Zero Day

by David Baldacci

2012

Status

Available

Publication

Vision (2012), Edition: Reprint, 574 pages

Description

Combat veteran and U. S. Army investigator John Puller is on the hunt for justice with the help of a homicide detective--but as they face deceptions and dead ends, a powerful force threatens to stop them forever in this #1 New York Times bestselling thriller. John Puller is a combat veteran and the best military investigator in the U.S. Army's Criminal Investigative Division. His father was an Army fighting legend, and his brother is serving a life sentence for treason in a federal military prison. Puller has an indomitable spirit and an unstoppable drive to find the truth. Now, Puller is called out on a case in a remote, rural area in West Virginia coal country far from any military outpost. Someone has stumbled onto a brutal crime scene, a family slaughtered. The local homicide detective, a headstrong woman with personal demons of her own, joins forces with Puller in the investigation. As Puller digs through deception after deception, he realizes that absolutely nothing he's seen in this small town, and no one in it, are what they seem. Facing a potential conspiracy that reaches far beyond the hills of West Virginia, he is one man on the hunt for justice against an overwhelming force.… (more)

Media reviews

News-Telegram

The book, which debuted earlier this month, is now number one on the New York Times best sellers list. It introduces former Army Ranger John Puller, now the “best military investigator in the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigative Division,” who is assigned to solve the particularly brutal

murder of Army Colonel Matthew Reynolds and his family in a small West Virginia mining town. Baldacci said he based his hero on CID agents he’s known – agents who are called in when a crime involving the military happens in a civilian environment. “These guys tend to be very tenacious,” the author said. “I became interested in how the military would work in the civilian justice sector. The American people see a lot about the military soldiers and the Pentagon and the war. I wanted to take a soldier who had seen all that war and bring him back to work on domestic ground.” Puller is a haunted man. A career Army veteran, he’s lost men in Afghanisitan, driving him close to the edge. “As horrific as the murders of the Army officer and his family were, they couldn’t come close to what Puller’s seen in battle,” Baldacci explained. “He’s got a laser beam focus. When he misses something, people die. He can’t accept that. If he becomes unfocused, the edges would start to swallow him. He can’t allow that to happen. He’s like a machine in some ways, but right now, that’s the only way he can survive.” Creating a new character has its own challenges. “I really tried to focus on making John Puller the kind of guy who’s going to lead you through a story,” he said. “He doesn’t care about upsetting superiors or getting local cops mad at him. He needs to find out who killed these people.” Puller’s father is a military hero. His brother, also an officer, is locked up for treason. “For a military person, that’s an extraordinary amount of baggage – a legend on one side, a traitor on the other,” Baldacci said. “Having a father who was a major general is not always a good thing.” Puller, however, decided to build a career in the Army. He didn’t attend West Point like his father and brother. He’s made his own way, on his own terms. There are more John Puller books planned. “This was the first book I’ve written where I sat down and knew this was going to be a series,” said Baldacci, whose book sales have reached over 110 million. “We’re sending it [‘Zero Day’] out to Hollywood this week. We’ll see what happens.”

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User reviews

LibraryThing member labdaddy4

Not one of Baldacci's best - not too sure if this main character is any good - far too close to Jack Reacher, but not as good.

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LibraryThing member ewrinc

Baldacci's Puller is a younger, more sophisticated and still-in-the-service Reacher-in-disguise. I like the plot and detail and Baldacci does a great job of maintaining high interest as always. But from early on I couldn't shake the notion that he had taken one too many ques from Lee Child in his

development of the main character John Puller. Puller is true-blue (and read and white), wows the girls (without meaning to), always puts country and others first, and kicks butt regularly both intellectually and physically.

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LibraryThing member Nanoscale2

I liked the book for a few reasons. It is an interesting ride from front to back and one I hope that doesn't get used by anyone as a blueprint for a future attack against us. Scary in ways just really exciting and page turner type book in another way.

LibraryThing member TomWheaton

I didn't enjoy this book as all the books in the Camel Club series but, it was good enough to want to finish. I thought it dragged a it in some spots but, there was still enough suspense to wan to fins out what the murders at the beginning had to do with the development of the story. There was one

very unexpected happening at the end of the book. For those of you who have not yet read the book, I won't divulge the event but, I was very surprised that it happened.

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LibraryThing member Suzieqkc

I always read David Baldacci's new books. However, this time I found myself trying to speed through to get to the interesting, exciting part.

LibraryThing member sunnydrk

An easy and rather quick read, Zero Day is a typical David Baldacci book. The writing is clean and does not drag out the details. Is the scenario plausible? I say probably, but my husband says no.

LibraryThing member TerriBooks

I really wanted to give this book 5 stars.... right up to the last few pages. I liked the characters, I enjoyed the story and the setting. I liked the way the relationship between the main characters was developing. It was interesting and kept me wanting to go just a little farther before I put it

down. Overall, it was not as dark and pessimistic as some of Baldacci's other books, so I enjoyed it more because of that, too.

And then the author ruined it at the very end. It was like he suddenly got tired of it and just had to write a couple pages to get the story finished. Instead of letting the solution of "who did it" come out through the actions of the characters, all of a sudden we've just got pages of dialogue where the protagonist just told us what happened. And then ridiculous threats, given the situation, from the antagonist. I'm sorry that this book just fell apart, when it was so very much fun up until then. Even so, it was fun and if Baldacci is introducing a new character for future books here, I'll be following along.

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LibraryThing member dyarington

This is a wonderful imitation of Lee Child's Jack Reacher. Sure there are differences--Pullar has a cat--AWOL, Pullar is still in the Army--CID. But Pullar and Reacher are both big bad asses; they both have a weakness for defencless females. Pullar saves the life of a poor old lady motel owner he

hardly knows. The biggest likeness is Pullar's self confidence when facing huge odds--especially at the end of the book with six big guys. This is a wonderful Baldacci book and we can only pray that this is just the beginning of many Pullar thrillers.

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LibraryThing member libri_amor

One of David Baldacci's best. I have really missed the Camel Club and wondered how Baldacci was going to come up with another top story line. In Zero Day he moves on and introduces you to a new character, John Puller of Army CID. In Puller, David Baldacci has created a character every bit as good

as Oliver Stone.
Zero Day is a page turner that will keep you guessing as to who are the good guys and bad guys as well as the real story behind multiple murders.

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LibraryThing member libraryclerk

I really did like listening to the audio of this new book by Baldacci. I enjoyed the suspense even though I did pretty much guessed who done it.

LibraryThing member Nira349

First I have to admit that I am a huge David Baldacci fan. However, that does not mean that I cannot be critical of his writing. But this is not the book as I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I think it's one of the writer's best work yet.

LibraryThing member dekan

this was a great book. had a hard time putting it down. only thing is the big point almost to the end is a bit anti-climatic, ok, to me? moderately anti-climatic. but still way worth the read.. went on for a bit after that which was good except that it was so much more detailed than the big event

that it was a bit annoying. but i like this writer and i hope more books come out with this character.

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LibraryThing member v4758

Well - finally got into this and it was actually quite exciting - if a bit of an anti-climax at the end. Full of US acronyms which proved a bit tiresome - USBD, NFL, MP, CID (no not that kind), SFC, SAC, FBI, FIU, DIA, WO, NCIS, even the main character's cat is called AWOL!

Still, the main character

is quite nicely fleshed out, if a bit of a stereotype, tall, handsome, brave (string of medals and flash backs to Afghanistan), can floor someone with a headbutt, dead eye dick with a pistol - you know the sort! Fortunately we are spared a review of his sexual prowess due to a lump of concrete.

More of a 'blokey' bloke's book - if that's not being horribly sexist - but a good read all in all!

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LibraryThing member KarenHerndon

This was a good mystery/thriller. I like this authors style of writing and his stories are usually page-turners you don't want to put down- this was no exception. I would definitely recommend this to my reading friends who like this type of story.

LibraryThing member bitsy08

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story was a bit different than most and the main character was not so heroic that he was unbelievable. Recommend it highly.

LibraryThing member JudithDCollins

Have read of few of Baldacci’s books and I liked The Forgotten (#2 Puller) better than (#1 Puller) Zero Day. I listed to both on audio and enjoy sound effects and the narrators Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy made the novel very interesting.

Again war hero, John Puller is the top investigator in

the US Army CID. As in Forgotten he is called to work the case after someone is brutally murdered in a remote area of West Virginia. As usual, upon his investigation, there is more than meets the eye and teams up with local homicide detective Sam Cole. There are secrets of the past and deceit surfaces. Without giving up the ending-- A shocking conclusion of family and justice and how to make things right – A fast-paced book with battles between good and evil.

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LibraryThing member LivelyLady

Federal agent John Puller gets sent to West Virginia to investigate the murder of an Army officer and his family. This is just the tip of the iceberg as Puller finds out. He escapes being killed, discovers a plot that endangers the country and falls in love.

While the story was good, I kind of got

lost on some of the scientific information. But this would be a good read for someone who has a long time to read like on a plane trip or being bedbound. If I had read this quicker I may have given it a "4".

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LibraryThing member Barb_H

Audiobook. Typical Baldacci action book. I enjoyed it. The narration was well done in this version with well placed sound effects. It really helped bring the story alive.

LibraryThing member salvadesswaran

A rather predictable plot, but the narration is good.

LibraryThing member susancrowe01

I actually read the first part of this on my kindle and am listening to the second part on audible.

very good book. this character has been compared to Reacher. I believe I may like him better than Reacher.
will definitely be reading the next one real soon.

LibraryThing member WhitmelB

Of all the Baldacci books I have read I enjoyed this on the most. The protagonist is an active duty Army CID agent sent to investigate the murder of a Colonel that occurred in a small West Virginia town in coal mining country. Plenty of plot twists, good descriptions of action and activity. Two

comments though: First Puller, (the protagonist) has the most well stocked automobile trunk one could hope for. almost every contingency has him pulling out the correct item as needed. Secondly, his character has echoes of Jack Reacher. This is not a cavil but rather a comment that such characters are a welcome change from the anti-hero and metrosexuals that seem to inhabit the genre lately.

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LibraryThing member ZachMontana

Different sort of Baldacci crime story with good characterization of Army Crime investigator and interesting relationship with local homocide detective. Lots of intrigue
and interesting outcome.

LibraryThing member Caj828

This book was enjoyable. It wasn't over the top or anything a nice mystery with a captivating scenario. I thought I had it figured out. I did have a piece of the puzzle correct but not fully. I don't know I was kind of disappointed with the ending. Overall okay book not sure if I'm going to

continue this series.

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LibraryThing member bobandkathy

A silly book that gets positively stupid near the end. Why can't people who do "nuclear thrillers" get even a tiny bit of technical review so their stories are not insulting!!??

LibraryThing member DeanClark

I can't remember if I read this book or listened to it in the truck on the way to Utah. A "page turner."

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