Quotes from David Baldacci

Persons seeking to find scholarship herein will be sued; persons motivated to discover meaning will be exiled; persons hoping to unearth an allegory will be summarily ordained." — The Author

Amos Decker was standing on the rear deck of a house where he and his FBI colleague, Alex Jamison, were staying while visiting Jamison's sister. He used two fingers to neck-cradle his third bottle of beer of the evening while he contemplated these questions. He knew that most people never thought about these issues, because they had no reason to do so. Yet accurately answering the latter question dominated Decker's professional life, which was really the only life he had left

room peering out, a gun in one hand, his other hand curled around the window drape. "Dad?" said Tyler in a shaky voice. Wingo held up a hand to quiet his son. He lingered at the window for a few more minutes, his gaze running up and down the streets, to the tops of the buildings and

Although America loved its tough guys, they weren't ready to vote for leaders who exhibited no compassion for the downtrodden and miserable, for on any given day they might constitute a majority.

Technically, I'm right up there, I think. But the really great artists have something—I don't think anyone can really quantify it—that I don't. But that's okay. I'm happy with

what I do have, and so are my clients." He took the piece he was carrying and set it up on an empty easel but did not uncover it.

She was as unlike my father as it was possible to be." "Well, they do say opposites attract." "But can opposites exist together for the long term?

Then the man himself appeared. Carter Gray was looking chunkier than usual. From his sniper's post Stone instantly discerned why: body armor. That didn't bother Stone in the slightest since, as he'd told Finn, he always aimed for the head. People couldn't survive without a brain. Although it did seem that more than a few people in Washington managed to do so quite nicely.

and the bridge seemed to disappear right into the middle of the bay where the road entered the tunnels. It was like the highway was executing a suicidal dive into the water, taking all traffic with it.

To Kyf Brewer and Orlagh Cassidy, for your amazing audio performances.

Arrogant people habitually overestimated their own abilities and underestimated everyone else's. "And

But he is sick," Potting interjected. "Takes a sick mind to shove a knife so deep into someone it breaks their spine.

What's your next

bet, he'll be back in prison before long," said the older guard.

off." Decker nodded and looked over at where Baron and Jamison were escorting Amber and Zoe

You know people who read are a lot more tolerant and open-minded than those who don't.

So the criminals win, that's what you're saying? For now they do. But it's a long game, Jamison. And I always play for the long game.

The public had been duped into thinking that all police departments and all police investigations were conducted just like those on the TV shows. Cool offices, every forensic gadget available, limitless resources, hunky men with awesome firepower, and women in tight clothes showing cleavage. The idea of limitless resources was a joke, even for the FBI. And the last time Pine had shown cleavage while on the job was…never.

saw it coming. See, they built me too good. They didn't figure in

The media can be controlled.

For the loss of Chung-Cha. And she was scared. "Hey, guys, come on in," said Julie warmly. Her guardian, Jerome Cassidy, had recovered from his injuries at the hands of

pudding with a cinnamon crust for dessert.

The humidity pressed in from all sides like solid walls of water.

have put up a bond of five hundred dollars—significant