The Target (Will Robie Series, 3) Hardcover – April 22, 2014

Most of Baldacci's novels are comparable: same length, same number of sub-plots, etc. I'm okay with that as long as it is well-written. And, for the most part 'all' are.However, in THE TARGET, I have two problems. First, anyone who studies geo-politics or history, etc. beyond the US knows the entire scenario that covers North Korea is pure garbage. Not improbable; it's impossible! Read "The Girl with Seven Names" to understand the extent of security in N. Korea and the unlikelihood of leaving, much less getting 'rescued!'The other is the sub-plot concerning Reel's biological father. Huh? I guess Baldacci was short on the number of pages as this is so unnecessary and unlikely. Just tell the main story and any subplots (such as the Korean assassin) that are adjunct to the plot... and be on with it.Well, I guess I have a third. Robie and Reel have been very close for a long..... time. But, never intimate and neither has had a 'mate.' Really stretching believability.

When David Baldacci released what I consider his magnum opus, The Innocent, out into the wild; it did more than turn me into a huge fan of his writing. It single-handedly redefined my perception of the modern-day technothriller genre as a whole through its sublime combination of quality, nearly flawless pacing and unforgettable characters amalgamated into a plot that was so brilliantly constructed that it always kept me on my toes wondering what would happen next. In one stroke, the book went on to become one of my all-time favorite books of any genre and would serve as the genesis for what I’ve come to love and expect from Baldacci as a writer. Which is why I was disappointed when the follow-up, The Hit, failed to live up to its predecessor’s greatness. It was by no means a bad book; in fact it still was cut above the rest in the genre. Yet as a sequel to one of my all-time favorite novels, I feel it didn’t quite measure up to the same level of quality. Fortunately, all is forgiven in Baldacci’s latest novel in the series, The Target.As a writer, Baldacci is at his absolute best when he constructs a narrative that nails the balancing act of illustrating both the high-stakes political intrigue that occurs behind closed doors in places of power, particularly in factual government agencies and officials of the sort, while complementing this substantially with memorable characters that serve to give Baldacci’s writing its humanity, something I feel many authors of technothrillers don’t always succeed at doing. In this regard, Baldacci is spot on, for in The Target, the characters are portrayed as far more than mere tools of their respective governments tasked with performing their country’s classified dirty work. While these characters certainly bare the cold demeanor and inner-discipline one would reasonably expect from someone of the profession, they also come off feeling believably human and in some regards, dare I say genuinely relatable. These aren’t superheroes; they’re humans with real personal issues and problems. Seeing how they persevere and overcome them, as well as how they inspire others plays a large part of the book’s appeal.Will Robie’s character is at its best when he’s interacting with other characters. After all, possessing a predominantly stoic demeanor doesn’t always guarantee that the protagonist clicks with the reader. Baldacci circumvents this issue by illustrating some exceptionally entertaining dialogue between Robie and the supporting characters, particularly Jessica Reel who despite having the same profession and training as Robie doesn’t share the same jaded personality. Reel’s snarky retorts to government bureaucracy in juxtaposition with Robie’s controlled stoicism is great, and the back-and-forth banter between the two assassins greatly exacerbates both their presence as equally nuanced characters, and as one formidable duo. Along with tangible moments of guilt and vulnerability, the relationship between Robie and Reel is substantially reinforced from the last book and I’m very excited to see where Baldacci takes in it in the next sequel.Of course the greatest villains in fiction are the ones with flashes of humanity or feelings of doubt and internal angst. Where Baldacci succeeds in developing Robie and Reel, he absolutely nails it out of the park with the new antagonist Chung-cha, their North Korean counterpart. Having an horrific, and at times tear-jerking upbringing in one of North Korea’s most infamous prison camp and then being forced into the service of a thankless totalitarian regime, it’s easy to become attached to Chung-cha as she struggles to find her own semblance of self-worth and identity in what is a predominantly patriarchal society run by fascist dictators. With Chung-cha’s story arc, Baldacci once again showcases one of his greatest talents as a writer: his ability to connect the reader to the sufferings of real-life people living far less fortunate lives in different countries around the world. Whether this is the middle-east or some other third-world country, he makes us question everything we take for granted while opening our eyes towards the misery of those less fortunate who weren’t born in a country that exercises the same rights and liberties that we often nonchalantly take for granted. You can’t help but feel sorry for Chung-cha and the actual people who she serves as a surrogate for. Everything she and the real-life people she is meant to represent were made into what they are by their twisted government. I won’t spoil anything, yet I’d almost go as far to say that Chung-cha’s story nearly steals the show from Robie and Reel. So much so that I feel it was almost a missed opportunity that she wasn’t the star of her own novel.In contrast to the sympathy the reader is meant to exude for Chung-cha; Evan Tucker is an antagonist who we’re meant to despise, and in that regard he’s another success. He’s a typical bureaucratic weasel with a misguided vendetta against Reel after the stunt she pulled in The Target. Between his desire to bury Reel and anyone who assists her, along with the insurmountable odds facing the two assassins from outside forces; it creates a palpable amount of anxiety which gives the book’s premise a lot of necessary tension. The characters are always unsure of who to trust and whether their demise could come from their opposition, or from the select few within their own government who want them dead. Top that off with the possibility of all-out nuclear war if they fail their mission and Robie and Reel have a lot to on their plate.While I was unsure of the direction the series was taking after The Hit, this latest offering from Baldacci has completely eradicated any lingering doubts. Like The Innocent before it, The Target lays the blueprint for how to craft an exciting, emotionally-engaging technothriller that feels grounded in the realms of plausibility. The characters are better than ever, the plot is sublime and Chung-cha’s story arc alone is enough for the price of admission.

The book is in perfect condition and was even shipped in a plastic bag. No smell, no bad pages and the spine is not worn. Book ja ket is also in perfect condition. I hope to order more books from here

Thanks for the wonderful story. I was moved by all of the main characters and will always remember this classic tale of intrigue.

The third Will Robie book. I read the first, and seem to recall enjoying it. Having skipped the second, I now wish I would have read that one before picking this one up. There are too many references to that story here, and I feel as though the details were so detailed in places, that it essentially spoiled the reading if I ever did decide to pick up #2.That fact aside, I still really didn’t enjoy this book that much. This, sadly, tends to be a pattern for me with Baldacci. He seems good coming up with ‘big’ plots, but when he’s forced to write about detail, such as two people talking to each other, his weaknesses are really apparent. There’s just too much here that is contrived, forced, and unbelievable.Robie is a tough, macho CIA agent that is assigned top level clandestine missions for only the very best. Apparently, he became entangled with co-agent Jessica Reel in the second book. She’s just as good as Robie, but being female, she seems to have a rather large chip on her shoulder and seems to swagger her machismo a bit much. In fact, this book seemed to be more about her than Robie. Apparently in Book 2, the two “did the right thing” but didn’t “follow orders” on a crucial mission. So now the CIA wants to get rid of them (i.e. kill them), but the duo is too high profile and too good, so the CIA has to suck up their bravado and put up with these two misfits. Again, the dialogue between all parties is pretty stupid.Anyway, the main story here is pretty decent. Robie and Reel are initially called in to help orchestrate a coup in North Korea, but things go a bit wrong, tables are turned and some of the particulars get changed. We then focus on a female North Korean agent who’s being recruited to retaliate against the Americans. Her story is pretty interesting, and I found the chapters detailing her plight to be the most entertaining. Had Baldacci focused on this aspect throughout the whole book, it could have been a much more satisfying read.Well, I’m guessing that when Baldacci finished this story, he only had about 275 out of the required (?) 400 pages written. Since he couldn’t milk the story any more, he basically inserts a second story within these pages that is completely unnecessary, stupid, and contrived (why do I always use that word when reviewing Baldacci?). This subplot involves a dying old prisoner on death row, some fanatical Neo-Nazis, and Jessica Reel’s past. This portion of the book should have been left in the garbage. It’s completely stupid and unnecessary. There really isn’t anything wrong with a 275-page book, you know. Less would have definitely been more in this case.Even the ‘main’ story had some issues of unbelievability. At one point, Robie and Reel have to infiltrate a prison camp in the heart of North Korea. The way Balcacci describes the event, it seems about as difficult as driving on the freeway during rush hour. The whole incident takes up about half a chapter. This could have been fleshed out more and made the story much more enjoyable.Often when a person dislikes a book by an author they enjoy, they’ll state things in reviews such as “I’m convinced that (this author) had nothing to do with this book! It must have been ghost written by someone else!” Well, sadly, I’ve read a lot of subpar books by Baldacci to know that the things that made this book somewhat unenjoyable have also been present in some of his other clunkers. In fact, I really think he SHOULD try co-writing with someone else. Someone who can write simple, believable scenes - like when two characters have a conversation with each other.

Two plots - neo Nazi's & North Korea that are not connected. Too much mundane chatter. No profanity in contrast to the Bosch books, so this book can be recommended to teenagers. The ending was evident midway through the book for the North Korea plot. Recommended for hardcore Baldacchi fans only.

Okay, it's "not real", but then again neither is Captain America and the Marvel comic heroes!! This book is just like that - a film script that excites, delights, moves and charms across so many layers and in so many ways. Robie & Reel are great on the page. They'd be terrific film characters too. The book is a pacy thriller, yes, with an incredible plot, but you want to believe in it all. And why not? Isn't that what fabulous literature is all about? The suspension of the grey, drabness of belief to enter a richer, better world where great things can happen and which often holds a mirror up to ourselves and asks us to ask the questions ... What would I have done in that situation? How would I have behaved? Aren't we all "kids" at heart , thrilled by things that are better, bigger and stronger than our own puny selves?And that's where Baldacci's books always score. They take us to a better place, a fantasy where horrible things are sometimes explored, surprising depth of detail is uncovered and there's a resonance to right that puts things into a proper and, for me, satisfying perspective. I love his stuff. It thrills and delights me in equal measure because it is cleverly written with a human twist on the fatefulness of life's events. Makes you want to be a part of it and in this often tawdry world, who can ask for more than that?

I'm giving up at only 12%. At this point the story talks of a training camp Robbie and Reel must go to. I had a feeling this was going to drag on so I previewed at 30% and they are still in the training camp. That was enough for me, I didn't want to read on.

Would highly recommend this series to those that love the reacher series. The story is un-put downable I have really enjoyed the series and the character development is growing in each instalment. You won't be disappointed I couldn't stop thinking about the book as I wanted to find out what was in store for Will and Jess! Can't wait to read the next book in the series

This third outing for Robie and Reel is about as good as it gets. DB’s characterisation of the pair, their colleagues and adversaries is first class. Extraordinary killings machines they might be, but he makes them human too. Very enjoyable.

I love the short chapters! It turns it into a real page turner. No psychobabble, just plain story telling. No page long descriptions of the trees or scenery, just telling the tale. No words that you need to grab a dictionary for. Nail biting, heart stopping excellence in writing.How does he do it so consistently?