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If you are searching for a thriller series with twists and turns that will keep you engrossed and intrigued, then look no further than the John Puller novels by prolific author David Baldacci. While Baldacci’s began his professional career practicing law, he always found a passion for writing throughout his life. As a child, he would write short stories, and eventually he began to translate this love for writing into bestselling and highly-acclaimed novels. His books are translated into dozens of languages so that people across the globe can enjoy his rich characters and enticing plots. Baldacci has even seen some success in other mediums, having two of his works adapted into films and one into a recent television series.
He is perhaps best known for his extremely popular John Puller series of books, which he started publishing in 2011. These novels focus on the titular protagonist, John Puller who is an investigator with the United States Army in their Criminal Investigative Division. Perhaps living a bit in his father’s illustrious shadow, John Puller finds himself undeniably dedicated to his job. His family is in some chaos as Puller’s brother has been sentenced to life in a federal military prison after a shocking conviction of military treason. This chaotic inner turmoil drives the former combat veteran, John Puller, to seek the truth in every investigation no matter how complex or daunting it may seem.
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Order of John Puller Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zero Day | 2011 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | The Forgotten | 2012 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | The Escape | 2014 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | No Man's Land | 2016 | Description / Buy |
BEST JOHN PULLER BOOKS:
The first installment in the series, Zero Day, sets the scene and the tone for this thrilling set of books. John Puller finds himself in an unlikely setting for a thrilling drama, the coal mining region of West Virginia. While it isn’t a typical hotbed for criminal activity, the tight-knit community is stunned and appalled to find an entire family brutally murdered. Puller finds himself working in close quarters with the detective in charge of the region, who can be a bit stubborn as she combats her own issues during the investigation.
Puller attempts to get to the core of the crime by unraveling a tangled web of lies and secrets to uncover the truth. He finds a community is chaos and becomes skeptical that anyone can be trusted to be honest when they are all working so hard to protect themselves and the secrets they want to keep. Although it seems impossible at times, Puller persists in an impressive effort to solve the brutal homicides and bring the culprit to justice. While the novel is a thrilling mystery, it also provides insightful social commentary and impressive character development. The emotional depth of the citizens in the West Virginia town Puller is investigating all have impressive backgrounds and shocking stories to tell.
Another must read in the John Puller series is the fourth novel, No Man’s Land which was published in November of 2016. This novel sees John Puller once again at the forefront of a complex mystery. This time, however, the case he is trying to solve hits much closer to home. When he was younger, John Puller’s mother mysterious vanished. When No Man’s Landbegins, it has been a full thirty years since she has been heard from by anyone. Suddenly, Puller’s father is at the heart of a new investigation into her disappearance despite his sterling reputation.
Sadly, his father is now ailing and has dementia making the investigation even more difficult and giving Puller’s father little opportunity to defend himself against the new accusations. Because this is a conflict of interest, John Puller is told that he will not be allowed to investigate this case, and violating that order could mean he might lose his job. Undeterred in his lifelong quest to uncover the truth and motivated by the drive to clear his father’s good name, John Puller disobeys his official orders and begins to investigate despite the looming consequences. This twisting mystery leads Puller to the startling thought that his father may in fact be the killer, and everything he thought he knew is suddenly called into question.
The deeper he gets into the investigation into this decades old personal family mystery, the more he may have wished he obeyed orders and stayed out of things. Still, that is not in his nature and the exciting thriller that results will keep readers from being able to put this family drama down even for a minute.
IF YOU LIKE THE JOHN PULLER BOOK SERIES:
You would most likely enjoy the “Mitch Rapp” series written by Vince Flynn, or the “Jack Reacher” series by Lee Child.
What Is The Next Book in The John Puller Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The John Puller Series. The newest book is No Man's Land and was released on November, 15th 2016.
John Puller is a great protagonist. While heavily flawed, the reader sees that he is human and trying his best, which is what we all wish we had in our lives. Puller has a strong set of morals and the twists and turns he goes through will keep you glued to these books.
I do have to disagree with this article where it talks about West Virginia not typically being a hotbed for criminal activity. I have my suspicions (for good reason) that WV is not the well-behaved area some may think it is. Just my opinion though.