predictable it felt like a meal that just didn't have enough seasoning. Regardless, Baldacci's a good chef and this dish is okay. A good diversion from the treadmill's pain. Maybe better than that if you don't guess right. Jason Culp's done a lot with the read which keeps the meal totally warm.

Great adventure and mystery

This was a must hear. Faced paced and immensly interesting. It kept your attention all the way through. The plot was well thought out and moved along at a nice pace. Plenty of detail where it was needed.
I really liked it.

Gave Up

Any additional comments?

I gave this book 11 chapters before I finally gave up. I found the storyline very boring. It was somewhat depressing to read about the problems encountered by the main character. Others have mentioned that it gets better but I don't have the time. I don't think I will listen to other books by the author if this is an example of his best work.