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lori_loves_reading's review
4.0
A good book in the Memory Man series but not a great one. Too many plot lines that didn’t connect. I am going to start the Will Robie series now though as I liked his part in this book.
mghill40's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
lior07's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
jsanders05's review against another edition
2.0
Cliches up the wazoo. Every single fricking person is good-looking. Every man is the size of a mountain with salt n' pepper hair. All the women are skinny, sexy, and would make Lara Croft jealous. The outcome was pretty predictable, and I picked-up on a lot of the clues. All that said, the book is very well written. I chuckled a couple times.
I did feel a 'tad' bit lost here and there because this book is #6 in a series, and I read it as a stand-alone. It works fine by itself, but I didn't feel too satisfied with character development, and I have a couple questions on the relationships with a few characters. (Which probably wouldn't be there if I started the series from the top.) A lot of the plot seemed a little 'too good to be true' and I wish someone else other than Decker got some of the 'Ahah!' moments.
I'll read another David Baldacci if the opportunity shows itself. I probably won't specifically be seeking him out unless one of his other books fits a reading challenge prompt or something.
In 2021 I used this book for the "Legal Profession' prompt for the 52 Book Club.
I did feel a 'tad' bit lost here and there because this book is #6 in a series, and I read it as a stand-alone. It works fine by itself, but I didn't feel too satisfied with character development, and I have a couple questions on the relationships with a few characters. (Which probably wouldn't be there if I started the series from the top.) A lot of the plot seemed a little 'too good to be true' and I wish someone else other than Decker got some of the 'Ahah!' moments.
I'll read another David Baldacci if the opportunity shows itself. I probably won't specifically be seeking him out unless one of his other books fits a reading challenge prompt or something.
In 2021 I used this book for the "Legal Profession' prompt for the 52 Book Club.
ljhilgart's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
3.0
puzzlegirl30's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
mojoshivers's review against another edition
5.0
Great story. This novel was almost Christie-esque—very Murder on the Orient Express. But instead of multiple murders with the same motive, this was multiple mysteries with almost no bearing to each other muddling up the solution to each of them.
With mysteries the reader’s natural inclination is to think every clue is connected to the “bigger story,” that there’s some grand solution that ties all the twists together. But this book with its two military cover-ups, and multiple staged suicides and murders just goes to show you how delightfully twisted a book can be when you have three unrelated cases all happening in the span of a week’s time.
I thought for sure I was going to get this madcap explanation to how it all ties together, but the fact they didn’t tie actually made for a better novel. It was a great twist and absolutely fooled, which is all I ever ask of a mystery. I want to be stumped and then still have the solution be obvious in hindsight.
I also liked having everyone’s favorite tag team of government assassins provide back-up. Now all we need is to bring the best CID investigator John Puller and the unflappable National Park Ranger and we’ll have the Baldacci dream team assembled in one place.
With mysteries the reader’s natural inclination is to think every clue is connected to the “bigger story,” that there’s some grand solution that ties all the twists together. But this book with its two military cover-ups, and multiple staged suicides and murders just goes to show you how delightfully twisted a book can be when you have three unrelated cases all happening in the span of a week’s time.
I thought for sure I was going to get this madcap explanation to how it all ties together, but the fact they didn’t tie actually made for a better novel. It was a great twist and absolutely fooled, which is all I ever ask of a mystery. I want to be stumped and then still have the solution be obvious in hindsight.
I also liked having everyone’s favorite tag team of government assassins provide back-up. Now all we need is to bring the best CID investigator John Puller and the unflappable National Park Ranger and we’ll have the Baldacci dream team assembled in one place.
djhobby's review against another edition
3.0
6.5 out of 10 stars.
Another good Amos Decker page turner. Also a good introduction, for me, to Will Robie and friends.
Another good Amos Decker page turner. Also a good introduction, for me, to Will Robie and friends.
uncle_nino's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
2.0
Amos Decker is a big guy. Former football player, yada yada yada. But he is not a badass. He doesn't burst in and defeat the bad guys, ala Baldacci's other characters, e.g., Will Robie, Atlee Pine. He's shrewdly intelligent and methodical. He's Sherlock Holmes in a huge package. He has a condition called hyperthymesia, which means he never forgets and has also become a synesthete who counts in colors. His social intelligence has been impaired , so he has difficulty relating to others. This is what I look forward to in an Amos Decker novel.
So, it was apparent to me that this became a Will Robie book the minute he appeared and became the hero of explosions and gun battles, even saving Decker's life... twice.
If I wanted Will Robie, I'd read Will Robie.
***
The story was decent. Decker did, in fact, end up solving the case, but everyone to a man knew that would happen. I just didn't care for the crossing of novels in this particular case, considering a big chunk of it was without Decker. Alex Jamison was there, but she wasn't there. Jamison is usually very intuitive herself, being a former journalist, plus she's a hell of a lot better at dealing with people than Amos.
In this novel, she wasn't nearly as useful, and Baldacci allowed her to be slow in putting the clues together. Frustrating.
There's one more in this series. Let's hope he redeems himself and gives us Memory Man fans something to remember.
So, it was apparent to me that this became a Will Robie book the minute he appeared and became the hero of explosions and gun battles, even saving Decker's life... twice.
If I wanted Will Robie, I'd read Will Robie.
***
The story was decent. Decker did, in fact, end up solving the case, but everyone to a man knew that would happen. I just didn't care for the crossing of novels in this particular case, considering a big chunk of it was without Decker. Alex Jamison was there, but she wasn't there. Jamison is usually very intuitive herself, being a former journalist, plus she's a hell of a lot better at dealing with people than Amos.
In this novel, she wasn't nearly as useful, and Baldacci allowed her to be slow in putting the clues together. Frustrating.
There's one more in this series. Let's hope he redeems himself and gives us Memory Man fans something to remember.