The Whole Truth (2008)

David Baldacci's first international thriller may take place largely outside the U.S., but like a Starbucks in London, it's as Yankee as it gets. In The Whole Truth nearly all the major players are American, and the ones who aren't have no power. A U.S. defense contractor hires an American ''perception management'' firm to turn the world against Russia and create another Cold War (apparently Russia has no say in the matter). Meanwhile, an American journalist gets wind of the scheme. Fortunately, the plot travels with the same speed as its globe-trotting cast, but the action feels familiar and ends where you knew it would: back home. C+