Book Review: The Hit (By David Baldacci)

The Hit brings assassin Will Robie back. The first book in the series – The Innocent – was good (although not great) and Robie stood out as a character with a lot of potential. And in Book #2 of the series, you can see that potential being realized!

Genre: 

Thriller (although, I would label the Will Robie series political thrillers)

Length: 

392 pages

Blurb:

Will Robie works for a small, elite unit of the US Government. He has only one duty – to kill enemies of the state before they can unleash hell on thousands of innocent victims. And he’s the best at the job. The only one who can match him in skill and talent is Jessica Reel. A fellow assassin, she has almost as many kills as Robie and is just as reputed for her ability and her loyalty. But now, Reel has turned on the agency. She’s hunting their own. And Robie is ordered to bring her back – alive or dead. Robie can think like Reel, which makes him the agency’s best chance at capturing her. But as Robie pursues Reel, he discovers two things – one, he is always one step behind and Reel can predict him just as well as he can predict her, and two, something about her being a traitor doesn’t fit right. Soon, Robie discovers that there’s much more than what meets the eye, in Reel and in his assignment. And he needs to find the answers that remain elusive if he is to thwart a threat targeted not only at the United States, but at the world at large.

Overall Rating:

8 out of 10

Plot:

9 out of 10

Characterization:

7 out of 10, mainly because I felt the strong characterization drop a bit as the story progresses

Primary Element:

8 out of 10 for its thrill

Writing Style:

9 out of 10

Part of a Series: 

Yes, this is Book #2 in the Will Robie series. It has characters from the previous book, and is best read in order if you don’t want spoilers.

Highlighted Takeaway:

A twisted tale of patriotism, family, and duty, The Hit is equal parts action and political gambit.

What I Liked:

Will Robie’s character is really fleshed out in The Hit. His humanity, sense of duty, and even patriotism is questioned, as are his skills – and each challenge gives the reader a chance to see more of what he’s made of, even as he discovers it himself. Reel’s character is also just as good, and the two keep the reader very invested. The detail in some of the action scenes was incredible, painting an extremely vivid picture. The story itself was good too – not over the top as some political thrillers can be – and maintains the mystery and suspense till the end.

What I Didn’t Like:

I loved Jessica Reel’s introduction, and for the first half of the book, she gave Robie a real fight. But, at one point, it seemed like her awesomeness was… conveniently downplayed. I really wanted to see her hold her own more than she did.

Who Should Read It:

Anyone who enjoys thrillers based around political aspirations, or books that are based around spies and international assassinations.

Who Should Avoid:

If high-stakes political threats are not your cup of tea, I would recommend avoiding this one. For lovers of more crime-related thrillers, I would recommend other books by Baldacci, such as Memory Man featuring Amos Decker (one of my favorite literary characters) or even the Atlee Pine or John Puller series. Although the latter two do start with some political/government angles in their first books, they eventually evolve into crime-thriller series.

Read It For:

The interesting results of two trained assassins tossed out of their depth, discovering themselves, as they strive to do what they believe is right.

I hadn’t expected the second book to be that much better than the first, and so I was pleasantly surprised with how well it turned out. The Hit started a little slow, but really picked up. If you liked Baldacci’s Camel Club series, you will definitely like the Will Robie series!

Got anything to add? Share your thoughts in the comments below. And as always, thanks for stopping by and reading my review!

– Rishika

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