Deliver Us From Evil
David Baldacci
Grand Central Publishing 2010
A 96 year-old invalid is quietly murdered in his own home. We are without sympathy because of his unforgivable past, and the lucidity of his sick mind. One down, many to go.
From its chilling and exciting beginning, Deliver Us From Evil, the latest mystery novel by David Baldacci definitely has the potential to startle, intrigue, and lock us in for a good read.
A story of ultimate vigilantism and moral justice, Deliver Us From Evil involves two clandestine organizations who, unknown to each other, are tracking Evan Waller, well-characterized by Baldacci as a ruthless criminal and mass murderer who revels in death, and deals in the most heinous operations imaginable, yet flies comfortably under the radar as a well established businessman.
An extremely dangerous man of purpose, Waller is charming and more than socially adept, while his internal life is grizzly and calculating. He conducts himself and all of his activities with absolute confidence and control, proving himself to be a formidable adversary.
Pursuing him are Shaw, an undercover agent with no apparent first name, and Regina Campion, who has her own motivation and support for wanting Waller dead. Both are intense and driven, and will not be stopped.
David Baldacci has the capacity to write. He shows great attention to detail in backstories and character development, however, Deliver Us From Evil is all over the map—Montreal, London, Provence, Washington, Labrador—which gives it a disjointed feel.
Unfortunately, the story takes way too long to gather momentum. Things happen. Events occur. The plot thickens, but despite dramatic moments, a sense of excitement and anticipation is difficult to capture and maintain.
Potential is a great thing, however, in this case, Baldacci doesn’t deliver.