The Innocent
"The Innocent’ is a first class thriller which will leave you breathless with excitement."
Synopsis:
Returning to Washington after successful missions in Edinburgh and Tangiers, assassin Will Robie sees his latest mission – the assassination of a government employee – go spectacularly wrong. Robie has to go on the run to survive.
Not the only wanted person Robie meets teenage Julie Getty who is devastated by the murder of her parents in the family home. The reasons for their deaths are a mystery, but Julie is clever enough to realise that their killer is also after her.
The police investigating the hit start to pay attention to Robie, particularly Special Agent Nicole Vance, who believes there is a connection between the two cases. Robie finds himself investigating a crime he also committed himself and may have to change sides to save lives, including his own.
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Review:
Like Tom Wood and Tom Cain, Baldacci has made a cold blooded assassin a likeable character despite his murderous occupation. Robie is well rounded and moralistic about his trade but never becomes a caricature. His logical prowess also makes him more humane as he is not just a blunt instrument. Vance and Julie are fine support characters and Blue Man offers an eerie presence. The novel moves along at a steady canter with the odd headlong gallop but overall the pace is nicely handled as reveals leaven the action sequences. The plot is nicely intricate as with all Baldacci novels yet not so convoluted as to be confusing. In the hands of a bestselling author such as Baldacci prose becomes a tool which is used to advance the tale while not drawing the reader out of the story. It is a testament to the author's skill that never once was I jolted by a loose phrase, careless word or overly elaborate description. 'The Innocent' is a first class thriller which will leave you breathless with excitement.