Hope Rises, the sequel to Nash Falls, is another great page-turner!
Table of Contents
My Rating of Hope Rises – 4 stars out of 5
Introduction
There is a specific kind of “good-tired” that only comes from staying up until 2:00 AM because David Baldacci decided to end a chapter on a cliffhanger. You know the feeling: your eyes are burning, your alarm clock is mocking you, but you simply cannot put the book down. I’ve just emerged from the pages of his latest, Hope Rises, and honestly? My adrenaline levels may never return to baseline. At least, not for the foreseeable future! The 1st installment of this series (?) was Nash Falls, which was a great read too. Hope rises, the sequel, takes the intrigue a notch higher and then brings it all back together very nicely at the end.
We’ve all been there—worrying that a prolific author might eventually run out of steam. But with Hope Rises, Baldacci proves he’s not just keeping pace; he’s setting it. The plotting is as tight as a drum, and the pacing feels like a high-speed chase with the brakes cut. What I loved most about this one wasn’t just the high-stakes “will-they-won’t-they” survival elements, but the sincerity of the characters. Baldacci has this incredible knack for taking hardened, world-weary protagonists and giving them a sliver of vulnerability that makes you root for them, not just because they’re the “good guys,” but because they feel like real people you’d want to grab a coffee with (provided no one is shooting at you).
As someone who has devoured thrillers for decades, I’m usually pretty good at spotting the “big twist” by page 50! (I’m kidding)! Baldacci, however, played me like a fiddle. He weaves technical details and political intrigue into the narrative so seamlessly that you feel smarter just for having read it. It’s not just a “shoot-’em-up”; it’s a masterclass in how power moves in the shadows. There are some twists and turns that I didn’t see coming, and even though some of the scenes sounded too easy, they were never completely unbelievable. He spans it over multiple countries – the US, Hong Kong, Myanmar (or if you’d prefer, Burma)- and he takes us on a jolly good ride.
The Plot/Storyline of Hope Rises
It starts where Nash Falls left off. Walter Nash, now morphed into Dillon Hope, is travelling to Hong Kong with Rhett Temple, his boss, while he was Walter Nash. They are going to meet with Victoria Steers, the evil Queen of the criminal empire, which has wrapped its tentacles around Rhett’s company and is using it to further its illegal businesses in the US. But none of them are aware that Hope is on this plane voluntarily, and he wants to kill Victoria Steers for destroying his family and kidnapping and killing his teenage daughter. But when in life (and in fiction) have things been straightforward?
Victoria Steers has not become the head of this large international criminal enterprise by being naive and simple. She has a nasty plan for Temple and Hope, and they have no clue it won’t succeed in getting them out alive. They are sent into Burma to complete an almost impossible task, but with some local help, Temple and Hope somehow make it out alive. Back in the US, they find that Victoria is not going to let them go free, but has other nefarious designs on them. New characters come in here, and the author builds different character arcs, some of which will catch you completely by surprise.
Hope Rises takes the nascent series (not sure if there’d be another one in the future) into a completely different direction than the one Nash Falls ended with. That is the beauty of David Baldacci’s imagination and creative craft, that he took us, readers on one path with Nash Falls and then subtly changed track in Hope Rises. No one is purely evil anymore, nor is anyone purely saintly. It is the greys and off-whites that define each character, and you, as the reader, easily identify with each one of them (not the true villains, of course). The metamorphosis of Walter Nash, the nerdy banker whose intelligence was his primary attribute, has now become a physically imposing killing machine!
Conclusion
Without giving away any more teasers into what this novel holds, I will exhort you to read Nash Falls first (if you haven’t already) and then get stuck into Hope Rises so that you get the continuity of how the story evolves, why the characters do what they do. Overall, both books put together complete a wholesome thriller, page-turning at a breakneck speed and playing havoc with your sleep cycle! And since I lost a good weekend’s worth of sleep, rushing to finish this as I could not put it down, I will wish the same upon you, my friends.
If you’re looking for a book that offers a bit of emotional oxygen amidst the chaos of a typical thriller, this is it. It’s hopeful (clue’s in the title, right?), gritty, and surprisingly funny in those brief moments where the characters finally catch their breath.
- The Plot: Lean, mean, and unexpectedly moving.
- The Vibe: Like a cinematic action movie, but with a soul.
- The Verdict: Cancel your plans for the weekend. You’re going to be busy reading this cover to cover!
Honestly, if this book doesn’t end up on every “Best of 2026” list, I’ll eat my reading glasses. (Don’t hold me to that, they’re prescription.)
So, have you had a chance to dive into Hope Rises yet, or are you still working through your “Must-Read” pile? Let’s chat in the comments!
