Book Review Simple Genius by David Baldacci

Two former secret service agents turned super high-powered private investigators; Sean King and Michelle Maxwell join forces once again to resolve a series of suicide/murders, Michelles death wish, drug trafficking at a sanatorium and the mystery of a lost colonial treasure, along with other minor mysteries. An action packed plot with multiple layers, twists and characters with a secret room thrown in for good measure. It is a fast paced, filled with danger, charged with river chases, rescues and intrigue. The couple also picks up a clinical psychologist as a sidekick who supports their efforts to crack the case. The story unfolds on the grounds of a super secret scientific company facility, Babbage Town were human genius is power, that is located across the York River from a CIA major secret training area. The CIA is involved in cover ups along with drug smuggling, a WWII German internment camp escapee and a variety of innocents including a gifted autistic child and thoroughly evil people including a one legged female mathematician all woven over the loose background of secret coding history up to its current applications to protect todays computer programs. Our heroes are ultimately imprisoned and tortured by the CIA but are finally exonerated by the intervention of one honest CIA manager. While taut and rapid, the plausibility of the plot is a little strained, although our heroes succeed in resolving all issues to the readers satisfaction. Baldacci, David Simple Genius, Warner Books: New York, 2007. 420 pages. Rating: 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Type: Espionage/Mystery January 18, 2010