Audiobook Review: The Whole Truth by David Baldacci

Here is a summary of The Whole Truth from the Hachette website:

"Dick, I need a war."

Nicolas Creel is a man on a mission. He heads up the world's largest defense contractor, The Ares Corporation. Dick Pender is the man Creel retains to "perception manage" his company to even more riches by manipulating international conflicts. But Creel may have an even grander plan in mind.

Shaw, a man with no first name and a truly unique past, has a different agenda. Reluctantly doing the bidding of a secret multi-national intelligence agency, he travels the globe to keep it safe and at peace.

Willing to do anything to get back to the top of her profession, Katie James is a journalist who has just gotten the break of a lifetime: the chance to interview the sole survivor of a massacre that has left every nation stunned.

In this terrifying, global thriller, these characters' lives will collide head-on as a series of events is set in motion that could change the world as we know it. An utterly spellbinding story that feels all too real, THE WHOLE TRUTH delivers all the twists and turns, emotional drama, unforgettable characters, and can't-put-it-down pacing that readers expect from David Baldacci-and still goes beyond anything he's written before.

My Review:
In The Whole Truth, Baldacci sets a scenario for us of how countries can go into a war by being led on from evidence that has been placed by some greedy individuals.  These private parties are looking for a war just to benefit their personal wealth.  Ron McLarty did a great job of narrating this action packed thriller.

Shaw is our hero in this novel and he works for an unnamed international secret agency that helps to enforce the laws in various countries.  Let me verify that we aren't talking about speeding or parking tickets, but more along the lines of drugs, espionage, and assassinations.  Shaw has been doing this job for a long time and events have played out for him that bring him to the decision that it is now time to retire from this dangerous line of work.  His boss, who is much older than him basically tells him that he can be done with the work when the agency no longer needs his services.

As this story plays out, items are planted that could be the beginning of a war between Russia and China.  Shaw must track the evidence to get to the bottom of this escapade.  As he uncovers more unnerving information he finds himself becoming personally involved in the situation and decides that he will do whatever is absolutely necessary to bring a stop to this madness.  Not expecting to live through the events that are about to take place, Shaw finds himself in imminent danger.

This was an action-packed audiobook that had me holding my breath praying that Shaw would pull through in the end.  I did find that the book did get a little bogged down for me with all of the global politics that were taking place and my mind tended to wander during those parts.  Besides that, I loved the characters and the rest of the story and look forward to listening to the next installment of this series.

My Rating:  4/5

Disclosure:  I borrowed this book from my library and listened to it for my own entertainment.