This book came to me as a family hand-me-down. My dad and sister both read it, loved it, and insisted I give David Baldacci a shot. With those glowing reviews in my head, I dove in with high expectations.
At first it was... fine. The premise was solid, but the pacing dragged. I didn’t realize this was the first in the Atlee Pine series, so I wasn’t prepared for how much time would be spent on character development and background. In hindsight, I get it, introducing a new lead takes time. But some parts felt like they were padded with more description and internal dialogue than necessary. Or at least necessary for me.
That said, once the words “nuke” and “Grand Canyon” appeared on the same page, I was in. Fully invested. Game on.
Atlee Pine is a strong lead. She is independent, competent, and relatable. She prefers working solo (something I totally understood in my younger years), but knows how to team up when it counts. Sam Kettles made a great secondary character: Capable, smart, and not there just to take up page space. Their dynamic worked well.
The writing had some repetitive moments, but I chalk that up to Baldacci laying the groundwork. I’d call the book a slow-burn mystery with a late-blooming thriller vibe. It took a while to get moving, but when it did, things escalated fast.
I plan to read another Atlee Pine book. I’m curious to see where the series goes and whether it finds a better rhythm. Would I recommend Long Road to Mercy? Yes, but only to readers who don’t mind a crime novel that takes its sweet time getting to the fireworks.
