First Family

By: David Baldacci

Narrated by: Ron McLarty

Length: 6 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, back from their harrowing and near-fatal adventure in the blockbuster #1 best seller Simple Genius, return in a mesmerizing new thriller.

A daring kidnapping turns a children's birthday party at Camp David into a national security nightmare, but the hostage is not who anyone would expect. The First Lady enlists the services of King and Maxwell to bring the child back safely. Years ago, King saved her then-senator husband from an assassin's bullet; whether they shared anything else is their secret. With Michelle still recovering from her own demons the pair are pushed to the limit, with forces aligned on all sides against them, and the line between friend and foe impossible to define...or defend.

©2009 Columbus Road, Ltd. (P)2009 Columbus Road, Ltd.

Presidential Power, a short course

Would you consider the audio edition of First Family to be better than the print version?

The reason I chose the abridged version of this book is because all of Baldacci's books that I have heard before were good, but I always wanted to flip ahead and cut some of his self-adulation. Yes, he is a good and intelligent writer, but I don't need laborious reminders of that in each book. That being said, the abridged version is probably as good as or better than the book.

What did you like best about this story?

The story moved quickly and had well thought out side stories and subplots.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The narration was excellent, but the sound effects were not welcome, especially while driving.

Who was the most memorable character of First Family and why?

King is the most memorable character. He may not be the last Boy Scout, but he is a credit to the club.

Any additional comments?

Baldacci has taught me that less can mean more. He is an excellent author and I look forward to reading all of his works. I will, however, choose only the abridged versions from now on. Most authors are better unabridged; Baldacci is better abridged.

short but great

this book was short just 5 chapter but action packed . a overall great read

Just ok, an interesting ending.

If you just laying around it's an ok read, not to gripping
The plot ends with a weird twist that doesn't seem even possible with a quick change in the main villain.

Like most Baldacci, sort of good.

To those of you who haven't listened to or read David Baldacci, this novel, like most his others, has a story line that is just good enough to keep you interested. Not great, but good. I didn't really gain affection for any of the characters and I almost didn't care how it would end. There is some action, a little girl is kidnapped but you never learn that much about her, there's a bad guy but he isn't really all the bad, and on and on. Ron McLarty does a good job on an average story line.

Missing Details

I’ve read/listen to the first three books with great enjoy. However, the First Family person who narrated it missed paragraphs and many sentences. Hard to follow and took away some of the meaning. This book I disliked because of that. Also, he did not make the story interesting at all for me