Buying Options

Kindle Price:	$10.99
Sold by:	Hachette Book Group Price set by seller.

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.

Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

There was an error. We were unable to process your subscription due to an error. Please refresh and try again.

Enter a promotion code or Gift Card

Share <Embed>

The Whole Truth (A. Shaw Book 1) by [David Baldacci]

Follow the Author

David Baldacci

The Whole Truth (A. Shaw Book 1) Kindle Edition

by David Baldacci (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

6,337 ratings

Book 1 of 2: A. Shaw

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$10.99

—

Audible Audiobook, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$0.00

Free with your Audible trial

Hardcover

"Please retry"

$23.20

$8.50

$1.46

Paperback

"Please retry"

$8.11

—

Mass Market Paperback

"Please retry"

$10.00

$4.97

$0.99

Audio CD, Audiobook, CD, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$20.00

$13.00

$5.20

A powerful defense contractor, a reluctant intelligence agent, and an ambitious journalist race to contain and control an international crisis that could destroy the world in this #1 New York Times bestselling thriller.

"Dick, I need a war."

Nicolas Creel is a man on a mission. He heads up the world's largest defense contractor, The Ares Corporation. Dick Pender is the man Creel retains to "perception manage" his company to even more riches by manipulating international conflicts. But Creel may have an even grander plan in mind.

Shaw, a man with no first name and a truly unique past, has a different agenda. Reluctantly doing the bidding of a secret multi-national intelligence agency, he travels the globe to keep it safe and at peace.

Desperate to get back to the top of her profession, Katie James gets the break of a lifetime: the chance to interview the sole survivor of a massacre that has left every nation stunned.

In David Baldacci's first international thriller, these characters face a catastrophic threat that could change the world as we know it.

Print length

497 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Grand Central Publishing
Publication date

April 22, 2008
File size

5482 KB
Page Flip

Enabled
Word Wise

Enabled
Enhanced typesetting

Enabled
See all details

Next 2 for you in this series See full series

Total Price: $20.98

Books In This Series (2 Books)

Complete Series

A. Shaw

Kindle Edition

Page 1 of 1Start OverPage 1 of 1

1
The Whole Truth (A. Shaw Book 1)
David Baldacci

(6,337)

Kindle Edition

$10.99
2
Deliver Us from Evil (A. Shaw Book 2)
David Baldacci

(6,492)

Kindle Edition

$9.99

David Baldacci
6,492
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $9.99
David Baldacci
7,798
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $7.99
David Baldacci
10,598
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $11.99
David Baldacci
8,951
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $7.99
David Baldacci
5,033
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $9.99
David Baldacci
3,806
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $5.99

Popular Highlights in this book

What are popular highlights?

Yet when people wanted to believe something badly enough facts and logic never proved to be difficult obstacles.
Highlighted by 287 Kindle readers
Why waste time trying to discover the truth, when you can so easily create it?
Highlighted by 272 Kindle readers
Wars. They were the easiest things to start and hardest things to end.
Highlighted by 192 Kindle readers

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Nicolas Creel, a powerful and wealthy defense contractor, is also a megalomaniac who wants to start a world war, which would help improve the bottom line of his company. Shaw (and that’s the only name he is known by), an agent for a secret multinational intelligence agency, teams up with Katie James, a disgraced journalist, to thwart Creel’s plan. Bullets fly and bad guys die, as do a few innocent bystanders. McLarty’s reading is accomplished, and his precise tone alternates between quiet and measured and furious and fast paced. His strong characterizations make it easy to distinguish the players, and an echo tone effectively signals Shaw’s memories. However the intermittent background music, rather than heightening drama, is somewhat distracting but shouldn’t deter Baldacci fans. --Jeanette Larson --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"When Baldacci is on fire, nobody can touch him."―Booklist (starred review)

"High-stakes action, shadowy government agencies, and [a] neo-Cold War backdrop . . . Baldacci pushes his plot ahead at such a blistering pace."―Washington Post

"Delicious . . . [a] roller-coaster adventure . . . an utterly enjoyable escapist page-turner."―Tampa Tribune

"Baldacci boldly steps into the arena of international thriller and may have created his most explosive and hard-hitting story to date."―BookReporter.com --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From AudioFile

Nicholas Creel's enormous defense contracting company needs a war, so he creates a conflict, using the Internet to grease the wheels by spreading rumors of murders in Russia. In the meantime, Shaw, an enforcer for a super-secret intelligence agency, becomes embroiled in Creel's game when his fianc��e is murdered while investigating the validity of the rumors. Ron McLarty delivers Baldacci's thriller with the aplomb of the veteran narrator he is. His gravelly voice alternates between calmness and intensity, drawing in the listener with each word. As Creel spins propaganda and twists reality, McLarty's even pacing and minimal characterizations keep the listener focused on the tangled plot, which seems all too conceivable. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

David Baldacci lives with his family in Virginia. He and his wife have founded the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across America. He invites you to visit him at: www.david-baldacci.com and his foundation at www.wishyouwellfoundation.org , and to look into its program to spread books across America at www.FeedingBodyandMind.com. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. If there is such a category as a guys' audio, The Whole Truth fits the bill perfectly. Ron McLarty's gruff voice enhances this fast-moving thriller as he takes the listener through barrages of deadly assaults featuring gunfire, knives, bombs and hacksaws. He portrays Shaw, the unwilling secret agent, as weary yet tough. Nicolas Creel, who needs a good war to help sagging profits, comes across as appropriately cerebral and coldhearted. While McLarty gives different accents to Anna and Katie, otherwise, both sound alike, but he performs a variety of French and Slavic villains in quick succession. The sound track is comparable to a terrific cinematic score: darkly foreboding or quietly romantic when appropriate, raising this audio to an art form and enhancing the already gripping tale. A Grand Central hardcover (Reviews, Mar. 3). (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the audio_download edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0011UCPM4
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grand Central Publishing; 1st edition (April 22, 2008)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 22, 2008
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 5482 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 497 pages
Lending ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #22,798 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #84 in Political Fiction (Kindle Store)
- #148 in Political Fiction (Books)
- #286 in International Mystery & Crime (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
6,337 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

David Baldacci

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

David Baldacci has been writing since childhood, when his mother gave him a lined notebook in which to write down his stories. (Much later, when David thanked her for being the spark that ignited his writing career, she revealed that she'd given him the notebook to keep him quiet, "because every mom needs a break now and then.")

David published his first novel, ABSOLUTE POWER, in 1996. A feature film followed, with Clint Eastwood as its director and star. In total, David has published 44 novels for adults; all have been national and international bestsellers and several have been adapted for film and television. His novels have been translated into over 45 languages and sold in more than 80 countries, with 150 million copies sold worldwide. David has also published seven novels for younger readers.

David is also the cofounder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across the United States.

Customer reviews

5 star		68%
4 star		22%
3 star		7%
2 star		2%
1 star		1%

How customer reviews and ratings work

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Dave H

Relevant to the World Today

Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2018

Verified Purchase

A small group of people manipulate the world into believing that the Russians did a bad thing by using fake news articles, the internet and the media to spread the lies.
I think Mr. Baldacci may be clairvoyant.
Now I see where the DNC got its ideas from.
(Please don't be offended by this humorous observation.)
The book was great. Fast paced and cannot put down.
I will read the next Shaw book and expect that it will be just as good.

31 people found this helpful

Helpful

lighthouse88

solid story and entertaining

Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2021

Verified Purchase

The main character in the series is a man whose life depends on his abilities to adapt to every changing situation; his name is A. Shaw. Shaw works for an agency that isn’t revealed in the novel, and he is sent on many missions. As I read the story, slowly the author revealed the character’s family history as well as his hopes for a less lonely future.
Throughout the book, Shaw is battling against those who desire to bring mayhem at any expense to all. As the tale progresses, Shaw wants to live his life with a woman who is intelligent, strong, and loving. Shaw hasn’t revealed much of his past or present to her, then slowly he begins to unravel for her his complicated existence.
Katie James is a journalist who has known success and now knows what rock bottom looks like due to alcohol. When she inadvertently runs into Shaw, she thinks she has hit on a much brighter future. What she does not see is the danger that will become part of her life. The author slowly reveals Katie’s background, including what happened that led to her downfall.
The Whole Truth is a spell-binding novel of danger and intrigue, with many twists in the plot. While I figured out what was going to happen in the book, I can say that I didn’t see it happening the way it did. The author is a master at surprising his readers. I look forward to reading the second book in the series, Deliver Us From Evil. I hope the author plans on resurrecting this series soon as it is very entertaining!

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

William Mead

Gripping thriller, with a truth-based premise

Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2015

Verified Purchase

The Whole Truth (A. Shaw Book 1) is a thriller based on a real issue: that of society's vulnerability to bad information on the Internet. There have been some glaring, real examples of mis- or dis-information over the past decade, many of them in political power struggles. Of course, in the realm of thrillers, such a truism is taken to extremes to make a gripping story, and Baldacci has succeeded in doing this very well. Although this book was published several years ago, the story and writing have been crafted in a way that holds up well in today's world.

On the level of entertainment, this book is top notch. The characters are diverse and interesting. The leading protagonists are appealing, though a bit stereotypical: the "good guys" to be supermen and extremely lucky while the "bad guys" are greedy, power-hungry, and terribly warped genius-types who have a fatal flaw. Baldacci blurs these stereotypes with serious calamities and character flaws for the heroes and significant victories plus a degree of sincerity for the villains. The plot is developed with plausible logic and plenty of surprises. The balance among setting, characterization, and events is excellent.

An additional plus is that Baldacci has used good judgement in relegating gore, profanity, and sex to background factors that do not interfere with the telling of the story.

I'd rate it 4 and 1/2 stars. Highly recommended to those who enjoy large-scale conspiracy thrillers.

28 people found this helpful

Helpful

JimK

Another great read by David Baldacci

Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2018

Verified Purchase

I've been hooked on these David Baldacci books since someone loaned me "The Winner"
Since then I've developed many favorite authors similar to this style of writing. If you're like me and love espionage thrillers and spy type books and "kneecap busting" reads then this book will appeal to you. The character A. Shaw is a real interesting and badass dude, similar in nature to the likes of Jack Reacher, Mitch Rapp, and Scott Harvath. The book has a real interesting plot and plenty of action and intrigue. I'll definitely be looking for the next A. Shaw story.

12 people found this helpful

Helpful

Lenore Cappelluti

Did It Again

Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2021

Verified Purchase

David Baldacci it definitely my summer, fall, winter and spring read. His characters have a moral compass that so many are missing in 2021. People need to stop thinking only about their wants and have to haves and begin thinking about their fellow human beings. Yes inhabitants of this world. If we don’t and still continue on our selfish path things might end differntly.

I would love to hear more about the lives of Shaw, Katie James, et al. Just like I wanted more about Decker his crew and all of the amazing characters that Mr Baldacci writes about. They are what we need and how generations were taught to behave, morally.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Pat

Lots Of Action

Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2020

Verified Purchase

I really liked The Whole Truth. David Baldacci is a great writer who produces one interesting story after another. A. Shaw is a new character in his books and a very exciting one. There is lots of action. Shaw is a sympathetic killer who works for a secret agency of our government. Most of the book takes place in Europe. His true love is killed by a fiendish bad guy who likes to stir up wars so he can sell weapons.
A female free lance newspaper writer who has a drinking problem joins Shaw in pursuit of the bad guy. A very action filled page turner.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Parker Lee Cook

A SPLENDID READ!

Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2015

Verified Purchase

David Baldacci spins a great yarn as most of us have come to understand, but in The Whole Truth, he reaches heights unknown before. This is a thoroughly exciting tale, and he comes at you with twists and turns and redirection that leaves you panting to keep up. I've read a lot of suspense, including many of Mr. Baldacci's works, and never did I expect to find such brilliance in this story when I began reading it. It's a thriller, it's a most touching love story involving people who should be immune from that malady. Baldacci takes all of these elements and weaves a story that I will remember for a long time to come. The man's mind must work at warp speed...........it's an amazing read.

A Baldacci Fan

15 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Alec

Almost Unbelievable!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 25, 2018

Verified Purchase

It is almost as if Baldacci is before his time. Like others I found this book to be almost preposterous when I first started reading it but then I thought of Trump and his obsession with "Fake News".
Baldacci seems to have hit on Fake News a long time (this was published in 2008) before Trump came up with the phrase - assuming of course that it was in fact Trump.
I have read quite a few Baldacci books and some of them are almost beyond belief as Mr America seems arise in every one and is indestructible. It gets a bit over the top at times. I found that the "Camel Club " quintet among his more believable offerings.
However, The Whole Truth is something else. It certainly made me think and ask myself "Could it really happen". Easy to say no but how sure can you be?
Best book that I have read in a long time. OK it's not a classic but VERY, VERY different to anything else that I have read.

4 people found this helpful

Philip Spick

Disappointing on what should have been good.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 23, 2020

Verified Purchase

I don't know who transfers text to electronic versions for Kindle but this book was an appalling example of how badly it can be done. Quote " my father immigrated to France" when clearly emigrated was the word. Dozens of miss wording, he "just only" when it should have been only just. Really made a disappointing read. I also know writers evolve and David clearly feels strongly about Perception Management with good cause. I really struggled to accept this was his book. I have read all King and Maxwell, Amos Decker and Attlee Pine stories. This book,for me, did not match up to the personal style of individual detective and thriller element of his previous books. Having introduced other people to the titles mentioned, I will wait and see if anyone else feels like I do about this book. I would not advise anyone to buy this Kindle version of was so full of obvious errors.

One person found this helpful

Page-Turner'

It took a bit...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 8, 2021

Verified Purchase

I don't know whether it was reading in bed while sleepy or a slow start but I almost gave up on this book. I'm normally hooked by David Baldacci's books but it took a while, about a third of the book. Also knowing it was a new Shaw and James series I didn't worry too much they would be killed.

All in all though, it was a thought provoking book, that makes one think about all the cover ups and staged events in actual news, so for that I enjoyed this book and was glad I stuck with it.

One person found this helpful

s symington

Absolute rubbish. Great disappointment.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 10, 2018

Verified Purchase

I cannot believe this book was written by David Baldacci. I have read more than 50% and it is a real struggle to continue. It’s all over the place. Jumps from one character to another with no obvious continuity. Was taught Introduction, story content, ending. Read 55% and main story not in sight.
I noticed this was released from publication 1 year after book 2. Was this an afterthought or was it rejected by the publisher. David Baldacci has written fantastic novels and I have read all of them but I will probably bin this.

5 people found this helpful

Elizabeth

Brilliant

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 4, 2021

Verified Purchase

As always,Baldacci has me in his web ! How he does it , I can't say , but his imagination is incredible and the knowledge he has, makes you wonder how he does it . It must be determination on his part to search and find out as much as he can . That's why you can't wait to read the next book

See all reviews