Absolute Power
Authors: David Baldacci
Tags: #United States, #Murder, #Presidents -- United States -- Fiction, #Mystery & Detective, #Political fiction, #Presidents, #Presidents - United States, #General, #Literary, #Secret service, #Suspense, #Motion Picture Plays, #Thrillers, #Mystery Fiction, #Fiction, #Espionage, #Homicide Investigation
| Absolute Power | |
| David Baldacci | |
| Twtp Assorted (1996) | |
| Tags: | United States, Murder, Presidents -- United States -- Fiction, Mystery Detective, Political fiction, Presidents, Presidents - United States, General, Literary, Secret service, Suspense, Motion Picture Plays, Thrillers, Mystery Fiction, Fiction, Espionage, Homicide Investigation United Statesttt Murderttt Presidents -- United States -- Fictionttt Mystery Detectivettt Political fictionttt Presidentsttt Presidents - United Statesttt Generalttt Literaryttt Secret servicettt Suspensettt Motion Picture Playsttt Thrillersttt Mystery Fictionttt Fictionttt Espionagettt Homicide Investigationttt |
In a heavily guarded mansion in a posh Virginia suburb, a man and a woman start to make love, trapping Luther Whitney, a career break-in artist, behind a secret wall. Then the passion turns deadly, and Luther is running into the night. Because what he has just seen is a brutal murder involving Alan Richmond, the president of the United States, the man with...Absolute Power.
Can the President get away with murder? The fictional answer to this question results in a fast-paced page turner that combines political intrigue with gritty, hard-boiled suspense
Casting the president of the United States as a crazed villain isn't a new idea?Fletcher Knebel worked it 30 years ago, in Night of Camp David?but in this sizzler of a first novel, Baldacci, a D.C. attorney, proves that the premise still has long legs. The action begins when a grizzled professional cat burglar gets trapped inside the bedroom closet of one of the world's richest men, only to witness, through a one-way mirror, two Secret Service agents kill the billionaire's trampy young wife as she tries to fight off the drunken sexual advances of the nation's chief executive. Running for his life, but not before he picks up a bloodstained letter opener that puts the president at the scene of the crime, the burglar becomes the target of a clandestine manhunt orchestrated by leading members of the executive branch. Meanwhile, Jack Graham, once a public defender and now a high-powered corporate attorney, gets drawn into the case because the on-the-lam burglar just happens to be the father of his former financee, a crusading Virginia prosecutor. Embroidering the narrative through assorted plot whorls are the hero's broken romance; his conflict over selling out for financial success; the prosecutor's confused love-hate for her burglar father; the relentless investigation by a northern Virginia career cop; the dilemma of government agents trapped in a moral catch-22; the amoral ambitions of a sexy White House Chief of Staff; and the old burglar's determination to bring down the ruthless president. Meanwhile, lurking at the novel's center like a venomous spider is the sociopathic president. Baldacci doesn't peer too deeply into his characters' souls, and his prose is merely functional?in both respects, he's much closer to Grisham than to, say, Forsyth; but he's also a first-rate storyteller who grabs readers by their lapels right away and won't let go until they've finished his enthralling yarn. Major ad/promo; BOMC alternate; film rights sold to Castle Rock; simultaneous Time Warner AudioBook.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
ABSOLUTE POWER
. Copyright © 1996 by Columbus Rose, Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.
For information address Warner Books,
Hachette Book Group,
1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
ISBN: 978-0-7595-2460-6
A hardcover edition of this book was published in 1996 by Warner Books.
First eBook Edition: June 2001
Visit our website at
www.HachetteBookGroup.com
.
Contents
“FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELT. . . . A fast-paced novel that keeps readers on edge, page after page.”
—Associated Press
“SIZZLING ACTION . . . a well-paced, intricate book. . . . ABSOLUTE POWER sails on shrewd plotting.”
—USA Today
“RELENTLESSLY ENTERTAINING.”
—Atlanta Journal & Constitution
“THE VERY BEST KIND OF THRILLER: It never, ever—not for a single page—lets up on the suspense.”
—James Patterson, author of
Kiss the Girls
“A PAGE-TURNING THRILLER. . . . Baldacci combines all the needed elements: power, money, sex, intrigue, thwarted love, a few heroes, and more than a few villains.”
—Library Journal
“A SIZZLER OF A FIRST NOVEL. . . . A first-rate storyteller who grabs readers by the lapels and won’t let go until they’ve finished his enthralling yarn.”
—Publishers Weekly
“BALDACCI BRINGS AN INSIDER’S SAVVY TO HIS TALE.”
—New York Times Book Review
“PLENTY OF DANGER AND SURPRISES. . . . Characters are complex and unpredictable enough to be interesting.”
—San Jose Mercury News
“A SUSPENSE THRILLER THAT KEEPS YOU ENGAGED.”
—Denver Post
“INTENSE, INVIGORATING, THOROUGHLY ENJOYABLE. DAVID BALDACCI IS ONE OF THE BEST NEW WRITERS ON THE FICTION SCENE TODAY. THIS IS THE ONE ABSOLUTELY MUST-BE-READ NOVEL THIS YEAR.”
—Herald
(GA)
“A GRIPPING, HARD-TO-PUT-DOWN YARN. . . . BALDACCI IS A BORN STORYTELLER.”
—Richmond Times-Dispatch
“A FIRST-NOVEL BLOCKBUSTER,
ABSOLUTE POWER
IS A FASCINATING SUSPENSE STORY, ENTERTAINMENT AT ITS BEST.”
—Stephen Coonts, author of
Under Siege
“IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP ONCE YOU TURN THE FIRST PAGE.
ABSOLUTE POWER
is a tightly woven, fast-paced story.”
—Larry Bond, author of
Red Phoenix
“A CAN’T-PUT-IT-DOWN KIND OF PAGE-TURNER. It’s fast, provocative, and fascinating. It’s part crime story, part love story—full of passion, violence, and paradox.”
—Virginian-Pilot
“THE ACTION IS NONSTOP.”
—Orlando Sentinel
“POWERFUL . . . MESMERIZING AND ACTION-PACKED FROM PAGE ONE . . . ONE MIND TWISTER AFTER ANOTHER.”
—Tulsa World
“A CHILLING SUSPENSE NOVEL.”
—Dallas Morning News
“A FAST-PACED, ABSORBING NOVEL. FASCINATING PREMISE.”
—Steve Pieczenik, author of
Pax Pacifica
“TIMELY AND UNUSUAL. . . . THERE’S SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY IN THIS FIRST NOVEL. Baldacci’s grasp of politics is apparent . . . his attention to detail is meticulous.”
—Bookscopes
“A SOLID THRILLER. . . . BALDACCI WRITES WITH THE CONFIDENCE AND ASSURANCE OF A VETERAN NOVELIST.”
—Flint Journal
“ABSOLUTE POWER
IS ABSOLUTELY THE BEST AND MOST SATISFYING WASHINGTON NOVEL IN YEARS. Taut and suspenseful, it’s a deadly accurate portrayal of official Washington and the ends to which a president and his claque may go to conceal their misdeeds and retain power.”
—Ronald Kessler, author of
The Sins of the Father
“A MUST-READ FOR THE ELECTION YEAR.”
—Glamour
“AN INTRIGUING PLOT AND INTERESTING CHARACTERS.”
—Christian Science Monitor
Absolute Power
Total Control
The Simple Truth
TO MICHELLE, my dearest friend, my loving wife, my partner in crime, without you this dream would have remained a feeble glint in a weary eye
TO MY MOTHER AND FATHER, no parents could have done any more
T
O MY BROTHER AND SISTER
, for putting up with a lot from their younger sibling and still always being there for me
Jennifer Karas, for being a terrific friend and avid supporter and for getting the ball rolling way back when. Karen Spiegel, my biggest fan on the West Coast, may there be many huge movies and small statuettes in your future. Jim and Everne Spiegel, for all their support and encouragement.
Aaron Priest, the man who plucked me from obscurity, my friend and agent for life, and a helluva nice guy on top of it. And his assistant, Lisa Vance, who diligently answers every one of my questions, no matter how off-the-wall. And to the Priest Agency’s editor-in residence, Frances Jalet-Miller, whose insights and thoughful comments made me dig deeper into my characters and made the book far better in the process.
My editor, Maureen Egen, for making my freshman publication experience so painless and rewarding. And to Larry Kirshbaum, who saw something in the pages very late at night and changed my life forever.
Steven Wilmsen, a fellow writer, who well knows how hard it is, and who fed me good advice and tons of encouragement all along the way. Thank you, my friend.
Steve and Mary Jennings, for technical advice, legwork, and being the best friends anyone could hope for. Richard Marvin and Joe Barry, for technical advice on security systems.
And to Art, Lynette, Ronni, Scott, and Randy for all their love and support.
Here, the words really do fail me.
“Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
—L
ORD
A
CTON
H
E GRIPPED THE STEERING WHEEL LOOSELY AS THE CAR, ITS
lights out, drifted slowly to a stop. A few last scraps of gravel kicked out of the tire treads and then silence enveloped him. He took a moment to adjust to the surroundings and then pulled out a pair of worn but still effective night-vision binoculars. The house slowly came into focus. He shifted easily, confidently in his seat. A duffel bag lay on the front seat beside him. The car’s interior was faded but clean.
The car was also stolen. And from a very unlikely source.
A pair of miniature palm trees hung from the rearview mirror. He smiled grimly as he looked at them. Soon he might be going to the land of palms. Quiet, blue, see-through water, powdery salmon-colored sunsets and late mornings. He had to get out. It was time. For all the occasions he had said that to himself, this time he felt sure.