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A. Shaw is a unique kind of hero. Railroaded into working for a multi-national intelligence agency, he travels the world, putting himself in dangerous positions, in order to make the world a safer place. He gets no recognition for his duty, and he’s always aware that the next job might just get him killed. After falling in love with Anna—a brilliant woman who works for a think tank corporation—Shaw wants out. The only problem is that they aren’t going to let him go that easily.
Once upon a time, Katie James was a top journalist with two Pulitzers under her belt, but after a difficult assignment that sent her well on the way to becoming an alcoholic, she’s been demoted to writing celebrity obits. She’d do anything to straighten her life out and get back on top. Unfortunately, this leaves her a wide-open target for men like Nicolas Creel. He’ll use her to write a story everyone will believe is true—never mind that it’s a well-plotted lie.
Nicolas Creel leads the world’s biggest defense contractor, and he needs a war—or at least the threat of World War III—to make him even wealthier. He calls in Dick Pender for perception management—creating a “truth” to sell to populations all over the world. Make enough people believe that a country like, say, Russia is a threat to world peace, and every country who can will start spending money on defense, putting billions of dollars in Creel’s pocket.
In creating The Whole Truth, Mr. Baldacci put together a meticulous plot that’s exploding with emotion. He made it sound so plausible that I kept forgetting that I was reading fiction. At one point, I actually laughed at myself because I began to wonder if the author was really trying to sell me a “truth” through some kind of perception management of his own.
I’d like to think that our world leaders are smarter than to be tricked into believing a fake truth. But are they? I’d also like to believe that the general population isn’t gullible enough to believe everything they hear on the news or read online or in the papers. Sadly, though, I’ve seen evidence to the contrary.
You have to read The Whole Truth. I seldom label a novel as a must-read, but this one definitely gets my highest recommendation. Not only does it give you something to chew on and mull over long after you’ve read the last page, but it’s also a top-notch, fast-paced thriller that’s extremely hard to put down. Each character has emotional depth that makes you feel deeply for them and their plight. Heck, Mr. Baldacci even made me love Katie James, the reporter—which never happens, because I usually hate reporters (the fictionalized kind, anyway).
You only get a few chances to read a book like this one—with such a thrilling plot and such great characterization—so don’t pass it by!
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