An intense, complex, pulse-pounding thriller…

This is the third book in the Atlee Pine series that can be read as a stand-alone but having read the first two books enhanced the reading of this one, you experience the growth in the main character firsthand from book one and understand more where she is now.

Finally having a credible lead into the abduction of her twin sister when they were six years of age, FBI Special Agent Atlee Pine takes forced time off work to track it down with her loyal assistant for company and moral support. Working with a time limit from her boss to get this done or close this area of inquiry down and return to her job the pair travel from Arizona to New Jersey to talk to a crime lord’s grandson. What Atlee walks into is an army operation into drug distribution run by a former acquaintance, CID Special Agent John Puller, who is investigating said grandson who is now on the run.

Atlee is a magnet for trouble, a catalyst for truth seeking the light of day. Wherever she goes the world around her seems to explode into action. Needing her own personal answers she joins forces with John and she won’t walk away from Puller’s investigation even when their paths diverge. Puzzles call to her and the FBI Agent that she is requires that she solve them.

At every turn in the CID investigation roadblocks emerge that suggest an insidious global conspiracy with tentacles reaching into the highest levels of the US government, political manipulations become evident and those involved will kill to keep their activities hidden. If you can’t count on your superiors to have your back then who can you trust? Atlee and John walk a dangerous path riddled with murder and information minefields and where coincidences are just connections that are hard to prove.

Atlee thought she knew all of the secrets being kept from her about her twin’s abduction after learning the truth about her parentage but there was so much more to learn. The truth will shockingly blindside her, leaving Atlee with no final resolution and more questions. “And sometimes dredging up the past can be more devastating than people realize.” Atlee comes to realize just how true her words were.

This intense story is loaded with intriguing fast-paced action and suspense, dark secrets, murders, corruption, and far-reaching conspiracies. The inclusion of John Puller and his air force brother from another series made for a formidable investigative team, these are great protagonists with interesting supporting characters. Atlee Pine is a strong, intelligent kick-ass heroine relentless in seeking the truth, many underestimated her ferocity when following leads. John Puller, army trained and methodical in his approach readily steps outside of the box to stand up for justice, in a world that is culturally breaking down, even when the odds are against him. This reader hopes to see them pair up again.

The complex seamlessly entwined storylines capture your attention. As the multiple layers unfold expect the unexpected for devious twists and turns abound. There are several elements in this story that mirror today’s world that this reader found fascinating and so apropos in this story. The take on social media was so dead on.

An advanced reading copy was obtained from the publisher via NetGalley.

As a David Baldacci fan, I have to say Daylight was a letdown. I read the first two books in the Mercy series -- and although they weren't as engaging as, say, the Amos Decker series or some of the standalone novels, they coalesced more than this third installment did.

We have the same formula: While searching for a twin sister who disappeared at age 6, FBI agent Atlee Pine gets involved in other "side" cases and plays a key role in solving them. Assisted by her trusty sidekick Carol Blum (an older admin staffer) and by Pine's own physical prowess (she can be as intimidating and as lethal, as most of the males she encounters) Pine is a formidable agent.

Books that are part of a series are often judged also on how well they can standalone. In this case, I'd say "not so well." The catch-up portions of the narrative that filled in Pine's backstory were a bit clunky, and the crossover characters from other novels had mysterious references made to their pasts, which weren't explained in the book.

Example: John Puller, lead character in another Baldacci series, plays a prominent role in this book. Puller's brother, Robert, "had endured years in prison for a crime of which he was innocent." I was clueless about this hint, since the Puller series isn't among the Baldacci books I've read -- and since the author doesn't elaborate in these pages. (Had to go to Google and Wikipedia for enlightenment.) He also suggests that, although John and Robert are brothers, their father thinks he has only one son -- but again, no clarification.

Die-hard, read-every-book Baldacci fans probably glided right past these references. Me, I've only read a dozen or so of his works, and these were sticking points. Another glitch for me was a reference to a Subaru Outlander. Pages later, I (the car geek) was still wondering whether I should be picturing a Subaru Outback or a Mitsubishi Outlander.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advance readers copy.

Daylight is the third book in the Atlee Pine series, but one that stands well on its own. I have not read the two previous books in the series yet thoroughly enjoyed this book!

FBI Special Agent Atlee Pine is on a sabbatical from her job in a single agent office in Shattered Rock, AZ to finally track down the truth of what happened to her twin sister, Mercy, who was abducted from their home in Andersonville, GA. thirty years ago. Pine was left for dead by the kidnapper. With a new lead in hand, Pine sets off with her assistant Carol Blum to find out the who and why behind the kidnapping and whether Mercy is still alive.

Pine's attempt to talk with a person of interest in her case sends the man fleeing and unknowingly botches his arrest by John Puller, Army Criminal Investigation Command. Pine and Puller have a long history, have worked together in the past, and have the utmost respect for each other. After filling each other in on why they are after the same man, they decide there is significant overlap in their investigations and decide to join forces and work together. The more they learn, the more questions arise that demand answers. Things turn out to be much more involved and goes deeper than either of them expected. They find there are plenty of people trying very hard to block them or kill them at every turn.

Daylight is filled with action, action, action, and lots of twists. Pine and Puller make a fine team, and I loved the interaction between them!

Baldacci scores again with this intriguing read. I highly recommend it!

My thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for allowing me to read a review copy of the book which is scheduled to be published on 11/17/2020.

I was given this book by Netgalley for an honest review -
Another winner by Baldacci!!
Atlee is looking for her twin sister who was abducted age age 6. Who took her? Why was her sister taken and not her?
As she gets a lead she runs into a mess of lies and corruption.
Can she uncover the truth? Will she find her sister?

Daylight is a page turner that will keep you reading until the end. You'll be on the edge of your seat or biting your nails as the plot thickens. Lots of twists and surprises.

There is a whole lot going on in this book. Moving on from the second book in the series, “A Minute to Midnight”, FBI Special Agent, Atlee Pine is still searching for her missing sister Mercy. Along with her assistant Carol Blum, Agent Pine travels from her home base in Shattered Rock, Arizona to Trenton, NJ. The landscape is different and so are the characters she is investigating. Mobsters, drugs, insidious and nefarious going’s on. She will follow any lead that might help her find out what happened to Mercy. “The road to Mercy had been long and tortuous, and some days the destination seemed as unreachable as the summit of Mt. Everest.”

After a major miscue, Atlee hooks up with John Puller, a righteous colleague who is Army CID and with whom she has history. His presence adds familiarity and balance. Alone and together they become embroiled in a few murders, mayhem, and ultimate pandemonium. She kicks, she fights, she shoots, she defends, she puzzles it out. Nothing is making sense, she plays the players and is played as well. She ultimately discovers a hydra of unimaginable proportions.

Baldacci has presented a truly horrifying scenario and placed his heroine smack in the center of the eternal conundrum; Means vs Ends. There are so many questions: Can Atlee break the chain of corruption? Will she find her sister? Why did her mother leave her? Why was her father killed? Who is going to die next? Does anyone have any ethics? Is there going to be a fourth volume in this series? I look forward to it.

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for a copy

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2020/11/12/daylight-by-david-baldacci/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

I listened to the first two books in the  <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/229773-atlee-pine" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em><strong>Atlee Pine</strong></em></a> series with the main character is a female FBI agent.  She gets into some intense, suspenseful cases.  She prefers working more independently in her small office, although she has worked in large offices, too.  I love her assistant, Carol Blum,  who is an older lady who has 6 grown children and has worked for the FBI for awhile.  Carol helps take care of Atlee when she doesn't take care of herself, and is a great member of the team.

Atlee is taking personal time to hunt for her abducted twin sister.  Mercy was abducted when they were six.   She gets caught up in a case with another Baldacci character, John Puller.   It is a far-reaching scandal with ruthless criminals. Atlee and John are in grave danger. Some of the players have a connection to those who took Mercy.

With all the perilous action, and attempts to capture the criminals along with evidence, Atlee does learn some things.  The knowledge allows her to track down more evidence and see past lies she has been told.  There are some shocking reveals in <strong>Daylight</strong>.  Since I am waiting for the next story, I can read the books in the<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/87307-john-puller" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em><strong> John Puller</strong></em></a> series.

In this third book in the Atlee Pine series, FBI agent Pine and John Puller have to work together to achieve their goal. Their stories are separate but intertwined. And they will both have to walk the tightrope of conspiracy if they’re to learn the truth.

Time is running out for Pine to find her disappeared twin sister, Mercy.

Pine and her assistant, Carol Bloom, make their way to the home of Teddy Vincenzo, who Pine believes is guilty of the abduction. There, she learns that Teddy is in prison and his grandson Tommy has taken over the house for his own criminal purposes. Also there is military investigator, John Puller, at the point of arresting Tommy; an operation that is botched when Pine inadvertently allows Tommy escape.

From that moment on, Pine and Puller have to work together to tie every shred of information together to get hold of Tommy, who not only shines light on Pine’s search for the truth, but also might lead them to the people behind a global conspiracy—a conspiracy that needs to be unravelled before it is too late. In the few short days their investigation takes them on a twisted path with unexpected turns, and some self-reflection thrown in.

Baldacci does an excellent job in getting Puller and Pine together in this story, both because they’re well-matched characters, and also because of the ensuing action. Adding Carol Blum as Pine’s assistant was also a brilliant idea because she brings some calm and reassurance – not to mention humor! However, readers may find, as I did, that the elements of global conspiracy were a bit far-fetched.

Thank you to Netgallery for an ARC of this book for an honest review. This is the third entry in the Atlee Pine series. Atlee finally digs deeper into her sister’s disappearance. While trying to track down her top lead to find her sister, she stumbles across another investigation led by a character which most fans of Mr. Baldacci should be familiar. She teams up with the investigation while still trying to track down the lead to find her sister.

I thought the plot for this installment in the series was excellent. It was fast paced and a page turner. I loved that Mr. Baldacci brought in a previous series character to team up with Atlee. There were lots of small twist and turns to the story to keep you interested. The series in general is really starting to find its footing, and make its mark in the genre. I kept finding myself wanting to read one more chapter before putting the book down for the night.

I will say I found the ending to the book quite disturbing, so if you’re faint of heart keep that in mind. I did like how it seem to set up for the story to continue. Overall this book is a must read if you’re a fan of Mr. Baldacci. The characters, plot, and pace the book are excellent and keep you engaged. Overall an easy five star, and I can’t wait for the next installment in the series.

This third book in Atlee Pine series starts where the second book ended. Atlee wants to find out what happened to her twin sister Mercy thirty years ago. With her assistant Carol Blum she travels to New Jersey in search of the kidnapper and his family. In the very beginning she bumps into John Puller who is also investigating a crime involving Atlee's person of interest. Together they face violence and deceit. And unexpectedly resistance from people in high places. Their opponents seem to be one step ahead in every aspect of the case. John's brother Robert is also drawn to the case.
I like Atlee Pine. She is fiercely loyal and fair. Carol supports her and softens her sharp edges. This book is very fast paced and exciting. A real edge of the seat thriller. I like how there is also another case to be solved while Atlee is exploring her past. We do learn more about Atlee's family, but the search is not over. I can't believe I have to wait for a whole year to read the next book. Baldacci knows how to keep the reader hooked.
Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for a copy of this book.

I haven’t read a Baldacci book for a while. It took me a while to get into this story, butonce I did there was no stopping.
Atlee Pine has been searching for answers and her twin sister since she was 6 years old. Has she finally reached the person who can give her the answers and find her sister?

Really great story. Glad I stuck with it. Baldacci has a distinct writing style and doesn’t disappoint..

In the third book of the Atlee Pine series, Atlee is still hot on the trail of her missing twin sister, Mercy, who has been missing for years now. The trail has led Atlee to Trenton, New Jersey, where she discovers the identity of her sister's kidnapper. Atlee unknowingly stumbles into the midst of a drug ring investigation and discovers the two cases have a connection she wasn't expecting.
I enjoyed this book. It was non-stop action, and it had a great story to it. The main character is a very kick-butt female protagonist that is quite enjoyable. I do need to caution you, that if you haven't read the previous two books in the series, I would suggest reading those first. I have read them, but it has been awhile, and I wish now I had at least re-read the latest one as a refresher before reading this one, because there was so much of the storyline I had forgotten. I felt lost at times, until I was able to remember what the book was referring to. If you enjoy a good action/suspense book, then this will be right up your alley.

David Baldacci’s latest novel, Daylight, continues the story of FBI Agent Atlee Pines’s search for Mercy, her twin sister, abducted from their bedroom at the age of six. This installment begins in New Jersey, with Agent Pine following up on a lead uncovered in the previous book. The pace accelerates as her personal inquiry collides – literally – with a drug investigation run by Army CID Investigator John Puller (crossing over from another Baldacci series). Puller, Atlee, and her assistant Carol Blum must expose the forces manipulating immense influence against them before becoming casualties themselves.

When Agent Pine corners the grandson of the man who almost killed her when he abducted Mercy, he runs before she can learn anything about his grandfather. A brief chase ends when Atlee literally runs into Puller, who was about to arrest said grandson as part of an Army CID drug investigation. The two decide to pool their resources because of the shared interest in the same suspect.

Puller’s drug investigation quickly evolves into something else. First, a member of Puller’s team gets murdered. Second, that murder case is closed after only a cursory investigation. Unconvinced that the obvious explanation is the correct one, Pine and Puller continue to dig and face increasing peril as they uncover a web of crimes and violence. With Puller sidelined as collateral damage of a witness assassination, Agent Pine continues on her own to uncover the conspirators who are working against them. The story’s threads come together in a dramatic rescue of Carol Blum and John’s brother, Robert. The FBI arrives to dot the i’s and cross the t’s, and Atlee gets to resume the search for her sister.

Agent Pine has gathered a family name, a photo, and letters that provide clues about Mercy’s life after her abduction. That takes Atlee back to Georgia, and what she learns there will probably keep me from sleeping tonight.

This is my first Atlee Pine book and I loved it! The storyline was believable, intriguing, and kept me guessing. The interaction and resulting partnership with John Puller was enjoyable. I found it utterly refreshing and realistic there was not a love interest or romantic pairing in this book. I’ll be going back to read books 1 and 2 in this series, and for sure sign me up to read Atlee’s next adventure (please Mr. Baldacci, please do continue telling us Atlee and Mercy’s story). If you are like me and you haven’t read the first two books, never fear. You won’t be lost or confused by the storyline.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC of this book!

This is a high energy story and is the third in the Atlee Pine series. Pine is having a break to see if she can find what happened to her sister Mercy, abducted when she was six years old. She joins forces with a previous Baldacci character John Puller to investigate. This is usual Baldacci territory, the reader is carried along on the force of the action, that is non stop. The ending implies that there may be more to come. This novel will appeal to. Alda isn’t usual fans and fans of fast paced action. Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for review.

I had previously read the first Atlee Pine book in the series but couldn't remember it well, but not the second. I was surprised Atlee's sister Mercy is still missing three books later! I found myself getting impatient with the story becoming too complicated with Ito and the related characters and I struggled to follow the relevance to Mercy.

Atlee Pine has been searching for twin sister Mercy ever since she joined the FBI. Hampered by the gaps in her memory caused by the life threatening injuries received during the attack she has struggled for many years to remember what happened on that fateful night. Having finally returned home to try to fill in some of the blanks she now finds herself heading to New Jersey to follow up some promising leads relating to the newly discovered identity of the kidnapper.

With her assistant and loyal friend, Carol Blum, at her side she is shocked to find her case is linked to that of military investigator John Puller through the kidnapper she has only just begun to hunt. Together they realise the connection could strike at the heart of far more than either of them could begin to understand alone and as more information comes to light Atlee finally reaches a shocking realisation of what happened to Mercy all those years ago.

Once again Mr Baldacci has provided a story to keep you reading long into the night. Atlee is a great character and the addition of John Puller is a very clever move as it gives a whole different sense of what has happened and why. Thankfully, although many things have been sorted there is still more to come where Atlee is concerned and I will absolutely be waiting in line for that.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. Anyone who is a fan of this series of books won't be disappointed.

Atlee Pine is an FBI agent, stationed in Arizona, but still on the East coast as she searches for her sister, Mercy, who was abducted 30 years ago. Under pressure from her superior to finish up and get home, she stumbles into the identity of the person who might be responsible for her sister’s kidnapping. Pine, along with her assistant, Carol Blum, go to New Jersey to confront the suspect, but she stumbles into John Puller’s (another Baldacci character with his own 4 book series) drug ring investigation (Puller being an Army investigator). It appears that Pine’s search and Puller’s case are related, and beyond that, there is yet another plot that threatens global stability. Told in true Baldacci style, there is plenty of action and multiple twists that will keep you turning the pages rushing to find out the truth about everything. This is the third book in Baldacci’s Atlee Pine series, and the first that I have read. While the book was very enjoyable, i think it might have been even better (5 stars?) had I read the earlier books in the series. I will go back, but will also look forward to what will be another book in the series. My thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to review the ARC of this novel.

Another great book from David Baldacci. This one features Atlee Pine, who we've met in previous books, along with John Puller and his brother Robert.

Atlee is an FBI agent stationed in Arizona, she comes to the east coast to try and solve the kidnapping of her twin sister, who was taken when they were children. Along the way she runs into John Puller in the course of his investigation, and the two begin working together to solve both crimes.

As usual for Baldacci, there are a lot of plot twists and unexpected discoveries, all leading up to a fantastic ending. I don't expose spoilers, so you'll have to read this for yourself. I highly encourage you to do so, its a good read!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

While on its face this is a novel that deals with a global conspiracy, at its root it's about the hunt for a lost twin sister. FBI SA Atlee Pine's twin was snatched when they were 6 years old. Now she's got a lead but she's also stumbled into an investigation being run by Army CID John Puller. Of course they join forces but things aren't so easy, even when they work together. Atlee discovers things about her family she never knew - no spoilers from me. Will the good guys win? Of course they will, eventually but now they get there and what's left to discover is up for grabs. Some of this is outlandish but I found myself wrapped up in the quest for answers. I'd not read any of the books in either the Atlee Pine or John Puller series so while I'm sure I missed some things, this was fine as a standalone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's the sort of page turner that would be perfect as a travel book if we were doing that sort of thing and it was fine as an armchair novel.