This book follows on from the shenanigans that occurred in the series opener Nash Falls and, imho, will not really work in isolation. So, please do read that book first or you might struggle with following what is going on herein. Also, it's probably not a great idea to read any more reviews for this book if you haven't, and intend to read Nash Falls as they, including this one, might contain spoilers for it. So... we left Walter Nash as Dillon Hope, working for his old boss from Sybaritic, Rhett Temple, as hired muscle / bodyguard. This book begins directly after the first one ended with Nash and Temple on a plane flying to Hong Kong to meet with Victoria Steers, the head of the criminal organisation which Sybaritic is heavily involved with. And the one that Nash is assisting the FBI in investigating. And that's all I'm saying as, pretty much as soon as they land, it becomes so convoluted and interconnected, with so much sleight of hand and obfuscation, that anything further I say could spoil things. Suffice to say that you really need your wits about you as the action comes thick and fast, ably accompanied by quite a lot of cerebral plotting, twists and turns, and skin of teeth getting out of hot water. It's all exciting stuff! As well as being an action packed, tightly plotted, race against time story, there is also quite a lot of food for thought, should you be so inclined. Mostly around topics I can't expand on here, but there are questions to be had around identity and morality. Nature and nurture features too. And it all proceeds at quite a lick as it's delivered in short punchy chapters which progress the narrative very well indeed. And the ending, well, the conclusion of this episode, definitely finishes less on a cliff hanger that the previous. Which leaves the wait for the next book a lot more comfortable. Although, that said, I'll probably listen to this one again before I dive in.

We first met Walter Nash in Nash Falls, and in the second book of two, his story continues, though by now he is operating as Dillon Hope. I’d suggest you start with Nash Falls, because, although Baldacci provides sufficient backstory to let you understand what has gone before, it’s still best to get the whole story, which really does inform the second book. Now a completely transformed man, Nash finds himself trapped between a rock and a hard place. Still hell-bent on revenge against crime boss Victoria Steers, he is working covertly with the FBI to bring down her evil crime syndicate. Nash is a curious man. Having had his whole life turned upside down, he is single-minded in his mission, yet he is morally and ethically a just man, and what he discovers leaves him confused and questioning his own resolve. Baldacci puts Nash through the wringer, with a dangerous mission to Myanmar, where only Nash’s pre-planning and clever manoeuvres prevent him from ending up dead at the side of a road. And as if Victoria Steers is not enough to contend with, another wicked witch of the East appears, this one even deadlier than Victoria. Masuyo is the personification of the evil Chinese Empire, working to secure the deaths of many millions of Americans through a fentanyl supply chain. Then there’s Temple, the billionaire son and Chief Executive of what was his father’s company. Morally bankrupt and interested only in saving his own skin, he was once Nash’s employer and is now tethered to Steer’s bidding. I especially enjoyed the Connor Lord figure. While he isn’t quite the same kind of figure as a certain multi-billionaire entrepreneur, there’s enough familiarity about his character for me to put a face to this particular villain and to enjoy his take-down very much. Action-packed and full of treachery and betrayal, Hope Rises is a thrill ride that takes us from Hong Kong to New Orleans, involving more than one US Government agency in the process. Surprisingly, this book isn’t just about revenge and thrilling action sequences. Rather, Baldacci takes this book in a surprising direction, bringing in empathy and the possibility of redemption for more than one of his characters, alongside the thrills, action sequences and deadly conspiracies. Verdict: An action-packed, thrilling ride, with many twists and turns and a surprising narrative arc. Complex plotting and devious characters lead to many revelations and a deadly plot that threatens to destroy US civilisation.