30 April, 2019

#BookReview :: Zero Day (John Puller #1) by David Baldacci


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When a family is murdered in West Virginia, John Puller is sent to investigate it because of the military connection of the family. John arrives in the area and starts stirring up trouble along with the local homicide detective Samantha Cole. What was meant to be a simple murder investigation turns into something much more with different agencies watching. With the rising body counts, will John Puller be able to solve the case?

The plot was interesting. The author unveils the different layers of the plot in instalments in order to build up the tension in the story and the thrills for the reader. There are so many angles that the plot converges from that it is at times overwhelming. The other thing that I enjoyed about the book was the way that the author has described everything in details; from the characters to the setting to the plot elements. He discusses social issues with same fervor as he describes the military. This may be an issue for some readers, but I love details when delivered properly. 

Now here’s my issue - I tried my best to get into the story with an open mind, but the parallels between the Jack Reacher and John Puller were uncanny. Physically big, good at throwing punches and travels light – these describe both Reacher and Puller! (If you didn’t catch the two names before, you should now!) Add to it the complicated father-son relationship and a brother who had an influential and important job that was cut short. Only thing that differentiates the two characters is that John Puller has PTSD and Jack Reacher doesn’t. Having read 23 Jack Reacher novels before picking this book up, it was really difficult for me to reign in my disappointment in John Puller because the author failed to develop the character’s individuality even with the different styles of narration.

Jack Reacher was first published way back in 1997 while John Puller was released in 2011.  People who have not read Jack Reacher Series may be able to enjoy this book. But being a Jack Reacher fan, I do not think I can recommend this book to others.



This post is a part of A to Z Challenge and BlogchatterA2Z



1 comment:

  1. Conclusion noted. I'm a JR fan too, so will try not to keep my hopes too high for this book. It was a gift from a buddy, so will read it anyway. :)

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