Saving Faith

by David Baldacci, Chris Noth (Reader)

In a novel of Washington insider intrigue, influence peddlers Danny Buchanan and Faith Lockhart are pitted against one another when the CIA and FBI take an interest in their bribery activities.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Political Thriller

Audio CD

Published December 1, 1999

About the author

David Baldacci has been writing since childhood, when his mother gave him a lined notebook in which to write down his stories. (Much later, when David thanked her for being the spark that ignited his writing career, she revealed that she’d given him the notebook to keep him quiet, "because every mom needs a break now and then.”)

David published his first novel, Absolute Power, in 1996; the feature film adaptation followed, with Clint Eastwood as its director and star. In total, David has published 52 novels for adults; all have been national and international bestsellers, and several have been adapted for film and television. David has also published seven novels for younger readers. His books are published in over 45 languages and in more than 80 countries, with over 200 million copies sold worldwide.

In addition to being a prolific writer, David is a devoted philanthropist, and his greatest efforts are dedicated to his family’s Wish You Well Foundation®. Established by David and his wife, Michelle, the Wish You Well Foundation supports family and adult literacy programs in the United States.

A lifelong Virginian, David is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia School of Law.

Reviews

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stand alone thriller published 1999

An entertaining 3.5 star read

Entertaining it was but just a little too contrived to be a real 4 star read.

When two high profile lobbyists start breaking the law but for all the right reasons its causes the deputy leader of the CIA to do some house keeping. Like cleaning out the garbage. He can’t have people running around disrupting his operations.

Faith Lockhart, one of the lobbyists, decides that the time has come to tell the FBI what is really going on. But of course there has to be some checks and balances made to protect Faith and her fellow lobbyist.
The CIA wants Faith killed before she can spill the beans. Whilst being taken to a safe house to be interviewed by the FBI an attempt on Faith’s life goes wrong and an FBI agents is killed. At the same time a PI who has been hired to follow Faith is at the location where the killing takes place. This was very fortuitous for Faith as the PI wounds the killer who then runs off leaving Faith fearful but alive.
The PI, Lee Adams, now becomes Faiths only protector.
Lee, as Faith, has no idea that the people they are up against are the CIA but for all that Lee understands that the forces they are up against are formidable.

It’s from this point on that the whole thing becomes totally contrived.
There’s money galore, there’s weapons, there’s secret homes, all just a little too convenient to make the story plausible.

[Kellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wasn’t bad. I have to say though, the first 300 pages were a bit slow. I also found it hard to like the characters. But the last 200 pages were very good. The story is about the FBI and CIA and their abuse of power. Faith Lockhart is caught in the middle of a “sting”. Her boss has been illegally bribing political officials in Washington for a good cause. One of the heads of CIA has caught wind of this bribery and gets involved. His idea of how to handle it is a lot more dangerous than anyone has ever thought. And what he didn’t count on was Lee Adams, the PI hired to watch over Faith. This is a very interesting story that involves the FBI and CIA and of course politics. It makes you wonder if this really happens. If it does, our government is no better than any other. I have read several Baldacci works. This is up there at the top of the list as one of my favorites by him.

[Mollie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is probably the worst book I've read in awhile.

I checked out a few "summer read" books for a camping trip this last week. Loved his Wish You Well so thought I'd give this a try...

Ugh. Crappy story line, completely unbelievable interactions...i.e. after a bit of sexual tension, some anger, & some alcohol becomes a sexual assault, then suddenly the two protagonists are soul mates and can't be apart. Please. Then the big douche bag at work who took away the female protagonists FBI credentials and badge when she was "framed" her promises of making him kiss her a** when she was exonerated never came to fruition.

Lame. Tired. Gigantic waste of time.

[Rhonda · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is BAD, and not in a good way.
1. Poor dialogue (think Harlequin Romance - ugh);

2. Unbelievable plot - money grubbing lobbyist gets a heart and lobbies for the underprivileged and justifies bribing politicians and a means to an end AND spends all of the money he made earlier to pay off the bribes because he is soooo ethical;

3. BUT THE DEAL BREAKER WAS THE JUSTIFICATION OF SEXUAL ASSAULT. This was not done by the bad guy to show how bad he was. This was the "hero", using that term loosely, against the "heroine". When he later says, "Sorry" she says "It's o.k., it's not your fault." SAY WHAT?!?!?!?!? Then, may I ask, whose fault IS IT? Then the author uses that as the beginning of a true love between the two. How can any self respecting man or woman take the rest of the book or the author seriously?

I usually donate books I have read to Goodwill or to a fundraiser for the local library. However, as a conscientious human being, I do not donate books this BAD for some other unsuspecting schmuck to waste time reading. This one will make a good firestarter for my firepit. I just hope it doesn't stink up the neighborhood while it burns.

[Steven Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another creation of David Baldacci. I have now read a couple of his books. Strengths are obvious, such as fast paced action, plot lines, likeable (and unlikeable) characters. His writing is not always so smooth and sometimes there are elements in his work that seem improbable.

This work is a good read, and the plot speeds the reader along. Key characters: Lobbyist Danny Buchanan who uses corrupt methods for a good cause; his associate, Faith Lockhart; Lee Evans, a PI; Robert Thornhill (a top official in the CIA who still lives in another era--and who hates the FBI). Lockhart goes to the FBI to turn on Buchanan (although her rationale, later disclosed, does not seem very logical). Thornhill does not want that to happen, as he is using Buchanan for his own ends, to advance his conception of the CIA's interest. He orchestrates a murder attempt against Faith. Evans, who is trailing her, thwarts the "hit." And, after that, things move to high speed action, with a satisfying conclusion.

Some issues: Thornhill is made to seem almost omniscient throughout; he never seems to have problems getting his will done. To me, the world is too complicated for such story elements to be terribly credible. The key scene at the end, in which a Senate committee is the focus, somehow seems contrived.

Still and all, a good thriller.

[Bodosika Bodosika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: Saving Faith
Author: David Baldacci
Pages: 495
Date Of Publication: 2000

"The somber group of men sat in a large room that rested far belowground, accessed by only a single highspeed elevator, The chamber had been secretly built during the 1960s under the guise of renovating the private building that squatted over it.The original plan,of course, was to use this 'super-bunker' as a refuge during a nuclear attack. This facility was not for top leaders of the American government, it was for those whose level of relative "unimportance" dictated that they probably wouldn't be able to get out in time but who still rated protection afforded no ordinary citizen. Politically even in the context of destruction, there must be 'order' "

It is "only" David Baldacci who can weave a yarn like this and make it believable enough to get away with it.
Three solid 🌟

[Chidi Okonkwo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled across the book at a local Barnes and Nobles last year. Thought I’d give it a try, after reading the overview on the back cover. I was instantly drawn into the pages of this political thriller, which was expertly written by a man who is well versed in his craft. The author definitely did a lot of research before writing this story. And all of the praise presented on the early pages prior to the story’s introduction was well deserved. This is not an action story, it is more of an intellectual journey into the web of deception that takes place in Washington DC, involving crooked politicians and duplicitous Federal agents. And as the drama unfolds you get to see just how low certain government officials will be willing to go, in order to protect their own interests. The Life of the innocent seems to be a trivial thing, as men in powerful positions begin to move various lethal chess pieces in order to ensure that their powerful agencies get to be protected. And there is a lot of bloodshed that ensues as the diabolical individuals in the CIA strive to ensure that their secrets remain buried within the souls of dead witnesses. And the villainous government officials quickly prove that they are willing to kill even their own, in order to remain immune to future legal prosecution for their questionable acts.

The story features a young lady named Faith Lockhart, and her mentor/father-figure Danny Buchanan – who happens to be a lobbyists that is bribing members of congress. Faith and Danny have been involved in a complex bribery scheme that has some very powerful officials roped into their net of deceit – so they both know secrets about a lot of crooked people in the legislative branch of government. And with time, Danny gets cornered by a very devious man who works for the CIA. And there is another protagonist called Lee Adams – he is a PI, who is hired by Danny to spy on Faith. And Faith has recently gone to the FBI, in order to see if she and Danny can confess their sins and gain joint immunity.

And on a “faithful” night, Ms. Faith and an FBI agent head to a safehouse in the country side of Virginia, where an assassin is waiting in the woods. And Lee Adams also happens to be tracking Faith on that evening. Lee arrives at the scene before everyone else, without knowing that a battle was scheduled to occur at the safehouse – which he breaks into, in order to do his Private Investigator thing. A shootout occurs and blood is shed at the isolated venue. And after a series of twisting events, Faith and Lee become joint fugitives, and the FBI are drawn into the mess, in order to find out who killed their agent that was shadowing Faith on the faithful night.

In this story, several Feds and civilians die along the way, as the author gives a gripping tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat, while making sure that the audience is resiliently drawn along from chapter to chapter.

The entire book is well written, but I’ll point out that this is an old tale, written back in 1999; so its about 13 years old. Nothing wrong with that, its just that the technology described in the pages is a little dated, as are the methods of gathering Signal Intelligence that the writer describes. But that doesn’t stop the mysterious ride from being fast paced, without being overly laborious. I will point out that there are a lot of drawn-out conversations in this one, which are designed to explains “the what and why” of the ongoing investigations.
And per the writing style of the author, I actually found myself laughing-out-loud as he described several segments of the story, giving comedic glimpses into the minds of the characters that gave them real depth. I felt a bit let down as the author built up the romantic tension between Faith and Lee, up to about half of the book. And then, when they finally got together and did it, the scene was described in just one sentence.... Honestly, there was far too much sexual attraction between them for just ONE SENTENCE and then a sole paragraph was added to close out that part of their “bedroom interaction”. Trust me, you will feel emotionally drawn into the plight of the characters, which is a sign of good writing.

And at the very end, well, it just didn’t end well. Honestly, you may feel a bit let down - and even rather disappointed - by the final chapters, feeling as if the author could have rewritten some sections of the 3rd Act of the storyline, without subtracting from the authenticity of the story. Sometimes I wonder if authors are struggling to reach a large quota of pages, thus they stretch their story in order to make sure that their publisher has a 450-page or 500-page book for printing. As an author myself, I know that not every book has to be a lengthy one. I know of an author who writes 700-page science fiction books, and after talking to fans that actually read his stuff, I laughed to discover that the readers actually skip pages and even Chapters, when the long 700-page story gets too boring. That alone implies that the writer of the lengthy book ought to have literally trimmed out the fat, in order to stick to the central plot... which may clearly yield a shorter book, perhaps 355 pages. And there is nothing wrong with that, as long as it is written with a respectable plot.

All right, I still give this book 4 Stars. It was well written, but the ending could have been executed in a better manner.

David Baldacci is now one of the authors that I’ll have to keep an eye on for his future releases. It turns out that he’s written about 23 books and this is the first one that I’ve read – his first book was published back in 1996, so he’s been doing this for a while. In a few months I’ll probably take a look at his latest release in 2011, titled “The Sixth Man,” and see what the conflicted buzz is all about [according to Amazon.com reviews, some readers love it, but die-hard fans of David’s work seem to hate it]... but first, I’ve got some other unread books that are waiting for my attention...

[Seizure Romero · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is where I pretty much gave up on Baldacci. I thought I could rely on him for brainless filler reading but now he's just annoying. "Willing suspension of disbelief." Look it up. Basic agreement between author and reader. I'm willing to accept a lot of things when I'm reading fiction (I read vampire novels, fer chrissakes), but I cannot abide shaky premises in order to support an equally weak plot. YET ANOTHER SPOILER ALERT: Faith has set up a complete fake identity and even purchased a house under said fake ID. WHY? She's not undercover. She's not a criminal. She's not really even looking for a tax shelter. But for some reason, she has fake papers which would help for a relatively clean getaway from the government bad guys. After much drama, she does indeed manage to hide out. She then proceeds to blow the whole thing with one stupid phone call. POINTLESS PLOT COMPLICATIONS. After wading through The Camel Club I can take no more. David Baldacci, I shun thee.

[Carol Jones-Campbell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Baldacci’s book has all the elements of a story that I would and should like, but unfortunately the execution was not something I enjoyed. The political lobbying/Washington side of the story was really interesting, but I really wanted more – the story seemed to only skate at the surface of it. The crime/police element was slow to get going and I felt that a tighter approach to it, and indeed the entire book, would have been better. I didn’t find the characters particularly engaging and apart from a couple of moments, I was not sufficiently invested in them to care about what happened to them. I wanted to like this book, but unfortunately I did not.

I may try picking it up again down the road, but as of today I can hardly stand it. Makes me sad as I really like Baldacci and his writing style.

[David Highton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A standalone thriller from Baldacci, pitting an insider CIA conspiracy against the FBI, with a pair of Capitol lobbyists as the bait. Moves along at great pace, as do most Baldacci books.

[Corey · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the first quarter of the book was slow and I didn't know which direction it was heading in, it picks up during the second quarter. It was really hard to follow for a while but after a while things started to pick up the pace. Some of the story was in a way, scary, because something like what happens in the story could really happen with the US Government in real life, you just never know, but I won't spoil it for anybody.

Even though it didn't seem to get as much praise as some of Baldacci's other books, I still found it intriguing, near the end I just couldn't put it down. I gotta say I was wishing Baldacci would have written a sequel to Saving Faith with the way the story ended. But all in all, another good political thriller.

[Larissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually enjoy a good Bladacci mystery. I hated this one for the following reasons
1) a sexual assault by the main character that was excused as if any man in his shoes would have done similarly.
2) a poorly written romance between two characters that I did not find believable
3) no likeable characters

[Zade · Rating 2 out of 5]

The fact that it took me two weeks to remember that I had finished this book and needed to write a review should tell you just how little effect it had. While Baldacci has written some entertaining novels, this is not his best effort. It's not terrible, there's just nothing particularly engaging about it. There were several sections in which I had to force myself not to skim; it was just that dull.

For those who are terribly interested in the world of lobbying and influence peddling in Washington, D.C., this novel may be slightly more engaging. Just the same, the characters are mere cut-outs, stock characters enacting a predictable action/chase plot. The only real surprises in the novel are some of the incredibly stupid things the protagonists do. One example (not really a spoiler, but if you don't want to know anything at all about the plot, stop here): The female lead uses a fake ID to book a flight to an airfield across the street from a house she owns under the fake name. She soon learns that the fake ID is known to the bad guys, but she and the male protagonist, who is supposed to be a hot-shot private eye with superior skills, go to the house anyway. Seriously? I'm a middle-aged midwestern housewife who has never been chased by anything scarier than a rooster and I can tell you that's a bad idea.

As a way to kill a few brain cells on a rainy day, this book will serve. Having finished it, however, I kind of wish I'd spent those hours reading something a bit more memorable.

[Timothy Miyahara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Saving Faith is the kind of book you select when you want to be entertained but not mentally challenged. Call it "summer-beach-reading" material. It's not bad, and although the story is somewhat formulaic, it does have enough twists and turns to keep the reader engaged and entertained. It does try to convey a few moral lessons, but the primary purpose seems to be keeping the reader guessing at the various levels of intrigue and corruption centered within the Beltway.

The story centers on a witness (Faith) who can implicate bribed politicians in Congress and all the way to the Whitehouse. Someone wants Faith dead and someone wants to "save Faith." Saying more would start to reveal plot.

It's not one of Balducci's best works, but fans of the author or of the genre may like it. I enjoyed it for its diversionary entertaining power, but it's not a book I'll be rereading or which I would enthusiastically recommend.

[Patricia Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

always love reading David Baldacci..this book was a bit longer than some of his other books, but found the story entertaining..love the character of Lee, PI..would like to have him in another book..thought the almost father-daughter relationship between Faith and Danny were a warm touch in an otherwise brutal killing story..so glad when the good guys win.

[Jjean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stand alone written in 1999 - interesting political mystery- FBI and CIA and how they can abuse their power - many characters but easy to keep them separate - action chapters with murder- little romance - enjoyable ending....

[Fiona Leonard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ever had a book hangover? You know the feeling that you get when you've read a brilliant book and you can't get it out of your head? OK, well you won't have to worry about it with Saving Faith. It's about a woman named Faith and a guy called Lee and the CIA and FBI and it's set in Washington and people get killed and rescued and shot and stuff. I read it in 24 hours, and beyond that description all I can say is I wish I knew what happened to the dog. Did the FBI hurt it when they stormed the house???? If you're doing a last minute trawl through an airport book store to find a book, sure, grab this one. If you've got time, keep looking.

[Andria]

Didn't realize that rape was part of the story line, not a fan of that type of story line so I didn't give it a chance.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Baldacci, but this one was just a bit contrived; nevertheless a worthwhile read. Really somewhere over three and a half, thus the round up to four stars.

I enjoyed the characters, the high profile lobbyists was a new type of character. This is the job that gets Faith into trouble and make her go to the FBI for help. But she finds that angle not helpful at all as she is almost killed... the chase is on from there. She ends up teamed up with a PI who was following her... and now the pot is full.

Then another national group, the secret one gets involved and their agenda is to kill Faith to quite her... why would that be? Well, read it and find out.

3.6 stars

Happy Reading!

[Ari Damoulakis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gosh what crapy book.

[Ismoil Sadullozoda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A high-ranking CIA official is engaged in a conspiracy to get more authority than the FBI and less Congressional overview. For this, he uses the lobbyist Daniel Buchanan to bribe the congresspersons and record it for further blackmailing. The assistant of the lobbyist Faith Lockhart knowing about it goes to the FBI to inform about the whole mechanism and save Daniel. Suspicious about it Daniel hires a private investigator (Lee Adams) to tail after Faith. CIA person finds the same suspicion and sends to kill Faith who at the time was under the protection of the FBI, but instead, the FBI agent is killed and Faith not. Together Lee and Faith run, hide and go through much other staff. FBI and CIA looking for them, the latter seeking to “eliminate” her.

The book is not as interesting as the others written by David Baldacci are. It is very static and lacks action and movement. However, it is informative and insightful for the students of political science.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another competent thriller from Baldacci, though with a few flaws. This is more a thriller than a mystery with way too many characters, flat dialouge and a flabby 450 pages. Not his best, but a little more believable than some of his recent books and an easy read. As far as his early works go, The Winner and The Simple Truth are better.

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

He violently, sexually assaulted the woman, and they were madly in love the next day. It was demeaning to me, the reader, and served only to make the plot more ridiculous.

Baldacci can do better. Do yourself a favor, and skip this one.

[John (JC) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book. This is the kind I go back and read over and over again.

[Agus · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 sobre 5, pero lo he redondeado por el enganchón en el que me he visto, leyéndolo en papel, en ebook y hasta en el móvil a cada rato disponible. Es mi segundo Baldacci y creo que se ha convertido en un escritor refugio. Buenas noticias para mí porque tiene bastante donde elegir.
El libro empieza un poco lento y al no saber que pasa realmente y con 3 focos paralelos reconozco que cuesta un poco meterte en el libro. Es por eso que el 5 que se ve no es del todo real, pero a partir del 20% aproximadamente es un no parar. Ya me pasó con "Los inocentes", por lo que reafirma eso de posible nuevo escritor refugio.
En el libro se crea una trama con conflicto de intereses entre la CIA y el FBI con un detective privado que se encuentra contra su voluntad en medio de todo el fregao.
Traiciones, conspiraciones, mentiras... ya se sabe con estas agencias de por medio y el escritor lo hace realmente bien.
Un placer haberlo leído y os lo recomiendo sin ninguna duda si os gustan este estilo de novelas.

[David Zimmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baldacci writes consistently good stories. The storyline gets a little ludicrous in this one, but I still enjoyed it.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

An informant, Faith, has a meeting with the FBI at a remote Virginia cottage. Serov has been hired to kill Faith. Lee has been hired to follow Faith. After an agent is killed. Lee and Faith must form an alliance while the FBI and the CIA chase them.

The story has a simple plot with enough drama to sustain to the end. However, I have several problems with this book. Where to begin?

1. Serov is a professional killer with a laser sighted scope and he cannot even graze either Faith or Lee. C’mon man.
2. Lee is a professional PI but leaves his boots at the scene where a FBI agent is murdered. Really? C’mon man.
3. Faith and Lee both have fake ID’s . Where, exactly can you get a fake ID? Yet, even though she has a fake ID, she buys a plane ticket using her real name. Um C’mom man.
4. Finally , here is the biggest problem. Lee sexually assaults Faith. Then the assault is ‘justified’ with “it’s not your fault”. This is complete garbage.

Overall, this book gets 3/5 and fits the definition of average at best. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

[CartoonistAndre · Rating 1 out of 5]

It started well, lulled me into a stupor for the next 300 pages and ended predictably. The opening scenes described a formidable villain who, somehow, never reappeared after a little nick in the arm (not so formidable, I guess). The book was littered with lengthy descriptions of congressional lobbying and wrangling, layers of useless bureaucratic triviality and character histories that, combined, amounted to a lot of unnecessary filler, imho. I was initially impressed with Mr. Baldacci's Absolute Power and found The Innocent mediocre but with Saving Grace I was so rankled that I did not close the book after the first 100 pages, that I will move on to other authors rather than chance another marathon of futility.

[Jim Hanley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not marking this as a spoiler because it's basically a trigger warning.

This would have been a solid 3 star book. Not high literature, but entertaining enough. However, for reasons passing understanding, the author decided to write in a scene where the "hero" of the book commits a sexual assault on the heroine.

This is totally glossed over almost immediately afterwards and next thing you know they're making googly eyes at each other and ready to hop into bed with no apprehension on her end or guilt on his.

On top of that fact, the scene did not need to be in the book. It added nothing to the story. It lifts right out. Editor needed to be stricter with the Sharpie before this went to press.

[Hunter Ross · Rating 2 out of 5]

Normally LOVE Baldacci. I happened to find this one-an early work for him. The writing is not as good as his later novels, but that is not why the low review. There is a sexual assault perpetrated by the "good guy" in the novel! Horrible! Worse, this person (a private eye) then falls in love with the victim of his assault. It is a very uncomfortable section of the book and a horrifying tale of Stockholm-like syndrome of a woman who is dependent on this private eye for her safety. He has other good books, skip this one-very uncomfortable and disgusting.