The Forgotten

This is a fast read, and I loved the characters, but I can't say that this one pulled me in as much as some other Baldacci novels. Something about this one just felt more predictable and formulaic, so although it was a nice escapist read that I could get sucked into and enjoy, it wasn't particularly powerful or memorable, and it felt like it had more potential and promise than what actually showed up. I suppose I set a high bar because I so enjoy Baldacci's work that I expect more than escape, and this one delivered on some of the promise, but I'd expected more.

I think Baldacci readers will enjoy it, and it is a nice escape... but it's not his best, and not what I'd recommend to someone just trying him out for the first time.

I don't remember ever being so conflicted about a book.It was bad. Really. The storyline was good. But the writing - the telling of the story - was just awful. ZERO subtlety with maximum testosterone decorated with totally unintended irony. It was almost a perfect parody of itself. I read it to the end in the same mental state that one uses when one passes a wreck on the highway... you can't not look and I couldn't not finish.

I didn't realize I'd read this series so much out of order. I knew I'd read book 1 after reading at least one other book in the series. I guess I didn't realize I'd missed others in between. I saw this book on the sale rack at the local library.

I think the title stems from the fact that there are groups of people that go unnoticed--some either don't trust the police or don't want to involve the police so when things happen to them, no one really knows or looks into it.

I've read enough Baldacci to know that the various storylines would eventually intertwine. I didn't guess correctly on who Puller would take to bed nor which character constituted the police involvement. Baldacci put in enough good red herrings to keep me distracted show more about which police officers were on the take.

Though Puller's family life is complicated, I can see that his Aunt Betsy was important to him (and to his brother)--maybe moreso when they were younger than now. I feel sympathy that he didn't get to tell her how she'd influenced his life and how much she meant to him. She was apparently a pretty savvy lady even at her age and had the wherewithal to get help to investigate. I don't think the bad guys knew she'd sent a letter with her suspicions out or that she'd get the response she did to it--if so, maybe they'd have taken on Puller before he had a chance to investigate and put it all together.

There is a parallel side plot about preying on the elderly involving a lawyer and caregiver that goes along with the preying on the less fortunate--it's a bit reminiscent of the indentured servitude that I remember studying in history class.

Baldacci weaves a tight plot and this one kept me turning pages. I can't give it 5 stars because I don't agree with the genre's need for the obligatory sex scene (thankfully this one was not very graphic). I'd usually give 3 stars for that, but at least there is a chance for a developing future relationship so I chose not to ding it as much as I usually do. (That and I picked up this book knowing full well that it would include that scene--so it was my choice to read the story knowing that.) show less

SWEDISH REVIEW

Jag läste bok fyra just precis innan jag fick chansen att läsa denna bok. Men det bekymrade mig inte så mycket då jag fann den senaste boken i John Puller series fantastiskt bra och jag hade hoppas på chancen att få läsa de tidigare böckerna. John Puller är en man som har en vana att hamna i strul verkar det som, lite som Lee Childs Jack Reacher. Kan vara det militära kopplingen som får mig att att tänka på Jack Reacher. I den här boken börjar allting med ett brev som Pullers far får från sin syster. Detta brev blir startskottet på ett helvete i paradiset kan man säga. För något är verkligen fel i Paradise i Florida....

De bortglömda är en spännande thriller som är svårt att lägga ifrån sig. Man show more blir uppslukad av handlingen och frågan är vem kan Puller egentligen lita på? Speciellt när t.o.m polisen i Paradise beter sig mystiskt. Blir ju inte bättre av att fler och fler personer plötsligt börjar dö. Vad är kopplingen mellan dödsfallen och vem är den stora mannen som räddar Pullers liv när han mitt i natten är i fara? Är han en vän eller fiende? För det verkar som han har är iblandad i fallet på något sätt...

Jag tyckte att de bortglömda var en mycket bra bok, det är absolut inga problem att läsa denna bok fristående från de andra serien. Själv är jag väldigt sugen på att läsa de två böcker jag ännu inte har läst i denna serie. Och självklart hoppas jag på att David Baldacci kommer att skriva många fler John Puller böcker.

Tack till Bokfabriken för recensionsexemplaret!

ENGLISH REVIEW

I read book four in this series right just before I got the chance to read this book. But it didn't worry me much since I found the last book in the series fantastic and I was hoping to get the chance to read the previous books. John Puller is a man who has a habit of getting into trouble. It reminded me a bit of Lee Child's Jack Reacher. It may be the military connection that made me think of Jack Reacher. In this book, everything begins with a letter that Puller's father gets from his sister. This letter will mark the start of a Hell in Paradise one could say. For something is really wrong in Paradise in Florida ...

The Forgotten is an exciting thriller that is hard to put down. You become immersed in the action, and the question is who can Puller really trust? Especially when even the police in Paradise behave mysteriously. Then, more and more people suddenly begin to die. What is the connection, and how is the big man that one night save Puller's life? Is he a friend or foe? For it seems that he is involved in the case in some way ...

I thought The Forgotten was a very good book, there is absolutely no problem reading this book without having read the other books in the series. Personally, I'm very eager to read the two books I have not yet read in this series. And of course, I hope that David Baldacci will write more John Puller books.

Thanks to Bokfabriken for the review copy! show less

Army criminal investigator John Puller heads to Florida to investigate his aunt's sudden death and finds himself subject to much unwanted attention as a result, not least from a hostile local police force. Cracking pace and topical plot with several twists, including an unexpected villain which caught me by surprise. John Puller reminded me of Jack Reacher (Lee Child's creation), a compliment. Recommended.

This is the second book in Baldacci's Reacher-like series featuring John Puller, a military cop. The Forgotten picks up from where Zero Day left off, but it's not necessary to have read that book previously. Whilst the events from that book are referred to occasionally, there are no spoilers given. It's impossible to avoid the comparison to Lee Child's books because the lead character and overall formula are so similar. If you enjoy Child's books, you're pretty sure to like this too. Did I enjoy it? Yes. What is my greatest concern? That someone might have plans for a John Puller movie with Tom Cruise in the lead role.

The second book in the series, featuring Special Agent John Puller, deals with the horrific crime of human trafficking. After his father, General John Puller Senior (Ret.), receives a letter from his sister, Betsy Simon, who lives in Paradise, Florida, asking for help after noticing unusual activity, John Junior is still on vacation, recovering from his last assignment in West Virginia, but reassures his father that he will look into it. However, when John arrives in Florida, Betsy is already dead. While John investigates his aunt's suspicious demise, one of Betsy's neighbors is also found dead. After two local boys go missing and more of Betsy's friends' bodies are found on the beach, John decides something stinks in Paradise.

As John show more gets closer to zeroing in on the organized trafficking organization that has set up a pipeline in Paradise, he gets help from a few friends. Cheryl Landry, a local cop; Julie Carson, a one-star General; and a mysterious tough guy named Mecho, who poses as a landscaper but is much more. This group shifts when a traitor is revealed in the heat of a battle with trained gorillas working for a Colombian cartel.

There's plenty of action and intrigue in this story, where abandoned oil rigs in the Gulf are being used to shuttle human cargo for sale. This story brings to life the real horror of trafficking that goes on today all over the world. It's a hard topic to read about, but the heroic characters and strong writing make this story an entertaining read. show less