At the start of King and Maxwell, an American soldier transporting a load in the middle east is waylaid by a group of CIA agents, or so they claim. The soldier knows something fishy is going on, but he can't trust anyone. Meanwhile, back in the U.S., King and Maxwell are out for a drive in the rain and narrowly miss hitting a gun-wielding teenager. They end up taking the boy home and befriending him. He asks them to find out what has happened to his dad, who the Army said was KIA, but who sent the boy an e-mail days after he was supposed to have been killed. The dad? The soldier from chapter one, of course.
(By the way, it's a good thing they ran into that kid. Otherwise, they'd be sitting around twiddling their thumbs. There is no indication in the book that they had any other cases brewing, no calls from other prospective clients, no reference to any other income-producing activity. Thus, they had plenty of free time to chase down leads for a kid who obviously had no means to pay them for their time.)
Their chance encounter with a sad and confused teen ultimately turns into an investigation uncovering a plot to bring down a foreign government and wreak havoc in the U.S. As they unravel the interweaving tendrils of power, their investigative prowess, unusually good luck, and their brilliant, computer-hacking friend get them to the bottom of the situation.
Baldacci's readers will not be surprised that increasingly unlikely coincidences and scarcely believable leaps of insight and discovery mark King and Maxwell's investigation. At one point, as Maxwell reports to the president on the progress they've made, he exclaims, "That's a miracle." I was inclined to agree. But these big leaps don't necessarily detract from the enjoyment of the book. It's page-turning, suspense-filled, escapist fiction. Enjoy it for what it is!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
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