Saving Faith - Hardcover

Baldacci, David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0446525774 ISBN 13: 9780446525770

Publisher: Warner Books, 1999

Synopsis

When lobbyist Faith Lockhart stumbles upon a corruption scheme at the highest levels of government, she becomes a dangerous witness who the most powerful men in the world will go to any lengths to silence in this #1 New York Times bestselling thriller.

In a secluded house not far from Washington, D.C., the FBI is interviewing one of the most important witnesses it has ever had: a young woman named Faith Lockhart. For Faith has done too much, knows too much, and will tell too much.

Feared by some of the most powerful men in the world, Faith has been targeted to die. But when a private investigator walks into the middle of the assassination attempt, the shooting suddenly goes wrong, and an FBI agent is killed. Now Faith Lockhart must flee for her life--with her story, her deadly secret, and an unknown man she's forced to trust...

About this title

About the Author

DAVID BALDACCI is a global #1 bestselling author, and one of the world's favorite storytellers. His books are published in over forty-five languages and in more than eighty countries, with 150 million copies sold worldwide. His works have been adapted for both feature film and television. David Baldacci is also the cofounder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across America. Still a resident of his native Virginia, he invites you to visit him at DavidBaldacci.com and his foundation at WishYouWellFoundation.org.

From the Back Cover

"Not far from Washington, D.C., in a wooded area of Northern Virginia, a small house at the end of a gravel road serves a secret purpose. With its sophisticated security apparatus and hidden miniaturized cameras, it is being used by the FBI to interview one of the most important witnesses the agency has ever had, a young woman with an incredible story to tell."--BOOK JACKET. "One man - a local private investigator named Lee Adams - has come to the house on the orders of his client. Another man, a hired killer, stakes out the house on orders from his powerful paymasters. And the witness, Faith Lockhart, is coming to tell the FBI everything she knows about the powerful lobbyist with whom she has worked, a man who manipulates U.S. government policy and who, in the process, made some very dangerous enemies."--BOOK JACKET. "Then, before Faith can tell her story, the hit man pulls the trigger and the wrong victim falls. Now Faith Lockhart is on the run - from the most dangerous people in America - with Lee Adams, a man she doesn't know, yet must trust."--BOOK JACKET. "A relentless chase novel that unfolds as both the FBI and a killer search for Faith and Lee, this is also a suspenseful tale of power gone mad in Washington, and of one woman's desperate attempt to break out of a web of corruption and terror that reaches much further than even she can know."--BOOK JACKET.

Reviews

Wayward politicos, bickering alphabet agencies, conspiracies rampant, gore galoreit must be time for another of Baldacci's ponderous potboilers (The Simple Truth, 1998, etc.). Beltway insiders know that as lobbyists go, Faith Lockhart is top of the line. Attractive, smart, energetic, she can charm with the best of them. It's true, of course, that lobbyists, even winsome ones, are not universally adored. Even so, the position adopted by Bob Thornhill, the CIA's ``most distinguished cold war soldier'' and current director of operations, seems extreme. He wants Faith killed. It seems she interferes with something he calls his grand plan, which apparently has to do with keeping America safe, though exactly how Faith qualifies as a threat isn't all that easy to grasp. At any rate, Thornhill sets a nasty trap for her, which Faith escapes thanks to the derring-do of p.i. Lee Adams. At first an accidental savior, Lee gets more invested in his new assignment when he falls in love. The two go on the lam, with Thornhill's spooks a hot breath behind them. The FBI is also on their trail, since one of its agents was gunned down in the trap meant to finish Faith, and the feebies can't decide just where it is that Faith fits in. But quick-thinking Lee rises to all challenges to keep saving Faith. Though representatives of both agencies blanket the airport, he spirits her out of D.C., and they flee to the safe house provident Faith bought years ago against a rainy day. There they consummate their love. But it's there too that the chase will end, setting the stage for a tableau of spooks vs. feebies blasting away in an updated version of the OK Corral. Graceless prose and shaky plotting dont help, but it's those tacky, comic-strip villains that really do in the suspense. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

"...the last quarter of the book...is so compelling it'll have you turning the pages long past your bedtime."

Baldacci's fifth high-concept premise in as many novels (The Simple Truth; Absolute Power; etc.) propels his hard-working new thriller: a renegade CIA faction attempts to reassert the agency's primacy over the FBI by manipulating members of Congress who fund both outfits. To do so, the CIA conspirators aim to take over a bribery scheme they've discovered. The scam was concocted by legendary lobbyist Danny Buchanan, who has been greasing the palms of lawmakers to gain their support of bills aiding the poor and hungry overseas. The spooks plan to assassinate Buchanan and his prot?g?, the lovely Faith Lockhart, and force the legislators, under threat of exposure, to support the CIA over the FBI. First, however, they'll have to kill the FBI person guarding Faith, for she has confessed everything to the bureau in hopes of working a deal for herself and Buchanan. But the CIA villains haven't reckoned on the resilience of the two lobbyists, nor on the grit of FBI agent Brooke Reynolds, nor on the skill of PI Lee Adams, who gets caught up in the attempted hit on Faith and her guardianA and who then goes on the run with the lobbyist. The novel evolves into a frantic, exciting chase, FBI after CIA after Lee/Faith, with a few nifty twists. Baldacci's characters continue to grow in complexityAthere's an exceptionally fine scene in which Lee, drunk, nearly rapes FaithAbut, alas, so does his plotting. This novel is overdone, with too many heroes and subplots and enough data withheld from readers to generate confusion. Baldacci's prose can still break the jaws of subvocalizers, too. The novel moves fast, though, and its players and suspense are strongAas should be sales. Main selection of the Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club; simultaneous audiobook.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

When lobbyist Danny Buchanan's bribery scheme gets him enmeshed with shady doings at the CIA, his partner, Faith, must run for her life.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Bad guy Robert Thornhill, a deputy director of the CIA, hates the FBI because they have more money and clout than his own agency. So he comes up with a scheme to blackmail various members of Congress into supporting bills that will increase the CIA's power and, not incidentally, give his already considerable ego a major boost. Thornhill has a cadre of supportive CIA colleagues (including some nasty robo killers) to help carry out the scheme. And he's blackmailed lobbyist Danny Buchanan (a good guy) into helping him. Danny's longtime partner Faith Lockhart (another good "guy") suspects Danny is in over his head, so she tries to cut a deal with the FBI to save his skin. Meantime, Danny has enlisted the aid of Lee Adams (good guy number three) to keep Faith from squealing. Then Faith and Lee witness the murder of an FBI agent and become targets themselves. Of course, the danger stimulates the inevitable mutual-attraction hormones between Faith and Lee. Also part of the plot are two dogged FBI agents who get involved in lots of knife fights, stakeouts, and shoot-'em-ups trying to save the trio of good guys. Yes, the plot is too busy and more than a little improbable, but Baldacci makes it work with solid suspense, pithy dialogue, and plenty of hot but tender sex scenes. A must for action fans and a guilty pleasure for everyone else. Emily Melton

Edition details

• Publisher: Warner Books
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0446525774
• ISBN 13: 9780446525770
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 464