ONE SUMMER by David Baldacci

In One Summer, David Baldacci tells us about Jack Armstrong, who is dying. After surviving against all odds through years of military service, being shot at and nearly blown up, Jack Armstrong is terminally ill, with very little time left, Jack tries to hold on til Christmas, living one day at a time.

 

The doctors gave him 6 to 8 months, and now that time is nearly up, Jack is reduced to marking his last days off the calendar, one by one.

On Christmas Eve, in the cruellest twist of fate, Jack's wife, Lizzie, is killed in a car accident. Jack is left to take care of their 3 children. Lizzie was the glue holding the family together.

Devastated at their loss, her parents make plans for Jack and the children. They will all be separated, and Jack will be left to die alone. But miraculously, Jack's health takes a turn for the better.

Slowly but surely, he begins to improve and grow stronger. Almost back to his old self, he makes plans to fetch his kids and be a family again. But Jack has no idea how difficult it is being father and mother, breadwinner and caregiver, all in one.

His kids suddenly resent him, he was supposed to die, not their mom, huge adjustments need to be made.

Slowly, painstakingly, Jack finds the way to draw his children closer. They all learn to love and give again, and to become a family.

Totally removed from his usual fast-paced thrillers, One Summer shows a different side to David Baldacci.

This is a moving family drama, a lovely, tender book, thoroughly enjoyable, although I must warn you, its a tearjerker.
Happy reading!

THE INNOCENT by Harlan Coben

Harlan Coben, here in The Innocent, introduces us to Matt Hunter who is a 20 years old man, everything going for him, his whole life ahead of him.

And then he makes one stupid mistake and kills someone.

Matt does his time in prison.

13 years later, he is married to Olivia, working for a law firm. He has put the past behind him, where it belongs.

Olivia is expecting their first child, and they are overjoyed at the prospect of being parents.

Then he receives a strange photo on his phone, sent to him by Olivia. A photo of a man.

So begins the slow unravelling of everything Matt has built and holds dear.

Matt starts to realise that he knows very little about his beautiful wife.

Everything she told him about herself - was it all a lie? Suddenly the perfect life he envisioned for himself, a convicted murderer, begins to seem hopelessly unrealistic.

The twists and turns just seem to lead to more questions instead of answers.

The Innocent by Harlan Coben, races at breakneck speed to its climax with plenty of surprises along the way.

A really good, gripping thriller.

 

Happy reading!

THE SIXTH MAN by David Baldacci

The Sixth Man by David Baldacci

The Sixth Man by David Baldacci tells the story of how a serial killer, Edgar Roy murdered a bunch of people and buried them on his farm.

Now he sits in a psychiatric ward, awaiting trial. His lawyer, Ted Bergin, calls Sean and Michelle in to investigate the case further. Then Bergin is murdered.

The situation is at a standstill.

In The Sixth Man we meet up once again with ex-Secret Service turned Private Investigators Sean King and Michelle Maxwell. They try to determine Edgar Roy's innocence or guilt.

But is Edgar Roy really a serial killer? Did he really kill all those people and bury them on his farm? There are powerful people behind the scenes who have a very different interest in Edgar Roy, who is a lot more than what he appears to be.

And Edgar Roy is not talking - at all. Sean and Michelle meet resistance at every turn.

Not only that, more innocent people are being murdered, and Sean and Michelle become targets as well. They are crossed and double-crossed, not knowing who to trust. Who is telling the truth, and who is lying?

The Sixth Man is a gripping page turner, in true David Baldacci style, with an ending that will have you holding your breath until the final words.

Happy reading!