Stone Cold

David Baldacci
Grand Central Publishing (2007)
ISBN 9780446577397
Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views (9/07)

“Stone Cold” is an exciting novel that focuses on the inner workings of the Central Intelligence Agency and its role in international politics.  Three of the main characters - Harry Finn, Oliver Stone, and Annabelle Conroy - share a common link.  They are all seeking revenge for the death of their loved ones.  As their paths become intertwined, they are unsure of who they can trust but realize they must rely upon each other in order to achieve success in their individual missions.  After several members of a covert government operation from years ago begin turning up dead under mysterious circumstances, many government secrets begin to be uncovered.  As a result, United States officials must scramble to prevent the truth from being discovered and take drastic measures to preserve the reputation of the US government.

David Baldacci makes excellent use of short chapters to maintain a fast pace in the action.  By doing this, several different storylines can be followed concurrently, thus keeping the reader interested and wondering how the subplots will eventually be connected.  This book will appeal to all adults who like unexpected plot twists, suspense, and action.  Baldacci kept me guessing as to what would happen up until the final pages.  The story also caused me to question to what lengths world powers will go to attain their political goals.  My only difficulty in reading this book occurred in the first few chapters.  It was a little hard to learn about the characters because it seemed they all had two names - a given name and an alias.  Once I figured out which characters were the same person, it was much easier to follow.

The primary characters in this book are likable even though they may have questionable pasts.  As the details of their interpersonal relationships are portrayed, it is evident that each of them is deeply passionate about his or her cause and I found myself rooting for justice to prevail for each of them.  “Stone Cold” will evoke strong opinions and will provide a great platform for debate among its readers.  The country's opinion of its government officials may never be the same.

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