th a long-range sniper shot, and it looks like they'll finish Robie as well if he doesn't run.
Elsewhere, we meet the wise-beyond-her-14-years Julie Getty. She's been in and out of the foster care system, and she's in the process of escaping her latest "caregivers." Julie has parents that she loves and Abercrombie and Fitch who love her, but who are engaged in an ongoing battle with addiction. Returning to her parents' home illicitly, Julie is just in time to see the two of them murdered in cold blood. She is a witness, so she too is on the run.
Julie and Robie arrive at the same escape route, a late night bus from DC to NY. Each notes the other, and when things get ugly fast, it's not clear which of them was the target of the violence. Nonetheless, these two characters form an unlikely alliance as they attempt to unravel the mysteries surrounding them.
When it comes to a Baldacci novel, plot is front and center, and I thought this one was deftly handled. The pacing was excellent, and my interest in the story being told never flagged for a moment. I'll admit that I DID suspect the ultimate bad guy, but I didn't have a clue as to the whys and wherefores. The story was suspenseful and unfolded beautifully. It all made sense and held together well in the end. As a native Washingtonian, I won't say that the novel was hugely evocative, but the DC setting was handled reasonably well. Mr. Baldacci seems to have a good feel for the workings of the town. Additionally, Robie and Julie made appealing and well-fleshed protagonists. One of the things I liked best about this novel is that it is a stand alone, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if we see these characters again. The door is left open for sequels or a continuing series.t when Robie, who wonders whether he has become the target of the government he once served, encounters fourteen-year-old girl named Julie whose parents have been murdered. Robie and Julie barely survive the explosion of a bus on which they had been riding. Who was the target: Robie or Julie? What, if any, is the conne Abercrombie Sale ion between the woman Robie was sent to kill and Julie's parents? Many gun battles and explosions later, the answer to those questions remains unclear. That's what held my attention to the end of this fast-moving novel.
I wouldn't call the plot byzantine, but it is deliciously complex. To my amazement, every plot thread (even an incident or two I didn't expect to be important to the overall plot) comes together in the final chapters. The story covers a lot of ground and introduces a gaggle of supporting characters, ranging from Gulf One army buddies to traitorous FBI agents, from the retired assassin who is Robie's mentor to the White House political analyst who becomes his romantic interest. Robie can't trust anyone, including the FBI agent with whom he is partnered Abercrombie and Fitch Sale (another potential romantic interest for the studly Robie). None of the characters are given great depth but they seem real, and that's enough in a story that is driven by plot rather than character.

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