The Winner

The Winner – not!I had seen the name many times, but had never read anything by David Baldacci until last week. That Baldacci is a prolific writer is evinced in any airport book store. I was expecting something light and easy like Grisham, but it was a whole lot worse. The two main characters, LuAnn Tyler, and Jackson, are completely implausible, and at times self-contradictory. Jackson was supposed to be ‘terrifying’, we were told so repeatedly, but he was laughable at best. Baldacci also [...]

I started reading The Winner based on a recommendation from my eye doctor, of all people. Frankly I'd never heard of the author before, but decided to give it a shot. And I'm glad I did. I'm even more glad I gave up on the hardcover library book and, instead, got the Kindle version (it's much lighter!).The Winner is a surprisingly interesting and good book. The characters seem very real and you choose your sides very early on. The plot is something else. Even though I'm a writer, I can't imagine [...]

Being highly recommended to me I was anxious to absorb myself reading a good book. Unfortunately, this wasn't one of them. Primarily, I was disappointed with descriptive nudity, a masturbation scene and a sex scene, all of which could have been removed and the book as a whole would have been better. Nonetheless, the premise held the possibility of a good story but it was just too predictable. There was only one surprise in the book and the beginning drug on forever. Baldacci takes over a hundred [...]

The book The Winner by David Baldacci is 628 pages, published in 1997 by Columbus Rose, Ltd. The genre is a mix of mystery, realistic fiction, and thriller. It follows the story of LuAnn Tyler, a dirt poor twenty year-old with a infant child who is offered a chance to win the lottery. Driven away from her home town by her drug dealing boyfriend, she wins the lottery and spends 10 years living abroad. Coming back to the US, she faces the killer known as Jackson who set up the lottery scheme. She [...]

3.5 stars - I didn't agree with a lot of decisions made by the main characters, but it was an exciting enough read with an interesting villain.

Well, I've said it before, I'm a sucker for mysteries/crime/thrillers. I always have been. While other people were soaking up Judy Blume, I firmly ignored the conversations between God and Margaret and stayed up all night reading The Pelican Brief and The Client. Now, there are two questions that pop up given that information: the first being the question of how was I allowed to stay up all night at 13 (or so) the second is what was I really doing reading those books? To the first question I'll [...]

What would you do if someone offered you $100 million dollars and all you had to do was leave the country and never return? Yeah, me too! But then I read THE WINNER.LuAnn Tyler is only 20 years old and already a dirt-poor single mother with an 8-month old daughter living in a trailer in Georgia. When a strange man, whom she thought was offering her a job, says he can guarantee that she'll win the national lottery, LuAnn's better judgement tells her to decline. But she comes home to find her boyf [...]

A single mother is offered a guarantee to win the lottery and after initial hesitation, accepts. Circumstances force her to leave the country but her eventual return is not welcomed by everyone. My main problem with this book is that I could see the pieces, parts and elements of this book while reading it rather than ever reading it as a whole work. The protagonist needs to look sympathetic, so there will be an element added…here. The villain needs to escape from this situation, so he will hav [...]

في الروايات تكون الأمور عادة واضحة على الأقل بالنسبة لي هذه الرواية كلُ شيء ضبابي .فقد تتعاطف مع شخصية الآن بعد قليل ستنقمُ عليها لتتعاطف معها بعد ثوانٍ أخرى أبدع بالدتشي في صياغة الشخصيات وأبدع خاصة في شخصية جاكسون " شخصية لا تتكرر " رواية جميلة تستحق النجمات الأربعة التي من� [...]

My second Baldacci book and it did not disappoint! This is a fast-paced, thoroughly entertaining bookI was hooked on page one and stayed hooked through every page until the last. This would make a killer movie!

Ever since school got out for the summer, oddly enough, I have been reading a lot. I picked up a few books at a local church book sale. I have heard really good things about David Baldacci (mainly because of the movie based on his book, Absolute Power) and I found this book for $.50 so I thought I would give it a try. In fact, when handing my money to the cashier at the sale, the lady said that this was her favorite David Baldacci book. She had good taste. Short overview for you:LuAnn Tyler had [...]

This is one of the earlier book by David Baldacci and somehow he didn't have the mastery of his craft back then that he has now.I don't know what it is, whether it's the plot, or the characters but I stumbled through the whole book and never was captivated by the whole story and I have read a lot of the recent books by Baldacci ( like the John Puller serie or the Will Robbie and I was captivated by those and couldn't drop them).Anyway, somewhat of a miss for me, but that will not keep me away fr [...]

LouAnn Tyler is poor white Georgia trailer trash. Her parents are dead and she is a waitress at the Number One Truck Stop where she keeps her 8 month old illegitimate daughter Lisa under the counter because the child's deadbeat father Duane is a piece of alcoholic drug-ridden trash. LouAnn is 20 and dropped out of school in the 7th grade and is an idiot. LouAnn, Duane, oh yes it is Bubba and his shack up Bubbette. Then suddenly LouAnn is offered a chance by a strange man to win 100 million in a [...]

LuAnn Tyler, a 20-year-old unwed mother of a baby girl trapped in poverty in rural Georgia, is offered a chance to win the (fixed) Lottery. Her fateful decision to accept the offer allows her to escape a frightening act of violence at home, but when she disobeys her handler and returns to the country after 10 years, he is determined to punish her. It’s a fast-paced thriller, and I could envision it as a movie. Perhaps in that format it could overcome some of the character extremes that stretch [...]

Above average plot with intricate developments, but it was missing the wow factor. Good but not greatVIEWER'S OPINION:To let readers know where I'm coming from, my preferred genre is romance novels. The fact that I liked this should mean something since it is off genre for me. Throughout the book there was the underlying frustration of how can anyone ever stop this bad guy, but he gets it eventually. The story was excellent mechanically with good showing not telling. I would have liked more emot [...]

I do like reading Baldacci's mysteries. This has a unique fast-paced plot, with lots of twists and turns, and his characters are well developed. Each time I read one of his books I'm impressed with how different they are from each other and I wonder how he comes up with such varying scenarios and interesting characters. He is a very talented writer. There is no bad language and although there is a sex scene it's nothing compared toKen Follett or other popular mystery writers.

I loved this book, the story line was brilliant and was one of David Baldaccis easier books to follow. A page turner from the start, I'd happily recommend this.

Probably my favorite Baldacci book. If you love a good mystery, this book is sure to please!

Longer and more complex than your average bestselling thriller. Enjoyable, but not the best.

An uneducated, dirt-poor single mom goes to an interview for what appears to be a great temporary job offer, only to find out that the real purpose of the meeting is a lottery fix. Her end of the deal? All she has to do is ask no questions, do as she's told, take her winnings and live happily ever after. There's only one hitch in the giddy-up: our heroine, Lu Ann Tyler is sharp as a tack (as we're constantly reminded by the author) and knows that there's something crooked about the deal. She has [...]

Baldacci's the best !!!

"The Winner". Loses. My first David Baldacci book, he seems quite popular, so I though I would give one if his books a read.Maybe I chose the wrong one, but I thought this book was terrible. The one thing I will give it is that I won't call it boring; I definitely wanted to read what happened next. That being said, I also wouldn't call it "fast-paced" either. It dragged through certain areas, and then skipped through some I thought would have needed more attention and detail, then lingered too l [...]

'm finished with The Winner: like the title the Winner is a Winner with Me its a stand out 5 star by David Baldacci a must read if you like a good thriller 5 stars and more if i could

1.5 starsThe premise had potential and Baldacci piqued my interest for about half the novel. But quickly, this story became repetitive and patronizing. I just couldn't stop rolling my eyes. The characters and plot went from intriguing to far-fetched, then ludicrous and finally a waste of my time. A down-and-out woman is given the chance of a lifetime in winning big in the lottery. Despite knowing that it is fixed, she jumps at the chance. Her secretive contact keeps hold of her winnings for 10 y [...]

4.5 Stars. This was my first time reading Baldacci and I really enjoyed this book. It has a fast paced plot with a lot of twists and turns. At times, it was very hard to put down. I would definitely recommend it.

Truly a nail biter to the end.

Very exciting! Typical Baldacci never disappoints.

My first Baldacci. Intriguing story, well executed. Will read more of his writing.

Some parts were a little slow, but still a very good read.

LuAnn Tyler is twenty years old and has an eight-month-old daughter, Lisa. Living in a backwoods Georgia town in a ramshackle mobile home, LuAnn is beyond poor and always has been. And the trailer belongs to the baby’s father, a young man with a love for idleness and drink but none for LuAnn or the baby.Even though she never finished middle school, LuAnn is innately intelligent and street smart. She is also physically attractive and possesses a genetic physical strength that is belied by her l [...]