A twisty turning resolution to the duology

This book is a must read if you like: Sharp twists, moral relativity, and Thrillers.

About the Book:

Title: Hope Rises

Genre(s): Thriller

Author: David Baldacci

Narrated by MacLeod Andrews; Will Collyer; Shiromi Arserio; Christine Lakin; Larry Herron; Tim Lounibos

Published by: Hachette Audio | Grand Central Publishing

Date Published: 04/14/2026

Format Read: AudioBook

Where I Got It: NetGalley ARC/ALC

Stand alone or series Number: It is Book Two of a series.

I finished reading Hope Rises on 04/07/2026.

Snapshot: what do you need to know before you pick up the book.

Profanity: Adult, occasional use of F word

Intimacy: Adult, mentions of adult intimacy, but not descriptions, brief descriptions of intercourse (very low spice).

Violence: Moderate, some intense moments and mildly graphic descriptions of knife and gun violence

Themes: Moderate, Drugs, espionage, murder

My Thoughts

The mood of this book felt like a big shift for me from book one. It even says it where book one the character had ablan and this book everything happens to him and he reacts.

This was a quick read for me. It was a simple read and I wanted to keep reading until I found out what happened.

I am not going to sugar coat this, I thought the twists were very clever, but I didn’t really like the twists. I thought they were well done, but I felt it weakened the character.

I will say I was not expecting the twists an I haven’t seen the decisions before. This was very unique.

One of the questions the book raises that I appreciated was “what defines a person?” “what makes a person good or bad”?

I thought the narration was excellent and very much contributed to my understanding of the story.

I am glad I read this book. It was very well done. However, I don’t personally like the twists and the direction they took.

Description

Walter Nash began a journey down a dark path of seemingly no return, and now he finds himself questioning everything that got him there in this thrilling sequel to Nash Falls from #1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci.

Walter Nash, working under the alias of Dillon Hope, is on the road to revenge after becoming an informant for the FBI against a global criminal operation headed up by Victoria Steers. Steers has ripped everything Nash held dear away from him. He has nothing left to lose and with long, rigorous training under his belt the gentle and sensitive Nash has transformed into something he never thought he’d be: a physically imposing man with lethal skills. And now he has only goal left in life: taking down Victoria Steers.

In order to succeed, he’s going to need to cross enemy lines and work the job from the inside. But Steers is shrewd and only brings those she trusts completely into her inner circle. Nash must rely on every ounce of his hard-earned skills in order to prove himself an ally to Steers if he’s ever going to get close enough to decimate her criminal empire.

Yet, despite hating the woman for destroying his life, Nash finds himself oddly drawn to Steers in ways that he never could’ve imagined. And what he ultimately discovers will turn all he believed upside down, forcing Nash to do something truly unfathomable.

So, will the truth set Nash free? Or end him?

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