Title:	The Innocent
	Author:	David Baldacci
	Published:	2012, Hachett Book Group
	No. of Pages:	543
	Cover Price:	$9.99 US

---

David Baldacci introduces a new character, Will Robie, in his book, The Innocent. Robie is a “good-guy” hit man, and works for the US; he primarily eliminates bad-guys for the CIA, FBI, and other government agencies to benefit national security. In this book, which is written in Baldacci’s easy-to-read-and-understand style, Robie is working on a new hit; everything goes as planned until he has second thoughts about killing an intended victim, because his gut tells him something about the hit just isn’t right. He flees the scene without completing the job, something he has never done during his long (and what his superiors consider “almost perfect” career). Convinced he will now be killed because he disobeyed orders, Robie feels he must disappear to preserve his life, but he encounters a 14-year old runaway, Julie Getty, whom, against his better judgment, he feels obligated to protect. When Julie’s parents are killed for unknown reasons, he also promises to find the perpetrators; while doing so, he encounters numerous additional murders as well as dozens of attempts on his and Julie’s life.

Parts of the story are fairly predictable, such as the fact that Robie becomes interested in and has a brief affair with an attractive neighbor he meets at a party. He also suspects a mole in one of the government agencies, and never quite trusts Agent Vance, an attractive local policewoman who is working on the case with him. Even though the book has some predictability, it is an excellent fast read and definitely up to David Baldacci's standards.

One of the reliable things about Baldacci’s books is the fact that they are fast-moving thrillers without an over-abundance of graphic violence or sex; they are easy, quick reading, and while they are probably not destined to become enduring classics, they are a good choice for anyone who likes the thriller genre. The Innocent is no exception and will not disappoint.

This book was purchased with personal funds and no promotion of the book was requested by the author or publisher.

This book may be purchased from Amazon: The Innocent (Will Robie Series)