Cover Image: Daylight

Daylight

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Member Reviews

This is a fun entry into the series. I still would like to see more Atlee in the Grand Canyon area, but it's still fun to see the mystery of her sister enfolding, and seeing Puller again is always a pleasure. I hope David continues to cross his characters over, as he has so many and we rarely see the old ones again.

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This is the third book in a series, a thriller about a woman called Atlee Pine, who is an FBI Agent looking for her twin sister Mercy who was abducted at age 6. Atlee is a tough, fierce and loyal woman, who is strong minded and independent.

In this story, she continues her search for Mercy, and she finds a lot of clues as to what has happened to her and who it was who took her. She gets caught up in military investigator's case, which leads her into a global conspiracy.

Fast paced, and full of tension and suspense, this book kept me captivated and engrossed throughout. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

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Daylight has sat on my shelf for a while and I was eager to get to it. I unfortunately had the classic mistake of not realising this was the third book in a series. However, I don’t believe that affected my engagement: there was so much exposition explaining (multiple times) what had happened up until that point that it made me wonder what the point of the previous two books were!

There was a lot packed into this. At times, it felt too much. The case being investigated blew up into something so big that it felt like everyone and anyone was involved and literally no one could be trusted. It was a high-stakes case, but the sheer size of it felt too much: despite the series, it’s clear this case is individual to this one book. But it felt it could have been stretched over several with much higher tension than I had here.

I think where I did fall down with not reading the others was my connection to the main character, Atlee. Despite everything she’s going through throughout the course of the book (and events that have led to that point), I didn’t feel we got many emotions from her. She was detached, which made it hard for the reader to connect to her.

When Atlee did react, it seemed to be disproportionate to what was going on. The extremes of her some of her actions may have made sense given the events, but it felt implausible, adding another layer of distance between the character and reader.

I liked John Puller more. But even he didn’t seem to truly feel anything, which left me thinking it’s something in the way that it’s written rather than the actual characters. It could have been far more compelling and gripping if I connected to the characters because I just found I didn’t particularly care what happened.

The writing had a number of cliches and sayings scattered throughout. It also had a habit of signposting a cliffhanger at the end of a chapter, with sentences such as ‘little did he know how things would change’. It didn’t make me want to read on; it made me roll my eyes instead. I wanted the tension to be subtler yet more effective than how it was delivered.

A lot of research has been done into the book, especially in regards to the geography. For the most part, it was well-written. I felt it could have done with a tighter edit that cut down the length a little but tidied up on some of the cliché moments. The case could have done with being a fraction smaller given it wasn’t the only mystery the book was following.

I can see this being a good series that you get invested in if you start from the beginning and work your way through. Unfortunately for me, however, this didn’t draw me in enough to want to track down the rest of the series.

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I am a huge David Baldacci fan. And I am loving the Atlee Pine series. This particular book also highlights John Puller, a character from another wonderful series. The author is a master at writing action thrillers that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. You will be drawn into the story from the first page and you need to be ready for a roller coaster ride to the end. Atlee Pine is one tough cookie and her investigative skills are excellent. I strongly encourage you to start with the first book in the series. You won’t regret the adventures you’ll have along the way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

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I love David Baldacci's books and had the privilege of meeting him at London Book Fair. I can't explain why but I couldn't connect to this series. The Road to Mercy I felt was the strongest of the Atlee Pine titles but the rest of the series spiraled and I wasn't able to regain my initial interest. In spite of having a female protagonist, she lacked the depth I needed in order to bridge the gap between character and reader. That being said, I'm looking forward to reading another series or stand-alone novel by the author.

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David Baldacci knows how to tell a story. This latest effort again shows his expertise as he cleverly draws characters which you genuinely want to know. I love the depth of effort made to create believable dialogue and clear settings throughout the book.

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Baldacci's 3rd in the series book following Atlee delivers with a fast paced well structured story characters are solid in creation and as is often the way with Baldacci, there is high action. Thank you for the advanced copy and happy to recommend to those who enjoy this genre. I would suggest reading the 2 previous series books for better understanding.

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I have read a few Baldacci books before. I like his writing style and so I jumped at the chance to read this one. It is action packed and filled with mysteries throughout. It seemed like every time I thought the story was going straight, every time I thought I knew where it was headed, there was a curve and you can see just enough of the road to keep going. This is the first Atlee Pine book I've read but I didn't have any trouble following the story. In fact, it just made me want to go find more Atlee Pine books. The biggest mystery that has haunted Atlee is the kidnapping of her twin sister. The not knowing what happened to her is the worst thing that could ever happen to anyone. Baldacci pulls you into that world, lets you feel the pain and the suffering that Atlee has felt and dealt with all her life. She got a lead and the beginning starts with her following that lead. And I can't blame her, after all these years (She was six when the kidnapping occurred), I'd follow that lead to the end of the earth if it were me. But she does get herself into some other trouble along the way. I definitely recommend this book. It is fast paced, action packed, and filled with one mystery after another.

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Another David Baldacci book, that everyone should enjoy. It's nice to know you can always count on some authors to not disappoint.

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Daylight is a good story but perhaps, not the best by David Baldacci. Atlee still is looking for her sister's murderer and gets involved in a drug-dealing case where corruption in the government (federal and local) is rampant. She does not find her sister but she finds some clues, and the case remains open-ended in this book. The story is fast-paced, full of action, and provides entertainment for a few hours.

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Author #David Baldacci is #1 bestselling global favorite. When # Daylight came available I was so excited. It's number three in the #Atlee Pine Thriller series. And like the others will thrill you.But, unlike the others truth is finally discovered.....
One last very important note. Author # David Baldacci is also the co-founder, along with his wife, of the# Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization supporting literacy efforts across America.
Thank you for the advance copy,
#Netgalley, # David Baldacci, # Grand Central Publishing

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Great for readers looking a for a fast-paced thriller where past and present collide. A sister's revenge for a past crime mixed with present FBI intrigue makes for an immersive experience that would be great in audio.

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David Baldacci has the magic formula to ensure you simply cannot put his books down. Daylight grabbed me from page one – and didn’t let go until the end. I cannot wait for the next in the Atlee Pine thriller series.
Atlee is on ‘sabbatical’ from her FBI duties to find out what happened to her twin sister, Mercy, abducted from their home thirty years ago. While she does manage to advance her investigation, she’s sidetracked by crimes she uncovers as she does so. She and her wonderfully empathetic assistant, Carol Blum, start their search for the truth about Mercy in Trenton, New Jersey. Here they team up with John Puller after Atlee unintentionally messes up an arrest he’s about to make. Gradually they realise they are up against a very evil, corrupt group of people right in the upper echelons of government –who are not averse to killing those that stand in their way.
This is a fast-paced, action-packed, compelling read.

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Daylight is the third book in the Atlee Pine thriller series about a lone FBI agent on a mission to find out what happened to her twin sister who was abducted when they were six years old. I have had a post-publication review copy on my self for a while, because I realised I would need to read the first two before tackling this. With hindsight I think this would work as a stand-alone, as you get plenty of backstory - in fact having listened to both Long Road to Mercy and A Minute to Midnight quite recently, this became a hindrance as it all felt rather repetitive. I had enjoyed the audiobooks and think that this is a better format for this series, as I found this one to be unnecessarily drawn out and stuffed with boring extraneous descriptive details of dwellings and what characters are wearing. Please note this review may contain spoilers for those who haven’t read the earlier instalments.

This picks up soon after the events at the end of book two, where Atlee discovered that Jack Lineberry was her biological father and that a man called Ito Vincenzo was probably the one who took Mercy. She receives permission to continue her investigation, so travels to New Jersey with her assistant Carol to track down the man’s grandson, but unwittingly stumbles into an investigation led by an old acquaintance, Army investigator John Puller, which allows Vincenzo junior to escape. Pine and Puller team up to find him, dragging them into a dangerous conspiracy with National Security implications.

I had previously read and actively disliked the first Puller book, mainly because it was such an obvious Reacher rip-off, but also because it was both implausible and boring. I therefore haven’t read the rest of his series, but didn’t think that mattered, as while he plays an important role here, Atlee remains the central protagonist. I actually liked Puller much more here as the author has toned down the similarities to Jack Reacher and he seems to be a more likeable honourable hero. Conversely I liked Atlee less as the constant self-sacrificing is a bit tedious - rather than continue on her quest, she once again gets involved in something that is not her job and has nothing to do with her. The plot was very repetitive - how many times can a key witness get shot in front of her before she learns not to go outside with them? The conspiracy plot line takes over most of the book, and was nothing we haven’t seen before in this kind of modern thriller, but we do get some answers to the Mercy mystery and things are left open for this to hopefully be resolved in the next (and I believe final) book which was published a few months ago. 3.5 rounded down for slow pace and annoying character behaviour.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the review copy. I am posting this honest review voluntarily.

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This is my first David Baldacci book! I didn’t realize it was book 3 in a series. While I didn’t fully connect with the book due to that, I still thought it was interesting. I really liked Atlee, it’s nice to see female leads.

I also liked the “side” investigation she found herself on. I look forward to reading more of David Baldaccis work.

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This author always delivers for a fast paced well plotted story with rounded characters and high action. Thank you for the advanced copy, wil recommend to all.

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I didn't connect to this story as i had not read the previous books in the series. The end was ok but predictable. Was just not a book for me.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for giving me this arc copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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Atlee Pine is still on the train of the kidnapper who took her sister when they were children. Her search has taken her and her admiistrative assistant on the trail of a mobster and his family and in to the middle of another investigation. Daylight is fast-paced and well written as are all the books in this series. The pages definitely keep turning as the action never stops. I love learning more about Atlee as the series progresses.

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In Daylight by David Baldacci, Atlee Pine continues the search for her missing sister, Mercy. In this third installment, Atlee's search takes her to military base/prison, Ft. Dix in NJ where she stumbles into the middle of an investigation by John Puller. The Puller series by Baldacci is one of my favorites, and I didn't realize that this book would be a crossover of the two series. What a great surprise! Not only that, I've been to the Ft. Dix base so there is always something extra when a book takes place in a location you know well. The ties of Puller's case to Atlee's search has her working both cases simultaneously. There's a lot happening in this book. The Puller investigation leads to criminal activity involving high powered political influencers. Atlee finally makes progress in the search of Mercy, who has been missing for 30 years. Personally, the Puller aspect of this book is what kept me intrigued since something about Pine's methodology slows down the book. However, there is enough of a twist about what might have happened to Mercy at the end of the book, I definitely am looking forward to the fourth installment, Mercy.
Thank you NetGalley for the copy of this book in return for my honest review.

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David Baldacci's Atlee Pine series is a sterling example of an author having a great deal of fun creating stories, even when addressing serious topics. The third installment in Atlee Pine's journey to discover what happened to and the whereabouts of her twin sister so many years ago takes her and Carol Blum, her trusted assistant, to Fort Dix, a huge military installation in New Jersey. There she encounters John Puller, a military CID agent with the U.S. Army. Puller's appearance was briefly foreshadowed in the second book in the series, A Minute to Midnight, when Atlee mentioned that they worked on an investigation together years ago and he served as a mentor to her. Baldacci fans will be happy about the full-fledged reappearance of his protagonist from another four-book series.

Puller is investigating a drug ring operating out of Fort Dix. Atlee wants to speak to the man at the center of the drug ring because he may be the grandson of Mercy's kidnapper. He's the only living relative of Ito VIncenzo. He lives in the family home, which turns out to hold information about Mercy's disappearance, and works in the motor pool at Fort Dix. At the outset, Atlee does not suspect that he might be a criminal. She discovers that her mother played a key role in Ito's brother being convicted and sent to prison. Atlee has to piece together how Ito managed to find her family when they were supposed to be safely tucked away in a witness protection program.

Atlee and Puller decide to team up, but their collaboration is not effortless. They are an unlikely pair, adhering to and operating by different rules, procedures, and their superiors' expectations. Puller operates within the context of Army regulations -- guidelines applicable to civilians are irrelevant to him. But Atlee is a trained FBI agent bound by Constitutional principles and protections such as due process that have no meaning in the military universe. And Atlee's career is very much in jeopardy. The events of so many years ago have wreaked havoc in her personal and professional lives, and the FBI has given her a brief window of time in which to wrap up her investigation and get back to work. Or not return to duty at all. But as she explains to Carol, she just can't let go of either the search for her sister or the investigation she has gotten caught up in. "The only reason I'm an FBI agent is because I want to see people who destroy other people's lives brought to justice and pay for what they did. The want the families of their victims to have closure." In other words, she wants the families of other victims to have the one thing that has always eluded her.

Readers might be surprised to learn that Atlee is the first female lead character Baldacci has created and featured in a series. She is believable and empathetic, and readers have taken her into their hearts. She is a large and physically imposing woman with a physique enhanced by her commitment to fitness, particularly weightlifting. That was a deliberate choice by Baldacci, given that Atlee is in a profession that remains dominated by men. Her physicality is an asset to her career and helps her command respect from her male counterparts who recognize that, at least from a physical perspective, she is their equal. Atlee has worked hard to get where she is, and makes no apology for being a woman in a traditionally male job.

Which is not to save that she isn't vulnerable. Because she is. She suffered a traumatic event as a child -- Mercy's kidnapping and sustaining serious injury herself -- that motivated her to join the FBI. She is without family, having lost her parents, as well as Mercy. And she makes mistakes. Sometimes she develops tunnel vision in her determination to find answers, and she makes reckless choices, but she is a sympathetic character. Pairing Atlee with John Puller made sense. Both characters are sometimes fragile as a result of tragic familial relationships. While Atlee lost her family, Puller has never felt that he could live up to his father's example. He feels that his father will always outrank him, even though Puller is a combat veteran who was wounded.

Daylight opens with Atlee following a significant clue about what happened to Mercy. In A Minute to Midnight, she learned much about her parents' pasts. Now she uncovers what might have served as motivation for Mercy's abduction in a complex turn of events that brings more new characters into the mix. As in the earlier volumes, Atlee gets a bit sidetracked by Puller's investigation into the drug ring, but inadvertently discovers potential links between the two cases. Atlee and Puller are stonewalled repeatedly by powerful and corrupt government officials, including those running the prison system, as well as well-connected criminals.

The title of the book is significant. Baldacci picked Daylight because in this volume he moves Atlee out of the dark unknown and further into the light of truth. "Things become clear to her," he notes, as she inches closer to finding out what happened to Mercy. Many additional details about the case are uncovered in this installment, forcing Atlee to deal with learning that virtually nothing she believed growing up was actually true.

Baldacci promises that in the final installment, aptly titled, simply, Mercy, and scheduled to be released on November 16, 2021, the fate of Atlee's beloved sister will finally be revealed, her complete story told.

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