Split Second

David Baldacci

Sean King had been a Secret Service agent in 1996 guarding a third party candidate on the campaign trail. When Clyde Ritter had been on a meet and greet in a small North Carolina town, Sean's attention was pulled away from his duties for half a moment. In that moment, an assassin shot and killed Ritter. Although King then killed the gunman, his Secret Service career was over.

Now, eight years later, he is a successful lawyer in a small southern Virginia town. On the news he sees that another third party candidate has been kidnapped. Michelle Maxwell was the Secret Service agent in charge of that candidate. When he himself becomes news again, Michelle finds herself drawn to his earlier disgrace. She contacts him and soon they are working together both on her current case, the current case involving him, and his case eight years earlier. Unfortunately, the more they investigate, the more dead bodies are showing up in their trail.

Split Second is a gripping suspense novel that ends on a contrived note. The Buick Man is quite menacing during most of the book. I enjoyed the interaction between Michelle and Sean. Their shared Secret Service disgrace pulls them together despite their different personalities.

But the solution and reason for the mystery is unbelievable. The twists and turns leading up to the ending of Split Second make the reader dizzy. Then, when it is all pulled together, it is too contrived to be true. The series of historical events leading up to the final scene don't seem to fit together well. It sounds like Baldacci decided on this impossible mystery line, then filled around it with great suspense action.

I have one other complaint from a woman's point of view about Split Second. When they were out interviewing suspects or in other less personally involved scenes, Michelle Maxwell was referred to as Michelle. But Sean King was referred to as King. I didn't have any problem with Michelle's and another female agents troubles adjusting in the male world of the Secret Service. I just feel that equity would be best served by using both their last names or both their first names in these situations.

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