Wow, what an amazing story! David Baldaccia has done it again! At first I was a little lost but as it continued it became a book I couldn’t put down.. Nash’s dad and friend Shock were so awesome in their relationship in Vietnam.. His family issues, wife, daughter were very carefully but yet explosive in their relationship book! Bravo! Thank you to the author for this great novel!

David Baldacci is a prolific author with many titles under his penmanship, including the recent 6:20 Man series and stand-alone works like A Calamity of Soules and a WWII story, Strangers in Time, Nash Falls is another stand-alone work, although there will need to be a sequel to complete the story beginning in this new novel.

The plot is fairly simple. Walter Nash works in acquisitions and finance for a company called Symbaratic, where is has proven himself as a dedicated hard working family man with a beautiful wife and daughter. The problem is Symbaratic is run by Barton Temple, and his son Rhett, who are the opposite of Nash: manipulative, evil creeps who use women for their own sexual gratification.

The book opens with Nash learning his father, a Vietnam War veteran, has died. Nash and his father had an estranged relationship but he decided to attend the funeral where he is embarrassed and confronted by a man named Shock who was a friend of Ty Nash and fellow veteran.

The night of the funeral after wife and daughter have gone to bed Nash is visited by a clandestine FBI man who wants to enlist Nash as a confidential informer. Nash has no idea his bosses are involved in money laundering, the chief concern of the FBI. Nash struggles to accept the role of a CI, not knowing how it will affect him or his family.

Without divulging a lot more, the plot thickens to use a trite cliche, and Walter eventually agrees to help. But very quickly is life is turned upside down (e.g. Nash Falls) and he is forced into hiding. That's enough to get you intrigued if you want to read the book.

The book moves fast. I was surprised at the amount of sex in this book compared to the others I have read recently.. I'm not a prude as much as it wasn't featured as prominently as in other recent books. I was frustrated with the ending and the need for a sequel. I get it; it means more anticipation by readers and ideally more sales. Had I known it was going to be a "book one" I might have declined the invitation, but I didn't so here is my review.

The action is good, the story has a few holes in it, and I suspect it will do well. I give it 4.25 stars rounded to 4.\

My thanks to the author, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley for the chance to review an ARC in return for an objective review.

My Thoughts

When readers are first introduced to main character Walter Nash we find him to be a man who has a beautiful wife and daughter, a lifestyle many would envy and a job that he excels at.

Looking from an outside perspective all this might be construed as someone who has achieved the American Dream, but looks can be quite different from reality.

In Walter’s case things change drastically in ways that are both eye-opening for him and also cause him great emotional pain.

A man who would at one time never hurt a fly, much less a fellow human, transforms himself over a year time into someone the exact opposite mentally and physically.

There are many moving parts to this story, some better than others in my opinion, that were at times easier to make educated guesses as to how Walter would resolve everything.

Of course, when faced with a cliffhanger ending those guesses are still questions instead.
A very slow starter to what could possibly be the start of a new series or at the very least a duology given the fact there was no final resolution at books end.

I for one am hoping for a follow-up so I know how things ultimately play out.

[EArc from Netgalley]
On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a complementary advance copy of Nash Falls by David Baldacci. I have been a fan of Mr. Baldacci’s work for some time and was excited to read this book. It is listed as a standalone book but I wonder if we might see more from the main character, Walter Nash, in the future. I hope we do.

As the story begins, Walter Nash and his family (wife and daughter) are attending his father’s funeral. Nash and his father, a Vietnam veteran, have been estranged for many years. At the funeral Nash meets his father’s veteran friend, Isiah York, aka Shock. Shock gives the eulogy which turns out to be an attack on Walter. After the funeral, Nash meets with his father’s attorney to settle the estate which is quite a bit larger than expected due to an Agent Orange settlement.

Following the funeral and estate settlement, Nash picks up his life as an executive in a family-owned investment firm. Nash is approached by the FBI who want his help in bringing the firm to justice for money laundering among other things. Nash agrees to cooperate. The firm and their associates learn that Nash is cooperating and decide to go after him and his family. Now things get really interesting. How far will he go to protect his family?

I finished this book in just a couple of days and would highly recommend. The story is engaging and filled with plenty of twists and turns. I loved the characters, especially Nash and Shock. This book gives you much to think about especially as it related to your family. What would you do, how far would you go to protect your family?

Whew! What a ride! Definitely a page turner and hard to put down. Professionals involved in any kind of finance will love the details. That portion was way more than I wanted to know but I understood the premise. Once the story is established it is fast paced with lots of twists and turns right up to an ending that is open for the next book to start. No spoilers or book report, the cover gives the general idea. Read and enjoy! I was provided an Advanced Reader Copy of the book at my request and under no obligation to write a review. The opinions expressed are my own. Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. Looking forward to a sequel.

This is my first David Baldacci book so it took a bit to get into his writing style. The premise of the story was interesting but I didn’t like any character, including the main (Nash). While there was a bit of character development for some, I could not warm up to any character. Told from multiple point of views, there are quite a few characters, but not too many to get confused. However, towards the last chapter and the - spoiler alert - cliffhanger ending, I was invested and have to find out what is next for Nash.

Predictable, ordinary Nash, is married to his college sweetheart and a dad of one. They live quite a comfortable (somewhat luxurious) life style, one in which Nash’s estranged father didn’t quite agree with. After his passing, Nash deals with his loss, a horrid scene at the funeral, and a visit from the FBI. As Nash grapples with becoming an informant, he learns just how dangerous his employer is when his daughter goes missing. The story takes place over a year as we follow Nash prepare to seek vengeance on those who kidnapped his daughter. With a cliffhanger ending, I can’t wait to see what Nash’s training has led to.

Baldacci does it again while introducing us to a new character. The plot is fast paced and suspenseful. Nash is an intelligent mild mannered highly successful business man until his world falls apart after he is approached by the FBI. He is left with no choice but to spy on the company and people he works for. As a result his beloved daughter is kidnapped and he is the number one suspect. Now on the run from the police, FBI and gangsters his life takes a 180 turn. My only negative is the cliff hanger ending which leaves the story unfinished. I will have to wait until the next Nash novel to satisfy my suspense.

Another great Baldacci that kept me on he edge of my seat. Nash, a financial analysist, is approached by the FBI to unlock criminal activity on his boss. Because of his involvement, his daughter is kidnapped and he is on the run.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this ARC in return for my feedback.

Man what a wild ride this book was. Not my usual genre, but the last 50% was hard to put down.

I felt at times that the characters were almost TOO smart to figure things out but it suits the storyline.
I laughed out loud several times which was unexpected.
Audibly gasped at the ending!!!! I’ll definitely read book 2 to see how Nash’s story unfolds. Can’t believe we were left on such a cliffhanger!

(2 1/2). I was glad to see Baldacci return to thriller mode. This book is a little more intense than his regular fare. Halfway through, I was wondering if he could keep everything as tightly wound as it started. The answer was……..sort of. We have some good supporting characters, a somewhat relevant plot and a solid protagonist in Walter Nash. The book is a little long, and to protect from spoilers, I will say there are some interesting twists and turns as well. Certainly not one of Baldacci’s best, but I will be interested to see how he develops Walter Nash in the future. Pretty good stuff.

Walter Nash is a predictable, lucky man. He has a wife and child that he supports and is extremely successful in his career. The company he works for is run by an elder and his son, Nash getting along. better with the former rather than the latter. When his father suddenly dies and he is publicly embarrassed at his funeral for not being present for his dad, his life suddenly takes a turn. The FBI reaches out to him and lets him know that something is amiss in the company, Sybaritic Investments, and his perfect life as he is facing it will be over. He can either get on board as the whistleblower or be taken under by the fallout. Nash is a pragmatic man, so after considering what he wants in exchange, he agrees to get on board to take down the crime syndicate that is woven into the company he's worked his life and devoted to. Some friends from his father's old life will come into play and help him on this journey. Will he be able to take them down? Will he get caught up in the fall out?

Some of the twists and turns in this book were just unbelievable. As a reader, finding out Maggie is dead is a stab to the heart. You always hope the child is alive and the outcome is positive, especially for a hardworking decent man like Nash. When I flipped the page and the wife was cheating, I also sobbed a bit. He was such a good person and everyone in his life just kept taking him for twists and turns that weren't necessary.

Based on the ending of this book, I'm assuming this is going to be an ongoing series since it was somewhat of a cliffhanger, so I'm really looking forward to seeing how this develops in the long run.

It has been quite a while since Mr. Baldacci has offered up a new main character. This new character has an epic backstory. You have to ask yourself what you would do to get to the top and how you would stay there. An absolute rollercoaster ride through this book. I can't wait for the next book.

Nash Falls by David Baldacci is stated a standalone suspense read about Walter Nash. Nash is a very well off, financial guy who works for Sybaritic Investments. He has risen high up in the company and is very good at his job at making more money for the company. Nash is approached by the FBI to become a whistleblower, because Sybaritics is apparently doing a lot of money laundering and other nefarious things with a cold hearted scary woman named Victoria Speers. She is not to be messed with and dead bodies pile up around her. Nash obviously has mixed feelings about getting involved, but always the Eagle Scout, he feels it is his duty. Unfortunately, Steers finds out what Walter is doing, and instead of just killing him, plans on ruining him and his reputation. Kidnapping, murder, framing for crimes… there is a lot of juicy excitement to be had.
Unfortunately, this didn’t work well for me as a reader for multiple reasons. First off, and most importantly, many of the scenarios became too outlandish and far fetched to even try to buy into it. Secondly, the writing was odd. There were too many mundane unimportant details described (exactly what was cooked for an uneventful breakfast for example), and there was southern dialogue throughout that used the “slang” pronunciations of so so many words. It made the tough and loyal character Shock seem really uneducated and was frankly irritating to read through.
Several characters did not seem authentic and I couldn’t believe their thoughts and actions would have been as they were depicted (Judith, Ty).
I loved the premise of this book but it took a turn and “went off the rails.” It ends on what seems like a lead in to a sequel, but I don’t think I will read the next one.
Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Walter Nash has it all -- a great job, plenty of money, a beautiful wife, and an amazing daughter. Then the FBI shows up and tells him that his boss is involved with some nefarious and dangerous criminals. They want Nash to gather inside information to put them away. He spends way too many pages contemplating the offer, discussing the pros and cons with himself. Complicating the issue is the death of his estranged father, his father's 'significant other', his spoiled teenage daughter whose only ambition is to be an "influencer", and (unbeknownst to Nash) his wife is cheating on him with his boss.

I really wanted to love this book. I have read several of Baldacci's previous books and found them enthralling -- lots of action and twists and turns to keep me turning pages. This one has moments of that, but I almost gave up about halfway because I was bored with the characters -- Nash was just too indecisive, his wife and boss were just unlikeable, and his teenage daughter was behaving like a brat. THEN something happened that took my breath away! I thought at the time -- OK, here goes! But what followed was endless pages of Nash transforming himself both physically and mentally to prepare himself for the confrontation with the bad guys. Not enough action, too much back inside Nash's head. So...about 1/3 of the book is amazing, gut-wrenching, heart-stopping action, the rest is just MEH. And then, that "ending" --WTF!! Clearly there is a sequel, but couldn't he have resolved something? Sorry, obviously I wasn't as taken with this book as other reviewers. I'm glad I read it. I'll continue to look for Baldacci's books. This one is definitely not my favorite.

Walter Nash had it all. A lovely wife and daughter, and a well deserved top level position at Sybaritic Investments. He was well respected in the business world as a hard worker, who shared quality time with his family despite the long hours he spent on the job.
Things suddenly changed drastically for him after his estranged father’s funeral. The FBI approached him late one night with a drastic request. Evidently someone was laundering large amounts of money through Sybaritic, and they wanted Nash to act as an inside man to expose the person responsible, international criminal Victoria Steers and her partners whom the FBI had spent years trying to track down.
Despite the fact that Nash was worried about leaving his family and possibly even putting them in danger, he reluctantly accepted the FBI’s demands. Steers soon discovers that Nash is leading the hunt for her capture. His life is now in serious danger. The only way for him to stay alive is to become transformed into a different man. A physical change that is so drastic that even those that he is close to no longer recognize him.

With his latest novel, “Nash Falls,” David Baldacci gives readers a heck of a thrill ride, albeit one that ends with what looks like a “cliffhanger.”

Meet Walter Nash, a very talented and successful corporate executive in charge of acquiring new companies for his firm. Analytical and meticulous, well-liked and respected, he has earned for himself and his beautiful wife and daughter a solid upper-middle-class life. He’s not one of the super-rich; and he doesn’t want to be. But he and his family—with their upscale home, very fine cars, and exotic vacations—do lead exceedingly comfortable lives. His only problems? Business demands don’t leave him enough time for family; and his daughter wants to spend her college fund on a harebrained scheme to become a social media influencer; and his bad-ass, motorcycle-riding, Vietnam War vet of a father—now deceased—neither liked nor respected him. The "pros" in Walter's life definitely outweigh its “cons.”

And then begins his descent into hell. The firm for which he acquires other companies is not, and never has been, all that it seems. When the FBI approaches him about becoming a “whistle-blower” and his sense of patriotic duty compels him to accept, powerful adversaries completely destroy everything he is and has built.

Will this talented but cerebral man who dearly loves his wife and daughter ever be able to vanquish those adversaries and rebuild without getting himself killed? If so, how? Those are the questions that keep us turning the pages.

It’s a well-written story. The prose and dialogue are straightforward and clear, making for enjoyable reading. Technical aspects are well described, indicating diligent research of the areas covered, including business analysis, FBI procedure, Agent Orange claims, money laundering, tattooing, and personal security operations. Also, the tale is filled with twists and turns. As the story progresses, the stakes keep increasing.

Finally, those thinking of acquiring “Nash Falls” should be aware that it seems to have a cliff-hanger ending. While aspects of its plot and sub-plots are somewhat resolved, many unanswered questions remain.

This suggests that Mr. Baldacci may be planning a sequel. If so, I look forward to it.

My thanks to NetGalley, author David Baldacci, and publisher Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a complimentary ARC. All of the foregoing is my honest, independent opinion.

Walter Nash is a good man. He loves his family, is a diligent and successful businessman, and is upright in everything he does. An Eagle Scout through and through. So when the FBI comes calling, he evaluates the risks and does the right thing.

Which turns out to up-end every aspect of his life.

Let's be honest, it's really hard to go wrong with a David Baldacci book. The character development, the plot, the writing...you know what to expect and he delivers. The reader sees Walter clearly. His strengths and weaknesses, his flaws, his good intentions, the hurt of his past, and the love for his family. We understand why he chooses the path he does, even though in reality it makes no sense. But with a strong lead character coupled with a fast moving plot, the reader is swept in the story and carried along, until the cliffhanger end.

Which was the most disappointing part of this book! I hate books without resolution. But will I pick up the next one when it comes out? You better believe I will...I have to find out what happens!

Nash Falls is fast paced and exciting all the way through. Nash is an intelligent, highly capable but mild mannered business man. When he agreed to help the FBI find the criminal elements imbedded in the company where he works as vice-president and board member, Nash knew there was some significant physical danger to him personally. He didn't know how easily his whole life could be ruined, leaving him without a job, a home, and most importantly without his family. Totally innocent, he is accused of terrible crimes and is forced to go on the run. Months later, the mild mannered business man has transformed himself and returned seeking revenge on those who left his life in tatters. Nash Falls will be published in November. I'm sure it is the beginning of a successful series for David Baldacci.

Walter Nash is living the good life--wonderful family, beautiful home, great job, lots of money. But the night of his father's funeral, he's recruited by an FBI agent to spy on his employers at Sybaritic Investments who are involved with sinister criminals bent on inciting global mayhem. His options are stark--help the FBI with their investigation or risk being charged in whatever criminal activity Sybaritic is engaged in. Either way, Walter loses, Unfortunately, he doesn't realize just how much he's risked until everything goes to hell and his perfectly fashioned world implodes. Betrayal and danger turn this meek Walter Mitty into a mad Walter White cosplaying as Jack Reacher. Forced to disappear, he enlists the help of his father's best friend, Shock, who owns a security company ideally suited to transitioning Walter from a soft business executive to a tatted killing machine focused on exacting not only justice, but revenge. Some plot elements strain credulity, but NASH FALLS was good enough to keep this reader engaged and looking forward to what will surely be an installment 2.

Wow, what a read. Will there be a sequel? Baldacci dees his almost incomprehensible but excellent work of writing this mind- boggling novel that lingers long after its end in the reader's eyes. Will Nash return? Keep us in suspense no longer. Loved it!