Split Second

By: David Baldacci

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 11 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

Michelle Maxwell has just blown her future with the Secret Service. Against her instincts, she let a presidential candidate out of her sight to comfort a grieving widow. Then, behind closed doors, the politician whose safety was her responsibility vanished into thin air.

Living a new life on a quiet lake in central Virginia, Sean King knows how the younger agent feels. He's been there before. In an out-of-the-way hotel eight years earlier, the hard-charging Secret Service man allowed his attention to be diverted for a split second. And the presidential candidate Sean was protecting was gunned down before his eyes.

Now Michelle and Sean are about to see their destinies converge. She has become obsessed with Sean's case. And he needs a friend - especially since a series of macabre killings has brought him under suspicion and prompted the reappearance of a seductive woman he's tried hard to forget.

As the two discredited agents enter a maze of lies, secrets, and deadly coincidences, they uncover a shocking truth: that the separate acts of violence that shattered their lives were really a long time in the making - and are a long way from over....

©2003 Columbus Rose, Ltd. (P)2003 Time Warner AudioBooks

Critic reviews

"Baldacci's new thriller is sustained by the pulse-pounding suspense his fans have come to expect." ( Booklist)

Great characters, flat story.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The villain in the story was too whimsical for words. His plan for revenge was so elaborate that I had trouble suspending my disbelief at points in the story.

Near the end of chapters some music starts to play that is very dramatic. It's also totally unnecessary and does nothing for the story. Another audio snafu is the long silence between chapters. It's really long and quite noticeable.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The characters were the best part of the story. The chemistry between King and Maxwell is top notch. They were funny, rich, and well thought-out characters. As they grew to like each other in the story, you, the listener also grow to like them.

The bad guy in the story fell flat. He was vicious and intriguing at first but left himself open to be caught which took away from how scary he was supposed to be. A number of the clues/plotholes that could have covered up were simply explained by him saying "I just don't operate that way." That's just not very interesting.

What about Scott Brick’s performance did you like?

Scott Brick was great. His southern accents were really cool, since every southern character still sounded quite different. He's one of the best out there.

Do you think Split Second needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Yes, if only to see King and Maxwell again. They're solid characters. Hopefully their next story is a bit more complicated and three dimensional.

Great book, annoying narration

I have not listened to Scott Brick for awhile, and I forgot why. He has a great voice for narration and can read well until he comes across a interrogative in the dialogue. Nine out of 10 times, he turns the question into an interrogatory exclamation, as if the answer is obvious. This habit is very distracting to the narrative, which is one reason why I can't finish listening to the book - although I will read it in print.

Another irritation is Brick's occasional regional (Bronx?) accent that crops up in the dialogue spoken by three of the book's main characters. Tne fact that the accent is not used consistently is what's irritating and distracting from the narrative.

For as long as I could focus on the narrative, I thought the book was well written.

good narration for a decent story

overall I'd say the narrator makes an audio book and this one did a stand up job. fairly typical Baldacci book so if you like him you'll like this one. only reason for holding out on the fifth star is the sometimes frustrating element of the narrator lacking much inflection change between male and female characters.

Good Twist

The characters in the book were well developed and quite intriguing. The plot developed very quickly and smoothly. The element of surprise was found throught the book, especially in the quick paced ending.

i liked this book!

great start to the series!: excited to read more. the narrator did a good job with the reading as well

great way to start a series

now I'm curious about what comes next. this definitely made me want to follow these two characters.

I am a sucker for Scott Brick when he telling a good story.

Ok, so I do not always pay full attention to a book when I am listing. Sometimes you have to pay attention to the traffic or make sure you are measuring the right ingredients for that special dinner. David Baldacci books are perfect because I seldom feel like I have missed anything. When I am ready for bed I put the timer on and fall asleep to the lovely voice of Mr Brick. A win win if you ask me. Personally I just hate those books that keep me up half the night or make me laugh so hard I have to park on the side of the road till I can control myself. So rest assured this is not one of those books.

First one but not the last

This is the first book I've read of David Baldacci and it won't be the last. I enjoyed it quite a bit. It's not bloody or gritty like Sandford but it has interesting characters and a good plot.

Scott Brick did a great job as usual.

Loved it

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The storyline kept me engaged throughout the entire book. Love anything narrated by Scott Brick!

Split Second: Baldacci again read by Scott Brick

Good book and story, dragged a little midway but pjcked up and finish with a twist.