The Innocent: A Novel

By: David Baldacci

Narrated by: Ron McLarty, Orlagh Cassidy

Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

America has enemies - ruthless people that the police, the FBI, even the military can't stop. That's when the U.S. government calls on Will Robie, a stone-cold hitman who never questions orders and always nails his target.

But Will Robie may have just made the first - and last - mistake of his career....

It begins with a hit gone wrong. Robie is dispatched to eliminate a target unusually close to home in Washington, D.C. But something about this mission doesn't seem right to Robie, and he does the unthinkable: He refuses to kill. Now, Robie becomes a target himself and must escape from his own people.

Fleeing the scene, Robie crosses paths with a wayward teenage girl, a 14-year-old runaway from a foster home. But she isn't an ordinary runaway - her parents were murdered, and her own life is in danger. Against all of his professional habits, Robie rescues her and finds he can't walk away. He needs to help her.

Even worse, the more Robie learns about the girl, the more he's convinced she is at the center of a vast cover-up, one that may explain her parents' deaths and stretch to unimaginable levels of power. Now, Robie may have to step out of the shadows in order to save this girl's life... and perhaps his own.

©2012 Hachette Audio; 2012 David Baldacci

Plot weaving

Some of the dialogue was perfunctory and cumbersome. Could have been more realistic. It didn’t drag the story except in a few places.

Intriguing

number of twists and turns throughout right up to the end made this story very enjoyable.

excellent story line

the voices selected fit the characters. Excellent twists and turns. I am looking forward to the next.

Loved the sound effects!

The sound effects added to immersion in the story. Reminded me of being in the station wagon on a long family trip as a young kid with the radio as entertainment while my sis and I were also doing paperback word search!

Complex plot

Slow in the beginning but picked up significantly once there was more dialogue in middle and end. Complex plot that keeps you guessing.
I could listen to Orlagh Cassidy read the phone book.

Ugh.

I liked the story and reader, but do not like sound effects and music in my audio books. I know what a gunshot souls like. I have an imagination. I am not watching television.

PLEASE! Lose the sound effects!!!

Publishers: Please drop the sound effects and music from future installments in this series. The readers are good enough and listeners' imaginations are good enough to supply those details. Those unnecessary sounds were distracting (and actually were pretty "cheesy" quality, too). Have some faith in the quality of your basic product: you have a good author, a good story, and some good readers.

I thought the story started a little weak, but it built in complexity and became more satisfying by the middle of the book. I listen to dozens of books per year and haven't decided whether I will grit my teeth and listen to any more of this series because the sound effects really set my teeth on edge each time they intruded. So, other listeners - let me know if the sound effects go away in future volumes. . .

outstanding

I actually didn't figure it out until just before it was reveiled....definitaly not by the book figure it out crime sceen.

Loved the book and the performance, mostly

Would you consider the audio edition of The Innocent: A Novel to be better than the print version?

yes

What about Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy ’s performance did you like?

I really liked the performances, crisp and clear dialog and narration.

Any additional comments?

I was a little disturbed by the music in the background and occasional sound effects which were completely distracting and made me go back and listen to the narration again. Please stop the sound effects and music and stick to the story and narration, the book is good enough to carry listeners without the tricks.

Enjoyable

Excellent story, but of course all the good guys win. I like the use of 2 narrators.