First Daughter

A Jack McClure Thriller

By: Eric Van Lustbader

Narrated by: Richard Ferrone

Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Jack McClure lost his daughter. Now it's his job to make sure the president-elect doesn't lose his. For eight years, America has been led by a president hell-bent on aggressive foreign policy and rebuilding the nation on Christian values. A new administration is on its way in, but the president has a few power moves left to see his legacy solidified. Moderate conservative Edward Carson is taking the reins, hoping to set America on a new course. But weeks before Inauguration Day, Carson's daughter, Alli, goes missing from her college dormitory.

Jack McClure is an ATF agent who recently lost his daughter in a terrible accident...and Jack's daughter was Alli's roommate. When the president-elect chooses him to lead the search for the first daughter, Jack approaches the quest fiercely. The investigation leads him onto the path of a dangerous and calculating man - someone whose actions are as cold as they are intelligent, a man whose reach is seemingly infinite.

Faith, redemption, and political intrigue play off one another as McClure journeys into the path and mind of a calculating genius who always manages to stay one step ahead of him. And Jack will soon discover that this man has affected his life in more ways than he ever realized.

Take another thrill ride with Jack McClure.

©2008 Eric Van Lustbader (P)2008 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"Rarely have I read a book that grabs you so fast in the opening scene (and, oh, how it grabs!), then keeps up the pace until the very last page. Goodbye sleep; hello First Daughter." (Jeffery Deaver)

First Daughter

very good reading and I enjoyed this book -

really by EVL

decent read but a little too predictable compared to many of his earlier works, especially the Asian ones.

First Daughter

I confess - I will pick up/purchase and/or listen to books written by Eric Van Lustbader. I am consistently rewarded with rich, multi-dimensional characters and complicated plots. 'First Daughter' was a great read - listen. Jack McClure is a complex character that deserves a series of books. I looked forward to snarls in traffic to gain more time with this well written thriller.

This is a great series, this book sets the stage

This is the first in a series of books written by Eric Van Lustbader and Narrated by Richard Farrone. As with any series that you may not have heard of I tend to go back and start at the beginning and listen to books in order. I was introduced to Eric's work with The second book in this series Last Snow and have decided to listen to the five books available on AUdible.com and review them. Richard Farrone is a genuis and voice work and this performance showes his greatness. 

Jack McClure is an ATF Agent whose Daughter was killed in a terrible accident. His daughters roomate was Alli Carson the President Elects Daughter, who dissapears from here college dorm room weeks before the inaguration. As Jack searchers for Alli he has the full support and backing of the President Elect who wants his daughter found before inaguration day so she can take her place on the podium as the First Daughter.  If this sounds cold, I agree and that is what makes finding someone who may not want found so much harder. 

Jack's past haunts him and this book contains a lot of flashbacks, and back to present time then back to the past, so pay attention as you listen. You may need to hit the rewind 30 second button to keep up. Many may think this book is anti-christian but I disagree. Faith is not about power and those who use faith to gain power and control are not truely christian. This book may have a political statement to make but it could just has easily have been written about the Far Left Leaning Obama administration. An Author must write a story and this story is a political thriller wrapped in the mind of one man, Jack McClure.

I must also say the work usage and writing style of this author was more like poetry at times than a mystery. They way he wrote the words and put them together was more than a person writing a book but more like a how to on writing more than just words on a page. I am excited to read the next book in the series and see how Jack's Life changes now that so many questions have been answered.

I bought this book for my own pleasure and write this review for my readers.

First Daughter

I had to re-play/hear the book for the flow and theme.

A Great 'Who Done It'

I liked this book from the very first moment I listened. A very good story with a tight timeline for adventure lovers. And an interesting main character that I could relate to him and his childhood, and his life. And has a twist at the ending that left me 'jaw dropped'.

Anti-Religious Diatribe in Disguise

Been reading the author since his "Sunset Warrior" Series of the 1970's and rediscovered him once he continued Ludlum's Bourne Series. Always looked forward to solid plots with nice twists and turns, based on at least semi-believable characters. A genius dyslexic is fine, but one who sees hallucinations to help his investigation to a tad over the top, as is blaming all the world's problems on the Book of Genesis and those who believe in it, literally or proverbially.
I don't care if the author is gay, or agnostic, or green with purple blotches, I just don't want to be beat about the head and shoulders with any of those for 12 and half hours when I'm listening to a genre as an escape.

Awful narrator

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

A better narrator. Perhaps a better story. I disliked it so much I couldn't force myself to finish.

Would you ever listen to anything by Eric Van Lustbader again?

I might read one of his novels rather than listen to one.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Richard Ferrone?

Don't know, but not him.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from First Daughter?

Not sure I would have cut anything--didn't get far enough to find out

Any additional comments?

I felt like I was missing a huge chunk of the backstory as if the novel literally picked up where a previous one ended. Perhaps Van Lustbader intended this so we, just like the lead character, would be clueless as to what was going on. I read and write technical manuals all day long. Sometimes, I just don't want to work at being entertained.

Not worth the read

The plot of the book has great potential, however the Author rambles on and on and takes forever to move the plot. There are so many people floating in and out of the story from the present to the past that it's hard to keep track of everyone. You can figure out most of the ending early on, which also takes the luster off of the story. The main character is emotionally unstable hearing voices and seeing visions of his dead daughter which is totally unbelieveable.

The most troubling part of this book is the Author's intent to force his secularist views down your throat. He belittles the people in the book who have morals and any sort of Christian background, making sure they commit heinous sin or acts against God or others.

I've read a lot of books/books on CD, and this one is the worst of them all

Missing pieces

I felt confused and out of the loop the either book. The bits that where meant to be suspenseful or exciting were lost on me because I was trying to figure out why/what/who. So many stories that were (I assume) supposed to meet up at the end but honestly it was like listening to random pieces of three different books that had a few characters in common. I got this book 2 years ago and had a hard time getting started. I finally powered through. Will not be investing in any more Lustbader titles.