Unfortunately, the tactic screams of Dan Brown cliffhanger syndrome. The pace picks up in the last half when Baldacci adds the sniper and a bomb (another unbelievable scene) as though he’s remembered Raymond Chandler’s famous dictum. The serial killing plot, which appears about 60 pages into the book, is resolved by people suddenly deciding to spill their guts in arias that would make Puccini jealous, and the motivation is ridiculous and unconvincing. A Minute to Midnight is the gripping follow up to Long Road to Mercy featuring Special Agent Atlee Pine from one of the worlds most favourite thriller writers. Baldacci has apparently never heard of pronoun reference or antecedents, and his prose ranges from perfunctory to pedestrian. The characters are never more than types, and the dialogue is painfully heavy handed. There isn’t a single aspect of this work that could not be improved. Baldacci’s plot, pacing, style, and dialogue all wreak havoc on a potentially gripping thriller with disappointing results. Baldacci’s legions of fans will probably love this book, but new readers will find it lacking in too many of the requisite storytelling skills.
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