Hour Game

You know things are intense when a book starts off with a dead girl being dragged in the woods to be posed.

Spoilers Ahead!

David Baldacci's Hour Game, the second in the King and Maxwell series, starts off like that. In fact, it looks like the killer might be a Zodiac copycat but that theory goes out the window when another body appears using another infamous murderer' M.O.

But this is not the case ex-Secret Service Agents Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, who have started a P.I. business together have been hire to investigate. Their case is investigating a burglary at the house of a very prominent Southern family called The Battles. Honestly, King and Maxwell are trying to reinforce if the suspect for the burglary did the actual crime.

Now, show more does this home invasion crime connect with the serial killings going on? Yes! Yes they connect, converge, and overlap into 500 pages of an intense old fashioned murder mystery. The character of Sean King definitely reminded me of Columbo multiple times during this book.

Baldacci knows how to captivate and draw me into his narrative. He did it with Split Second and achieved it again with Hour Game. These books are big but so addicting they go by quickly. I knew things were going to get very intricate and complex when I had to draw my own Battle Family map along with acquaintances. Everybody who was introduced was somehow connected with the Battle Family.

My only complaint is that I wish Michelle had more to do. I know from the duo that she's the braun so have her be exceptional at it like King is exceptional at being the brains. Her abilities seem to have backpedal from Split Second. show less

I found that the opening of this book was good, plenty interesting yet it seemed to bog down towards the middle third. I found myself losing my attention span and needing to take more frequent breaks than I usually would from reading it as it just wasn't drawing me in.

Things really pick up in the last third though and it becomes quite gripping as everything begins to fall into place (or seem too) and the main characters struggle to put everything together before the killer strikes again.

Overall it was decent but I didn't enjoy it as much as the former book, Split Second.

Baldacci has reached the point in his career where he can produce a weaker than excellent book (by his standards) and still have it become a bestseller. The story unfolded over a long time period, the plot became rather intricate,with numerous subplots tripping over each other, making the task of following the story and keeping characters straight a bit of a challenge. Tightening by about 10% would have produced a much better pace and intensity. Still, the ending was clever, and the extra twist there was well-executed. Maxwell and King (the two protags) are building a good dynamic, with sexual undertones, but each has distinct skills and personalities.

I guess doing a recurring thing as a hobby can seem pointless. Not reading, but reviewing. The Hour Game, though a book I enjoyed amply, cannot give rise to an insightful review. Also I'm trying to make it the last book read this year, instead of the penultimate one. The book bears the signature of its author. Only I can't decide if that's beneficial all the way through.

Make no mistake, The Hour Game is, by high standards, a paint by numbers book. From the way I see it, it has a great heart. It's a guilty pleasure. Not because of sappy romance, but its cliched style, not because of its willful body count, but because of the innocent prose, not because of its sexual murders (there aren't any here), but because I'm confident that show more Baldacci tried to write in a different hand and couldn't quite pull it off.

The most distinctive trait of this book is that the chapter endings are so lame. I may have missed some double entendre, but I won't bet on it. The book is very pious considering the subject matter. It seems like an old book from the 70's or so. What removes this illusion is the characterization of its main villain. Some of his motives seem nonsensical, but he as a person rings true. Having said that, I luckily did see through the mystery in a flash of lucidity. As for the second murderer, I can take no credit for that as it was very plainly obvious. This was the exceptional book where a cruel murder hasn't taken place in fine Baldacci style. This is why I think the author was experimenting to stay fresh. As a fan, I think he did accomplish much of his intent.

PS - You know, it's frustrating to write a book review after outputting more than 300 of them. Especially if you look like you're going downhill quality-wise. Choosing which book to read is almost as perilously cerebral. Nothing can be guaranteed. I thank my readers(all two of them!) of their interest in my reviews. I await next year with languorous trepidation. show less

Hour Game by David Baldacci was first published in 2004 and was the second book in the King and Maxwell series. This follow up is even better than Split Second and even more gripping. This really is a rollercoaster ride and just when you think you know what is going to happen next there is a lovely twist in the story.

Michelle Maxwell is out for a run when two boys run past her in the other direction with fear in their eyes. Maxwell follows the path that the boys had come along and discovers a decomposing body she knows one thing it is dead and been there a while. She calls the local police and then calls Sean King. They have also been given a job by a local lawyer to investigate a burglary from a local property. But bodies keep piling show more up and the local sheriff feels the need to deputise them both. As the body count goes up the FBI turns up with all the bells and whistles looking to steal any glory.

As the investigation continues whoever is the perpetrator is leaving clues for King and Maxwell to find. When a local wealthy man does it looks like the continuing work of their perpetrator, but they know that something is off with this murder. It will take all the skills they have to crack this case and as they get closer, they too become targets.

This is a great read with a fantastic pace and the way Baldacci uses language engages the reader as if they are in the middle of this investigation. Drawn in you are just hooked. A fantastic read. show less

Once again David Baldacci has written a book I did not want to put down. It is a page turner. I do admit that there are various sub-plots within the book. A a myriad of characters with many interrealtionships. But I loved this. And they are all well written. I am sure this book will be made into a movie.

This book brings back Secret Service Agents Sean King and Michelle Maxwell. Only this time they are former agents who have founded their own Private Investigation firm. They are hired to prove the innocence of a man that has been charged with burglarizing the wealthest family in town, the Battles. But rather quickly you will see that this investigation takes a back seat. For our two detectives are brought in as deputies to help solve a show more quickly growing number of murders by a serial killer.

I found the investigation to be run in an authentic manner. And a good level of detail. There is some misdirection in the book, that makes it hard to detrmine the killer ahead of time. But I was able to determine the who at the very end before the detectives mentioned it, but not the why. But Baldacci does a good job of tying up all the loose ends. Though the book screams for a sequel. Have a good read...I did. show less

Hour Game is the second book of the Sean King/Michelle Maxwell series. Sean and Michelle are called to a crime scene where the killer seems to initiate the Zodiac Killer. While the police are working to understand the killer's strategy, a couple of high school lovers turn up dead, and another calling card, similar to that of another infamous serial killer, is left with the bodies. The police admit they are truly baffled. The clues are unmistakable yet don't seem to form any cohesive pattern except that, for some reason, wristwatches are being left on the bodies in what appears to be a taunting message. Before the authorities can piece it together, their worst fears are realized.

The book is a bit aggravating at first, as Baldacci throws show more in three separate story lines. When all of these plot lines converge, the story turns into an action packed, twist-laden mystery/thriller that brings out Sean and Michelle's completely different personalities. The story is filled with quite a few surprises and the characters are a bit over the top, but it was lots of fun too. The plot was well done and just the right amount of action. It's a fast read that will entertain you for a few hours. show less