First Family

Sean King & Michelle Maxwell #4

by David Baldacci

Following the instant #1 New York Times bestsellers Split Second, Hour Game, and Simple Genius, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell return in David Baldacci's most heart-pounding thriller to date ...

FIRST FAMILY

A daring kidnapping turns a children's birthday party at Camp David, the presidential retreat, into a national security nightmare.

Former Secret Service agents turned private investigators, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell don't want to get involved. But years ago Sean King saved the First Lady's husband, then a senator, from political disaster. Now the president's wife presses Sean and Michelle into a desperate search to rescue a kidnapped child. With Michelle still battling her own demons, the two are pushed to the limit, with forces aligned on all sides against them--and the line between friend and foe impossible to define ... or defend.

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

474 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 21, 2009

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

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sean King and Michelle Maxwell case No. 4: A Baldacci mystery thriller masterclass… a multi facetted conspiracy thriller set around an outrageous kidnap attempt, a second-term campaigning US President, the Secret Service and the FBI. And just like that, now I'm caught up with another Baldacci series! 7 out of 12.

2009 read

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though this was published in 2009 it felt timely. (I wrote this review originally on my Facebook page on November 1, 2020.)

We start with...A daring kidnapping (the niece of the President/First Lady) turns a children's birthday party at Camp David, the presidential retreat, into a national security nightmare.

And... The theme centers around revenge and forgiveness, both the main and side plots.

But... Who are the villains?

Who are the ones we root for?

Let me just say this…

Shades of House of Cards permeate the plot line (without getting too much into spoiler territory).

And there are... Lots of twists and turns figuring out how the seemingly disjointed stories ultimately fit all together.

But I... Loved that in the end even the mighty and powerful get what is due them!

Still... Will this happen in our real world politics? Oh sorry, I digressed.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Apparently I'm the only person who didn't like this book. Let me say first what I did like.

The plot was interesting.

And now the list of what I didn't like:
1) The reader. I found his voice mostly annoying and vaguely insulting when he put on his woman's voice. If your only version of a woman's voice is whiny, then keep your own voice.
2) ALL the female characters. ALL of them. They were terrible. There was the passionless manipulative bitch (Jane Cox), the quivering coward (Diane), the slut (Cassandra)and the crazy lady (Michelle). Ruthann and Willa were the only strong female character. Willa was twelve and Ruthanne was killed off. I'm not certain Baldacci likes women.
3) The male characters. They weren't much better than the female ones.
4) The dialogue. It was boring.
5) The writing. Repetitive and lots of it was really unnecessary. There were so many words that didn't add to the plot,characterization or the setting of the book.

Oy. Well, now I've read David Baldacci so I can check that off my librarian list.

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an exceptional read. I often need to "side step" some of Mr. Baldacci's more overt political stereotypes. They have on occasion almost overwhelmed one of his stories. That could easily be the situation here. While we get some political shots I'm glad to say that it nowhere drowns the plot or the characters.

With one of our protagonists having a melt down and suffering with the shattering effects of things in her life (one of the reasons the book gets a 4 from me instead of a 5 the whole angsty emotional side to the story isn't why I come to a book like this. That said I know some of you will like this part best) the ex-Secret Service crime solving duo find themselves involved in the kidnapping of a young woman...fraught not only with danger to the girl but political overtones. Throughout the book secrets will be revealed, loyalties tested and readers by turns enthralled and annoyed.

So, dying to try the book???? Then I guess my job here is done.

No?

Okay. I liked the book. In spite of not enjoying the entirety of the story I didn't find anything that drove me to wanting to scream, pull my hair or cast the book aside. My final impression is a positive one. I can recommend this one highly. it seems to have something for several audiences without shutting any of those said audiences out.

Enjoy.

[Aj the Ravenous Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I have already mentioned, I'm not very keen on reading detective novels with the exception of this one. In fact after reading this book, I acquired this sort of new and better appreciation of detective novels. Reading this book was practically just like watching movies about the U.S. president only here, the president is portrayed in a definitely not positive picture.

[Noella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Na haar feestje op haar 12de verjaardag, wordt Willa, het nichtje van de president van de Verenigde Staten, ontvoerd. Haar moeder wordt vermoord en haar vader wordt neergeslagen.
Net na de feiten, arriveren King en Maxwell bij het huis, want ze hadden een afspraak met de moeder van Willa.
De Secret Service en de FBI hebben een moeilijke taak te vervullen, maar ze zijn niet blij met de bemoeienissen van Sean en Michelle.
Wat is de reden voor de ontvoering? Heeft het iets met de president te maken? Want die zit net in zijn verkiezingscampagne voor een tweede ambtstermijn.
Of is het Willa's vader die iemand tegen de schenen gestampt heeft? Er blijken toch ook wel enkele mensen te zijn die hem niet zo gunstig gezind zijn.
Maar misschien is de ontvoerder iemand met totaal andere motieven?
Zullen King en Maxwell de samenwerking krijgen van de geheime diensten? Want het is wel de First Lady die hen vraagt zich over de zaak te buigen.

Ik vond dat gedurende een groot deel van het verhaal alles nogal moeizaam vorderde. Enkel tegen het einde kwam er echt vaart in. En als we eindelijk te weten komen wat er aan de oorsprong ligt van de ontvoering en wat eruit volgt, vond ik het toch wel schokkend. De belangrijkste persoon van de Verenigde Staten--en misschien wel van de wereld--die zo'n duister verleden had...en erin slaagde om het al die jaren in de doofpot te stoppen...Walgelijk eigenlijk.
Ja, zoals je ziet slaagde Baldacci er op het einde toch in om me me te laten inleven in het verhaal.

[kartik narayanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

First Family is a great entry in the King-Maxwell universe.

It continues the protagonists' character arc development that we saw in Simple Genius and brings it to a conclusion. In addition, the story is excellent with its themes around revenge and forgiveness, both the in the main and side plots. I liked the satisfying resolution to both Michelle's trip to the past as well as the main plot line concerning the first family.

The other characters, including the nominal 'villains' were well detailed out as well being sympathetic. One ends up rooting for them by the time the story comes to an end. Shades of House of Cards also permeate the plot line (without getting too much into spoiler territory).

Overall, a great book.

[Brenda H · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fourth book in the Maxwell and King series, the story opens with the kidnapping of the First Lady's niece. Michelle Maxwell and Sean King soon find themselves in the middle of a security nightmare for the Secret Service and FBI as they attempt to find the kidnapped child and unravel the mystery that lead to it in the first place.

This storyline is very involved and there is a lot of depth to the characters and the plot. However, we are still dealing with the fallout from Michelle's breakdown in book three and that bogs down the main story and breaks the momentum/tension that is being built.

Rating: 4 Stars

[QuinnReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clearing the Shadows



4.5 stars - I hate that an innocent woman lost her life early in this, as is the way of the world sometimes, but the writing was fantastic! Sean King and Michelle Maxwell find themselves in the middle of lies and cheats, but what a wild ride it is.

And that explosive conclusion... Wow! I mean there were multiple things that blew up, literally and figuratively. Some I knew was coming, others I hoped would find their way to the surface.

Michelle's past, while uncovered in the last book, she remained unaware (hypnosis), comes back in new ways. It's heartbreaking for all involved and adds a new level of mystery to her world that requires her partner to help her sort through.

Some things carry over from prior books, but you can read this without those. Even with that, I'd encourage you read the series in order.

I borrowed a copy of the audio book. The narrator is Ron McLarty. It took me a little time to get used to the change in narrator, but I think Ron did a terrific job with the multitude of characters.

Story: 4.5 stars
Narration: 4 stars
Listening Speed: 1.5x

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars. I really enjoyed this book and it is a clear favourite in the King and Maxwell Series so far. I loved the way that we didn't have Sean keeping things back from us (and his partner) like he did in the other books, and the way this allowed for plenty of speculation about what had happened in the past and who was to blame. I always prefer it when I get the chance to interact with a book in this way. There were a number of humorous points in this story that made me laugh out loud. look forward to continuing this series and will be interested to see where they take the characters next.

[Mary Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this 5 stars without even thinking about it. It was that good!
WOW! It feels so good to read a very good book! Review to come shortly!

[Corey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably so far the best King and Maxwell tale in the series! Keeps you guessing right to the end. David Baldacci is a brilliant guy, how he comes up with his ideas and stories, why he's one of my all-time favorite writers!

King and Maxwell this time are called in by the First Lady of the President of the United States. Years ago, Sean King, during his days with the Secret Service saved her then-senator husband from an assassination attempt, and the First Lady and King have been close friends since that day. Now years later the niece of the First Family, shortly after celebrating her eleventh birthday, is abducted. As King and Maxwell search for the missing girl, Michelle Maxwell continues to struggle with demons from her past, and at the same time, they are drawn deeper into a deadly conspiracy linking the kidnapping of the girl, and the First Family, and nothing is as it seems.

In the end it all comes together like connect the dots, and in the beginning you believe one side is good and the others side is evil, but then it becomes vise-versa! Best in the series yet!!

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having been a Baldacci fan since his first book, it was to my great dismay that First Family was a sincere disappointment. Don't get me wrong, it's readable and there are some fun elements to it, but for the most part, it is a succinctly forgettable novel with a very contrived and never believable plot.

Those of you that have read previous reviews of mine know that I detest spoilers. But since it is my recommendation that you skip this particular Baldacci creation, I should be forgiven for the following allusions to my reasons for not taking to "First Family". Admittedly, some of the premises set out in the story might actually be believable. But put more than two of them together and the whole plot rapidly spins off into an incredible world of implausibility. Judge for yourself.

Ex Secret Service people who get direct access to the Oval Office
Private investigators who are ex Secret Service employees
A private investigator who knows the first lady
The first lady arranging for private investigators to be allowed into the inner circle of an FBI investigation
The FBI actually cooperating with private investigators
A woman who needs constant life support who is moved into a secluded place with minimal level of care
A woman on life support for a decade without bed sores
A Vietnam vet pilot with no visible means of support who has enough money to fly a plane around whenever he wants, pay for a daughter on life support, build special rooms deep inside of a mine, and support himself and others in a relatively middle income lifestyle
A young African American boy and his mother being taken in and supported by the Vietnam vet pilot
A private investigator who during the investigation of a kidnapping and murder has her mother murdered
A sex and drug scandal involving the President unknown to the press and/or the American people


I could continue this list with another 15 to 20 items but you should be getting the point by now. Yes, any one or two of these things might happen in real life but not ALL of them. Really, I've heard of poetic license, but Baldacci must have been off his rocker when he contrived this plot. It is simply not believable. And for a guy who generally writes stories which make sense and that might actually have happened, now THAT is UN believable!

So, my advice is this....DO continue to read David Baldacci....just NOT this contrivance called "First Family".

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Not my favorite book in the series but happy with the ending.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant book by David Baldacci how he's coming up with these stories I have no idea

[Daniel Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

To gain the world, but lose your soul. King James Bible

[Carol Jones-Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Read: I like the Sean and Michelle books by David Baldacci. He is one of the cleaner authors in crime drama out there. This book is quite long, and takes a little while to figure out what's going on. Overall I really liked it. My husband did not, so I read it instead. Recommend.

Second Read: Her footsteps were unhurried. Down the street, making one left, a two-block straightaway, and then a slight right. There was a pause at one intersection, a longer stop at another. Just from habit, really. The radar in her head showed no danger and her pace picked up. There were people around though the hour was late, but they never saw her. She seemed to ease by like a breeze, felt but never seen.

The three-story cinderblock building was right where it had al­ways been, stuck between a high-rise on the left and a concrete shell on the right. There was security of course, but it was basic, not the best. A typical package, it would slow down a journeyman for a few minutes, a pro for much less.

She selected a window in the back of the building instead of break­ing in the front door. These entry points were almost never wired. She popped the swivel latch, slid up the window, and wriggled through. The motion detector was handled with ease; she was hum­ming as she did it. Yet it was a nervous hum. She was getting close to it, what she was here for.

And it scared the heck out of the lady. Not that she would ever admit that.

The file cabinet was locked. She cracked a smile.

You’re really making me work here, Horatio.

Five seconds later the drawer slid open. Her fingers skimmed over the file tabs. Alphabetical. Which left her smack in the middle of the pack, something she’d never considered herself to be. Her fingers stopped skipping and curled around the file. It was a thick one; she’d never doubted it would be. She obviously wasn’t a mere ten-page head case. A lot more trees had fallen because of her. She pulled it free and glanced at the copier on the worktable.

Okay, here we go.

Horatio Barnes was her shrink, her mind guru. He’d convinced her to enter a psych hospital a while back. The only mystery that voluntary incarceration had solved was one that did not involve her problems at all. Later, good old Horatio had hypnotized her, taking her back to her childhood, as any shrink worth his sheepskin in­variably does. The session apparently had revealed many things. The only problem was that Horatio had decided not to fill her in on what she’d told him. She was here to correct that little oversight.

She slid the pages in the feeder and hit the button. One by one the events of her life whooshed through the heart of the Xerox ma­chine. As each fresh piece of paper was catapulted into the catch bin her heart rate seemed to increase by the same single-digit measure.

She put the original file back in the drawer, popped a rubber band around her copy, and held it in both hands. Constituting only a few pounds, its weight still threatened to sink her right through the floor. Out the same way her boots made a clunking sound as they kissed asphalt. She walked calmly back to her SUV, a breeze again, invisible. Nightlife going on all around here; they never saw her.

She climbed in her ride, revved the engine. She was ready to go. Her hands played over the steering wheel. She wanted to drive, al­ways loved to rip her eight cylinders down some new road to where she didn’t know. Yet looking through the windshield, she didn’t want new, she desperately wanted things to be the way they were.

She glanced at the file; saw the name on the first page.

Michelle Maxwell.

For a moment it didn’t seem to be her. In those pages was some­one else’s life, secrets, torments. Issues. The dreaded word. It seemed so innocuous. Issues. Everyone had issues. Yet those six letters had always seemed to define her, breaking her down into some simple formula that still no one seemed capable of understanding.

The SUV idled, kicking carbon into an atmosphere already bloated with it. A few raindrops smacked her windshield. She could see people start to pick up their step as they sensed the approaching downpour. A minute later, it hit. She felt the wind buffet her sturdy SUV. A spear of lightning was followed by a long burp of thunder. The storm’s intensity forecast its brevity. Such violence could not be sustained for long; it used up too much energy far too fast.

She couldn’t help herself. She cut the engine, picked up the pages, ripped off the rubber band, and started to read. General info came first. Birth date, gender, education, and employment. She turned the page. And then another. Nothing she didn’t know already, not surprising considering this was all about her.

On the fifth page of typed notes, her hands began to tremble. The heading was “Childhood-Tennessee.” She swallowed once and then again, but couldn’t clear the dryness. She coughed and then hacked, but that only made it worse. The swells of saliva had solidi­fied in her mouth, just like they had when she’d nearly killed herself on the water rowing to an Olympic silver medal that meant less and less to her with each passing day.

She grabbed a bottle of G2 and poured it down her throat, some of it spilling on the seat and the pages. She cursed, scrubbed at the paper, trying to dry it. And then it tore, nearly in half. This made tears creep to her eyes, she was not sure why. She pulled the rent paper close to her face though her eyesight was perfect. Perfect, but she still couldn’t read the script. She looked out the windshield and couldn’t see anything there either, so hard was the fall of rain. The streets were empty now, the people having scattered at the first bite of water bent nearly horizontal by the wind.

She looked back at the pages but there was nothing there either. The words were there of course, but she couldn’t see them.

“You can do this, Michelle. You can handle this.” Her words were low, sounded forced, hollow.

She refocused.

“Childhood, Tennessee,” she began. She was six years old again and living in Tennessee with her mother and father. Her dad was a police officer on the way up; her mom, was, well, her mom. Her four older brothers had grown and gone. It was just little Michelle left at home. With them.

She was doing fine now. The words were clear, her memories also crystallizing, as she crept back to that isolated wedge of personal his­tory. When she turned the page and her gaze flickered over the date on the top it was as though the lightning outside had somehow grounded right into her. A billion volts of pain, a shriek of anguish you could actually see, and feel, as it pierced her.

She looked out the window, she didn’t know why. The streets were still empty; the rain now racing to earth so hard the drops seemed to be connected, like trillions of strings of beads.

Yet as she squinted through the downpour she saw that the streets weren’t empty. The tall man stood there, no umbrella, no overcoat. He was soaked right through, his shirt and pants melted to his skin. He stared at her and she did the same right back. There was not fear or hatred or sympathy in his look as he eyed her through the walls of water. It was, she finally concluded, an underlying sadness that easily matched her own despair.

She turned the key, put the SUV in drive, and hit the gas. As she raced past, she glanced at him as another thrust of lightning cracked and briefly made night into day. Both their images seemed solidified in that blast of energy, each of their gazes frozen onto the other.

Sean King never attempted to speak and didn’t try and stop her as she roared by. He just stood there, his waterlogged hair in his face, yet his eyes as big and invasive as ever she’d seen them. They frightened her. They seemed to want to pull her soul right out of her.

An instant later he was gone as she turned the corner and slowed. Her window came down. The bundle of pages was hurled out, landing squarely in a Dumpster.

A moment later her SUV was lost in the punishing face of the storm.

Birthday balloons and submachine guns. Elegant forks digging into creamy goodies while toughened fingers coiled around curved metal trigger guards. Gleeful laughter as gifts were unwrapped floated into the air alongside the menacing thump-thump of an ar­riving chopper’s downward prop wash.

The facility was officially designated by the Defense Department as Naval Support Facility Thurmont, yet most Americans knew it as Camp David. Under either name, it was not a typical venue for a preteen’s birthday party. A former recreation camp built by the WPA during the Great Depression, it was turned into the presiden­tial retreat and named the U.S.S. Shangri-La by FDR, because it was essentially replacing the presidential yacht. It had acquired its cur­rent and far less exotic moniker from Dwight Eisenhower, who named it after his grandson.

The hundred-and-thirty-acre property was rustic and had many outdoor pursuits, including tennis courts, hiking trails, and exactly one practice hole for presidential golfers. The birthday party was in the bowling center. A dozen kids were in attendance along with ap­propriate chaperones. They were all understandably excited about being on hallowed ground where the likes of Kennedy and Reagan had trod.

The chief chaperone and planner of the event was Jane Cox. It was a role she was accustomed to because Jane Cox was married to Dan Cox, also known as “Wolfman,” which made her the First Lady of the United States. It was a role she handled with charm, dignity, and the necessary elements of both humor and cunning. While it was true that the president of the United States was the world’s ultimate juggler of tasks, it was also a fact that the First Lady, traditionally, was no slouch in that department either.

For the record, she bowled a ninety-seven without gutter bump­ers while wearing patriotic red, white, and blue bowling shoes. She clamped her shoulder-length brown hair back into a ponytail and carried out the cake herself. She led the singing of “Happy Birthday” for her niece, Willa Dutton. Willa was small for her age, with dark hair. She was a bit shy but immensely bright and wonderfully engaging when one got to know her. Though she would never ad­mit it publicly of course, Willa was Jane’s favorite niece.

The First Lady didn’t eat any cake; Jane was watching her figure since the rest of the country, and indeed the world, was too. She’d put on a few pounds since entering the White House. And a few pounds after that on the hell-on-a-plane they called the reelection campaign her husband was currently engaged in. She was five-eight in flats, tall enough that her clothes hung well on her. Her husband was an inch shy of six feet and thus she never wore heels high enough to make him look shorter by comparison. Perception did matter and people liked their leaders taller and more robust than the rest of the population.

Her face was in decent shape, she thought, as she snatched a look in a mirror. It held the marks and creases of a woman who’d given birth multiple times and endured many political races. No human being could emerge unblemished after that. Whatever frailty you possessed the other side would find and stick a crowbar in to lever every useful scrap out. The press still referred to her as attractive. Some went out on a limb and described her as possessing movie-star good looks. Maybe once, she knew, but not anymore. She was definitely in the “character actress” stage of her career now. Still, she had progressed a long way from the days when firm cheekbones and a firmer backside were high on her list of priorities.

[Safwan Mahmood · Rating 4 out of 5]

আমেরিকার প্রেসিডেন্টের অবকাশযাপন কেন্দ্র ক্যাম্প ডেভিডে বারোতম জন্মদিন পালনের পরপরই অপহরণ করা হয় প্রেসিডেন্টের স্ত্রী ফার্স্ট লেডি জেন কক্সের ভাইঝি উইলাকে। এই সময় খুন হয় উইলার মা প্যাম ডাটন। প্রেসিডেন্টের পরিবার ফার্স্ট ফ্যামিলির উপর এমন আঘাত আসায় ঘটন��টি হয়ে উঠে জাতীয় নিরাপত্তার বিষয়। এফ.বি.আই. আর প্রেসিডেন্টের নিরাপত্তায় নিয়োজিত সিক্রেট সার্ভিস একত্রে এই ঘটনার তদন্তে নামে।

শন কিং এবং মিশেল ম্যাক্সওয়েল, সাবেক সিক্রেট সার্ভিস অফিসার। বর্তমানে তারা কাজ করে প্রাইভেট ডিটেকটিভ হিসেবে। শন কিং যে কিনা জেন কক্সের পূর্বপরিচিত, তাকে ফার্স্ট লেডি বিশেষ অনুরোধ জানায় তার আদরের ভাইঝিকে খুঁজে বের করার জন্য। এই ঘটনার সাথে আগে থেকেই জড়িয়ে পরা শন আর মিশেল তদন্তে নেমে বুঝতে পারে এই কেসটায় জড়িয়ে আছে এমনসব বিষয় যার ঘাটলে বের হয়ে আসবে ফার্স্ট ফ্যামিলির সদস্যদের নানা নোংরা কীর্তিকলাপ।

স্যাম কুয়েরি, অ্যালাবামার পাহাড়ি অঞ্চলে বসবাসরত একজন বয়স্ক লোক। পূর্বপুরুষের বেশ কিছু সম্পত্তি ও কাছের কয়েকজন মানুষদের নিয়ে তার বর্তমান জীবন। পুঁজিবাদী দেশে বাস করেও জীবনধারণ করেন সেই পারিবারিক খামারের চাষাবাদের কাজের মাধ্যমে। কিন্তু কোন কারণে এই অধ্যাবসায়ী লোকটি নেমে পরে দেশের তথা বিশ্বের সবচেয়ে শক্তিশালী লোকটার বিরুদ্ধে যুদ্ধে? কেনই বা সে নিজের মধ্যে পুষে রেখেছে এক চাপা ক্ষোভ? কোন পরিকল্পনা চরিতার্থ করতে চাইছে সে?

শন কিং ও মিশেল ম্যাক্সওয়েল তদন্তে নেমে নানা সমস্যার মুখোমুখি হয়। একদিকে নিজেদের পুরনো সহকর্মী সিক্রেট সার্ভিস অফিসারদের বিমুখী আচরণ আবার ফেডারেল এজেন্টদের প্রতিদ্বন্দ্বিতা। অন্যদিকে ফার্স্ট ফ্যামিলির সদস্যদের ক্রমাগত মিথ্যে বলা, যা তদন্তে সমস্যা সৃষ্টি করে। এমন সময় মারা যায় মিশেলের মা স্যালি। আসলেই কি দূর্ঘটনায় মারা গিয়েছে স্যালি ম্যাক্সওয়েল নাকি সেটা পরিকল্পিত হত্যাকাণ্ড? মিশেল আর শন কি পারবে সমস্ত রহস্যের সমাধান করে উইলাকে রক্ষা করতে? সব প্রশ্নের উত্তর আছে জনপ্রিয় আমেরিকান থ্রিলার লেখক ডেভিড বালডাচির 'ম্যাক্সওয়েল-কিং' সিরিজের 'ফার্স্ট ফ্যামিলি' বইতে।

এরআগে ডেভিড বালডাচির 'এ্যাবসলিউট পাওয়ার' বইটা পড়া হয়েছিল, যা ব্যক্তিগতভাবে আমার সেরকম ভালো লাগে নি। তবে তার অনেকগুলো বই আগেই না পড়ে সংগ্রহ করা ছিল, যা একেক করে পড়ার ইচ্ছা। এইজন্য 'ফার্স্ট ফ্যামিলি' বইটা ধরা। যদিও বইটা শুরু থেকেই বেশ ভালো ইম্প্রেশন ক্রিয়েট করেছে। আমেরিকার প্রেসিডেন্ট, তার স্ত্রীর ভাতিজির অপহরণ, সিক্রেট সার্ভিস, এফ.বি.আই., ষড়যন্ত্র, হোয়াইট হাউসের রাজনীতি, প্রতিশোধ সবমিলিয়ে বহুদিন পর এক হার্ডকোর থ্রিলারের স্বাদ পেলাম।

যদিও সবশেষে এই বইয়ের মূল কাহিনী এক কথায় খুবই সাদামাটা, লেখকের প্রথম বই 'এ্যাবসলিউট পাওয়ার'এর সাথে অনেকাংশেই মিলে যায়। কিন্তু এটা সেই বইয়ের প্রায় দশ বছর পরে প্রকাশিত বলেই বোধহয় এই বইয়ে এ্যাবসলিউট পাওয়ারের দুর্বলতাগুলো অনেকটাই নেই। লেখক শুরু থেকেই গল্প, রহস্য, চরিত্রগুলোকে যথাযথভাবে বিল্ডআপের সাথে গুছিয়ে উপস্থাপন করেছেন। প্লট বিল্ডআপ আর ডিটেইলিং এর জন্য শুরুর বেশ বড় অংশ স্লো হলেও গল্পের প্রতি আগ্রহটা বজায় ছিল। সেই অংশের পর থেকেই গল্পটা দারুণ গতিশীল হয়ে ওঠে।

গল্পের মিস্ট্রিগুলো উপভোগ্য ছিল। খুবই মাইন্ড বেন্ডিং, মাথা নষ্ট টুইস্টওয়ালা কিছু না হলেও অনেকগুলো আলাদা আলাদা রহস্যকে বেশ সুন্দরভাবে গল্পে মার্জ করেছেন লেখক এবং একটু একটু করে তার খোলাসাটাও ভালো ছিল। গল্পের তদন্তকার্যগুলো সেই মডার্ন ট্রুপসেই দেখিয়েছেন লেখক, ভালোই হয়েছে। তবে সবচেয়ে ভালো কাজ দেখিয়েছেন লেখক চরিত্রায়নে। এইধরণের গল্পে চরিত্রগুলো প্রায় একমাত্রিক হয়, এই বইয়ের বেশীরভাগ চরিত্রও কিছুটা সেরকমই।

তারপরও চরিত্রগুলোর গঠন ভালো হয়েছে বেশ। গুরুত্বপূর্ণ চরিত্রগুলোর চিন্তাভাবনা, আবেগকে যেভাবে দেখানো হয়েছে তা ভালো ছিল। এরমধ্যে অ্যান্টাগনিস্ট স্যাম কুয়েরি হচ্ছে আসল শো-স্টিলার। লেখক যেভাবে অধ্যাবসায়ী, ধৈর্য্যশীল, প্র‍্যাক্টিক্যাল চিন্তাভাবনার এই চরিত্রটিকে গড়ে তুলেছেন, স্যামের সাথে তার আশেপাশের মানুষের সম্পর্ক দেখিয়েছে, তাতে চরিত্রটা দূর্দান্তভাবে ফুটে উঠে। সেইসাথে নিজের পূর্বপুরুষদের রেসিস্ট বদভ্যাস বদলে কালো আর আদিবাসীদের আপন করে নেওয়া কিংবা তার দৃঢ় সংকল্পিত পিতার রুপ দেখে চরিত্রটাকে পছন্দ না করে পারা যায় না।

প্রোটাগনিস্ট সেই গতানুগতিক দুই বিপরীতধর্মী পুলিশ জুটির চরিত্র। একজন খুব ঠান্ডা মাথার, আরেকজনের মাথা গরম। তবে শন চরিত্রটি গোয়েন্দা হিসেবে বেশ ভালোই ছিল। সত্যি বলতে ফার্স্ট লেডির ভাতিজি কিডন্যাপের কেসটার বেশীরভাগ তদন্ত সেই করছিল, তার পাশে মিশেল চরিত্রটি তাতে একটু পর পর মেজাজ দেখানো ছাড়া তেমন ভূমিকা রাখতে পারে নি। তবে মিশেল চরিত্রটাকে লেখক ভালোভাবে গড়েছেন তার মায়ের হত্যারহস্যের গল্পটি দিয়ে। তাতে চরিত্রটি পেয়েছে নতুন মাত্রা।

জেন কক্স চরিত্রটা আলাদা করে নজর কাড়ে। তাতে ক্ষমতাসীনদের ম্যানিপুলেশন, জীবনযাত্রা, উন্নতির জন্য যেকোনো পর্যায়ে চলে যাবার মতো বিষয়গুলো পাওয়া যায়। এছাড়াও চরিত্রটাই আরও ইন্টারেস্টিং কিছু জিনিস ছিল। বইটার কিছু কিছু বিষয় একটু খারাপও লেগেছে বলা যায়। যেমন গল্পের তদন্তকার্য কিছু ক্ষেত্রে খুব ক্লিশে হয়ে গিয়েছে জোর করে রেখে দেওয়া ক্ল্যু, গোয়েন্দাদের যখন যে তথ্যই লাগবে সময় মতো পেয়ে যাওয়া কিংবা চুলের থেকে অপরাধীর বাসস্থান, খাদ্যাভ্যাস, চৌদ্দ গুষ্ঠির হিসাব বের করার মতো বিষয়গুলার জন্যে। মানে লেখক যেন অনেকটা জোর করে সেসব মিলিয়ে দিয়েছেন।

এছাড়া অতিরিক্ত ডিটেইলিং আর কিছু দৃশ্যের পুনরাবৃত্তি বইয়ের ব্যাপ্তি বাড়িয়েছে, যা আরেকটু কম হলে থ্রিলার হিসেবে বইটা আরও উপভোগ্য হতো। তাছাড়া বইটাতে তেমন আহামরি কোনো টুইস্ট অ্যান্ড টার্নস নেই। ছোট ছোট রহস্যের সমাধানগুলো মোটামুটি ছিল। আর ভিলেইনের মোটিভ নিয়ে লেখক একটু রহস্য করতে চাইলেও সেটা খুবই প্রেডিক্টেবল আর সাদামাটা ছিল, যা কিনা তার আগের বই 'এ্যাবসলিউট পাওয়ার' এও ব্যবহার করেছিলেন।

সবমিলিয়ে 'ফার্স্ট ফ্যামিলি' বইটা থ্রিলার হিসেবে বেশ উপভোগ্য একটা বই। বিশেষ করা বালডাচির আগের পড়া কাজটা থেকে অনেক ভালো। আপাতত দেখা যাক, ডেভিড বালডাচির বাকী বইগুলো কেমন হয়। অনুবাদক হিসেবে শাহেদ জামানের সুনাম বহুদিন ধরে শোনা। এই প্রথম বোধহয় তার কাজ পড়লাম। থ্রিলার বইয়ের ভালো অনুবাদ এই সময় অনেকেই করে, তবে এমন দক্ষ হাতের অনুবাদ বহুদিন পর পড়া হলো। সামনেই তার অনুবাদে 'আই অ্যাম পিলগ্রিম' বইটা ধরব, আশা করি সেখানেও এমন ভালো কাজ করেছেন তিনি।

📚 বইয়ের নাম : ফার্স্ট ফ্যামিলি

📚 লেখক : ডেভিড বালডাচি

📚 অনুবাদ : শাহেদ জামান

📚 বইয়ের ধরণ : ক্রাইম থ্রিলার, মিস্ট্রি থ্রিলার, রিভেঞ্জ থ্রিলার, ডিটেকটিভ

📚 ব্যক্তিগত রেটিং : ৪/৫

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this is a good book, but it could have been much better. The main problem to me is that there is enough material for six books. Good editing could have really helped this. Secondly, it is somewhat predictable. Finally, while the ending is satisfying, it is not very believable. Still, it is Baldacci and he can write. Recommended to Baldacci fans.

[Luffy Sempai · Rating 2 out of 5]

Completing this book made me reluctant to write a comprehensive review here. This shows my disenchantment with what is only the third failure of a book from David Baldacci. It's not really a flop as it gave pleasure to many fans and readers alike. But it could be that the things that worked in the book made people ready to overlook the snags.

I think that the author, because of his experience and intelligence, did all the little things right and bungled the supra stuff. The large details. That can mean the premise. It can also mean the pacing, which though depending on the little things that Baldacci got right, is not so reliant and has a life of its own.

The last few chapters were the book's best. They shifted the villainy from Quarry to an unlikely character. The sympathetic villain is a familiar and favorite trope of Baldacci. Unfortunately, Quarry's openly divulged motives is one of the major beefs I've got with the book. I went in thinking that this thriller would be a proper mystery, because of its predecessors and if it ain't broke, why fix it right? But no. Quarry is the villain. There'll be no pleasant curveball thrown at the reader, no twist. So fine. I decide to be neutral and judge the book on its merits. Then I start to get frustrated because the chapters dedicated to Quarry frankly sucked. Therefore I decided to skip Quarry's chapters and read only Sean and Maxwell's parts.

After a while, even during the revealing of the plot, I was not enjoying the book. That's when I thought the book would score a measly one star. Which it nearly did. Except for the last few chapters, this book would have been a dud. Curious and funny thing is that if you decide to ignore Maxwell's mother's case, you'll be missing nothing if you read the first five and last five chapters. That's how the plot worked. Like I said the small details were fine, but IMHO, Baldacci wasn't on top of his game.

[Ishraque Aornob · Rating 4 out of 5]

আমেরিকান প্রেসিডেন্টের স্ত্রীর ভাতিজির জন্মদিনের অনুষ্ঠান। জন্মদিনের অনুষ্ঠান শেষে হুট করেই কিডন্যাপ করা হল ফার্স্ট লেডির ছোট্ট ভাতিজিকে। সেইসাথে খুন করা হয়েছে বাচ্চাটার মা ও বোনকে। কে বা কারা কিডন্যাপ করলো বাচ্চাটাকে? কি পদক্ষেপ নেবেন ফার্স্ট লেডি? কিডন্যাপারদের উদ্দেশ্য কি?

ফার্স্টলেডি কেসটা খতিয়ে দেখতে বললেন সাবেক এজেন্ট শন কিং ও মিশেল ম্যাক্সওয়েলকে।
ওরা কাজে নেমেই খড়ের গাদায় সূচ খোঁজার মত পরিস্থিতি থেকে টেনে বের করতে লাগলো একের পর এক সত্যি ও কালো অতীত।

স্যাম কুয়েরি এক রহস্যময় ব্যক্তি। রহস্যঘেরা ওর জীবনযাপন। শেষ বয়সে এসে ও পূরণ করতে চায় কিছু লক্ষ্য। কি সেই লক্ষ্য?

ডেভিড বালড্যাচির অসাধারণ একটা মিস্ট্রি থ্রিলার ফার্স্ট ফ্যামিলি। বইটা অনেক অসাধারণ হওয়ার সত্ত্বেও আমার কাছে কেন যেন আন্ডাররেটেড মনে হয়। এত সুন্দর একটা ক্রাইম মিস্ট্রি থ্রিলার কিন্তু প্রাপ্য ভিউটা কেন যেন পায়নি বইটা। ইভেন আমিও পড়েছি বেশ আগে। দ্য ফিক্স পড়তে গিয়ে মনে পড়লো বইটার রিভিউ করা উচিত। মিস্ট্রি থ্রিলার বা রিভেঞ্জ থ্রিলার জনরার এই বইটাতে একধারে উঠে এসেছে আমেরিকার প্রেসিডেন্ট, হোয়াইট হাউজের ভেতরের দৃশ্য, রাজনীতি, ষড়যন্ত্র, বিতর্ক, আমেরিকার নিগৃহীত উপজাতি, পলিটিশিয়ানদের নোংরা আচরণ। কালপ্রীট বইয়ের শুরুতেই ফাঁস করে দেয়া হয়। তবে কালপ্রিটের কালপ্রিট হয়ে ওঠার কারণ জানতে শেষ পর্যন্ত অপেক্ষা করতে হবে আর জানতে পারলে চমকে যেতে হয়। বালডাচি ছোট ছোট অধ্যায়ে অনেক সুন্দরভাবে গল্প বলেন। এই উপন্যাসে স্যাম কুয়েরি চরিত্রের মাধ্যমে কিছু জীবনবোধও উঠিয়ে এনেছেন তিনি। প্রধান চরিত্র অবশ্যই ম্যাক্সওয়েল আর কিং। বেশ ভালো গোয়েন্দা। তবে পার্শ্বচরিত্র কারণে ওরা ঢাকা পড়ে গেছে। প্রিয় অনুবাদক শাহেদ জামানের অনুবাদ ছিল অসাধারণ।

পড়ে ফেলুন এই আড়ালে থেকে যাওয়া অসাধারণ বইটি। হ্যাপি রিডিং।

বি:দ্র: আমেরিকান প্রেসিডেন্টের আত্মীয়স্বজনকে ফার্স্ট ফ্যামিলি বলা হয়।

ফার্স্ট ফ্যামিলি
ডেভিড বালড্যাচি
অনুবাদ: শাহেদ জামান
প্রচ্ছদ: ডিলান
বাতিঘর প্রকাশনী।

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Private Investigators and former Secret Service Agents Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are called by the First Lady of the United States to discover who kidnapped her niece. The twelve-year-old girl was taken from her home, her mother murdered, her father and siblings knocked unconscious. Sean met the First Lady many years ago when he saved her husband from political disaster. With the FBI and the Secret Service already investigating, Sean doesn't want to get involved, but the First Lady insists. Now Sean and Michelle have to piece together what actually happened when everyone around them is lying to them.

This was another excellent addition to the King and Maxwell series. There were a lot of twists and turns in this one. There was also a side mystery involving Michelle's family. I had a hard time putting this one down. My rating: 4.5 Stars.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent novel. Well written and plotted. Good characters and well narrated. This was an audio book for me. Baldacci can still spin a great yarn.

The President and first Lady are real sleazy scumbags in this story. I wonder who he used as inspiration for their characters? While listening to the story I pictured Bill and Hillary. I saw the Clintons...what do you think?

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Compared to some of Baldacci’s other works, this is weak. The first 3/4 is ittitating and only the last 1/4 should have been published. It would have made for a far more interesting novel. 4 of 10 stars

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

King and Maxwell do not fail to impress in this 4th installment of their series! Lots of twists and turns figuring out how the seemingly disjointed stories ultimately fit all together. Loved that in the end even the mighty and powerful get what is due them! Great story, Mr Baldacci--8 out of 10!

[Mangalam Shiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXCELLENT, VERY INTRICATELY WOVEN STORY. THE BOOK EXPLAINS THE DARKER SIDE OF A PRESIDENT OF USA.

[Farzana Raisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

এরেএএএ ! পুরাই ফার্স্টক্লাস একটা থ্রিলার। এক মুহূর্তের জন্য কাহিনি ঢিলা না দিয়ে শুরু থেকে শেষ পর্যন্ত পাঠককে আটকে রাখবে বইয়ের মাঝে।
সেরা!
জোস!

[Olivermagnus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Baldacci’s fourth novel featuring Former Secret Service agents and current private investigators, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell. They are on their way to see Pam Dutton, who is the President's sister-in-law, and has urgently requested their help. As they arrive at the Dutton house, they see a car speeding away. Of course they step in to try and catch the car but are unsuccessful. When they return, the FBI and Secret Service informs them that someone broke into the party, being attended by the First Lady, kidnapped twelve year old Willa Dutton, and shot and killed her mother. Because Sean once helped First Lady, Jane Cox, out of an embarrassing situation, she hires them to find Willa.

From the beginning we know who the kidnapper is, because his story is told in alternate chapters. We suspect Sam Quarry is out for some sort of revenge but we won't know the true story for quite some time. Sam is a fascinating man and completely different from the usual “bad guy” characters. The reader knows from the beginning that whatever caused him to plan this revenge has been weighing on his mind for over thirteen years. Willa is the star of this book and every section told from her point of view made the story more interesting.

I really enjoyed this part of the story but for some reason Baldacci chose to have another completely unrelated plot going on. In the third book of this series, readers discover that Michelle had a childhood trauma that has affected her in many ways. Because she was under hypnosis at the time she doesn't remember this. During the hunt for Willa, Michelle is called back to her hometown because someone killed her mother, and her father is a suspect. I felt like this thread completely disrupted the main story and I wish Baldacci had not chosen to trot it out in this book. Overall there was enough action and suspense, with a couple of twists, to make this an interesting look at power and how the powerful use it.

[Michele Kosel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know not everyone loved this book but I did! I love Sean Kings sense of justice & Michelle Maxwells ability to kick but. This is a diamond with many facets! I loved the culpability of the Of powerful, even if that’s not how things go in reality. It’s fiction & It kept me wanting more!

[Josy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thought-provoking, at least for me. Can one have compassion for a kidnapper and killer??