Fiction

I read 68 books this year, down from my average of 72. I think I'll choose the last book I read in 2025.

Nash Falls by David Baldacci.

Walter Nash is 40 years old and married to his wife, Judith, and they have a 19 year old daughter, Maggie, who is taking a gap year before college. Walter is head of acquisitions for a company called Sybaritic, founded by Barton Temple whose son, Rhett, runs the company. Walter is the reason the company does so well through is thoroughness and logical analytical skills. Trouble begins when the FBI contacts him to help them with their investigation of Sybaritic for money laundering. He learns his company does business with a Chinese crime syndicate and that three previous FBI informants from companies Sybaritic acquired have died mysteriously. The FBI has put him in an position where whatever decision he makes the Temples and the Chinese crime syndicate are going to blame him and probably kill him and his family.

His daughter is kidnapped by the Chinese syndicate and forced to make a video saying Walter sexually abused her. Judith believes the video is real and calls the police on Walter who flees the house. Walter calls upon his late father's Vietnam War friend for help to save his daughter. About a year later, Maggie's body is found and Walter is the prime suspect. From there Walter undergoes a transformation from a wimpy desk worker to man capable of killing anyone who gets in his way. His mission to to bring down Sybaritic and the Chinese syndicate.

Definitely a good read with characters willing to do anything to get what they want.