Zero Day (John Puller, #1) by David Baldacci

Zero Day (John Puller, #1) Reviews

• 
  Ben Jackson

  And just when I thought I had finished the Jack Reacher series, Lee Child er...David Baldacci writes another Reacher the first Puller novel.
  
  Jack Reacher John Puller is a crackerjack military investigator, who heads out of the DC area to the south, to check out the death of a senior officer in unsavory conditions. Reacher sorries, Puller is a big dude, and he likes to punch people. Also he travels light. And punchy.
  
  Jack Reacher John Puller comes from a military family. His father died now has Alzheimer's. His brother was a top officer who worked in top secret investigaions and eventually died was a top officer who worked in top secret nuclear stuff and was convicted of treason.
  
  The first half of this Reacher Puller novel rolls around quite nicely, with Reacher damn, sorry, Puller punching bad dudes, making out with the lady cops, and generally being the badass that he has been in all the other Reacher novels never has been before, because this is the first Puller novel.
  
  Then shit gets terrible wierd.
  
  SPOILER IN PARAGRAPH BELOW
  
  Remember that time when Reacher, man I gotta stop doing that, Puller had all that nuclear training which would qualify him to disarm a mysterious nuke acquired by an industrialist and set to blow up a whole damn industrial town? Yeah, me either.
  
  This book is like store-brand slightly stale, not-quite-correctly flavored and/or textured corn chips instead of Fritos. Only read it if you like Reacher so much that you would still find a cheap, worse-for-you knock off delicious.
  
  
• 
  Christine PNW

  Red.
  Poorly written.
  Cliche-filled.
  
  This is a book. It is a book with a red cover. It is written in short sentences. Like this. That is supposed to make the reader feel like things are happening. I guess.
  
  This book is about a man, Puller. Puller is in the Army. He's just a man. In the army. Where he belongs. He investigates things. Like a badass. Sometimes, he saves people's lives. Except when he fails. He remembers combat. Sleeps. Lightly. M11 in his hand. Three seconds to wake and shoot. He has many medals. Medals are not important but they impress people who are impressed by things like that. Superficial things.
  
  In West Virginia, things are polluted. Water. It's black. There are rich men. They get rich from mining things. They own things. The people are poor. Sometimes they are desperate. They make drugs. In the basement.
  
  Puller goes places. He goes there for one purpose. That purpose is not making friends. He gets there early for one purpose. To find people first. Before they find him. He doesn't like being found.
  
  Seven dead bodies. They stink of death. Puller showers. He wants to wash away the stink of death. The stink of death sticks to him. Like glue.
  
  Puller is tough. He is the toughest guy of all the tough guys. This is his book. Fuck this book.
  
  This is one of the worst books I have ever read. It is cliched, the writing is wooden, the plot is silly, John Puller is a Gary Stu, and the entire thing is a giant wish-fulfillment for men who think that if they only had a gun and some military training, they too would be invincible. If this is a serious representation of David Baldacci's writing, I have no idea how he ever got a Big 5 contract.
  
• 
  Phrynne

  Probably not one of Baldacci’s best books but still a very good read. As many people have commented, Puller is a Jack Reacher clone but there is nothing really wrong with that. And there is an excellent and quite tense story line in there too.
  
  I rather liked John Puller and felt a little sad for him and his Dad and brother. Puller’s character was developed well throughout the book as was that of his ‘partner’ Sam. There was a little bit of stereotyping and occasional over the top moments but mostly our two main characters got on with the business of catching the baddies and trying not to get blown up.
  
  I would classify
  Zero Day as light entertainment, forgive it it’s faults and just go along for the ride. Three stars from me.
• 
  Adrienne

  Whoa! Wonderful! The first book with the John Puller character. Absolutely loved the story.
  Also the first introduction to his family and the mysteries involved with that triangle. Father, brother and himself strongly patriotic with US Army as the demanding mistress.
  Unputdownable
• 
  Bill

  The good guy is perfect and the bad guys are really, really evil. Sometimes David Baldacci gets it just right and sometimes he just falls flat. I am putting Zero Day in the latter category.
  
  John Puller is in the Army's Criminal Investigation Division and is called upon to investigate a murder in a small West Virginia coal mining town. While there, he learns these deaths may have very large implications.
  
  The story really falls short in a number of ways. First, the sheer size and scope of the investigation and how the government treated it was just out there.. way out there. John Puller's character was interesting and unique but he had this magic rucksack that contained everything from bio-hazard gear to explosives and night vision gear (and everything in between). It just seemed completely implausible this character could be so perfect in so many ways and be able to carry all that equipment in the rucksack. As you can tell, the rucksack issue really bothered me.
  
  I did listen to this book from Audible.com and the characters were really well played by Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy. This is not the first time these two have done characters for David Baldacci and I must say they are the ones that kept me going, not the story.
  
  Being a fan of David Baldacci, I read it and will likely read the next one(s) to but he really needs to bring things back down to earth.
  
  -Bill
• 
  Jim

  I enjoyed my last book by Baldacci, but this one hit too many of my hot buttons. The hero was too heroic, a super hero who could solve a murder, beat up the toughest, be a CSI tech, & figure out the crime from a mark in the dust. Think NCIS with Puller in all the roles from Gibbs down to that cute, weird girl in the lab. Seriously, he was doing better than Ducky at one point. But he can't figure out the difference between the sound of a fan & a possible opponent. Ugh.
  
  Possibly worse, Baldacci kept describing everything in gory detail. I really don't care about every move the action on his blah-blah-blah pistol makes when he cocks it. Seriously, I had to listen to a play by play description & he didn't even shoot the damn thing. I don't particularly care about the 7 dozen items he has in his CSI bag with 100 pockets in it, either.
  
  Then there are the yokel locals, the girl, the young kid who will worship him & the evil coal company... just reads like a formula for a Superman comic & the above issues just drive it into the ground.
  
  Not for me, although the reader was pretty good.
• 
  Carolyn

  John Puller, a decorated army war hero of Iraq and Afghanistan, is now an investigator with the army CID (Criminal Investigation Division). When he is sent to the small town of Drake in rural West Virginia to investigate the murders of an Army colonel and his family, he wonders what is so special about this case that he is the sole investigator, supported only by the local DS, Samantha "Sam" Cole. What he eventually uncovers is a conspiracy which could have disastrous consequences.
  
  I can see why many reviewers have suggested that John Puller is a clone of Jack Reacher, and although they do have a lot in common, I think there is room for another hero in crime fiction and I do like him. He seems to (at least for now) have more solid roots than Jack with his interesting family backstory, a job in CID and a home with a cat. I also liked plucky career cop Sam Cole, who's had to battle both sexism in the force and her family to become a fine detective. Although this is quite long (and could have been a little shorter), there is plenty of drama and action leading up to the somewhat explosive climax.
  
• 
  Danielle The Book Huntress *Pluto is a Planet!*

  I am a huge fan of the Will Robie series, so I thought I'd try the John Puller books. Plus action/adventure and suspense fans really recommend this series. John Puller is more like Jack Reacher than Will Robie. He's enlisted army and he's an investigator of crime scenes with military ties. His father is a three star general and his brother is in max security prison for treason. John is a by the books guy who follows the evidence. He is a decorated combat veteran with PTSD, but he manages to work past the flashback and triggers and uses the lessons he learned in Iraq to stay alive.
  
  What seems like it should be a routine investigation into the murder of an Air Force officer and his family in one in a dying mining town in West Virginia leads to a conspiracy that goes much further and wider, and much deadlier.
  
  Baldacci can write. John Puller is man of great self-control but he is no pushover. He can handle himself and is no fool. Highly intelligent and methodical in his work, he thinks on his feet and uses his logic and intuition expertly. I listened to the audiobook and the male narrator nails Puller. His diction is precise in speaking John's dialogue, making him feel distinct from other characters. The female narrator also does a good job, especially with the regional dialects. I liked having both a male and female narrator, because it gives the audiobook flow a vibrant energy.
  
  The descriptions of the forgotten mining town and its citizens in comparison to the luxury enjoyed by the rich man who owns most of the town has a realism that grounds the story. The theme of broken promises and environmental rape and pillage, taking advantage of the workers and the townspeople for that extra dime in the pocket.
  
  The suspense is expertly written. What starts as a grisly murder of a family that seems completely random leads to a climax that puts the lives of John, Samantha, the town sheriff, and the whole town and perhaps the region in jeopardy. The clock is ticking while Puller works to solve the puzzle of who, what, where and why.
  
  The action is very good and it's balanced by a plot that is free of holes. I play a game when I read mysteries, trying to guess whodunit. I didn't guess this one, but fortunately John figures it out.
  
  At first glance, John seems to be a very rigid guy, but glimpses of a sense of humor, empathy, pathos and vulnerability shine through his tough facade. His principles are rock solid, and it's clear that he doesn't like bullies or those who harm innocents. He's not moved by people who try to use their power and influence as bargaining chips. To him, bad is bad, no matter how big their bank accounts are. His relationship with his father is nuanced. His father is suffering from dementia and it's clear that interacting with his father through his fog of memory loss is very painful for John. But he's a man of duty and loyalty and honors his father, even when it's hard for him. I like John a lot. I'll be adding him to list of Kickbutt heroes.
  
  I prefer Will Robie over John Puller, but I definitely enjoyed this book and plan on continuing to read it. It's just me, I like the Black Ops Asssassin trope a lot. But Puller is great for a procedural with a hero who is intellectual but also very capable of kicking butt. I think the mystery of Puller's brother Robert's treason a mystery worth delving into, and eventually I know that John will put his skills to work on it. John is a good 21st Century hero, a man of honor, integrity, intellect but also physical skills and capabilities that carry him through and make him an interesting and admirable lead character.
  
  I'd recommend this to action/adventure suspense fans, especially for those look for an NCIS-style book.
• 
  Katherine Adams

  I've read several of David Baldacci's books, and enjoyed them. "Zero Day," however, isn't one of them. Baldacci's main character -- Army investigator John Puller -- is a dull twin of Lee Child's popular protagonist Jack Reacher. It was surprising to see so many similarities to such a well-known character like Reacher. The first time Puller craved coffee, I thought "Reacher." Aside from a strange (I hope coincidental) similarity to a well-known contemporary character, this book is filled with unnecessary details, unbelievable coincidences and too-obvious messages about topics as far-ranging as protecting the environment to bad behavior caused by health issues. The story begins when Puller is sent to a small West Virginia town to investigate the grisly murder of a military intelligence agent and his family. Puller is forced to work with a hard-nosed female police sergeant Sam Cole who has to deal with sexist officers and a messy personal life. How Puller and Cole discover why the initial murders were committed involves so many twists and unnecessary minor characters, the biggest mystery is how I managed to finish this book. Even if you're a Baldacci fan, I'd stick this mess at the bottom of your "to read" pile.
• 
  Alex is The Romance Fox

  I really like this author and have enjoyed reading most of his books.
  
  This is the 1st book in the John Puller Series and introduces John Puller, the hero, who works in the military.
  
  Good writing, good plot and some great characters.
  
  Enjoyable read.
• 
  William Bentrim

  Zero Day by David Baldacci
  
  Baldacci has a new hero, a new ethos and another, never boring cliff hanging, throat grabbing thriller.
  
  John Puller takes over for John Carr without a Camel Club or a gang of cronies. Although Puller is dedicated Army, he runs without a safety net throughout the book. The Army is his life and his passion is it’s Criminal Investigative Division. He is an elite Army cop and he is thrown into a situation involving mass mayhem. Every time he turns around there is another murder.
  
  Puller ends up partnering with Sam Cole and the two of them bond through their mutual desire to find the perpetrators’ of mayhem in an impoverished coal mining community in West Virginia.
  
  Once again Baldacci paints such a vivid picture. He sets his stage with clarity and depth. His characters are both larger than life and realistically human.
  
  I worked in an impoverished Appalachian coal community years ago. Baldacci accurately captures the poverty and despair that often results from long term un or under employment.
  
  One can only hope that we see more of John Puller. He was a complex, likeable character.
  
  I highly recommend it.
  
• 
  Corey Woodcock

  My second Baldacci book, but my first thriller. I really enjoyed it!
  
  John Puller is an Army Investigator sent deep into the hills and hollers of West Virginia, right in the heart of Coal Country, to investigate the odd death of a man that is…well, somehow tied to the military. The more Puller digs, the more shady stuff he begins to uncover, and pretty soon he’s looking at a deep, deep conspiracy that reaches far further than anyone dreamed.
  
  Was this the most unique book in the world? Of course not, but thrillers of this sort rarely are. Baldacci’s writing was also fine-nothing special, but worked and didn’t take me out of the story at all. He writes relatively short chapters as well (though not James Patterson short), which while being a technique I’m undecided on how I feel about, in this case it didn’t feel gimmicky (like it does with Patterson) and definitely kept me saying “one more chapter” longer into the night than I had planned. The pacing was quick and the tension was actually built extremely well - Baldacci is good at adding the right layers to the plot at the right times. Before I knew it, the book had taken a turn that I admittedly did not see coming at all, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
  
  Let’s quickly touch on the character of John Puller—while I liked him, he did feel awfully familiar to me. Once again, this is common in the genre so it’s certainly not a huge deal, but worth mentioning. So far in the series, and this may very well change as this is only the first book, there’s really nothing about Puller that separates him from just-another-badass-military-dude. John Corey has his dry, snarky sense of humor in the face of mortal danger, and willingness to work way outside the box; Virgil Flowers has his long haired, surfer-like persona and using his mind far more than a gun. Puller? Don’t know, I’ve already largely forgot his personality details.
  
  But none of that takes anything away from the story. It hooked me right away, and never let up. Virtually no down time here. I will definitely be checking out The Forgotten to see what Puller and Baldacci have in store for me next!!
• 
  Jane Shambler

  I have read a few books by this author and have never been disappointed until now. I was really looking forward to it as well So I am doubly disappointed. Now I normally do not have any issue with this authors writing style until now. Since when has it been ok to talk in very short sentences. If this was an audio book I get the feeling the narrator would speak to me slowly.
  
  Also, no offense but this has been done before. Too many times before. The main character is Puller who is a highly decorated and obviously has issues regarding PTSD. He saves a lot of people but remembers the one's he couldn't save.
  
  Puller is a good guy. The bad guys in this book are evil. When Puller go's on an investigation the guy has this bottomless pit rucksack that seems to hold everything he needs. Think Reacher. I saw Tom Cruise everywhere.
  
  The story isn't too bad. But I like Baldacci when he keeps you guessing. This was kind of obvious. It's a good action novel just kind off predictable. Enjoy!
  
  
  *ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*
  
• 
  Judy

  Excellent thriller! John Puller is my new favorite hero. I had read Baldacci's
  Daylight and was really intrigued by a military hero in that book that when a friend told me there was an entire John Puller series I couldn't wait to start it. I'm really glad I did. This book had everything I like in thrillers - a great hero, political intrigue, a scary situation, tension, an interesting investigation, and the pursuit of justice. Can't wait to read the next one - I'm behind!
• 
  Tim

  Its as though Baldacci was being paid by the word as apposed to writing a tight cohesive novel that I've grown accustomed to reading. The rest of this story is unnecessarily long and only the crisp ending raises this novel to 5 of 10 stars
• 
  Tessa Nadir

  Romanul a aparut in 2011 si il are ca erou pe agentul special CID, Divizia Quantico, care mai apare si in alte romane ale autorului, cel de fata fiind primul din serie. Eroul, John Puller lucreaza pentru armata SUA si este ofiter la divizia de investigatii criminale.
  In ceea ce priveste actiunea, atunci cand colonelul Matthew Reynolds de la Pentagon si familia sa sunt ucisi, John Puller este trimis in West Virginia sa investigheze cazul. La fata locului o intalneste pe politista Samantha Cole cu care va trebui sa colaboreze. Vor urma si alte cadavre, o serie de probleme ce tin de securitatea nationala si cateva tentative de asasinare a sa, ceea ce-i dau de inteles lui Puller ca ucigasul este profesionist, feroce si capabil de orice.
  Va recomand acest roman pentru actiunea alerta, pentru eroul bine construit si de cursa lunga si pentru toate informatiile din sfera militara pe care autorul le presara cu generozitate de-a lungul romanului. Se citeste usor, este plin de actiune, ancheta fiind interesanta si bine condusa de catre Puller, tinand in priza cititorul si captandu-i interesul pe tot parcursul romanului.
  Trebuie sa recunosc ca John Puller este un tip atragator, genul de barbat care stie sa spuna si sa faca ce trebuie la momentul potrivit, este curajos si stie sa protejeze o doamna. Pe scurt, este genul de barbat pe care l-ai lua cu tine daca te-ai duce pe o insula pustie.
  Am observat faptul ca lumea tinde sa acorde putine stele pentru ca eroul si actiunea seamana foarte mult cu Jack Reacher si romanele lui Lee Child si intr-adevar asa este, insa mie imi place atat de mult seria Reacher incat nu m-a deranjat acest aspect si astept cu nerabdare sa citesc si urmatoarele romane din serie.
  M-a amuzat foarte mult ca John are un motan gras portocaliu pe nume AWOL (termen folosit de militarii americani pentru dezertori) pe care l-a numit asa pentru ca iese mereu pe furis din casa si lipseste zile intregi fara sa mai stie nimic de el.
  Ce nu mi-a placut insa este faptul ca romanul este plin de prescurtari pe care nu ai cum sa le retii si pana la urma nici nu-ti pasa sa le stii. De asemenea, finalul nu a fost pe placul meu, insa inteleg ca un asemenea erou nu poate sa se ataseze de o femeie si la fiecare carte trebuie sa aiba o alta cucerire. Oricum, e genul care nu poate fi pus la schimbat scutece, batut covoare si imbatranit impreuna. Damn him! :)
  Nu prea am inteles nici deznodamantul actiunii, sunt multe pagini cu tot felul de explicatii din sfera fizicii nucleare, cu plutoniu si uraniu, ce nu cred ca sunt accesibile oricarui cititor. Asadar motivul criminalilor ramane pentru mine oarecum in ceata, doar suspectez ca e ceva grav. :)
  In incheiere, daca doriti sa cititi un thriller bun atunci cartile lui Baldacci trebuiesc neaparat avute in vedere. Iata si cateva citate interesante:
  "Puller nu spuse nimic. Pe parcursul carierei sale militare, avusese de-a face cu fel de fel de ofiteri care-i incredintau misiuni. Unii erau buni, altii de-a dreptul idioti. Puller nu era inca decis din ce categorie facea parte cel din fata lui."
  "Nu puteai ucide un soldat pe care nu-l vedeai apropiindu-se de tine."
  "Toti membrii acestui comitet sunt barbati si par desprinsi din secolul al XIX-lea. Pentru ei, rolul femeii in societate e bine definit: ea trebuie sa fie desculta, gravida si mai tot timpul la bucatarie."
• 
  Nancy

  I really like David Baldacci's books. He is intelligent and provides a suspense filled story with clean dialogue and well written characters. This particular book just didn't grab me. The problem was the acronyms for me. The protagonist is military and a lot of acronyms are used that I don't know. They are defined but I didn't want to keep looking back in the book to be reminded. Like I said, Baldacci is brilliant and he understands a lot of things that I don't having to do with forensics which I find fascinating. Military lingo is different than what speak and understand.
  
  I was also disappointed with the crime scene not adding up to the crime, itself. It was weird. I can do weird. I watched Medium for a couple of years until it got too weird. Weird as in sadistic and shocking. It reached that level for me. I know Baldacci does a lot of forensic information in his books. I know the criminals are sadistic at times. But this one just didn't add up.
  
  It's still a good read. If you like Baldacci, read it. If you've not read his books before, I'd start with another one. They are quite heart stopping and keep you guessing.
• 
  kartik narayanan

  When I first noticed John Puller, the first thing that struck me were his obvious similarities to Jack Reacher. Both are MPs (of sorts), both are big men and both of them kick ass. Obviously, this resemblance combined with the fact that the series is authored by David Baldacci, meant that I had high expectations and wasted no time in reading it.
  
  Now that I have finished it, I am a bit disappointed though. On the positive side, John Puller's character as well as those surrounding him are fleshed out well. But this attention to detail is let down by the weak and lack lustre plot. There is a lot of build up with gruesome murders and hints of conspiracies. But, at the end, I was essentially thinking 'is this it?". I was also a bit let down by the lack of action.
  
  Overall, this book is only average. Now, to see how 'The Forgotten' turns out to be.
• 
  Stacy

  Puller is quite the tough guy. And an effective CID.
  
  I had trouble putting this down, but I didn’t like the end. Boo!
• 
  Mike (the Paladin)

  I put this on my "Thriller" shelf as that's what this is supposed to be. Sadly it doesn't really move fast enough to actually give, "thrills".
  
  Our hero a warrant officer investigator for the Army CID (Criminal Investigation Division) gets called to WV when a flag officer and his entire family are murdered. The flag officer (Full bird colonel) was an intelligence type.
  
  Things get odd rather quickly... The crime is important enough for a CID investigator but then he's sent in alone with no back up and almost all support cut from him. Working with a local sergeant from the sheriff's department a mystery is slowly uncovered. At first things get more and more convoluted...as they also become more and more deadly.
  
  The book does a good job of laying out the investigation and it does a good job of building the characters. The weakness is the there many, many times that the "story" simply bogs down. First we get conversations that move away from topic. These are supposed to (I suppose) give us more insight into the people involved and also the local. Then we get (again) many, many diatribes about the author's views on coal mining.
  
  Coal mining is a very controversial topic. Yes there are huge problems, but it's not a single sided argument. Ask the people who live amid the trouble...these are the only jobs going. I won't take a stand here, I'll just say that by the time you finish this book you'll have no doubt where David Baldacci stands. He'll tell you...in Spades.
  
  So pretty good novel. The plot gets a little buried in book length and excess verbiage but it doesn't make the book unreadable. Decide for yourself.
  
  
• 
  Fahad Naeem

  David Baldacci never exerts to disappoint his readers. Zero Day was occasional boring: when John Puller tried to investigate local people of Drake. There were too many people of the same name, and it brought difficulty in keeping track all of them. I often confused Roger Trent with Sam Cole's brother.
  
  When DHS brought Dari and Turbans to plot something big in Drake, I was disappointed with David Baldacci for stereotyping his book with the content already available in the market but in the end, he brought politics and rogue elements to put all the blame to the inner plot.
  
  I like David Baldacci for not only glueing his readers to the book but also for writing interesting content with not-so-tradionational endings . I did not want Samantha Cole to die as, like Puller, I have also built a bond like feeling with her.
  Even if living in Asia, I do not believe, building a nuke is as easy as David Baldacci has placed in his book.
  
  Overall, it was a very interesting book and I'd recommend to those interested in reading a really good thriller. I'm also looking forward to reading more of John Puller series.
• 
  Corey

  A new series by David Baldacci that I've started. The main character is a CID (Criminal Investigation Division) agent named John Puller. He's a really interesting character, he's like a Clint Eastwood no nonsense kind of guy who gets the job done. In Zero Day Puller is called to a small rural community in West Virginia to investigate a murder.
  
  The story keeps you guessing up until the very end who's behind it all, many twists and turns and awesome character development! Now I can't wait to read more Puller adventures!
• 
  Kay ❦

  Review went missing. How does save not working?
  
  New favorite. I love Puller! Sort of like Reacher in a way.
• 
  Simon

  2,5*
  Leider nicht so gut wie die Memory-Man-Serie.
• 
  Wanda

  Listened to this exercise book while on treadmill. Derivative. Predictable. Cliche ridden. And annoyingly patriotic. Spare me the rhapsodies about the U.S. military. If we were a bit more honest about the fact that war was legalized killing, perhaps we would get into fewer of them. Glorifying our military misadventures in the Middle East and Afghanistan isn't helpful. It speaks only to manipulating the patriotic fervor of others.
  Puller's love interest never comes to fruition - so he is left (like the archetypal cowboy of the American western) with only his horse and his quest for justice to keep him warm at night. Oy.
  The good guy is perfect - and modeled on hundreds of archetypal American hero types. The bad guys are really, really bad. Others have mentioned that Baldacci used Child's Reacher as the model for Puller. Sad, because Reacher is an incredibly annoying character as well. Come on Baldacci. You can do better than this manipulative drivel.
• 
  Aidil

  I read "The Forgotten" (the 2nd of John Puller series) and enjoyed it so I had high expectations going into this book. This is the 1st John Puller series who is a Military investigator / CID. The 1st 100 pages was good but then the pace didn't seem to pick up, for a thriller it was quite unexciting. The plots weren't strong enough and it felt too ambitious. Its like trying to show that Puller is so perfect and capable almost robot-like. Even the way he speaks is almost void of feelings which is justified by 'being in the army is like that' or because Puller boys don't cry. I didn't really enjoy this Puller series.
  The reason I'm giving it 3 stars is because it did have a good storyline (though towards the end it was somewhat chaotic/a mess) and I did finish it so it wasn't that dull. Its just that I wouldn't recommend it to anybody whose looking for a fast paced, exciting plots and great characters.
• 
  Apollo Hesiod

  This was a good book, didn't see some of the twists, but that's what makes it good. will definitely read the rest of the series.
• 
  Brenda H

  
  Zero Day is the first book in the John Puller series by
  David Baldacci. The series centers around John Puller, a combat veteran and the best military investigator in the Army’s Criminal Investigative Division. Puller’s father, John Puller Sr., is a military legend known as Fighting John Puller for his strong-willed command of the Army’s elite 101st Airborne Division. Puller’s older brother, Robert, was a Major in the Air Force but is now serving a life sentence in federal military prison for treason.
  
  Puller is sent out to a remote coal-mining town in West Virginia to investigate the horrifying deaths of an Army Colonel and his family. The brutal crime scene suggests that the family was tortured and interrogated. While investigating the murder of the family, Puller uncovers more mysteries in this little town that indicate that things are definitely not as they appear on the surface.
  
  This is a great opening to a new series for me. The main character, John Puller, is an interesting man. Loyal to his family, determined in his investigation and loving to his cat, AWOL, Puller is a multi-faceted character. Puller is definitely someone that I want to learn more about and follow his investigations. There are currently only 4 books in the series but I expect that I will continue with them all.
  
  I listened to this book on unabridged audio with narration performed by Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy, both of whom I am familiar with from the Camel Club audio books. Both of these narrators are able to bring the characters to life through tone and inflection making for a good read.
  
  Rating: 4 Stars
• 
  Nick Brett

  oh, what to make of David Baldacci? A capable and entertaining author, much of his recent work has not been up to the standard set by his early books. My personal view is that this came about as he started producing books on a more regular basis, quantity over quality if you like. And now we have "Zero Hour" which is a very hard book to review...
  The good news is that this is the best book from the author in some while, a fast paced page turner about an US Military investigator looking into some deaths in a small town and realising there is a far bigger picture.....
  The bad news is that I am astonished at how this rips off Lee Child's Jack Reacher! A tall military cop who goes by his surname, adept with his fists or weapons, hightened obserrvaional an analytical skills, the setting of small town US and a lady sheriff to boot! It's almost like he went with a check list of a standard Reacher book! It's astonishing almost to the degree that it is funny.
  But it actually ain't bad and Reacher fans will probably enjoy this while thinking Mr Baldacci has a bit of a cheek. But the truth is, with the ripped off character and formula and Baldacci's ability, this works well and I have to say I enjoyed it.