The Hit

By: David Baldacci

Narrated by: Ron McLarty, Orlagh Cassidy

Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Winner, Thriller/Suspense, 2014

From David Baldacci - number-one best-selling author and one of the world's most popular, widely read storytellers - comes the most thrilling novel of the year.

Will Robie is a master of killing.

A highly skilled assassin, Robie is the man the U.S. government calls on to eliminate the worst of the worst - enemies of the state, monsters committed to harming untold numbers of innocent victims.

No one else can match Robie's talents as a hitman...no one, except Jessica Reel. A fellow assassin, equally professional and dangerous, Reel is every bit as lethal as Robie. And now, she's gone rogue, turning her gun sights on other members of their agency.

To stop one of their own, the government looks again to Will Robie. His mission: bring in Reel, dead or alive. Only a killer can catch another killer, they tell him.

But as Robie pursues Reel, he quickly finds that there is more to her betrayal than meets the eye. Her attacks on the agency conceal a larger threat, a threat that could send shockwaves through the U.S. government and around the world.

©2013 David Baldacci (P)2013 Hachette Audio

Great Narration and story

This was an awesome story to listen to on a 12 hour car ride moving across the country. Loved it! Can’t wait to listen to others in the series

good story, less background sounds

I am not a fan of the gunshots or ominous sounds before a fight scene. Story was excellent barring that.

Exciting as always

Great plot that all ties together and makes for a non stop listening book. Big fan of the author long term have several of what I consider the most exciting stories that keep you involved could not put the book away

Enjoyable second installment of Robie series

What did you love best about The Hit?

The plot and characters were very interesting. The concept of sending one assassin to hunt another was an interesting twist and the way the relationship between prey and hunter turns out is interesting.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the addition of the Jessica Reel character, an interesting twist adding another strong female character to an already strong female cast of characters with Nicole Vance and Julie Getty. However, I was somewhat disappointed that the storyline seemed to stray from any real focus on Vance and Getty as they became extraneous to a large degree. Their mentions early on were all but unnecessary to anyone who had read the first book. Their role was so minimal it almost seemed awkward at times.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Again with the sound effects? Really? And someone please help McClarty learn more about military and paramilitary terminology. Cassidy's performance of the Jessica Reel character was nice, but she seems to flip flop the accents of Reel and Vance in the third book. But for those who have not yet read it, it will not impact your listening in this book.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not an option for me.

Fast paced

Any additional comments?

Right from the start this book jumps right in and is fast paced throughout.  A great story of two top, government assassins, Will Robie and Jessica Reel, who are pitted against each other.  They are all business and when it comes down to kill or be killed they are more than capable, but there is certain amount of respect between them that makes things a bit muddled. When suspicious activity starts within the agency Will starts to wonder to whom his allegence belongs. The agency or Jessica?

At the same time they are trying to kill each other, (or not), there is an "unknown" who is trying to kill both of them, as well as anyone else who gets in the way of a widely hidden agenda. When more questionable evidence starts to develope they decide to fall off the grid and start their own investigation. Because of some oddly familiar covert groups that keep trying to get at them, their attention is redirected toward upper levels of the government for some answers. "Who can they trust"?  All of the agencies start pointing fingers at each other.  Conspiracy and counterintelligence provide many twists and turns.

The narrators did a good job and there were occasional sound affects that added to the story.  A good, fast read with intriguing characters. 

Nice twists and loved the politics

Would you consider the audio edition of The Hit to be better than the print version?

About the same, I would guess, which is a compliment to the audio version.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The politics was best, the relationships least interesting

What three words best describe Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy ’s performance?

A little colloquial.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes

Any additional comments?

No

The story continues to keep me glued to my phone

The story picks up where the last one left off. Great characters with much adored twist. I found myself looking forward to my 2 hour plus commute home. Keep up the great work!

Another winner from Baldacci

Well done thriller. Keeps the plot moving with unexpected twists and turns. Another winner from the mas5.

Exciting fun espionage candy

What made the experience of listening to The Hit the most enjoyable?

There really isn't much to like about this book - but it is so likeable! You know so much of what happens is a real flight of fancy, but it hangs together so well, you just got to have more. This is candy for the action junky. The characters are people you'd like - and would want to spend some time with. Now I'm waiting for the next in the series.

Another spell binding, can't put it down, ride...

Baldacci has quickly become my favorite author in this genre. I might be late coming to the Baldacci party, but now that I'm here, I'm not leaving, baby! Easily 5 stars all around on this one. The narration was superb. Get this book!