The Target by David Baldacci

A heart-racing thriller from the no. 1 international bestselling author BOOK 3 IN THE WILL ROBIE SERIES "Baldacci's prose crackles with urgency ... Robie and Reel fans will thrill to see their favorite spies back in action." Kirkus The mission is to enter one of the most dangerous countries in the world. The target is one of the toughest to reach. The result could be momentous - or it could be Armageddon. There is no margin for error. US government operatives Will Robie and Jessica Reel have to prove they are still the best team there is. But are they invincible when pitted against an agent whose training has been under conditions where most would perish? An old man is dying in an Alabama prison hospital, it seems there is one more evil game he has still to play. And it's a game which comes close to home for Reel and Robie. But this time the stakes might be way too high. THE WILL ROBIE SERIES Book 1: The Innocent Book 2: The Hit Book 3: The Target Book 4: The Guilty

I really enjoyed this story and even had a lump in my throat at the end when Robie & Reel found a home for Min.

I enjoyed this book, but the structure was weird. As opposed to one continuous story throughout the book, there actually are several events that were presented one after the other.

Supposedly this is book 3 in Baldacci's Will Robie series. I say supposedly because it felt more like the Jessica Reel show. Or maybe Jessica and Friends. There were after all the usual supporting characters, like Julie and Jerome. But Robie always seemed to take a backseat to Reel no matter what. While I appreciate the character building that continues from the previous installments, it needed more balance.

It also felt like Baldacci went with Patterson's “Look how many plots I can shove into a book” method of writing. The answer to that statement is TOO MANY. First there was the Robie/Reel vs the higher up at the agency. Then there was the Neo-Nazi plot that lead to the kidnapping plot, which lead to the Reel deals with her past (for now) plot resolution. All the while there's a couple of North Korean plots - in the past and present. And then there's the President does something incredibly stupid that puts a target on the backs of his love ones plot, followed by the big chase/explosion/shootout and tying most everything up in a neat bow. Even half of all of that should have been enough plot to fill the pages of this book.

Still, I enjoyed the Robie/Julie relationship as usual. She's probably the most real person in his life.

Hopefully the next book cuts back on the number of plots and puts more focus back on Robie.