Book Review: Bang on target!

David Baldacci is back with CIA agents Will Robie and Jessica Reel in this no-holds-barred tale of perfidy and murder at the highest level.

Right in the begibibg of the novel, the US President gives an order to the mission, which if fails can lead to his impeachment, and the threats against the nation would multiply. So the president turns to the one team that can pull off the impossible: The Target's protagonists. Together, Robie and Reel's talents as assassins are unmatched. But there are some in power who don't trust the pair. They doubt their willingness to follow orders. And they will do anything to see that the two assassins succeed, but that they do not survive.

As they prepare for their mission, Reel faces a personal crisis that could well lead old enemies right to her doorstep, resurrecting the ghosts of her earlier life and bringing stark danger to all those close to her. And all the while, Robie and Reel are stalked by a new adversary: An unknown and unlikely assassin, a woman who has trained her entire life to kill, and who has her own list of targets-- a list that includes Will Robie and Jessica Reel.

Baldacci's writing is full of urgency, and both spies, although psychological messes, are at the tops of their games. The writer spins a compelling tale revolving around the failed strike at North Korea, taking up about a third of the book. While the other part deals with Reel's neo-Nazi past and takes the story so far afield that they seem like different novels. The final part sticks to Korean storyline, with the results being oddly fragmented. Few scenes are very compelling, especially the ones involving Korean concentration camps. Though a bit distracted, Baldacci's new book will hit the target with his fans.