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krystalfleur22's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
msphyl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
lachesisreads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
dawn_marie's review
1.0
[b:Walk the Wire|52838845|Walk the Wire (Amos Decker, #6)|David Baldacci|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1579012170l/52838845._SX50_SY75_.jpg|72766935] is the 6th offering in [a:David Baldacci|9291|David Baldacci|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1557427264p2/9291.jpg]’s Memory Man /Amos Decker) Series. The novel starts out well enough: Amos Decker, the FBI consultant with hyperthymesia and synesthesia, and his FBI partner and former journalist Alex Jamison are sent to London, North Dakota to investigate a murder. And in typical David Baldacci fashion, the small frakking town holds its share of secrets.
After a rather promising start, Walk the Wire falls apart – becoming a hodgepodged mess. It was so convoluted that I was waiting for the literal kitchen sink to be tossed into the fray . . . because it seemed like everything else was included in the plot.
While I generally like the small town with big secret trope, this novel was extreme. Not only is the military using an Air Force station to cover up a secret prison for terrorists you have:
(1) an abandoned stash of bioweapons/chemicals stored in the same station;
(2) foreign actors trying to access the stored bioweapons looking to create geopolitical insecurity;
(3) a group of individuals trying to disrupt the frakking operation for . . . reasons??;
(4) a disillusioned AWOL Airman willing to sell out his country (and kill dozens) because he can’t make enough money in the Air Force;
(5) a mortician stealing from the deceased;
(6) blackmail (oh, so much blackmail);
(7) business rivalries that turn nasty;
(8) a Hutterite-type colony; and
(9) the stupidest reason for murdering six, seven (I lost count at one point) people. Ever!
And this is before Will Robie, Jessica Reel, and Blue Man show up. I enjoy these characters . . . when they are in their own story. Their insertion into an Amos Decker novel feels ham-fisted and extremely forced, making the already bloated storyline unwieldy.
If Mr. Baldacci left off Robie et al and dropped a few of the red herrings and extraneous plot points , the novel would have been more enjoyable.
I think tighter editing and the elimination of extraneous plot threads would have resulted in a more cohesive and enjoyable story line.
After a rather promising start, Walk the Wire falls apart – becoming a hodgepodged mess. It was so convoluted that I was waiting for the literal kitchen sink to be tossed into the fray . . . because it seemed like everything else was included in the plot.
Spoiler
While I generally like the small town with big secret trope, this novel was extreme. Not only is the military using an Air Force station to cover up a secret prison for terrorists you have:
(1) an abandoned stash of bioweapons/chemicals stored in the same station;
(2) foreign actors trying to access the stored bioweapons looking to create geopolitical insecurity;
(3) a group of individuals trying to disrupt the frakking operation for . . . reasons??;
(4) a disillusioned AWOL Airman willing to sell out his country (and kill dozens) because he can’t make enough money in the Air Force;
(5) a mortician stealing from the deceased;
(6) blackmail (oh, so much blackmail);
(7) business rivalries that turn nasty;
(8) a Hutterite-type colony; and
(9) the stupidest reason for murdering six, seven (I lost count at one point) people. Ever!
And this is before Will Robie, Jessica Reel, and Blue Man show up. I enjoy these characters . . . when they are in their own story. Their insertion into an Amos Decker novel feels ham-fisted and extremely forced, making the already bloated storyline unwieldy.
If Mr. Baldacci left off Robie et al and dropped a few of the red herrings and extraneous plot points , the novel would have been more enjoyable.
I think tighter editing and the elimination of extraneous plot threads would have resulted in a more cohesive and enjoyable story line.
fotoshopguy52's review
3.0
3.5 Stars. Interesting, and even exciting and engrossing at times, but rather slow to start with much necessary exposition and local character development that made the book lag for me through the first several chapters. It did pick up, but at least a couple instances of Deus ex machina seem to occur more often in Baldacci's later works, along with other contrived plot vehicles to further the story line. It even felt drawn-out at times - especially the overly descriptive passages regarding fracking. I found it rather annoying that it portrayed fracking as a viable alternative, since very few of the many dangers and issues associated with it were not discussed!
The later chapters were generally better, but the ending was somewhat sappy and over the top. Hopefully his future work will return to a more consistent nature and pace throughout.
The later chapters were generally better, but the ending was somewhat sappy and over the top. Hopefully his future work will return to a more consistent nature and pace throughout.
scrappyhooker's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
janeeyre_914716's review
5.0
Where to begin.... AND how to sum this up?
I guess all I can say is BALDACCI IS BAAAAACK AND BETTER THAN EVER! Seriously, I have to say even though I've been trying to catch up with his books this year and actually getting to a new book of his this early is pretty exciting for me. Not only that but a character cameo showed up from another series Baldacci did and is basically a crossover with Amos Decker. This crossover character isn't just any one. It was freaking Will Robie who I absolutely love as a character and to have both he and Amos work together....
To see Will Robie make a cameo in another lead character series was a dream come true and.....
![description](https://media2.giphy.com/media/Z6qRyMKRFNLCE/source.gif")
Words just can't describe how much I seriously loved this one and actually would love to see Amos and Will come back together one more time because they had such amazing chemistry and worked well together and as discreetly as possible until the very end. What bring Will Robie into all of this you ask? Well, you'll just have to read and find out because it's BIIIIG and needs Decker's brilliant mind and memory and Robie's particular skills and together they're actually unstoppable in getting down to the truth of finding secrets in the town of London North Dakota.
so to sum it all up....
I guess all I can say is BALDACCI IS BAAAAACK AND BETTER THAN EVER! Seriously, I have to say even though I've been trying to catch up with his books this year and actually getting to a new book of his this early is pretty exciting for me. Not only that but a character cameo showed up from another series Baldacci did and is basically a crossover with Amos Decker. This crossover character isn't just any one. It was freaking Will Robie who I absolutely love as a character and to have both he and Amos work together....
To see Will Robie make a cameo in another lead character series was a dream come true and.....
Words just can't describe how much I seriously loved this one and actually would love to see Amos and Will come back together one more time because they had such amazing chemistry and worked well together and as discreetly as possible until the very end. What bring Will Robie into all of this you ask? Well, you'll just have to read and find out because it's BIIIIG and needs Decker's brilliant mind and memory and Robie's particular skills and together they're actually unstoppable in getting down to the truth of finding secrets in the town of London North Dakota.
so to sum it all up....