• Absolute Power

  • By: David Baldacci
  • Narrated by: Scott Brick
  • Length: 19 hrs and 4 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (6,371 ratings)

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Absolute Power  By  cover art

Absolute Power

By: David Baldacci
Narrated by: Scott Brick
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Publisher's summary

Available for the first time in audio, an all-new recording by Scott Brick of the first of the blockbuster thrillers by New York Times best-selling author David Baldacci. This book that will change the way you think about Washington—and power—forever.

In a heavily guarded mansion in a posh Virginia suburb, a man and a woman start to make love, trapping a burglar behind a secret wall. Then the passion turns deadly, and the witness is running into the night—because what he has just seen is a brutal slaying involving the president of the United States.

Luther Whitney is the career break-in artist who's in the wrong place at the wrong time. Alan Richmond is the charming U.S. president with the power to commit any crime. And Jack Graham is the young attorney caught in a vortex between absolute truth and... ABSOLUTE POWER.

©1996 Columbus Rose, Ltd. (P)2009 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"[A] first-rate storyteller who grabs readers by their lapels right away and won't let go until they've finished his enthralling yarn." (Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Absolute Power

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    4,097
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    1,635
  • 3 Stars
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Performance
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    3,673
  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
    274
  • 2 Stars
    87
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    64
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3,520
  • 4 Stars
    1,172
  • 3 Stars
    343
  • 2 Stars
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  • 1 Stars
    54

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The best David Baldacci novel ever!

I do not make that claim lightly. I love Baldacci's King & Maxwell series, the Camel Club series, The John Puller series, the Will Robie series (my favorite Baldacci series), the A. Shaw series, the Cahills vs, Vespers series, and his stand alone novels. I own audio or printed copies copies of every book Baldacci has written. Absolute Power was released in hardcover early in 1996 and in audiobook format early in 2010. I listened to the audiobook in February 2010 and again recently.

Absolute Power is simply a thriller not to be missed. Like several of Baldaccis early audiobooks, Absolute Power is narrated by Scott Brick (Brick also narrated the early King & Maxwell books). Brick is simply the best! I do not mean to detract from the McLarty-Cassidy duo who are also superb.

The book is rather long (audiobook is more than 19 hours). A movie was made and released in 1997 based on the book. The movie is excellent, but not as powerful as the book. The movie was directed by Clint Eastwood and it stars Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, and Ed Harris. It is available in DVD, Blu-ray, and Amazon Instant Video.

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120 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Keeps you on the edge

This is an amazing book, I couldn't stop listening. The reason I picked this book was because of Scott Brick being the narrator and he did a superb job as usual, can't imagine anyone else doing a better job. This book kept me on the edge of my seat, so much so I had to turn it off acouple of times to calm myself down and get ready for some more. Thanks to both David and Scott for making a amazing story.

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73 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Too much detailed sex

The story itself was intense and kept you engaged. However that being said there was just way too much descriptive sex. It was totally unnecessary and didn't add to the story just took away from it. I'm not a prude but this went over board what was comfortable. The sex scenes seem pornagraphic.

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61 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

My all-time favorite thriller!!!!

I used to loved mysteries and thrillers, but in recent years, I find myself bored with the genre. I read "Absolute Power" many years ago, and loved it. I decided to revisit it in audio format, worried that it would fall short of my very high expectations. With a great narrator and an amazing story, this novel exceeded my sky-high expectations. I could not stop listening, from start to end. In the first chapter, a high-end career burglar witnesses a murder involving a tryst with the president of the United States. The novel grabs you there and does not let go. This story of political cover-up and murder has characters I cared about and plot twists that kept coming. This is by far the best of Baldacci. My other two favorite novels of this genre were Finder's "Paranoia" and DeMille's "Gold Coast." While I enjoyed both of those audiobooks, "Absolute Power" was by far the best.

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37 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Baldacci at his best

After being very disappointed at the last three Baldacci books, I almost didn't buy this one. That would have been a real mistake because Absolute Power is well worth the time. It is the same David Baldacci who wrote the first two Camel Club books. In his forward, he said he spent almost 3 years writing Absolute Power. He should go back to spending time on his next book.

This book is so good that you almost forget how bad the narration is.

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31 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Loved the book and the characters

Loved the story, I saw a comment here on Scott Brick (negative comment), and I respect your opinion, but I must strongly disagree. I thought he did an excellent job, especially at the end. I have always loved his narration. I strongly recommend this book!

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28 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

This is a great book

This book is fast moving and keeps you interested from the very beginning. The narrator is wonderful and makes it a joy to listen to the reading. The story line is interesting and believeable.

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26 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely Incredible

This is one of the very best books I have ever listened to. The subject matter is disturbing, to say the least, for any American, but extremely well executed. I found myself wanting to stay home from work and continue the book, although I did not do that, it was tempting. It will grip your interest to the very end. And yes.......Scott Brick is definitely sanctimonious. Some of his readings are right on and good. It's not bad narration, just sing songey sometimes and that gets to me after awhile. You will live through all of that. The book is worth it. I will definitely read this one again in the future. Well worth a credit or the price. Dick Hill would have been the best choice for a reader. He never fails me on any level. But unfortunately we cannot choose the narrator of any book. If the books stands alone, and this one does, you will survive the narration. Incredible book. I highly recommend it.

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26 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

President and crime

Interesting story, I wonder which president was in Baldacci's mind, when he wrote the book.
I listen to it on the plane and it was the kind of book you don't want to stop listening.

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25 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A great movie, an even better book!

This is my favorite of all of Baldacci's works. The movie is excellent, but the book is much better, the plot is different as are the characters. Its a must listen!

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21 people found this helpful