Helpful Score: 4
Another excellent read by Baldacci. As far as I am concerned, this author is the king of suspense. "The simple truth" is a page turner that will give you short nights of sleep until you finish it. You better plan the read for a weekend if you value getting to work on time.
Helpful Score: 4
"The Simple Truth" was my second Baldacci book and I wasn't disappointed...
John Fiske is estranged from his brother Michael, who is a clerk for the Supreme Court. But when Michael is murdered, John decides to take a break from his defense attorney life and re-visit his cop days to help out in the investigation. The key piece of evidence is a missing appeal that Michael took from the mail room but never logged into the system. It was filed by one Rufus Harms, a black soldier who has been in prison for a quarter century for murdering a little girl. The appeal must contain something that others wish to have buried, because everyone who touches the appeal becomes a target... even John Fiske.
The story is structured in a way that you know the appeal must be personally damaging to many high-powered individuals, but you really don't know the what or why until close to the end. For a 500+ page novel, I was surprised Baldacci could keep the plot line moving enough to prevent me from putting the book down. A good read.
John Fiske is estranged from his brother Michael, who is a clerk for the Supreme Court. But when Michael is murdered, John decides to take a break from his defense attorney life and re-visit his cop days to help out in the investigation. The key piece of evidence is a missing appeal that Michael took from the mail room but never logged into the system. It was filed by one Rufus Harms, a black soldier who has been in prison for a quarter century for murdering a little girl. The appeal must contain something that others wish to have buried, because everyone who touches the appeal becomes a target... even John Fiske.
The story is structured in a way that you know the appeal must be personally damaging to many high-powered individuals, but you really don't know the what or why until close to the end. For a 500+ page novel, I was surprised Baldacci could keep the plot line moving enough to prevent me from putting the book down. A good read.
Helpful Score: 3
I like this author and this is really one of his best. Complex, good characters, good plot. Enjoyed from first to last.
Helpful Score: 2
Another good novel by Baldacci. Has you guessing at who was involved in the original crime of 20 years ago.
Helpful Score: 2
A little bit rushed at the end.
Helpful Score: 2
Pretty good book. It had a very surprising ending; a twist on who is the bad guys and who is the good guys.
Helpful Score: 1
Baldacci is now one of my favorite authors. You will like this book!
It is so suspenseful!
It is so suspenseful!
Helpful Score: 1
I particularly liked this book because of the glimpse it gives of the inner workings, the trappings, and the power of the Supreme Court. It's a good story as well.
Helpful Score: 1
Good book. Liked the style and writing.
Helpful Score: 1
excellent story, great "who done it" with a hero or two
Helpful Score: 1
Although the premise was wonderful, and riveting, this novel didn't hold my attention.
Helpful Score: 1
Really enjoyed this one!
Helpful Score: 1
I had a really hard time getting into this book. Wasn't my cup of tea.
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoyed this book very much--it was a true page turner with excellent characterization, action and historical/legal intrigue.
Helpful Score: 1
Totally riveting...I enjoyed it immensely.
Found it a bit harder to "get into" than most of Baldacci's other books, but it was worth reading.
enjoyed this..... I like David Balducci.
This is my first foray into David Baldacci's legal thriller world and it probably won't be my last. Baldacci crafts a decent, if unspectacular, book about Rufus Harms, a black man locked away in prison for the brutal murder of a little girl. Harms, however, has a piece of paper from the United States Army that will exonerate him and he demands an appeal from his lawyer.
This piece of paper quickly sets the plot in motion as a Supreme Court clerk finds it and later is murdered. John Fiske, the clerk's brother and Sara Evans, a clerk for one of the Supreme Court justices, start investigating. The romance is piddling and somewhat unecessary but the plot twists and turns nicely. You'll be able to pick out the other villains before the end, but it's a decent read.
This piece of paper quickly sets the plot in motion as a Supreme Court clerk finds it and later is murdered. John Fiske, the clerk's brother and Sara Evans, a clerk for one of the Supreme Court justices, start investigating. The romance is piddling and somewhat unecessary but the plot twists and turns nicely. You'll be able to pick out the other villains before the end, but it's a decent read.
Compelling story involving a death row inmate, law clerk, and lawyer.
I thought his was a great read. Baldacci did a great job.
Another Baldacci page-turner! Intrigue involving the Supreme Court, a cop-turned-lawyer and an inmate who has spent decades in military prison. The biggest problem with the book is that it cost me some sleep as I had a hard time putting it down.
Great story! The first couple chapters were a little slow and confusing...but I hung in there and could hardly put it down. Definitely recommended.
Loved this story and the characters. Learning new things is always good. The main character Sara Evans is a Supreme court justice's clerk. Since Baldacci is an attorney his knowledge of the Supreme Court is an interesting side to the story about a black army soldier framed for the murder of a young white girl. The story is hard to put down and the ending was great. Never could guess where it was going to end which to me is the essence of a mystery!
Rufus Harms is rotting in a Virginia military prison. As readers learn in the terse opening of The Simple Truth, he was convicted 25 years ago of the brutal killing of a young girl. Readers also learn that Rufus did not commit the crime; out of a haze of memories and with fragments of evidence, he has reconstructed the truth about the horrid event that ruined his life. He knows his discovery could cost him his life, so he breaks from prison after sending an appeal to the Supreme Court that details a massive conspiracy tied into the foundations of Washington. The complex drama of Rufus Harms is only one of the interwoven threads in this massive, violent legal thriller that also draws from the vocabulary of hard-boiled crime fiction. Baldacci offers glimpses into the arcane politics of the high court, where Justice Elizabeth Knight wages war with the manipulative Chief Justice Harold Ramsay. And while Harms struggles to keep out of harm's way and the justices duke it out, Supreme Court law clerk Sara Evans toils with ex-cop John Fiske to discover the import of Harms's appeal (and, simultaneously, to uncover the murderer of Mike Fiske, John's law clerk-brother and the original holder of the appeal). Their interest in the document apparently draws the attention of the same deadly conspirators who manipulated Harms over two decades earlier. This was an OK book. It kept my interest but it seemed to unravel a bit at the end. It was almost too predictable. The character development was a little weak as well.
Thriller, in wonderful condition.
Very Good read
Takes you from scenes of swift, savage violence to scenes of the cloistered, intricate workings of The Supreme Court, this is a passionate, brawling & electrifying, vividly courageous which explains the most elusive word in our world...truth.
I really like David Baldacci. This is my 2nd of his and very interesting.
Fast-paced and thrilling.
Great book! Very interesting story line.
Conspiracy and suspense. If you love Baldacci you'll love this one.
Always a great read.
A story about a death row inmant, a Supreme Court clerk, and a crime that is costing people their lives. A novel about corruption, romance, family, and justice.
The first of this author that I have read. Let's just say, it won't be the last!
A great read though it broke my heart in the early chapters.Corruption,family, romance and justice. Will keep you reading!
Alot going on... corruption, romance... some of everything for everyone. Good writer
As with most lokg books, this one shows signs of having been read. I could never get into it. But those who like the author told me it was great.
I have read most of his books and have loved every one of them. This is non-stop action and hard to put down.
Another excellent Baldacci book. A cop who is an attorney searches for his brother's killer.
A letter stolen from the Supreme Court - a murder and a (maybe) innocent man.
good political thriller by baldacci
The Supreme Court is a fascinating backdrop for this story of murder, corruption and justice.
This was definately a page-turner, I didn't want to put it down until I finished every last page!
Very on-the-edge-of your seat gem by Baldacci.
I didn't think I'd like this book as much as I did. Not typically intrigued by books dealing with lawyers and cops, I found "The Simple Truth" to be suspenseful--a page turner. The characters are well developed.
This is a novel of corruption, romance, family & justice at the heart of the American republic. This is a journey of harrowing conspiracy and suspense.
The brother of an average lawyer is murder. The brother travels to Washington D.C. to find out about his brother's death. He becomes linked to convict who was put in prison 25 years ago.
bestseller, liked it
Another great page turner from David Baldacci.
terrific book
The newest superstar of the thriller genre.
I've been reading most of Baldacci's books and I do enjoy them. This is one of his stand alone novels and I like the content, the story, and the characters. I probably like his books that come in a series the best as you can follow the heroes from episode to episode and feel like you know them.
Very interesting murder mystery.
One of his best ones that I have read.
This was as good as any of David Baldacci's previous books, and I am one of his greatest fans, until the last ten pages. Then it became a dud.
Surprise endings are great if you can look back at what you have read and see how you were misled, how you overlooked something, how a fact was misinterpreted or a clue sailed right by you. However, when all the missing facts or clues are spelled out for the first time AFTER the plot has climaxed you feel gypped and suckered. WHY DID I WASTE BRAIN CELLS TRYING TO SOLVE THE MYSTERY WHEN THE AUTHOR WAS NEVER GOING TO REVEAL THE CLUES UNTIL HIS EDITOR TOLD HIM "WRAP IT UP IN TEN PAGES OR LESS, DAVID, IT IS GETTING TOO LONG." At least I hope that is how it happened because I have never seen such a contrived ending in any of his other books.
Well, everyone is entitled to have an off game now and then.
Too bad.
Surprise endings are great if you can look back at what you have read and see how you were misled, how you overlooked something, how a fact was misinterpreted or a clue sailed right by you. However, when all the missing facts or clues are spelled out for the first time AFTER the plot has climaxed you feel gypped and suckered. WHY DID I WASTE BRAIN CELLS TRYING TO SOLVE THE MYSTERY WHEN THE AUTHOR WAS NEVER GOING TO REVEAL THE CLUES UNTIL HIS EDITOR TOLD HIM "WRAP IT UP IN TEN PAGES OR LESS, DAVID, IT IS GETTING TOO LONG." At least I hope that is how it happened because I have never seen such a contrived ending in any of his other books.
Well, everyone is entitled to have an off game now and then.
Too bad.
Good book to take on a trip. Suspenseful but not scary.
book is actually a 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" paperback - ISBN number on back cover would not register - so I entered it with ISBN found inside
You'll be sucked into it from the very beginning. My copy is a large paperback book 470 pages, but the system won't accept the ISBN.
