This is not Mr. Baldacci's best work. In fact I was nervous about starting it after just the first page of prologue, which included this dialog:"Dick, I need a war."
"Well, as always, you've come to the right place..."
...
"But you have to sell it. You have to make them believe, Dick."
"I can make them believe anything."
The problem, you see, is that this is the sort of opening I'd like to read in a Chris Buckley novel - where I can be certain the theme will be humorous. The problem is, this theme in a non-humorous setting, hits just too close to home with the events of the past several years, ala Frank Rich's book, "The Greatest Story Ever Sold: The Decline and Fall of Truth from 9/11 to Katrina."
But I went for it, based on liking Balducci's other books. In the end, this one was okay. But just only okay.
