Whizzed through this audio book - liked it and all the characters - even the bad guys and gals. Am a fan of David Baldacci's writing which I find smooth and clear. The action built up and kept my interest.Had to look back through my read books list and discovered I had read the first John Puller book, Zero Day, but didn't recall much if any part of it so I didn't feel as though I missed anything significant as often happens in series characters. Will, though, read the new John Puller book just published.John Puller, Jack Reacher and Will Robie could probably be buds and hang out together ... DD@Phila The Forgotten by David Baldacci is his second book to feature Army Special Agent John Puller following Zero Day (published in 2011). Baldacci is the author of several series of political/ espionage thrillers and mysteries such as The Camel Club series about a group of quirky characters that have investigated and solved political corruptions and murders; Maxwell and King, a pair of former Secret Services agents who run a private investigation service; and Will Robie, a government assassin. In Zero Hour, Puller is sent to investigate the brutal murder of an Defense Department employee and his family and uncovers a terrorist plot to unleash a nuclear holocaust.This novel opens with Puller being contacted by the nursing home where his father, a legendary retired general, lives. His father has received a mysterious letter from his sister, and believing he’s still in the Army, commands Puller to go to Florida and investigate. However, when Puller arrives, he finds that his aunt has died. Although ruled an accident, Puller is suspicious. During the course of his investigations, he discovers the small tourist town of Paradise hides a very dark secret, slavery and slave-trading. To uncover and resolve the case of his aunt’s death and destroy the slave trade, Puller relies on several allies, a police officer in Paradise (Cheryl Landry), a one-star general he has a close relationship with (Brigadier General Julie Carson), a huge, quiet man from Bulgaria (Mecho, but actually named Gavril), and Christine Murdoch (actually Lieutenant Claudia Diaz of the Colombian National Police). Besides the mysterious death of Puller’s aunt, there are two other murders of an elderly couple who were friends of Puller’s aunt. Mecho, who has come to Paradise determined to find his sister and seek revenge against Peter Lampert, the millionaire who runs the slavery ring was himself kidnapped by slavers. He was transported to an offshore abandoned oil platform where shipments of people were kept until transported to the mainland and dispersed. Mecho escapes and swims to shore and upon his arrival actually witnesses the murder of the elderly couple.Puller and Carson, in trying to find out where his aunt had gone prior to her death, stumble across the transfer point of the slavers and are seen. Meanwhile, Mecho and Murdoch have finally teamed up and arrive to help save Puller and Carson. They all, along with Landry, raid the abandoned oil platform and save the current prisoners only to find a traitor in their midst. Returning to the mainland to confront Lampert, they find another group raiding the estate and a deadly firefight ensues. Eventually, the fight ends with Lampert in custody. However, the victory was not without some costs.As with all of Baldacci’s thrillers, this is a lot of fun to read and hard to put down. As I have mentioned in earlier reviews, Baldacci definitely has a type of protagonist: tall, well built and extremely competent. Also, he seems to always succeed against nearly impossible odds, this time with the help of a military deus ex machina. I enjoy these books a lot, but the main character seems to be a stereotype of the strong silent type of he-man. However, even given these criticisms, I still enjoy the books.
What do You think about The Forgotten (2012)?
I like John Puller. Will be reading The Escape next. Hope he can prove his brother innocent.
—longstone
Predictable, violent, lots of fun for what it is - (audio) thriller - and a really good one!
—mssdwarff
Way better than #1. Though it still has it flaws.
—liv
