“King and Maxwell” by David Baldacci – Investigating Beyond the Grave

David Baldacci has already gifted us with an incredible amount of mesmerizing mysteries, and with King and Maxwell comes a new one that no fan of the author should miss.

This time around, we once again follow the duo of Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, two private investigators and former Secret Service agents. They are tasked with a seemingly innocent case from a teenage boy: though his father is said to have died in Afghanistan recently, the boy received a communication from him after the fact.

In other words, the mystery hinges on whether or not the father is truly dead, but as is always the case, there is much more to it than the surface would suggest. After a bit of digging, our heroes open up a veritable Pandora’s box of secrets, raising many unwanted and uncomfortable questions, with the most important one being: is Tyler, the teenage boy, the next target?

King and Maxwell is a book which can be said to be divided into two parts. The first one is slower-paced and helps to create the atmosphere and bring the setting to life. Though there are some action sequences here and there that will make your blood pump faster, for the duration of the first half they are rather far and few in-between. There are multiple references to some of Baldacci’s other books, meaning that those who haven’t read them may feel a bit lost on this one.

However, through about one-third of the book the action starts to slowly pick up, going into full gear once you’ve reached about half the book, and that’s where it will hook you and won’t let you put it down.

Though the relationship between the two characters was developed a bit questioningly (some of the interactions between them felt like filler content), the story itself advances at a rather rapid pace and bombards us with twists and turns that make us forget everything about the few flaws which detract from the book.

The whole web of mystery holds up rather well with very few noticeable holes, if any at all. Baldacci has a very good sense of timing, never giving us more information than necessary, making the revelations in the story numerous and enjoyable without being ridiculous or feeling over-the-top.

In the end, King and Maxwell is a very solid effort by Baldacci and though it may not be the perfect read for new fans of the author, it certainly remains a great conspiracy thriller that will satiate your thirst for government cover-ups and that sort of thing.

You shouldn’t expect anything deep or philosophical out of this book (though if enough effort is given, anything is possible I gather), but pure entertainment in classic Baldacci style. I definitely recommend it to his fans and anyone looking for a good thriller to keep them busy.

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David Baldacci Personal site Certainly one of the more famous authors of the 21st century, David Baldacci was always gearing himself to become a prominent writer, beginning his work at a very young age as a child. He gifted the readers with countless classics and bestsellers such as The Innocent and Absolute Power.