Zero Day

As usual, the author can't resist adding 50 extra pages to give the reader all the technical details from his meticulous research. This might account for the book's low 5 star rating. Most of the reviewers think it's a good enough mystery to start which then turns into a thriller. Avoid the long reviews to avoid spoilers. Puller is nothing like Reacher and more like Bosch. Read the Will Robie series for character more like Reacher.

Zero Day is actually my second David Baldacci book, following my initial discovery of his work in one of his later novels: The Innocent. I didn't simply read The Innocent, I devoured it. The book stands today in my eyes as the epitome of how to construct thrilling suspense in a modern-day thriller and easily one of the greatest books I've ever read. It possessed an asset which I feel many technothrillers fail to possess: characters which are both memorable and sympathetic. Possessing this helps create a deep emotional bond with the reader that helps invest them further into the book's complex plot, which in the case of The Innocent it was expertly crafted to such a degree that reading just one more chapter became like an unhealthy addiction. This was all complemented by a narrative that was so fast and superbly paced that it became almost torture to pull myself away from the pages and return to everyday life; needless to say I loved it and am praying for a sequel. Now why am I mentioning all of this in a review for Zero Day? I feel explaining my impressions of my first Baldacci book is the only method to properly illustrate my overall impressions from reading this one; simply due to the fact that Zero Day, despite sharing similar writing tropes of Baldacci's style, is a significantly different kind of novel in contrast to the aforementioned Innocent. Whereas The Innocent was an exercise in fast-paced action and thrills, Zero Day is a slower and more methodical book that takes its time in explaining its convoluted, yet none the less enthralling conspiracy tale. While it certainly doesn't hit the same high marks as its successor, it's still an excellent technothriller from an author who has risen as my favorite of the genre.As I said, Zero Day is a much slower book than The Innocent which may lead some to be disappointed if they're hoping for a faster paced novel. While I can recommend Zero Day to fans of the genre, I will admit that my initial impressions were unfortunately negative. The beginning of the book certainly leaves more to be desired and is quite slow in both its character development and overall plot progression. This highlighted one of the serious pitfalls I feel many authors of technothrillers fall into when writing the more informative sections of their novels: an excessive use of political and militaristic jargon. I'm all for authors taking the time to apply a superb attention to detail in fiction-writing. It provides a keen introspective into both the author's literary vision and several insightful facts about real-life situations and events that brave men and women in uniform deal with on a day to day basis. However, there are several times in Zero Day, particularly in the beginning, where I feel Baldacci goes overboard with the amount of facts he provides to the point where it actually pulled me out of the story. The result makes the narrative grind to halt, resulting in the overall experience resembling the act of reading a textbook rather than an exciting thriller novel. I require escapism in my fictional entertainment, not an onslaught of informative lectures regarding the convoluted protocols of the United States bureaucracy. The plot also starts off slowly with a painfully large amount of time spent investigating multiple homicides. Again, I understand the realism Baldacci is attempting to administer here and I completely respect his approach. My complaints are likely once again due to my first impressions derived from the much faster The Innocent. Despite the issues with the beginning of the novel, the book's plot was captivating enough to enthrall me from beginning to end even with a few falters in the narrative's pace. Baldacci's knows how to make an excitingly paced novel and he doesn't disappoint.A personal issue I've had with technothrillers has been the lackluster characters the author illustrates in their novels. I write this with only the deepest respect for servicemen from not only the United States but for all the men and women in uniform from every country fighting to protect the people they care for. Yet when I read fiction I require deeper characterization than what most authors provide, which often divulges into stereotypical soldier cliché, or greatly over exaggerated cigar-chomping killing machines. Zero Day's protagonist, John Puller, fell into the former rather than the later of these two archetypes. He's an all-around likable character with a sympathetic and honorable backstory involving his family's legacy and dishonor, as well as his own selfless dedication to his country's well-being. However, this character is so textbook that he often feels more like a caricature for the perfect military specimen, or in the worst cases like an unfeeling machine. Based on my original impressions from The Innocent and my new insight from Zero Day, it seems Baldacci prefers to write protagonists that tend to open themselves to normal people who are forced into their line of work. Like the incredible character duo of Robie and Julie from The Innocent, Baldacci once again succeeds at crafting a memorable character duo comprised of Puller and Cole, the latter being a West Virginia cop pulled into a situation that's well above her usual norm. The relationship between these two is charming, going from strictly professional to personal. It was also endearing to see the stone-faced Puller come out of his armor once in a while and cherish things he normally would pass off as superfluous in his line of work.Overall, Zero Day is a great read for people looking for an intriguing conspiracy tale complete with some solid characterization. The book isn't without its flaws of course, I feel it could have been a little shorter in order to alleviate some it's rather glaring issues of pacing, and the painfully slow beginning could have been executed with more care. I also feel Puller's brother was severely underutilized, something that may be remedied in the sequel that has already come out. Still, the plot is engaging from start to finish and the character relationship between Cole and Puller will keep you invested even if Puller can come off feeling like the Terminator rather than a living breathing human being. As far as I'm concerned it's another winner from an incredible author.

I’ve read other books written by Baldacci that I liked. This one wasn’t one of those. Not captured my interest. Too fake and full of details that distracted from the point.

Warrant Officer Jack Puller is assigned a new case involving the death of an Army Colonel and his entire family, ok, not just a death, they are slaughtered in his wife's parents home and it appears that they are interrogated before they die. Puller is sent to West Virginia to investigate the murders. He is the only one sent, they eschew sending an entire team (which would be normal procedure) because this case is 'unusual.' What does his SAC mean by 'unusual?'Puller meets Samantha Cole the local Sargent with the Drake Sheriff's department. She is the detective assigned the case from the local police. The two of them form a partnership to try and solve this crime. Now the hard work begins, not to mention the danger.Being in Rural West Virginia this crime scene has some problems. First of all there isn't a good forensic team to handle the crime scene, it's just one young officer. Second, they don't have a good county morgue where the bodies can go and be autopsied. So, they leave the bodies in the house overnight until they can get a doctor from another county to come and take them. First problem, the officer left to guard the scene overnight is also killed, he is left hanging in the basement. Now we have an additional question, why would the murderer return and kill the officer guarding the crime scene? What did he forget?Then to complicate things the next day they discover that a couple living across the street has also been murdered. And on top of that they appear to have a small Meth Lab in in their basement. Are the murders connected?Oh, and did I mention that the Colonel that was killed happened to work on top secret material for the Defense Intelligence Agency?Next, Puller is almost blown up two times by bombs that are strategically placed to try and eliminate him. And still his superiors will send no additional help. Why?The story has many twists and turns. Just when you think you might have a handle on what is happening it goes a new direction. The killing has not stopped either. So, what is going on in this sleepy little town of 6,000 people? What is so important that seven people have been brutally murdered? Who would have a motive?Now enter the Department of Homeland Security as an interested party to the investigation, because they have picked up chatter (in Dari, an Afghani language) that there will be a terrorist event in the area surrounding Drake. They approach Puller and want his cooperation and regular reports. But suspiciously they also don't want to send any agents to the area to investigate. They are nervous that their presence will spook the terrorist.So Puller and Cole are the only team that seems to be able to handle this. What they do will surprise you. How it ends is suspenseful. But also some good people as well as bad people will have to die before it is all over.This was a great read. Once I started I couldn't put it down.Enjoy!

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期待通りに面白い内容です。このような小説をかける人の頭のなかはどうなっているのでしょうか？

Another gripping David Baldacci book, full of surprises and the fate of the whole town of Drake is ultimately in the hands of John Puller.John is a government investigator, with so much army training that he is a fighting hulk of a man. Investigating several murders which seem unlinked, but working with Police Chief Sam Cole, with help from all around, connections are found. Samantha Cole.The sleepy coal mining town is embroiled in brutal murders, and the chilling truth of the nuclear waste hidden behind huge concrete walls. John's brother Bobby helps in the finale, which is too close to call.Great read, great story. I have just purchased the next in the series. I can't wait to start it.

Zero Day – David BaldacciJohn Puller, a Criminal Investigative Division, or CID, special agent is sent to investigate the murder of Colonel Matthew Reynolds a member of the DIA, Pentagon, His wife and two children were also murdered in the home of his wife’s parents in the coal mining town of Drake, West Virginia.Sam (Samantha) Cole is the police officer in Drake who helps John Puller sort out what actually happened and what information Colonel Matthew Reynolds had got hold of that led to his and his family’s death and also their neighbours.I’d forgotten how much I love David Baldacci books until I stumbled over this one. It’s clever, has a conspiracy theory, a love interest and is full of all sorts of interesting information. The town of Drake must make coalmine owners shudder because of the bad publicity he gives it, but that’s good, he’s making a stand on bad mining practices, which we all know carry on regardless.There is a second John Puller book, which I’m definitely going to read.

This is my first read of the John Puller series and it was pretty good - but could have been better! As an avid fan of Lee Child's Jack Reacher series I was keen to read this and put simply, this is a toned-down - employed still by the Army - version of Reacher. Puller is an elite military investigator (as was Reacher) of size and weight (Reacher) with rough but not unattractive looks (Reacher) and a straight to the point manner (Reacher). This first book's focus is on a terrorist plot and is played out in a remote, almost time-forgotten small town. Puller has been put onto the investigation because an Army Colonel (and his family) have been murdered in the town. It becomes clear that this investigation needs to be kept very low-key as it is being controlled right from the top, with Puller the only investigating operative. The story is good and surrounded by well researched detail but there are prolonged periods of story-building and not enough action sequences. Like Reacher, Puller is never destined to lose a fight but unlike Reacher, Puller doesn't have enough of them!Will I continue to read the Puller series? Yes I will, but mainly because I only have two more Reacher books to read (19 and 20). If you like crime thrillers where the hero is a man's man then you will probably enjoy John Puller. However, after the first read for me there are still better characters of this type out there (Reacher, obviously but also Stephen Leathers' Spider Shepherd) so let's see how Puller develops in book two!