David Baldacci was born in Richmond, Virginia on August 5, 1960. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia. He practiced law in Washington D.C. as a trial and corporate lawyer. His first novel, Absolute Power, was published in 1996. It won Britain's prestigious W.H. Smith's Thumping Good Read award for fiction in 1997 and was adapted as a movie starring Clint Eastwood. His other works include Total Control, The Winner, Simple Truth, Saving Faith, One Summer, Zero Day, and The Innocent. He writes numerous series including Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, Freddy and the French Fries, and… the Camel Club. He also published a novella entitled Office Hours and has authored five original screenplays. His titles,The Hit, King and Maxwell, The Finisher, The Target and The Escape made The New York Times Best Seller List.