King And Maxwell by David Baldacci
My Rating: 3/5 Stars
Mimicking the highs and lows of this novel, my rating had some higher points along with some lower ones (which you wouldn’t know based on my final overall rating). But trust me, my friends, they were there. But that’s the joy of reading: expect the unexpected. KING AND MAXWELL started off well enough, with desert scenery and a finger placed on the kill switch and high powered weapons pointed at foreheads, tripped over its own two feet a bit in the middle with some Swiss cheese dialogue and gouda lines, and then had a rather disappointing ending, at least in my opinion.
Let’s start with the good. Sean King and Michelle Maxwell prove rather emphatically that opposites do attract, that partners can banter as well as brother and sister, tease each other relentlessly in the pursuit of some comic relief, and that even while being chased by alphabet soup agencies, good humor never dies. The premise could have been straight out of Hollywood: There’s even a Jaws reference that I wouldn’t have gotten without the explanation. The action-packed plotline proved mostly enjoyable (I don’t read thrillers for the stunning, poignant prose and literary awards). I value entertainment, and I definitely felt the back of my knees on the edge of my seat.
Measuring this against earlier David Baldacci novels, though, I couldn’t help coming away a bit disappointed. There were lines of dialogue that could have been pilfered from an Arnold Schwarzenegger action movie, and the premise, while entertaining, probably was a tad outlandish, and was all wrapped up a bit too neatly for an edge-of-your-seat roller coaster ride.
I received this book for free through NetGalley.