Summary of David Baldacci’s Split Second
Sean King’s life was ruined in a fraction of a second.
King was a respected secret service agent who was assigned the task of protecting a presidential candidate Clyde Ritter.
But during a routine campaign stop, Sean looks away for a split second and Ritter loses his life when a mysterious man, later identified as Edgar Roy, steps out of the crowd and shoots him dead.
Although Sean catches the shooter Edgar Roy later but his failure to protect the candidate ends his career leaving him shrouded with shame.
Cut to 8 years later, Sean has moved on and is a practicing lawyer in Virginia but he is still traumatised by the events of that day which ruined his life.
Michelle Maxwell, a rising and shining secret service agent is assigned to protect a presidential candidate, John Bruno. Like Sean, her life takes a devastating turn when John Bruno gets abdicated under her watch.
The circumstances of both events are uncannily similar: a split second step away from the duty and the world collapses. Michelle is asked to take a leave from her position.
Filled with guilt and suspicion she finds all this not incidental.
Stimulated by a desperate need for answers, Michelle reaches out to Sean. Initially reluctant towards teaming up with Michelle because of his personal failure, Sean joins hands with Michelle when she finds an unsettling link between Bruno’s kidnapping and Ritter’s assassination.
What begins as an investigation into an upsetting link between their individual cases soon unravels the presence of a dangerous conspiracy.
Their unquenchable thirst for truth also reveals some shocking connections.
Soon evidence comes to the light suggesting that the two incidents involving Sean and Michelle were orchestrated by a shady network with connections to political power.
Sean and Michelle face a lot of hurdles in their obstacles, some proving to be highly perilous such as a murder in Sean’s office, threats from unknown enemies.
A pivotal moment in their investigation appears when a sinister connection is discovered to the mysterious Edgar Roy, yes, the same guy who Sean caught after Roy killed the presidential candidate.
Although Roy is in jail for Ritter’s assassination, his real role in the conspiracy as a pawn begins to surface which makes certain that Roy was never acting alone.
Progressing on the investigation, Sean and Michelle uncover a sinister motive behind the two attacks which is the manipulation of political outcomes by a secret group willing to eliminate throwing a wrench in their plan.
As the duo gets closer to the truth they face life-threatening situations from car chases to deadly ambushes, but their determination to uncover the truth grows stronger.
Also, the partnership between Sean and Michelle grows deeper as they learn to trust one another, their shared purpose and common failures growing their bond stronger.
In the thrilling climax of the novel, the mastermind of the conspiracy is revealed (no spoilers ). A betrayal strikes at the heart of their investigation and Sean and Michelle will have to outsmart their enemies in a race where every second counts.
Michelle and Sean expose the conspiracy bringing the culprits to justice in a nail biting confrontation thus preventing further political upheaval.
In the end, Sean and Michelle find an atonement for their guilt as well as a renewed sense of purpose.
Sean, who felt burdened by his failure, found that the right thing to do is facing your inner demons with courage.
Michelle, equally burdened by her guilt, finds strength in her alliance with Sean and a sense of purpose for fighting for what’s right.
Review of Split Second
Split Second is the first novel in David Baldacci’s King and Maxwell series setting a stage for a gripping partnership between two compelling characters traumatized by their past.
The novel is an amalgamation of the themes of political intrigue, suspense, action, redemption and trust.
Although Split Second has incredible strengths, it does have a few weaknesses that readers should consider before diving in.
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