The Simple Truth

As a plotter, Baldacci seems to be among the most playful thriller writers. And in the Simple Truth we all get to play his game. The point is that the book goes from point A to point END as if it's supposed to go that way. Too many authors in this genre seem to turn their endings into the last two minutes of an NBA game. You know, where all heel explodes and the preceding stuff was just there to get the fans through their beers and back-slapping. In the Simple Truth the entire story arc's got game. And you aren't left wanting another stopping place or wondering why there were so many parts left over as you pull the plot apart in backward glances. The simple truth is that the characters, feelings, and plot all work. Cool!

I could not get through 5 chapters before shutting the book off. Absolute worst narration I have ever heard.

Scott Brick

I couldn't get past the first few chapters because the narration was so monotone and dull. Love this author, I guess I'll read the book.

outstanding author...love to read him...terrible terrible narration stopped after 3 chapters.

should get my money back

A good narrator enhances a good book. A great narrator can even make so-so book better.
Jonathan Marosz has wonderful diction and a pleasant voice but, he has a fault that if corrected would make him a much better narrator. At the beginning of each sentence he vocally sits on the first and sometimes second word which becomes very annoying. I feel certain that he is unaware of this habit and, if advised, it could easily be rectified. While distracting it does not detract from a very interesting story.

I very rarely write reviews but it took me about half the book to get past the narration and actually start to enjoy the story. Great story in the typical Baldacci fashion but they have had much better narrators.

The narrator greatly detracts from the book.  His cadence and rhythm never changes and it is maddening. 

I love David Baldacci's books but this reader should never be allowed close to one! His reading of prose was miserable - stabbed each sentence at the top of the octave regardless of its comtent and ended at the bottom! His dialog was marginally better. I almost ditched it before I finished the first chapter but my curiosity got the better of me! I am used to Ron McLarty's excellent rendition but Jonathan Marosz has got to go!

David Baldacci wrote what could have been a very good book but there were so many characters with similar -- or not different enough -- names that I kept forgetting who was who. Jonathan Marosz did not help breaking up the characters so they could be told apart.

There were some very interesting characters and some really interesting information on the Supreme Court but I felt lost in this book.

There are too many moments where things just were not plausible. I am not giving anything away of great importance here so stick with me.

There are people with motives that are completely unclear, people that acted completely off base, and the end. I will not give away the end but let's just say as all becomes more clear it will feel less and less like high drama and intrgue and more and more like a very operatic soap opera.

If you like David Baldacci, I doubt you will miss this book. If you want to learn a thing or two about the Supreme Court, I'm sure there are better sources. Overall, I would give this book a miss. I am giving it two stars because it at least kept me through to the end.

Another Great novel from David Baldacci. The characters are compelling and the plot moves quickly. The action parts are exciting, but not overly drawn out.

The one thing that was frustrating at first was the narration. Particularly at the beginning, Jonathan Marosz draws out vowel sounds in random words for what seems like an eternity. It sounded as if he were a poet reading his own poetry rather than a thriller novel narrator reading prose. Fortunately, this was less noticeable as the story progressed. I was glad I hung in there because the story itself was well worth it.