Hour Game

De: David Baldacci

Narrado por: Ron McLarty

A man accused of burglary seems innocent . . . but in this #1 New York Times bestseller, two ex-Secret Service agents quickly learn that nothing is more dangerous than the truth.

A woman is found murdered in the woods. It seems like a simple case but it soon escalates into a terrible nightmare. Someone is replicating the killing styles of the most infamous murderers of all time. No one knows this criminal's motives...or who will die next.

Two ex-Secret Service agents, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, have been hired to defend a man's innocence in a burglary involving an aristocratic family. Then a series of secrets leads the partners right into the frantic hunt that is confounding even the FBI. Now King and Maxwell are playing the Hour Game, uncovering one horrifying revelation after another and putting their lives in danger. For the closer they get to the truth, the closer they get to the most shocking surprise of all.©2004 Columbus Rose, Inc.; (P)2004 Time Warner Audiobooks

Reseñas de la Crítica

"King and Maxwell are fictional treats, a fabulously entertaining team, and the action is hot and hard."—New York Daily News

"The action is suspenseful and relentless."—Newark Star-Ledger

"Utterly absorbing...spins in unexpected directions...There are terrific action sequences throughout and plenty of suspense...texture and depth...A snappy surprise ending will have Baldacci's many fans remembering why they love this author so much."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"HOUR GAME has the elements of a classic Baldacci thriller. His characters keep getting better and richer and the plots-while always tight and well executed-are becoming more intricate and realistic...There is no question: David Baldacci will stay on the bestseller list for a long time to come."—Richmond Times-Dispatch

"The book's pace is near-gallop."
—Buffalo News

Excellent.

Good narration. A little thick in ending, more realization needed sooner. Overall one of better books

Plot too tangled.

This did not live up to other King and Maxwell stories. There were too many characters and it did not follow an easy to understand plot.

Too Complex

Too many characters and plot too complex. I like more interaction between King and Maxwell.

What's wrong with this book?

I am ambivalent about this book. It isn't a bad read - none of Baldacci?s books are. The narrator does an adequate job - Baldacci?s readers always deliver well read products. The book's production values are A-One. There are plenty of plot lines and plot twists.

So, what's wrong? It is hard to adequately critique this book - I guess that's why book critics make the big bucks. For me, the problem is mainly one of prior expectations; I greatly enjoy Baldacci?s books, and expected this one to be a knockout -- and it isn't. Were it written by another author I would probably be less disappointed (and probably wouldn't be writing this review).
Some of the book's potential strengths are also its weaknesses. For example, the plethora of plot lines and twists sometimes tumble over each other without always getting resolved -- though, maybe they are, but with so many concurrent elements I might have not noticed the resolution.
I could go on with similar types of nit-picking, but, instead will settle on the following: Were Tennessee Williams alive and writing today, he might have written something like this book. Set in the South (Virginia will always be the south for many), mixes characters both smarmy and virtuous, who are rich, ex-rich, never rich, and never will be rich. It has lots of earthy language with enough epithets to satisfy any reader. There are elements of adultery, perjury, divorce, sexually transmitted disease, whores both in and out of their houses, quasi-incest, multi-target love affairs, seduction, and seduction rebuffed, big houses, horses and the riding of same, drugs, murders, serial killing, requited and unrequited love, and lots of characters with southern accents who are at opposite ends of the decorum measuring stick (i.e., good guys and evil ones).
Alas, though multiple forms of desire pervade the book, there ain't no street cars.
Is worth a read? Sure. However, if you aren't able to read the book, it will be no great loss.

Decent Read

This book had a couple of interesting plots and was somewhat intriguing. It has several twists and unfortunately I found it a little difficult at times to keep the many characters and their roles straight. I also was disappointed that the intrigue and charisma between the two main characters wasn’t carried over from the original book in this series. The relationship was not similar or even familiar.

Overall this story was fair, above average — a first out of the numerous outstanding Baldacci books I have read, who’s my favorite author.