Monday, April 12, 2010

First Daughter - Eric Van Lustbader

Sometimes the weakness we fear most can become our greatest strength.

When ATF legend Jack McClure lost his daughter Emma in a terrible accident, his world came undone. Then a phone call from the newly elected president--an old friend--puts Jack on a collision course with his past. The president's daughter, who was once Emma's best friend, has been kidnapped.
Jack dives headlong into the investigation, tearing open the wounds of Emma's death. His search leads him to a conspiracy that reaches deep into the shadows of power throughout the world and into the path of a cold and calculating man--someone whose actions are as dangerous as they are brilliant, whose power and reach are seemingly infinite. A man who, Jack will soon discover, has affected his life and country in more ways than he could imagine.

Title: First Daughter
Genre: Adult Fiction, Thriller, Suspense
Publisher: Forge, Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
My Rating: 5/5

What a phenomenal book. The book starts off with Alli at her father's inauguration and then drops back a month to just before she was kidnapped. The first chapter gives us a sneak peek of what's in store for her and her family (as well as a multitude of others). Then we get catapulted back to the beginning where Jack, an ATF agent and Alli's deceased best friend's father, enters the picture. He is asked specifically by the president-elect to search for his daughter as they have a past history. Through the search for Alli, all of Jack's fears and emotions come to light about his daughter, Emma's untimely death. Throughout the book we see how Emma's death has affected Jack, and his marriage.
Jack is a multi-faceted character. He has dyslexia, but uses it as an asset. Due to his dyslexia, he makes leaps and bounds in logic that others simply can't make. This makes him an invaluable asset when trying to figure out what happened to Alli.
The characters were very well developed. The plot was well developed, and intricate in its detail. It was very fast-paced and flowed fluidly through the book. We follow Jack as he has flash-backs to his past, and we learn about characters and situations, that helped make Jack the man he is now. None of these flashbacks deter from the storyline as they too thicken the plot. Nothing mentioned is frivolous, it all is woven intricately into the story, and is used brilliantly.
This book is not only suspenseful, it also is a religious and political thriller. It bears an uncanny resemblance to a future that could very well happen at any given time. From the opening chapters, to the breath-taking finale, this book is one that doesn't let up. It constantly delivers more information, and action, and it keeps you guessing until the very end. It is definitely well worth the read, and you will have a hard time putting this book down. All in all, it is engaging, believable, and suspenseful.

DISCLAIMER: This book was received free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

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