Book Review

For this blog post, I am reviewing the book The Guilty by David Baldacci. It was published by Grand Central Publishing in 2015 and has 418 pages. The genre is mystery, thriller, and suspense. This book is about a man named Will Robie who fails a mission and discovers that his dad is being charged with murder. In order to save his father and confront his past, Will goes back to his hometown to clear his father's name.

The story takes place in a small, southern town named Cantrell, Mississippi. It is told from a third-person omniscient perspective and focuses on Will Robie. Will Robie is a top assassin for the United States government who fails to complete one of his missions after a traumatic event occurs. After discovering that he no longer has the will to continue, he goes back to his hometown to try to resolve his past issues and regain his skills. His father, Dan Robie, became a town judge while Will was away and was very respected by the other citizens of Cantrell. He refuses to state whether or not he committed the murder and represents himself in court. Jessica Reel, another top assassin and Will's most trusted partner, helps him with the investigation. The main theme of this book is redemption; even after being away from home for twenty years, Will and Dan Robie still wish to make amends and look forward instead of always looking back.

*I would love to give a plot summary, but there are a lot of spoilers that could be given away, so I think that the above paragraph is all the information I can give.*

I really enjoyed this book because you could never predict what was going to happen next; I enjoy thrillers and mysteries for that very reason. Even within the first twenty pages, there are so many twists that happen and keep the reader at the edge of their seats. The characters and plot are developed so well throughout the entire book that you feel like you're stuck in their situation along with them. Foreshadowing is also used throughout the book with the characters' actions and dialogue. The constant questioning and doubt makes you want to read more, and just when you think you have everything figured out, another twist or development comes up that changes the whole situation. I loved the way the story ended and how everything was resolved instead of having loose ends.

Overall, I would give this book a five out of five stars due to its unpredictability and its theme of redemption and hope for the future.

"'You[Will] were right. To go forward, you have to go back. You get this square, your foundation is set. You can move on. But until then, you're going to be damaged goods'" -Jessica Reel (Baldacci 276).