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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
Too many ideas and unrelated plots/characters. The action scenes are decent but there’s not enough of them. The dialogue was painful. I was a huge Baldacci fan prior to this one.
Good story but a bit long and winding. 3.5 stars. I really like the character of Amos Decker.
This is the sixth book in the Amos Decker series and I'm 5 books behind but living proof [as usual] you can pick up a series smack bang in the middle and still love it. Decker is an ex-NFL footballer turned FBI agent who senses things with stunning clarity due to a head injury that ended his pro-career. He and Jamison (his loyal FBI-partner who I liken to Eames in Law & Order: Criminal Intent) are summoned to remote North Dakota following the murder of a young woman with a mysterious past. The community relies upon the fracking industry and it's related enterprises and there are two families who control most of the commodities in the local area. When there are more deaths, Decker and Jamison appear to be chasing their tails to determine whether any of the events are related, or they are simply coincidental. There are also some questions about a local alternative community within the community and their ways of life are scrutinised because of their links to the dead.
Decker and Jamison have a strong work chemistry. Decker is an interesting lead, with idiosyncracies he is increasingly aware of but at times not motivated or not able to do anything about. Particularly work-wise where they get results. It's on a personal level where things get messy and you see Decker wandering a little aimlessly. Jamison is not just his support - she's his equal and has complementary skills that come in handy.
The advantage of picking up a book in the middle of a series is I can now go back and read the previous five. Unbeknownst to me other characters in this book, the steely assassin Will Robie and and the mysterious Jessica Reel appear in other Baldacci books but not knowing them did not impact my reading of this one. In fact, I was interested to what had brought them to this point. [I have read other Baldacci novels - #FirstFamily being a good one].
This book had alot of moving parts and it was interesting to read about the fracking industry, learn about the area of North Dakota, and dig a little into historical government relationships that are mentioned in this book across the last 50 years.
This book has a balance of police procedural verging on espionage, suspense, and investment in character relationships to make it an excellent choice for people who enjoy books involving this mix.
Decker and Jamison have a strong work chemistry. Decker is an interesting lead, with idiosyncracies he is increasingly aware of but at times not motivated or not able to do anything about. Particularly work-wise where they get results. It's on a personal level where things get messy and you see Decker wandering a little aimlessly. Jamison is not just his support - she's his equal and has complementary skills that come in handy.
The advantage of picking up a book in the middle of a series is I can now go back and read the previous five. Unbeknownst to me other characters in this book, the steely assassin Will Robie and and the mysterious Jessica Reel appear in other Baldacci books but not knowing them did not impact my reading of this one. In fact, I was interested to what had brought them to this point. [I have read other Baldacci novels - #FirstFamily being a good one].
This book had alot of moving parts and it was interesting to read about the fracking industry, learn about the area of North Dakota, and dig a little into historical government relationships that are mentioned in this book across the last 50 years.
This book has a balance of police procedural verging on espionage, suspense, and investment in character relationships to make it an excellent choice for people who enjoy books involving this mix.
Tortured logic and tortured plot that barely uses the protagonist's fabled memory, while teasing that he might be losing it. This was quite the kitchen sink of plot elements/MacGuffins: US gov black ops prison camps; murder; fracking; rampant capitalism; lesbian killer; shoddy autopsies... whew. The best aspect of these Baldacci novels is being able to breeze through them without having to think, which is a nice change as I work my way into Finnegans Wake.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
I'm a big fan of the Amos Decker series and can happily say I enjoyed Walk the Wire. Intriguing plot/subplots kept me guessing to the end. Thought it was a great call by the author to use a setting you don't normally find in thrillers and he did a great job combining different storylines to keep things moving at a high pace, while finding a way to wrap up everything nice and neat at the end.
But what I really want to talk about is the huge surprise at the end of Chapter 24. However, I don't want to spoil it for Baldacci fans as it comes out of nowhere and is completely awesome. Changes the dynamic and trajectory of the book in a great way. In fact, I was fist pumping big time when the moment came and I started flying through the rest of the book.
Highly recommend this book. Bravo David Baldacci!
But what I really want to talk about is the huge surprise at the end of Chapter 24. However, I don't want to spoil it for Baldacci fans as it comes out of nowhere and is completely awesome. Changes the dynamic and trajectory of the book in a great way. In fact, I was fist pumping big time when the moment came and I started flying through the rest of the book.
Highly recommend this book. Bravo David Baldacci!
mysterious
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So this is a fairly novel experience. I started reading physically due to a student's recommendation. I finished the series and thought I was done with it. Then I read the very inferior Alex Cross series by James Patterson for my reading challenge and found myself waxing nostalgically for this series. So I transitioned into the Audiobook version and here we are.
I have to say, due to my head canon, I prefer the physical copies to the audiobook. There was just something about the plot and the narrator that made it harder to follow in audio format vs. physical text. I wish I had the time and resources to read this book in person, but that wasn't possible.
The story itself was interesting, it seems like as Amos Decker settles down and becomes more "normal" that my interest in the series wains. I felt like he has been to one too many rustic "Podunk" towns in the midwest and that this felt very similar to the previous entry in the series because of it.
That said I did find the book somewhat engaging and I don't know if I will jump off the train just yet. I definitely prefer this series to competition by other authors like Patterson. So I will wait and see when #7 comes out if I will feel the same way a few years from now.
I have to say, due to my head canon, I prefer the physical copies to the audiobook. There was just something about the plot and the narrator that made it harder to follow in audio format vs. physical text. I wish I had the time and resources to read this book in person, but that wasn't possible.
The story itself was interesting, it seems like as Amos Decker settles down and becomes more "normal" that my interest in the series wains. I felt like he has been to one too many rustic "Podunk" towns in the midwest and that this felt very similar to the previous entry in the series because of it.
That said I did find the book somewhat engaging and I don't know if I will jump off the train just yet. I definitely prefer this series to competition by other authors like Patterson. So I will wait and see when #7 comes out if I will feel the same way a few years from now.