No Man's Land

An Intricate Web of Military Mayhem

What I liked best about No Man's Land, the final book in the John Puller series, is how many storylines run simultaneously and actually get resolved by the end.

One would almost believe that David Baldacci had Military experience with the level of detail and insight he brings into that labyrinthian world. From the structure of the branches of all of the Forces, to the bewildering conglomeration of the Intelligence Community, we are led into the dark secret's of our Government.

Chapter after chapter, tensions build as the Puller family is drawn backwards into their haunted past. Nightmarish memories return for John as he follows the clues leading towards his mother's death.

Baldacci's prose is tight, clean show more and tension building. However, his gift is dialogue. Every exchange between characters tightens the vice grip with which he holds the reader, until by the climax, you are welcoming the resolution.

No Man's Land is no exception. I loved this best of the four John Puller books, but I was left with mixed feelings at the conclusion. I was relieved to find out what happened but sad to say goodbye to John and all of the other characters. show less

This is the fourth book in the series starring John Puller, a Chief Warrant Officer with the Army, a man who is one of the best investigators the Navy has ever had. Puller is the son of "Fighting John Puller," who is suffering from dementia after a notable career in the Army, ultimately as a three-star general. When his father is accused of having killed his mother 30 years before, John's immediate response is to begin work to clear his father's name. But before too long, the Army advises Puller that he needs to stop investigating and get on a plane to Germany, where he is needed for other work.

But Puller's not the kind of guy who would take that order well, and things start getting very interesting at that point. And they continue to show more fascinate as we meet Paul, a man of superhuman strength who has just been released from prison. What does Paul have to do with Puller's mom and dad? We'll find out.

Baldacci ramps up the tension, occasionally putting his characters (the cast includes Veronica Knox, who we met in The Escape, book three in this series, and it's good to see her again) in such jeopardy that it seems impossible that they'll get out. I swear that at one point my heart actually stopped beating for a second! Baldacci's writing is smooth, the sort of smooth where you tend to forget you're actually reading, the words just flowing straight into your brain.

I wish there were more Puller novels for me to read, as I've just torn through the final two in the series in record time. But there's always more Baldacci to be found, thank goodness, and there are still nearly 20 books of his I haven't read yet. Hmm, what's next? show less

Another solid effort by Baldacci. John Puller Jr. is once again drawn into a family drama when a dying woman accuses his father (Fighting John Puller, a three-star general suffering from dementia) of murdering his mother some thirty years ago. Despite threats from many sources, Puller discovers a serial killer was active in the area, and the investigators were told to stay away. Meanwhile, a killer is released from prison and is seeking retribution against the person who made him into one. Inexorably, the two plots drift together. I found Puller's distrust of his former secret agent friend Knox as well as the complete abandonment of the antagonist by powerful allies hard to believe. Guess that is why it's called fiction.

Once again have I read the latest book in a series without having read the previous books. That's my special power. Well, it's probably just that I keep on discovering series when a couple of books have been released. I always see that as a good thing, when the book is really good because now I know that I have several books to read. And, No Man's Land was good, pretty awesome actually. I found myself really enjoying the story and its characters.

I always love when a story deals with old cases, and this with John Puller's missing mother was both intriguing and sad. She just walked out one day never to be seen again. What happened to her? Did she leave or was she murdered? Now, a woman is claiming that Puller's father could be the killer. show more But, Puller's father is suffering from dementia and living in a VA hospital. So Puller decided that he will find out the truth no matter what.

I found No Man's Land to be very engrossing, I loved the characters, from Paul and Bobby Pullers to poor Paul Rogers. I was a bit worried when Veronica Knox showed up that the story would turn out to be a "will they or won't they" kind of book, but of course this is not a suspect romance novel and Knox and Pullar may have a thing, but business first.

No Man's Land is the fourth book in the John Pullar series, you can easily read this one without having read the previous book, although with the risk of getting hooked and needing to get the previous three books!

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy for an honest review! show less

While I typically enjoy David Baldacci and books that are part of a continuing series but this installment seemed to fall a bit short. The book is billed as John Puller finding out what happen to his Mother's disappearance when he was a child. In reality, this story seemed to be a start of a new series with 2 new characters with his Mother's story an after thought.

I enjoy John Puller's character and the interaction he has with his brother (who has his own set of secrets that would make a great series!) but this book was a bit dull and unrealistic. The ending also felt a bit rushed and Balducci tied things up a little too neatly. If you are looking for a good beach book, this is it. Other than that, you could pass on this entry in the show more Puller series and not miss much. show less

No Man's Land by David Baldacci
John Puller series Book #4
4.5★'s

From The Book:
Two men...thirty years. John Puller's mother, Jackie, vanished thirty years ago from Fort Monroe, Virginia, when Puller was just a boy. Paul Rogers has been in prison for ten years. But twenty years before that, he was at Fort Monroe. One night three decades ago, Puller's and Rogers' worlds collided with devastating results, and the truth has been buried ever since. Until now.

Military investigators, armed with a letter from a friend of Jackie's, arrive in the hospital room of Puller's father--a legendary three-star now sinking into dementia--and reveal that Puller Sr. has been accused of murdering Jackie. Aided by his brother Robert Puller, an Air Force show more major, and Veronica Knox, who works for a shadowy U.S. intelligence organization, Puller begins a journey that will take him into his own past, to find the truth about his mother.

Paul Rogers' time is running out. With the clock ticking, he begins his own journey, one that will take him across the country to the place where all his troubles began: a mysterious building on the grounds of Fort Monroe. There, thirty years ago, the man Rogers had once been vanished too, and was replaced with a monster. And now the monster wants revenge. And the only person standing in his way is John Puller.

My Thoughts:
This has proven to be another excellent series by David Baldacci. John Puller is one of the most compelling characters that I have encountered in some time. An excellent investigator although not always by the book but ever mindful that he represents the United States Army. This one contains some unexpected discoveries along the way, including futuristic military science. The end of each chapter simply insists that you to continue on to the next. Extremely enjoyable and highly recommendable. show less

3.5 stars (rating shown may vary depending on the site).

I have read other books with John Puller Jr. (aka Puller) as the main character. Baldacci is usually one of my "go to"s when I know I want to read a book I'll enjoy (though I did recently choose one of his where that was not the case).

When the book began, I was thinking that prisoner Paul Rogers was on death row awaiting execution--suddenly, he's being freed a day earlier than he thought he would be. (Lucky for him as we find out later.) He heads back to Fort Monroe for personal reasons.

John Puller Sr. has sunk into dementia. I did miss some of the interaction between him and his son John Puller Jr. (the titular Puller of the series) where the father would think his son was his XO. show more After 30 years, the wife of one of Puller Sr.'s men dictates a letter to her husband which accuses Puller Sr. of killing his wife back when they lived at Fort Monroe.

Jackie Puller left home one night and never returned. Puller starts looking into the matter to try to clear his father. Along the way, he has to confront that his memory of that last day with his mom has gaps.

Is this the end of the Puller series? Maybe. This storyline wraps up what happened to Jackie and gives the family closure on that. Puller Sr. will obviously not be a character involved in future storylines (unless some miracle cure happens in the world of fiction). Though he may, perhaps, show up in other series (he did make an appearance in an Atlee Pine novel) and this novel hints at a relationship between him and Veronica Knox.

I was surprised at the ending between Rogers and Suzanne Davis. So the book did throw a few twists I didn't predict into the mix. show less