David Baldacci

Many of David Baldacci's political thrillers are set in Washington, D.C.

From his 2009 Q & A with The Hill:

So many of your books are set in Washington and have to do with the government and politics. What got you writing about Washington?

I moved there when I graduated from law school to practice in the mid-’80s, and my law offices were only a few blocks from the White House. I would catch glimpses of Secret Service men every so often, and I would see protesters in Lafayette Park a lot. It’s sort of an energetic place; it just seemed like a lot of fodder. I like to call Washington the only place that can raise your federal income tax and declare war. It just seemed like there were a lot of story ideas from there.

What kind of feedback do you get from your readers who also work in the sectors you write about? Do they ever try to correct you on anything?

You always have people who have special expertise, and if you get something wrong, they will no doubt tell you. That’s OK. I get that a lot from gun aficionados. If you write anything about a gun, you’ll get 1,000 people e-mailing you to say you got this or that wrong.

Read the complete Q & A.

Learn more about David Baldacci and his books at his website.

The Page 69 Test: Stone Cold.