28. First Daughter by Eric Van Lustbader...

FTC Disclosure: My copy of First Daughter was provided by Authors on the Web for this review. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

About the book:

When ATF legend Jack McClure lost his daughter Emma in a terrible accident, his world came undone. Then a phone call from the newly elected president--an old friend--puts Jack on a collision course with his past. The president's daughter, who was once Emma's best friend, has been kidnapped.

Jack dives headlong into the investigation, tearing open the wounds of Emma's death. His search leads him to a conspiracy that reaches deep into the shadows of power throughout the world and into the path of a cold and calculating man--someone whose actions are as dangerous as they are brilliant, whose power and reach are seemingly infinite. A man who, Jack will soon discover, has affected his life and country in more ways than he could imagine.

drey's thoughts:
So I've been jonesing for a bit of the action-packed-thriller kind of read, especially after all the urban fantasy I've picked up lately. And First Daughter delivered the action-packed kind of read that fit the bill.

Jack McClure is in chaos. He hasn't come to grips with his daughter's death, nor figured out how to mend his marriage. And he gets pulled into the President-elect's daughter's kidnapping, and thrown in with the wolves. There's quite a bit of intrigue, a lot of conspiracy, and a smart villain (sure beats a stupid one!).

In addition to the kidnapping at hand, First Daughter also covers quite a bit of Jack's past. Which is cool, because you get a sense of the guy, but it also seemed a bit contrived, with all the bits of string tying up the package as you read. I mean, there are coincidences, and there are coincidences, you know what I mean? Plus, some of the bad guys are so comically bad, it's tragic.

But all in all, it's still a very good read, and I can't wait to pick up Last Snow!

drey's rating: 3.5/5 Very Good

Title: First Daughter
Author: Eric Van Lustbader
ISBN-13: 9780765361424
Paperback: 434 pages
Publisher: Doherty, Tom Associates, LLC, 2009
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

Challenges: 100+

Giveaway!
Ok. You know you want this! And thanks to Authors on the Web, there is one copy of First Daughter up for grabs, if you live in the US or Canada. So don't wait. This one ends 6:00 pm CST, March 17th!