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FAQs
What order should I read David Baldacci's books?
Baldacci's novels fall into several separate series, each of which is best read in internal order though all can stand alone reasonably well. The most popular starting points are: Memory Man (2015) for the Amos Decker series, Split Second (2003) for the Sean King & Michelle Maxwell books, The Camel Club (2005) for the political thriller series of that name, Zero Day (2011) for the John Puller series, The Innocent (2012) for Will Robie, Long Road to Mercy (2018) for Atlee Pine, A Gambling Man (2021) for Aloysius Archer, and The 6:20 Man (2022) for Travis Devine. His standalone novels — including Absolute Power, Wish You Well, and One Good Deed — work perfectly as independent entry points for readers new to his work.
What awards has David Baldacci won?
Baldacci has been recognized across multiple decades and categories. Absolute Power won Britain's W.H. Smith's Thumping Good Read Award (1997). He received the International Thriller Writers Silver Bullet Award (2008), the Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award (2012), the Library of Virginia Lifetime Achievement Award (2017), and the Nielsen Platinum Bestseller Award (2018). One Good Deed won the Nero Award for Best Mystery Novel (2020). He was named the PEN/Faulkner Literary Champion (2024), and won the ITW Award for Best Series Novel (2025). He was inducted into the International Crime Writing Hall of Fame in 2011 and has been a contributing editor at Parade magazine, reaching more than 75 million readers.
How did David Baldacci become a novelist?
Baldacci was writing from childhood — his mother gave him a notebook to keep him busy, and he never stopped. He studied political science and law, practiced as a trial and corporate attorney in Washington, D.C. for nine years, and wrote fiction in his spare time throughout: short stories, screenplays, and eventually novel chapters, all of which went largely unnoticed. His debut novel Absolute Power (1996), written during those years of law practice, changed everything. It became an instant international bestseller, won a major British literary prize, and was quickly adapted into a Hollywood film directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. Baldacci left the law and has been a full-time novelist ever since.
What is the Wish You Well Foundation, and what does it do?
The Wish You Well Foundation is a nonprofit organization cofounded by David Baldacci and his wife Michelle, named after one of his most personal novels. Its mission is to eradicate illiteracy and aliteracy — the condition of being able to read but choosing not to — across the United States. The foundation partners with Feeding America through its Feeding Body & Mind program, which distributes books alongside food to families in need across America, recognizing that food insecurity and illiteracy often travel together. Baldacci has consistently channeled significant resources and attention into the foundation as a central part of his public work.
Which of David Baldacci's books have been adapted for film or television?
Several of Baldacci's novels have reached screens large and small. Absolute Power (1996) was adapted as a 1997 feature film directed by and starring Clint Eastwood alongside Gene Hackman. The Sean King & Michelle Maxwell series was adapted as a TNT television series starring Jon Tenney and Rebecca Romijn, running for one season and ten episodes. Wish You Well was adapted as a 2013 film starring Ellen Burstyn, Josh Lucas, and Mackenzie Foy — Baldacci wrote the screenplay himself. The Christmas Train became a 2017 Hallmark Channel movie starring Dermot Mulroney, Joan Cusack, and Danny Glover. One Summer was adapted for Hallmark Movies & Mysteries in 2021. Additional projects based on his work are in various stages of development.