A man accused of burglary seems innocent . . . but in this #1 New York Times bestseller, two ex-Secret Service agents quickly learn that nothing is more dangerous than the truth.
A woman is found murdered in the woods. It seems like a simple case but it soon escalates into a terrible nightmare. Someone is replicating the killing styles of the most infamous murderers of all time. No one knows this criminal's motives...or who will die next.
Two ex-Secret Service agents, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, have been hired to defend a man's innocence in a burglary involving an aristocratic family. Then a series of secrets leads the partners right into the frantic hunt that is confounding even the FBI. Now King and Maxwell are playing the Hour Game, uncovering one horrifying revelation after another and putting their lives in danger. For the closer they get to the truth, the closer they get to the most shocking surprise of all.
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"Baldacci is great. I love this genre. I felt the characters were well developed. I was surprised at the amount of book left when it was discovered who had been the murderer. It worked though. After reading it I was lucky enough to go to a Civil War reenactment. Cool."
— Carol (4 out of 5 stars)
“A thrill a minute.”
— New York Daily News“An exciting new thriller by a master of the game…The action never stops, and Baldacci’s trademark pacing keeps the reader turning pages until the denouement.”
— Amazon.com, editorial review“Baldacci is back in form, and King and Maxwell reappear in this utterly absorbing, complex mystery-thriller that spins in unexpected directions…It’s Baldacci’s portrayal of smalltown Southern life, however, and his sharp characterizations of the Battles, from the bombastic Bobby and his regal widow to his weird extended family, that give the novel texture and depth: this is Baldacci’s most accomplished tale since his nonthriller Wish You Well, and it rivals that novel in its social commentary. Despite fair clues, few if any readers will ID the villain (villains?) before they’re revealed, and a snappy surprise ending will have Baldacci’s many fans remembering why they love this author so much.”
— Publishers Weekly“Stage and film actor Brick, an Audie Award–winning veteran of more than 150 audio books, is clearly a pro at interpreting the printed word. And Baldacci’s exciting new thriller…gives him particularly powerful material to work with…The actor displays an assortment of Southern drawls, from the melodious, genteel tenor of a septuagenarian King-Maxwell client to the commanding Steel Magnolia tone of a powerful matriarch. Brick revs up the narrative pace after the jailbreak, making sure listeners will be paying full attention for the final surprise. It’s worth waiting for.”
— Publishers Weekly (audio review)“Scott Brick brings his considerable expertise to his reading of Baldacci’s latest crime novel…Soft accents contrast with the brutality of the crimes…The relationship between the partners is sensitively handled by BrickThis production is a fine example of writer and reader working in tandem.”
— AudioFile“The plot…builds to an exciting finish.”
— Booklist“Baldacci reaffirms his position at the top of the psychological thriller genre with this intriguing examination of a murderer’s psyche…Strongly recommended for most popular fiction collections.”
— Library JournalThe book's pace is near-gallop.
— Buffalo NewsHOUR GAME has the elements of a classic Baldacci thriller. His characters keep getting better and richer and the plots-while always tight and well executed-are becoming more intricate and realistic...There is no question: David Baldacci will stay on the bestseller list for a long time to come.
— Richmond Times-DispatchUtterly absorbing...spins in unexpected directions...There are terrific action sequences throughout and plenty of suspense...texture and depth...A snappy surprise ending will have Baldacci's many fans remembering why they love this author so much.
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)The action is suspenseful and relentless.
— Newark Star-LedgerKing and Maxwell are fictional treats, a fabulously entertaining team, and the action is hot and hard.
— New York Daily News" Good story, liked the characters. Narrator was ok. Liked the twists and turns. Looking forward to the next in the series. "
— Searchgirl791, 5/6/2023" suspense with King and Maxwell. Great plot and much intrigue. "
— Howard, 7/12/2017" The only reason I gave this 3 stars is I felt the ending was a little abrupt. Now that there has been another book written to continue the story I am much happier. "
— Letisha, 2/1/2014" Enjoyable but very long for a relatively simple plot although there were red herrings galore. Yay - guessed the murderer fairly early into the story but another well written and crafted novel. Crime solving duo of Sean King and Michelle Maxwell feature both of whom are ex Secret Service. The characters are not particularly well drawn but nice pace slightly let down by a soft ending. "
— Ruth, 1/31/2014" I would've given this book 3.5 stars...it was engaging and an easy read...a good beach book, if you like mysteries. "
— Kimberly, 1/27/2014" I got this book after reading the Camel Club which I found to be interesting four star. In this one events repeat and repeat and repeat themselves. The author doesn't seem to know when enough is enough. Too long and quite boring. Story is predictable, reasoning and motivations poorly thought. "
— Jukka, 1/25/2014" Man this guy can really get you hooked.. Amazing book! "
— Nikilav, 1/24/2014" I love David Balacci - I like him more than John Grisham (and I've read everything John Grisham has written). I'm going to start reading Split Second. "
— Bobbie, 1/23/2014" I love the characters of Sean and Michelle and how they interact. This is second their series, it's been around a while, but I'm just getting around to them. It was a page-turner, and chances are good I'll be looking for the next in the series. "
— Barbara, 1/18/2014" I have read better Baldacci. It kept my interest, but was not riveted. I did like that you kept guessing who the killer was. "
— Curt, 1/17/2014" This seems to have more characters to keep up with than his other books, but I'm enjoying it. "
— Greta, 1/15/2014" Private investigators Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are investigating a serial killers who imitates different legendary serial killers with each murder in their same Virginia town. To complete things, there is a seconder murrderer loose. "
— Fredrick, 1/12/2014" Good Mystery, hooked me early on and kept me intrigued throughout. "
— Keely, 1/9/2014" The book was ok, but the ending got to be way too long. It just got boring after while and I thought they should have just called it quits earlier. "
— Clint, 12/30/2013" I'm really into thriller novels and it really kept me guessing until the end. "
— Rhonda, 12/23/2013" First book by this author, it was a page turner. Reading another book by Baldacci now. "
— Ed, 12/20/2013" Mass murderer cuts loose in Western Virginia, emulating various serial killer's MO's. "
— Jerry, 12/19/2013" Hard to rate the DB books but this one would probably be second if I had to pick. If they make a movie this one will be R for sure though. This is another Sean King book who is a former Secret Service agent. Very good. "
— Spence, 12/6/2013" One of the best mysteries I hav read in a long time. Thanks, Jane. "
— Gloria, 10/10/2013" I usually like Baldacci's books, but it was a real effort to get through this one. Lots of twists and turns, but I kept thinking, "When will this be over?" I am a person who has to finish a book once I start it. "
— Barb, 9/25/2013" Another winner from Baldacci. Multiple suspects, strong characters, carries the reader right along. "
— Peg, 10/16/2012" Keeps you on the edge of your seat. "
— Randi, 8/17/2012" Loved this one. serial killer, suspense, mystery. "
— Alexa, 6/23/2012" an exallent thriler "
— Nir, 9/4/2011" two anti-heroes become our heroes "
— Gretchen, 2/28/2011" Very good - I had no clue as to who did it! "
— Jennifer, 4/23/2010" Good murder mystery with an unusual plot. "
— Rowena, 8/23/2009" These are like criminal minds in book form - loving them! "
— Elizabeth, 10/10/2006" Awesome! If you've never read a Baldacci - start here. "
— Carolyn, 12/23/2004David Baldacci is one of the world’s favorite storytellers and a global bestselling author, with twenty-one of his novels making the #1 spot on the New York Times bestsellers list. In 2011 he was inducted into the International Crime Writing Hall of Fame. His books are published in over forty-five languages and in more than eighty countries, with 150 million copies sold worldwide. His works have been adapted for both feature film and television. He is also the cofounder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across America.
Scott Brick, an acclaimed voice artist, screenwriter, and actor, has performed on film, television, and radio. He attended UCLA and spent ten years in a traveling Shakespeare company. Passionate about the spoken word, he has narrated a wide variety of audiobooks. winning won more than fifty AudioFile Earphones Awards and several of the prestigious Audie Awards. He was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine and the Voice of Choice for 2016 by Booklist magazine.