In “Zero day” David Baldacci introduces Army CID (Criminal Investigation Division) investigator John Puller, who is tasked with solving the murder of Colonel Matthew Reynolds, an employee of the Defense Intelligence Agency and stationed in the Pentagon, who is murdered in a small house in West Virginia—along with his wife and two teenage kids. Puller is partnered with the local detective, Samantha Cole, as they work to uncover the secrets held in the small West Virginia town—and face a second murder. The most interesting part about this story was just the mystery, but the characters. Drake, West Virginia (the town where the action of this story takes place) is full of them. There’s Roger Trent, the town millionaire who owns the only big business in the area, and holds a couple of secrets of his own. There’s Bill Strauss, Trent’s number two, who appears to be playing a game of his own. His son Dickie appears not much more trustworthy himself. There’s Jean Trent, Roger’s gold digging wife, who knows their financial security is not what it seems. There’s Larry Wellman, a murdered cop who saw too much. There’s Howard Reed, the mailman who discovered Reynold’s murdered family. Then there’s Molly Bitner, one of the victims circulating in Puller’s mind, a secretary who worked for Trent, and had a meth lab in her basement—along with her friend Eric Treadwell. The mystery itself is organized in a complicated way--with plenty of puzzle pieces, plot changes, and action. While John Puller may at first seem like a stereotypical lead, the back story Baldacci develops for him (war hero father, John’s namesake and past war hero who had lost his wits, and his brother Robert, sentenced to life in jail for treason) gives him some depth and makes him a sympathetic character. The one thing that stood out to me the most, though, was the amount of research put into his book. With the amount of information incorporated into the story, you aren’t just reading about Puller—you’re basically living his military life. Overall, a very well-researched, sophisticated, mystery. Published by Grand Central Publishing. October 31, 2011. 448 pages. List price $27.99
