It was a decent mindless read for a summer book at the beach. However, it was by no means up to the author's prior quality. As other readers noted, the story took a long time to unfold and there was this sub-plot thrown in that had nothing to do with the primary story other than to pad the book with ovar 100 unnecessary pages.

I have read all of David Baldacci's books; and yes, some are better than others. I don't think that First Family was his best book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I like the characters of Sean and Michelle and hope to see them again in future adventures. The "all charm but can't keep his pants zipped" President and his manipulative, powerful first lady were very believable (due to our own country's past history). Sam Quarry was a stereotypical redneck and somewhat extreme example of how some picture Southerners. Since I am from MS / AL, Sam was insulting, but plausible. The story line was, at times, stretching the reader's acceptance; but that is one of the appeals of Baldacci's writing. He pushes the believability factor to the absolute limit and then just a little beyond. But after all, that's why I am reading, for the entertainment factor. It's not supposed to be anything more. I'm anxiously awaiting his next book.

First Family is David Baldacci's follow-up to Simple Genius. Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are summoned by Pam Dutton to instruct them on their next case. Before they can meet with her, however, they notice two men running from the scene firing their guns. As they investigate the house they notice Pam is dead, but, Willa, her eldest daughter, is missing. Subplots are plenty as Michelle, who is still struggling to come to terms about her mother's death, returns home to be with her father. First Family is a beefy book with twists and turns reminiscent of a roller coaster. Its politics and scandals are so complex that the reader stays in tune with the book from page one, and doesn't blink until the book ends. David Baldacci has once again delivered a novel that will captivate its readers....

I would also highly recommend: Ashes Divide by Clarence Cage: Ashes Divide a novel that ranked one of the best this year.

I am always ready to go for a ride with Sean King and Michelle...but even the wildest plot has to respect a minimum of rules. Not all questions are answered at the end, which is a little too predictable. I won't go into details so as not to spoil the story for new readers, but our heroes get to the solution through a wildly implausible clue left by a murderer. Overall the pace of the book is a little slow, though there are some pleasant interludes and some clever red herrings. Bottom line - will I buy the next Baldacci? You bet.

I enjoyed the continuing adventures of Sean King and Michelle Maxwell. Baldacci writes extremely well, and isn't too cynical about presidential politics. Maybe just realistic about human frailties.

First Lady Jane Cox engages Sean King and Nichelle Maxwell to find her 12 year old niece Willa. Willa has been kidnapped following a birthday party at Camp David. The story that follows is simultaneously improbable, unbelievable and highly entertaining. Why has Willa been kidnapped, and where is she?

The interactions between King and Maxwell, and the other security agencies involved are fascinating. The various security processes invoked and the egos of the participants often seem to make it unlikely that Willa will be found in time. At the same time, Michelle Maxwell is dealing with a number of personal issues. The story's focus on these issues serves to slow down the pace of the narrative a little as well as providing some insight into Michelle's past. The kidnapper is only one of the villains in this story, and uncovering the truth is indeed a messy business. I found the kidnapper, 62 year old Sam Quarry, to be the most interesting character in this novel. His planning and his actions are complex, while his motivation (once revealed) is simple.

Everyone, it seems, has secrets.

This is the fourth novel to feature Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, former Secret Service agents who are now private investigators. An entertaining escapist read.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Baldacci once again proves that he's the master of the page-turning, cleverly plotted novels with plenty of twists.

Seriously, didn't anyone in the process of the production of this book sit down and read it? What person who knows anything about writing can stomach a sentence such as:

And she possessed a curiosity about things that was not limited to issues common to her age group.

There is no redeeming quality to that sentence. What about that sentence is good? How, after reading that sentence, can anyone conclude that this DB should be taken seriously as a writer?

Amazing.

This overly long book has an implausible plot dependent upon a botched, back-room abortion. The timeline doesn't make sense as this procedure would have had to have ocurred in the last 30 years when it could have been obtained legally. There is a distracting, unconnected side plot that might make a good episode for NCIS, but doesn't really belong in the book. Overall, I was disappointed in this wordy, dull pesudo-thriller.

baldacci does an excellent job of creating a REAL page-turner in this ultra high-stakes thriller. The additional thrill of seeing the inner-workings of the white house bubble made this an excellent read. And ... yeah ... one cannot help but love an ending where the bad guy goes down in flames. But in this book, who is the "bad guy"?

I did have the unfounded expectation of some "meat on the bones" with First Family and I came away disappointed. It does not live up to the hype and I did not find it to have much suspense or to be a "thriller" in any way. In fact the whole premise is silly and the only character of interest is the villan, Sam Quarry who is a tortured and confused man seeking retribution from the First Family for their evil deeds done in the past.

Sean King and his partner Michelle devolve into cartoon-like characters chasing all over trying to solve a kidnapping and not making much progress until they somehow get lucky. There are so many holes in the story. In the meantime they also help to solve the murder of Michelle's mother which is another plotline added since the original one was so thin.

All of the FBI, Secret Service and First Family ties-ins really get boring and so little is plausible which gets in the way of taking any of the story seriously.

I did like Absolute Power and a couple of his earlier books but lately I find little interest in his books. He has a formula which is in need of help.

Definitely a good read! All of the coverups in the White House, makes you wonder if any of it could happen today with the President and First Lady making a side trip to the middle of nowhere to avoid blackmail and murder, plus kidnapping. Add DNA testing, retribution, illegitmate pregnancy, paternity issues, and kidnapping to the mix. Very highly entertaining, all comes together at the end.

Baldacci's First Family was a disappointment. The author's recent novels are predictable and seem to use a template for suspense. For example, throughout the book, Baldacci builds suspense simply by keeping information that his characters discover from the reader so that you want to continue reading to find out what the characters learned previously. This approach to building suspense works if used occasionally but becomes boring through repetition. I will no longer buy a Baldacci novel without taking the time to read customer reviews.

michelle's side plot was a distraction. rest of plot takes too long to develop. nothing thrilling, only the end has any real pace. his earlier books were far better.

I just finished this book and would highly recommend it. It has a lot of twists and turns and I enjoyed it very much. Excellent read.

It was a fast read but it just lacked substance. I give it 3 stars.

This was my first David Baldacci book and I really enjoyed it. I am anxious to continue reading more from this author.

Not very well written, very thin plot and no real suspense. Very disappointed in reading the first book by him.

First Family

Mr. Baldacci got us going with a couple of books with superb premises and stories well told. I checked out of the Camel Club pretty quickly because the "series" were just whodunits.

I agree with the others who said the story was mundane, not very well told, and there were editing oversights that should be an embarrassment to the editors.

He's riding on his reputation. Sorry.

First Family is David Baldacci's follow-up to Simple Genius. Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are summoned by Pam Dutton to instruct them on their next case. Before they can meet with her, however, they notice two men running from the scene firing their guns. As they investigate the house they notice Pam is dead, but, Willa, her eldest daughter, is missing. Subplots are plenty as Michelle, who is still struggling to come to terms about her mother's death, returns home to be with her father. First Family is a beefy book with twists and turns reminiscent of a roller coaster. Its politics and scandals are so complex that the reader stays in tune with the book from page one, and doesn't blink until the book ends. David Baldacci has once again delivered a novel that will captivate its readers....

I would also highly recommend: Ashes Divide a novel that ranked one of the best this year.

Excellent as always. I enjoyed this reading very much. This novel held my interest and my desire to read through to the ending.

This book is the best book I've read in my life so far! This book is better than 24 and any of the Die Hards put together. They'll probably make a movie on this or make a 24 season (it is continuing) based on this book or even a Die Hard based on it, since this book is nothing but suspense on every page, it was really hard to put this book down at night, but I knew I had to go asleep. If a day was more than 24 hours, then I could easily read this book in one sitting. I've also never in my life read a book as fast as I did with this mostly because it literally brought me into the book, and it's hard to get out, once I finished it. GREAT BOOK David Baldacci. Write a book like this again--that's all I can possibly say about this book.

I don't know why I bought this book in the first place, kinda on a whim, I guess...but I was extremely pleased and impressed to find both a plot and a sub-plot! --been a while since I've read a book with that much action going on.
I'm not a seasoned reader of thrillers, and was a little fearful at the beginning that the details and subterfuge and intertwining of events would be a little too technical and more than I'd want to try to keep up with for "pleasure" reading, but it proved to be a very nice mixture of thought-provoking and gotta-find-out-what's-gonna-happen-next reading experience.
Although the primary plot involving the first family is quite disturbing with it's infidelity and deceit (because, unfortunately, it is NOT unbelievable), I found it quite refreshing that the hero and heroine of the novel maintained high morals throughout...almost to the point of super-heroism.
Have already passed the book on to family members and will more than likely read some more of Baldacci!

This is the first Baldacci novel I've read and I'm eager to read more. The plot was excellent, the characters were well developed, and it was easily to visualize the entire action. (I'm a former English & video production high school teacher.) The story lines were interwoven so nicely which made the pace just right for a suspense thriller. His research was well done regarding politics, the Presidency, the FBI and the Secret Service. Although I'm sure liberties were taken, I was absorbed by the intrigue and willingly went into "the suspension of disbelief." I've changed my favorite genres over the years (4 decades) but I enjoy them all, especially mystery/suspense. My favorite reads are by James Patterson, John Grisham, Patricia Cornwell, and now David Baldacci. I also like historical novels and romance. First Family has a little bit of these elements as well. I hope you enjoy reading this particular book as much as I did.

As another Reviewer has noted - David Balducci should take some time off - refresh his creative instincts and resources and get back to writing books as exciting as TOTAL CONTROL and ABSOLUTE POWER. This book has a few interesting moments and plot twists - but the story is totally illogical and inane - that is - just silly. The plot does not build up any tension and the characters in the story just do not create any interest The female lead is suppposed to be some super star investigator with "Kill Bill" martial arts skills - who gets cold cocked in her one fight and most of the time is stammering around crying. It just goes on from one silly plot development and cartoon character to the other -There is zero reality to the plot or the characters. Not worth the time or the money to buy it used.

I am a big fan of David Baldacci books and especially ones that involve Sean and Michelle, but I have to admit that this one was not one of my favorites.

The books has a great premise but is also very predictable in the motive for the crime being committed. I figured it out after the first three chapters and then the rest of the story was about getting to the final climax of the story. Overall, very predictable.

This book also takes a detour in introducing another story line completely unrelated to the main story line which I felt was out of place and was added either to make the book longer or to explain the final outcome of the relationship between Sean and Michelle. Regardless, it was very much out of place.

First Family is David Baldacci's follow-up to Simple Genius. Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are summoned by Pam Dutton to instruct them on their next case. Before they can meet with her, however, they notice two men running from the scene firing their guns. As they investigate the house they notice Pam is dead, but, Willa, her eldest daughter, is missing. Subplots are plenty as Michelle, who is still struggling to come to terms about her mother's death, returns home to be with her father. First Family is a beefy book with twists and turns reminiscent of a roller coaster. Its politics and scandals are so complex that the reader stays in tune with the book from page one, and doesn't blink until the book ends. David Baldacci has once again delivered a novel that will captivate its readers.

I know David Has written a ton of books but this was the first of his that I read. This book was pretty good but I thought it had a bit too many story lines. I didn't care for the ending, but the majority of it was very good. I cared about the characters and the main plot was well written and kept me turning pages. From now on I'll be looking for new books by him and maybe, probably read another one by him.

First Family is not all that bad as a book but for goodness sake how much would it have cost to have someone proofread it? The sentence structure, punctuation, and grammar are so bad that it is at times painful to read. The story is OK if not unique or particularly entertaining and at times gets downright silly but is suitable for summer sitting on the beach reading as long as you can get past the amateurish construction.

Wow..I finally had to get on Amazon and read other reviews because I found this book agonizingly bad for Baldacci. The side plot with Michelle's mother being murdered was inane. The characters were all running together. David, forget Camel Club...please go back to Absolute Power and Total Control. Those were thrillers. This was horrible and I am only going to get through the last 50 pages because I paid the hardcover best-seller price! So disappointing that I cannot wait to end it to read something else..how bad is that?

I kept having flashbacks to the Clintons. The plot is good, kept me reading, I just wish that the secondary plot hadn't been there. It really didn't add much except page numbers. Made the heroine less likable, also. And the author's use of verb-noun instead of noun-verb became frustrating after a while. Nonetheless a really good read. Highly recommended!

This was my first book by this author. I took it on a camping trip. I could not put it down. I finished it in 2 days. Excellent!!!!

Not as good as the other books with the same characters. This one was a bit predictable, but still pretty entertaining.

I have never written a review but this dreadful book rose to the best seller list based on the authors name and the reading public should be warned not to buy this. Not only for the dumb plot with an unnecessary sub-plot but the dialogue comes right out of the Clive Cussler-Dan Brown elementary school of writing. I shook my head many times as I read the lame discourse among the stock characters. Please David, back to the Camel Club.

I liked this book a lot. Everyone in in the cast ofcharacters seemed to have a hidden story or second personalty trait that would take you by surprise. The First Lady is to me the most interesting and her story is full of examples of the consequences of our personal choices. Sean and Michelle are believable as a team.
Enjoy.

Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are former Secret Service agents who have become private investigators. King has a special relationship with the First Lady, Jane Cox, who asks them to investigate the death of her sister-in-law and the disappearance of her niece. The scene then shifts to a seemingly maniacal man, Sam Quarry, who is carrying out a revenge plan he has developed over many years. Author Baldacci conceals the motivation and the object of Quarry's plan for a large part of the novel which builds suspense for the reader. Michelle is sidetracked from the investigation by the death of her mother, a subplot which blessedly doesn't combine with the main plot, which often happens in this type of fiction. Perhaps Baldacci is losing some of his creative edge, as some reviewers have suggested, but he still spins a pretty interesting story.

Disappointing, a let down from his previous novels. I found the characters in general, uninteresting. Best character was the "kidnapper." The "side plot" seemed to be a "filler" and didn't add much to the story line.

i my opinion one of baldacci's best books. however i would recommend
reading FIRST PATIENT first. DAVID IS KING NOT BETTER THAN KOONTZ.

i have enjoyed many of the author's books. this one left me a little flat. my suggestion is wait for the paperback and do a lot of skimming ... then, it will be worth the effort.

Maui H.S.A little girl is kidnapped. She is a relative of the President of the United States. How is she linked to the kidnappers and why? Baldacci is a great story teller, but you get the feeling you've read this before. Why? I've read about the mines and the Union prisoners before. It was interesting enough to google it and find out if it was true. Yes it was. I read about it again. That's okay. The mine use was similar to another favorite author of mine, and that is okay as well. Bringing in the evil of the First Lady was a repeat of that same other author in one of his books and I didn't like it then either. Why? Because these books are fiction and I read to get away from reality. I know for a fact that most of the premise of corruption by all politicians-titled or spoused- is close to reality. The Washington DC power and wealth give acquiescence to the right of murder, larcency, prostitution, drug use, and every other corruptive evil on earth. Yes, two of our ex presidents were and are pedophiles. Murder has been committed by Presidents past and current to silence those who would reveal just what these Presidents really are. Even in current newspapers the Senators and Congressmen are being exposed consistently about adulterous affairs, larcency, bribery, homosexuality, pedophilic behavior, and the beat goes on. The second reason I didn't care for the story so much is I really don't care for Sean King and Michelle Maxwell. Sean is to noble to be believed and Michelle has way too many issues. I really prefer the Camel Club and Oliver Stone. Oliver is a real man with nobility yet acceptance of his male natures. The women are really strong yet feminine with far less issues. The Political intrigue and corruption is still there, but is a little further removed to the more accepted corruption and power like the CIA and NSA. Baldacci does write a good story and I will continue to read his work.

With two plots written in alternating chapters, Baldacci pads this latest book about former Secret Service agents, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, by repeating - apparently word for word - the story of Maxwell's confronting of her past. Is it plagarism when an author steals his own writing, or is it just cheating the readership?

The new storyline is a page turner and is long enough in itself to stand alone without Baldacci's inclusion of old writing. I'm glad I got the book from my library, rather than buying it!

First Family is an entertaining Thriller but a predictable one. Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are back trying to find the niece of The President of the United States. Their trail leads to shady dealings, questionable motives and a secret that the First Lady will do anything to keep. (You'll figure it out within the first hundred pages) Baldacci pulls out all the stops as usual in this latest addition to the King/Maxwell series. He also wraps up some loose ends from the previous book, Simple Genius. It's highly entertaining with one good twist at the end. The problem lies within the characters. I've never found them as engaging or interesting as The Camel Club. King never felt fully developed and Maxwell's past takes up to much of the book. By the end, everything seems wrapped up so Baldacci could move on to hopefully, the follow up to 2008's excellent, The Whole Truth.- BobsViews

it was a great read. fast paced and i couldnt put it down. i was disappointed with the ending...i didnt find it credible

Not a bad book, but it turns out the way Baldacci's books usually do the bad guy becomes the good guy and then dies.

First disk is defective. Seller says I should send it back for a replacement. That means I would be paying $4.00 shipping to receive the first defective set, $4.oo to send it back and another $4.00 to receive the new disks. I could have purchased this at Barnes & Noble for this cost.

I am not a hardcore fan of David Baldacci nor have I read the predecessor with these characters, Simple Genius. I just like intelligent thrillers and gave this a shot. I gave it 2 stars because it's readable, but frankly it's hard to imagine how something like this is bestseller material. The characters were all two dimensional and completely predictable, the dialogue was flat and cliché and the big reveals were obvious and could be seen coming a mile away. It also was sadly implausible. There was only one interesting character and that was the bad guy, and not in a Hannibal kind of way but more in an ambivalent fashion. The B-story meant to add drama for the primary protagonists while giving them something to do when there was nothing to do but wait around for the bad guy to make another move was completely unmoving and overplayed. Overall, this was not in the same league of character, dialogue or controlled tension as, say, a Lee Child, among others. If you read fast and often and need lots of thriller material to fill your diet this might be a worthy appetizer between real meals, but its not very filling...

It doesn't happen very often. In fact, it's not supposed to occur at all. But in this well-constructed novel, the President and First Lady are at the mercy of an unidentified kidnapper, and the Secret Service and FBI are virtually powerless to stop the latter from carrying out his plan.

We are introduced to a young girl who is celebrating her 12th birthday at Camp David because she's said to be the President's niece. Shortly thereafter, she's kidnapped, her mother killed, and her father knocked unconscious, sustaining a severe concussion. The only clues: virtually all of the mother's blood is removed and some sort of gibberish is written on her arm with a marking pen. Meanwhile, another woman also is abducted.

Sean King and Michelle Maxwell to the rescue. Both are former Secret Service agents who were drummed out and are now private investigators. Sean is called in by the First Lady to get to the bottom of the mystery outside of official investigations; he did the First Family a deep favor in the past and she has confidence in him.

While the plot is somewhat far out, it certainly is interesting and well-told. The characters are believable, despite the super-human aspects of the two protagonists. The portrayal of the President and his wife is intriguing, to say the least. Sympathy for the "villain" swings back and forth to a fare-thee-well. All in all a good read, and recommended.

I had a heck of a time starting this book. I was interrupted so many times with various trips, events, etc. Each time I had to start over, cause I couldn't keep the characters straight. Finally, I got going and it turned out to be a good Washington (well, all over the place, actually.)thriller. I love Sean and Michelle. I can't wait to check out Simple Genius to see their entrance. Anyway, it starts with a kidnapping of the First Lady's niece. There are a million different subplots, but if you have patience with them and stay with it, it is worth it. Sean and Michelle are the real stars of this book, but the niece is pretty cool, too. Lots of interesting characters. An ending like Watergate. Oops, I think I said too much.

David Baldacci has parked the surviving Camel Club members for a breather and returned to the ex-Secret Service tandem of Michelle and Sean, reaching all the way back to the formula of his first blockbuster by way of including POTUS (here, "Wolfman," more apt that you might think) among his cast of central characters with secrets to be illumined. You think, early on, that you've got the gist of the plot figured out and that surely DB couldn't be that obvious, only to discover, well into the book, that all the seemingly unconnected dots are definitely going to get connected and that what you thought was REALLY going on was barely the half of it.

One doesn't review thrillers by summarizing plots. All I'm trying to tell you is that this is one good read. I got so hooked I read the last 2/3 of the book in one sitting.

Amazing book! Loved the twist in the middle. Really hard to put this book down. Maxwell and King really run around in circles with this one.