Split Second

Written by David Baldacci

Narrated by Damian Lewis

Split Second is the first in the gripping King and Maxwell series by bestselling author David Baldacci.

When something distracts Secret Agent, Sean King, for a split second, it costs him his career and presidential candidate, Clyde Ritter, his life. What stole his attention? Why was Ritter shot? Where were the other detail leaders?

Eight years later, Michelle Maxwell, is on the fast track through the ranks of the Secret Service when her career receives a lethal blow: presidential candidate, John Bruno is abducted from a funeral home while under her protection. The similarity between the two cases drives Michelle to re-open investigations into the Ritter fiasco and join forces with attractive ex-agent, King. The pair are determined to get to the bottom of what happened in those critical moments. Meanwhile, high-ranking members of the legal system and key witnesses from both cases are going missing. King is losing friends, colleagues and clients fast and his ex-lover, Joan Dillinger - a hard-biting, widely respected agent - is playing curious games. She wants Sean back and resents his growing relationship with Michelle - but - she also owes him for something . . .

Split Second is followed by Hour Game, Simple Genius, First Family, The Sixth Man and King and Maxwell.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Release date: Nov 17, 2006
• ISBN: 9780230527737

David Baldacci

David Baldacci is one of the world’s bestselling and favourite thriller writers. A former trial lawyer with a keen interest in world politics, he has specialist knowledge in the US political system and intelligence services, and his first book, Absolute Power, became an instant international bestseller, with the movie starring Clint Eastwood a major box office hit. He has since written more than forty bestsellers featuring Amos Decker, Aloysius Archer, Atlee Pine and John Puller. David is also the co-founder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across the US. Trust him to take you to the action.

Reviews for Split Second

[eadieb-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a very good action-packed thriller but I do have a few complaints. First off, there were way too many characters to keep track of. Secondly, it is impossible to even try and guess who the killers were because we never received any reliable clues. Thirdly, some of the scenes were too far-fetched to be believable but they did make for an exciting read. I think David Baldacci is an excellent writer but the reader needs to be given a fair chance especially when the characters seem to know what's happening and we are not privy to what they know. I will continue with the series though and hope for the best!

[lovejoy_rat · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was my first by David Baldacci, picked up as part of a genre study undertaken by the readers advisory department I work in. I have to say, I quite enjoyed it. The pacing was a bit uneven, and you had to suspend disbelief at the end, but it was a fun ride all the same. This was the first book in the King and Maxwell series, and I think authors tend to hit their stride with a new series around the second or third book. I'm looking forward to the next one. :D

[bettesbooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

King and Maxwell series the beginning. Meet Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, two Secret Service agents, and learn what happened on their most recent protection details and how each detail has lead them to this moment in their law enforcement careers. This is my first audiobook and I found the narrator Scott Brick very smooth, relaxing and the voices were believable. An enjoyable listen.189

[judygibson-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Well, maybe I've just read too many Baldaccis in a row (my roomie brought me a bag full of them), but I found this one very confusing. Too many characters, some of them offstage for the whole book. Too many apparently unrelated things going on; of course they're not unrelated. Too many random people being killed; of course they're not random. I did like the main characters though.

[rosands-494665 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Definitely a 5 star book. I loved every minute of the book. So exciting. Highly Recommend this book.

[jenniferrobb · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is another case where I've read later books in the series before going back to read the earlier books (because I enjoyed the later books). This book seemed shorter than most Baldacci books.One of the things I like to do is figure out how the title of a book relates to the story. In this case, I think it is about how things can change in a split second.*Ritter dies in a split second while Sean King is distracted.*Sean King's secret service career takes a nosedive because of that split second of distraction.*Years later, Michelle Maxwell's secret service career takes a hit as she realizes her protectee (Bruno) has been kidnapped.I didn't guess who was behind the incidents. I'm not sure we were meant to--unless there was something about left-handedness early on that I missed noticing. I did know the botanical information about the pink and blue flowers and it being about the soil acidity/alkilinity (even if I don't know which one produces which color without looking it up). In any case, it was good to see how King and Maxwell met and begin working together. I look forward to the next one in the series.

[lbswiener · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Split Second is another well written thriller story by David Baldacci. Once again with seemingly no leads, the characters are able to put together and ultimately solve several murders. From the beginning of the book throughout the entire story, the reader is enthralled and trying to guess who is behind all of the murders. A well written book and deserving of the four stars awarded to the book in this review.

[lamb521 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Title: Split Second (King & Maxwell #1)Author: David BaldacciPages: 432Year: 2014Publisher: Grand Central PublishingMy rating: 5 out of 5 starsPersonally, I have read most of what this author has written to date but when I began this series, I didn’t expect such nonstop thrills! There are layers of mystery involved, new characters to learn about and constant plot twists. One of the main characters is a Secret Service Agent named Sam King. His current assignment is guarding a presidential candidate at a meet and greet, however, what he got changed his whole life.Then there is Michelle Maxwell, a young woman who is athletic, driven, successful and also a secret service agent. Well, she was until her presidential hopeful she was protecting was out of her sight for a few seconds that turned her life into a nightmare. Now, these two agents must start life anew or learn to live with assignments the service gives them which is hard to do when someone is out to kill you.Throughout the book the author doesn’t let up on the suspense. Behind all the various action scenes there is a sense that a mastermind is at work. What isn’t known is the person’s identity, why he/she is after King and Maxwell and what new attempt to take them out will they devise? King was married and has had other women in his life, so the past may come back to haunt him. Maxwell has come from a law enforcement family and she has never married because her job is her whole life, which may end soon.There were many twists and turns in the story. The author does a great job of introducing other characters that may or may not have been a central part of the plot. I was kept in the dark as to who the mastermind was until close to the end, and I am wondering if some of the characters whose whereabouts were left hanging in the book will show up in other books in this series.I recommend reading the book as it gives hours of enjoyment and time will fly by. I look forward to reading what the author does next with King and Maxwell in the second book titled, Hour Game. Care to join me for the journey? Grab a copy!Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility.

[sdramsey-298717 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fast-paced and complex thriller with interesting characters and a convoluted plot. I enjoyed it quite a bit, although I found the ultimate motivation for the whole intrigue a bit of a let-down. Still, I'm looking forward to reading more about these characters and will be checking out the next book about them.

[susandennis-139327 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Michelle Maxwell bucked the odds to get a coveted Secret Service job - guarding a presidential candidate. She made a split second decision and her candidate was snatched. She turned to Sean King who's Secret Service job was ended when his attention was diverted for a split second and his candidate was shot to death. Baldacci can flat tell a story and this one is one of his best.

[susan.macura · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the first of the King and Maxwell series which tells the tale of the political situation that brought them together. It is classic Baldacci - well written, great plot, likable characters and lots of action. I fully plan on reading all of the books in the series with these characters. Loved it.

[henrimoreaux · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I found this to be quite an excellent book; everything about it was superb, the pace, the characters, the way the story wove together the events, the structure of the mystery, just very well written and structured.I especially liked the way it wasn't obvious who was behind what was going on, and even when the covers were pulled away, they were pulled away slowly not just in a ta-da here's the answer manner. Instead it was like a fog that slowly clears as more circumstances from the past are revealed and their links to the present uncovered.I shall look forward to the second instalment.

[carlathelibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I would actually give this book 4.5 stars. This is the first book in the King and Maxwell series. In this story we meet both characters and they decide to open their agency together at the end.

Sean King is a Secret Service agent on the detail protecting a Presidential Candidate. He is posted right behind Ritter. When he is momentarily distracted Ritter is shot and killed and Sean injured. He kills the assassin, but his career is over and he retreats to a small town where he finishes his law degree and opens a practice.

Michelle Maxwell, 8 years later, is protecting another Presidential Candidate. When he goes to pay respects to a friend and mentor who has died, he asks for privacy when he goes into the showing. He is alone with the widow and disappears. Her career is also basically over.

What do these two crimes 8 years apart have to do with each other. How and Why does Joan, Sean's lover from 8 years earlier, get involved. Why do people keep dying after talking to King or Maxwell. A great mystery to keep you reading.

[kimsalyers · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

couldn't get into it

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I saw the TV series first and enjoyed it.Sean King is distracted by something for a split second and then a presidential candidate is dead. He loses his career and his planned future and has to start again.Michelle Maxwell is leading a detail to protect a presidential candidate when she lets him go into a room without her and he disappears, the similarity between her and Sean's cases cause her to reopen the investigation and King has to deal with his issues about it. Key witnesses start turning up dead or missing so the two of them are on a race to discover the truth. It will change their lives.It was entertaining to be reading this while both a presidential campaign, where one of the candidates is interpreted as suggesting assassination as a solution and while the Olympics are ongoing (Maxwell is an ex-olympian), and to crown things off when Ireland were involved in rowing (and getting medals!), it made it resonate a bit more. I like the story and I find the characters entertaining and I could hear the actors in my mind as the banter started between King and Maxwell. At the same time these are different and the development of the characters over the book is different and will be different from what I see from the brief previews. It will be interesting to see what the author did with these characters, though I still believe that there will be an echo in my head of the actors. It was also interesting to see people change over time and how trauma can change a lot of things about a person. King is a bit annoying in that he doesn't share info but it will be interesting to see how things go.I'm looking forward to more in this series.

[bhabeck-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My online reading group plans to read the second book in this series in July. Since I do not like to read a series out of order, I decided to read this in preparation. Once I started the book, it seemed somewhat familiar but I was unable to decide if it was because I had already read the book or if I knew things because of the tv series. Turns out, that I had read the book before but so long ago that I forgot most of it...most importantly - the big reveals. :). Despite being a re-read (something I typically don't do), I found the book, an interesting, enjoyable mystery that kept me guessing until the end.

[jen_bartels-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An excellent start to a series!! Sean King is a former Secret Service agent, his protectee was killed on his watch eight years ago, ending his career. Michelle King is a current Secret Service agent whose protectee was kidnapped on her watch. She's been taken off the case, of course, but can't sit idle, so decides to investigate on her own. Other events take place, other bodies turn up, maybe connected, maybe not. Is it possible that Michelle's missing guy is connected to Sean's assassinated guy? They start to work together to try and figure it out. It's pretty action packed with great chemistry between all the characters. Many clues but nothing is clear or certain; just when you think you've got it, you find out you most certainly do not. I recommend to anyone who loves a great mystery who-dun-it type. I will continue with the series for sure.

[olivermagnus · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In this thriller, the life of Secret Service agent Michelle Maxwell is changed in a split second when she allows one of her charges, a presidential candidate, out her sight so that he could console a newly made widow. In a blink of an eye he vanished, along with her career. Eight years previously, the same thing had happened to another secret service agent, Sean King. Like Maxwell, he had been guarding a presidential candidate. In his case, his charge was murdered when King took his eyes off of him for a split second. Interested in King's case, Maxwell comes to think that he was unfairly condemned for his losing his charge. When a horrific murder occurs, King, who is now a lawyer, starts out as a witness, but quickly falls under suspicion as the murderer. Maxwell steps when it becomes clear that the murders King witnessed are connected to the disappearance of her missing candidate. Joining forces, Maxwell and King soon find themselves trapped in a maze filled with deadly secrets that could destroy them both.

The plot was fast paced and even though there was one part of the story I found completely unbelievable, I really enjoyed the characters and the action packed story. I will definitely plan on reading the rest of the series.

[ladypembroke · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Amazing book. I only had a small piece of it figured out by the denouement, and I was proud of having guessed that! I am definitely going to read more of this series.

[conalo-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An intersting read but I think I would have enjoyed this more if I had not watched the TNT tv series last year. I will have to read a few more of these to confirm a more informed opinion...

3.5 stars

[carole3ann-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great plot, quick read.

[momsterbookworm · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Book 1 in the 'King and Maxwell' series: Two different veins of Secret Service protection detail gone wrong, set 8 years apart. In the story, they converge, with a whole lot of red herring thrown in. Was a little draggy at times (compared to the 'Camel Club' series) -- until the connection between the two cases were made; hence the 2-star rating. I have started on the second book in this series (Hour Game) and that one seems to be a whole lot more engaging from the get-go!

[jiraiya_5 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

What can be said about Split Second that hasn't been said already. Plenty, actually. Both good and bad stuff. All the things that are the hallmark of Baldacci are present, but in lesser and more minute forms. Cruel tragic death at the end, check. Serial killing, check. Character the epitome of training, check. Age difference between hero and heroine, check. And twist after insane twist, che-didly-eck. The motive of the villain is the achilles heel in this brew of a thriller. Very comic book villainy. The journey to the ending was fun. Not so the drowning parts. More so the bleedingly patient investigation. I do love me some mystery. I blazed through the pages in that section. Enjoyed reading the detailed questioning like it was vintage Agatha Christie. King and Maxwell were different enough from the Camel Club - my favorite series of Baldacci. King is a more ordinary person compared to Oliver Stone. Sean King was downright insulting to Maxwell at many times. And it was not justified. Not even finding a body in your office justifies it of one wants you to believe in the righteousness of the hero. But that was never Baldacci's aim. He wanted to tweak his stock hero and add foibles to the design of the latter. Maxwell is a very likable character. She has enough wits about her to guess the right thing at the right time. A few of her moments are the best parts of the book. King and Maxwell team up for the second book. Can't wait.

[y2ash · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

David Baldacci's Split Second is about two disgraced U.S. Secret Service Agents. Back in 1996, Sean King is tasked with protecting presidential candidate Clyde Ritter. However, King is momentarily distracted and Ritter is killed along with King's career.

8 years later, Agent Michelle Maxwell and her team are protecting another presidential hopeful named John Bruno, Bruno is kidnapped on Maxwell's watch and her career is in jeopardy. While investigating any possible leads, Maxwell discovers and reviews King's own downfall and seeks him out. Though these cases are 8 years apart, they're connected in a very intricate manner.

I really enjoyed Split Second. The chapters were really snapshots because they were so short. I enjoyed the way Baldacci writes. He knows pacing and dialogue. I was laughing out loud during King and Maxwell's banter. I liked how everybody who was introduced in Split Second had a role to play. I liked just how far and deep the conspiracy was. It seemed as if everybody was part for some reason or another.

Split Second was very addicting. I just wanted to keep reading it until I was done. I am already reading the next one in the King and Maxwell series, Hour Game, because it was so captivating.

[gatorhater · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Michelle Maxwell has just blown her future with the Secret Service. Against her instincts, she let a presidential candidate out of her site to comfort a grieving widow. Then behind closed doors, the politican whose safety was her responsibility vanishes into thin air. Living a new life on a quiet lake in central Virginia, Sean King knows how the younger agent feels. He's been there before. How Michelle and Sean are about to see their destinies converge. His being an assassinated presidential candidate and Michelle's being a kidnapped presidential candidate eight years later, both Secret Service agents hired to protect those candidates.

[kcoleman428 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I think I found a new favorite author! I love the mystery in this book, as well as the parallels that Sean King and Michelle Maxwell had in their careers. Maxwell was my favorite in this book, I love strong female characters, and she absolutely lived up to my expectations!

[barb_h_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very exciting book that managed to keep my attention until the end. I like that I was able to figure out some of the bad guys, but not all of them so it kept me guessing and captivated. Definitely will be reading more by Baldacci. I have liked all his books I've read so far.

[pilgrimjess · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was the first Baldacci book that I had read so was able to come to it with an open mind and with no preconceptions.The opening few chapters were gripping as the two lead characters with seemingly nothing in common, other than the fact that they were both in disgrace with the Secret Service, have their lives and worlds turned upside down by two unseemingly unconnected events eight years apart. However once this initial burst occurred the book slowed a little in pace and the characters were allowed to develop which they did nicely, I particularily liked the friction between Michelle and Joan when she was introduced. There were more than enougth plot twists and turns to keep any ballroom or roller-coaster fans happy and the plot never really dropped below well-paced jog. So why I have only awarded it 3 marks?Well frankly the ending was just too far-fetched and finished just too neatly for my taste. The last 100 pages just not up to the standard of what had gone before IMHO. On top of which there was the fact that the two events, and in particular the second the kidnapping of a Presidential candidate, which brought the two lead characters together in the first place almost became to feel like an after-thought. I mean where was the rest of the Secret Service and FBI when Sean and Michelle were running about all over the country? Would they really been allowed out and about without some serious surveillance?A good opening to a series of books with an interesting insight into the two lead characters, for which I give the author credit, but not much more than that.

[kathy89_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First King & Maxwell book. Wanted to read this because I read that TNT is making a made for TV movie of this book. Former secret service agent is caught up in a case that is similiar to the one that ended his career. While protecting a presidential candidate at fundraiser the man killed disgracing the secret service and ending Maxwell's career. Now, years later another politician has been kidnapped under strange circumstances and the agent assigned to him has been put on desk duty but starts making her own investigation and contacts Maxwell.

[buffalogr · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Fine story with multiple twists and turns.