David Baldacci is a writer of fiction whom I’ve come to greatly enjoy. The Whole Truth is a bit different from the other books I’ve read by him and I find it more Robert Ludlum-ish in it’s message and plot. That does in no way make it a bad book as I enjoy Robert Ludlum too, but rather it means that the plot makes me squirm in my seat because I can see this scenario happening in today’s world. Being an ostrich-type, I would much prefer to just go on putting one foot in front of the other and not needing to question my fellow man’s motives and especially not question my elected officials on THEIR motives.

The Whole Truth centers around organizations (which DO exist in the real world) whose sole purpose is to create facts to fit scenarios. Called perception management, these businesses create facts to fit scenarios that public officials, business managers and government leaders want to project to their citizens, boards of directors and voters.

It’s scary to think about.

The Whole Truth has “super agent” A Shaw working for some undisclosed, super-Interpol-type agency breaking up drug rings, weapons sales and other nefarious organizations of the world. His job does not provide for any Disney vacations and he’s at the beck and call of his boss; barely recovering from wounds received during the course of one job before having to move on to the next.

He’s an orphan with no ties to anyone, but there is a gentler side to Shaw. He’s fallen in love with a researcher whom he met during the course of one of his jobs. He’s decided he wants to retire and marry Anna and live a “normal” life.

First he’s denied retirement by the organization he works for.

Then Anna is killed by the perception management company who is creating facts to go along with the story that Russia is attempting to ramp up aggression against the world.

Now all Shaw wants is revenge.

The project is to reignite the cold war which will bring weapons purchases to the weapons manufacturer who has thought the whole scheme up. It will push the Middle East and Africa back out of the limelight of the media and into obscurity as two superpowers, this time Russia is pitted against China, lock horns to control the worlds natural resources and financial markets.

The management is done by teams of disseminators who create, dispense and collect facts according to the master plan. They execute with deadly accuracy and stir up public opinion to the point of hysteria. Russia is angry and threatens retribution. China is blamed and denies all involvement. Only a few people know the whole truth.

But the plan begins to unravel as Shaw finds the truths one by one and journalist, Katie James a two-time Pulitzer winner writes the story to expose the truth to the world.

The Whole Truth by David Baldacci
Published by Grand Central Publishing 2008
ISBN-13: 978-0-446-19597-3
ISBN-10: 0-446-19597-9

Tags: Baldacci, Robert Ludlum, Whole Truth

This entry was posted on Monday, November 10th, 2008 at 9:38 am and is filed under Action Books. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.