'The Innocent' by David Baldacci : plot,characters, and review

Ever thought what would happen if a lethal killer with a 100% record refuses to pull the trigger because he has grown a conscience?

Intrigued?

In David Baldacci’s ‘The Innocent’, government hitman Will Robbie has always followed orders and nailed the targets but this time he has broken the protocol for once and he has become the target of a deadly hunt.

Fleeing for his life, Robbie comes across a 14 year old girl whose parents have been brutally murdered. Robbie saves her going against his assassin attitude and finds that there is a vast conspiracy involved that goes above to unimaginable levels of power.

David Baldacci’s impeccably writes a novel which is a genuine thriller packaged with its own share of emotions in which crisp dialogues, cinematic pacing and immersive details pull you into its world disconnecting from your daily worries.

Let me now take you straight to the summary of David Baldacci’s ‘The Innocent’ and I am sure you are too intrigued to read it.

Summary of The Innocent

Will Robie is a skilled stone cold government hitman who kills targets deemed threats to national security. He has an impeccable record in which he hasn’t questioned any orders he was given.

But a mission which Robie is part of goes south when he hesitates to kill a target because they are with a child and thus he questions his role after that.

Robie is then sent on an assignment to kill Diane Weston, a rogue government analyst, but he finds that she is innocent and thus refuses to carry out the kill.

Meanwhile, a 14 year old Julie Getty, witnesses her parents getting murdered in cold blood by a hitman faking as an FBI agent.

She narrowly escapes death while fleeing and somehow crosses paths with Will Robie - another hitman but on the good side.

Robie reluctantly becomes the protector of Julie and they both set out to uncover a mysterious conspiracy deeply rooted into the system.

As Robie digs deeper, he finds out that Diane Weston was uncovering a covert operation involving Evan Tucker.

But the question is who is Evan Tucker? This is where the stakes get higher as Evan Tucker is the corrupt CIA director.

Tucker concocted a plan that brainwashed teenagers to become assassins and then eliminate targets.

And since Julie’s parents were part of the program, they were silenced to stop them from opening up.

Julie, unknowingly implanted with critical data, becomes a key to exposing the operation.

Robie then joins hands with Nicole Vance, an FBI agent suspicious of her own agency in order to expose Tucker.

They discover Tucker’s plan to eliminate everyone, including Julie, connected to this malicious program. Robie’s mentor, Blue Man, also warns him of a traitor within the government.

Tucker, smelling the danger, launches an attack on Robie and Vance by declaring them as fugitives therefore forcing them to evade both law enforcement and Tucker’s assassins.

In a tense climax of the novel ‘The Innocent’, Tucker kidnaps Julie with an intention to kill her and destroy the evidence but Robie infiltrates his secure facility, and saves Julie.

In a climactic confrontation between Robie and Tucker, Tucker dies.

Then using the data from the implant of Julie, Robie and Vance expose the conspiracy and also exonerate themselves.

Julie enters witness protection and Robie - let down by his role as a government assassin - contemplates retirement but the plot provides hints that he may return to his old deadly profession.

Top 5 Characters from ‘The Innocent’

• Will Robie - He is the main protagonist. Robie is a highly skilled assassin who works for the government, who is sunk into an ocean of moral conflicts when a mission goes awry, leading him to protect a 14 year old and uncover a deadly conspiracy. His journey throughout the novel is characterised by redemption and righteousness.

• Julie Getty - she is a 14 year old orphan who has seen her parents getting murdered by her eyes. She becomes the target of a government conspiracy because of classified data implanted in her. She is also central to the plot with her resilience and resourcefulness commendable to watch for.

• Evan Tucker - Tucker is the main antagonist who is a corrupt CIA director. Tucker is the orchestrator of the operation ‘Operation UNFORGIVEN’ which is a secret program for brainwashing teenagers to become assassins. He will stop at nothing to eliminate anyone who is a threat to him.

• Nicole Vance - She is an FBI agent who teams up with Robie in uncovering the conspiracy concocted by Tucker. She is skeptical of her own agency and thus she joins hands with Robie. Her determination and integrity makes her a key player in bringing Tucker’s malicious acts to light.

• Diane Weston - She is a government analyst posed as a rogue agent and Robie is asked to kill her. Her investigation into Tucker’s program sets in motion the events of the plot. Her innocence highlights the corruption within the system.

The Innocent Review

David Baldacci has penned ‘The Innocent’ using his signature blend of intricate plotting, moral conflicts, complex characters and suspense.

Using his genius, Baldacci has written another fast paced, action packed thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

For both loyal fans of Baldacci and new readers alike, ‘The Innocent’ brings a compelling plot with another high stakes conspiracy in its center that keeps the well crafted characters engaged in the plot.

Let’s discuss some pros of ‘The Innocent’ first.

Baldacci has kept engaging characters into the story whose backstory pulls you in very early in the novel like Robie - the protagonist - is a highly skilled assassin suddenly developing a moral compass,

Robie’s journey in the novel really adds a depth to this character.

Julie Getty who is also central to the plot is a girl in her early teens orphaned because of a conspiracy.

While reading, their bond reminded me of ‘The Last of Us’ and believe me when I realised it, the story became more entertaining for me.

Another thing which you certainly will like is the fast paced plot, where Baldacci hasn’t disappointed again. Also the twists he kept in the plot are rewarding as a reader from government conspiracies to CIA to brainwashed assassins.

Baldacci has kept strong supporting characters too such as Nicole Vance and Diane Weston.

Not only do they show strong integrity but demonstrate the strength and resilience of women.

Keeping the supporting characters female brings a sense of belonging and comfort to the story.

And last but not the least, Baldacci excels at writing tense, action packed scenes that are so cinematic they make you actually visualise them with zero effort.

But, there are a couple of weak points in the novel which I must address here.

Although Baldacci has kept an adequate number of engaging twists, if you’re a seasoned thriller reader then some elements may feel predictable to you and this goes for a couple of character arcs as well.

Another weakness of the story is its stereotypical antagonist. Even though he comes ahead with the right amount of wickedness and menace, he would appear like a standard corrupt official commonly seen in many movies.

But these weak points are too weak to ignore such a brilliantly crafted thriller so if you are a loyal Baldacci fan, ‘The Innocent’ is a must read because of its tight pacing and action packed plot.

In case you are still not familiar with Baldacci’s work then ‘The Innocent’ serves as a brilliant introduction to Baldacci’s works.

The book is a standalone and requires no prior knowledge of Baldacci’s other books.

And such a genius blend of emotional stakes, moral conflicts, action and suspense makes it a sensational entry point into Baldacci's repertoire.

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