For review of all books in the Amos Decker series, go here.
Stars: 3 / 5
Recommendation: It is still a well-written and engaging story, even though it leads to unexpected roads. Definitely not fast-paced since a lot of redundancy and droning goes on. Somehow Baldacci still managed to keep the reader gripping to the tale. That is what this makes readable!
Redemption is the fifth book in the Amos Decker series by David Baldacci and originally published on April 16, 2019.
The stories in this series center on Amos Decker, a detective turned private investigator who has an excellent memory, that he doesn’t forget anything and can recall things from his past and personal experiences and also everything he heard or read about in history. His condition – hyperthymesia and synesthesia – is due to the helmet-to-helmet collision with opposing team player on his very first NFL game, that almost killed him. He was revived twice which caused his brain to retain memory; and also see world in a kaleidoscope of colors and numbers. He uses his skills to catch killers as a detective first and later as a private investigator.
Amos comes back to Burlington, Ohio on his family’s death anniversary, four years since they passed, when the person he put away, Meryl Hawkins, challenging him to prove him innocent. This was his first case as a rookie Detective and now he has to pair up with his first partner Mary Lancaster to reopen the case and relook at it again. Again despite FBI asking him not to take up the case, Amos and Alex stay back to investigate thus uncovering a conspiracy that goes high up in the law enforcement of Burlington and another terrorist cell uncovered. But is he solving at a personal cost to him? Or is his profession with FBI is at jeopardy?
This is not a simple tale as it seems leading Amos Decker down a path that opens doors to unexpected avenues. There is still a lot of paraphrasing and repetitive scenes and scenarios that we could have gotten away with it and still have a decent story. It is unusual for Baldacci’s books since I read a few of his novels in a different series. Perhaps to show Decker’s synesthesia and hyperthymesia, he had to take this approach.
Decker still remains a fat agent as he describes himself. He continues to be very human with real emotions as opposed to having a god-like figure and overtly rich as shown in many TV shows. This was the one of the saving graces that made me give 3 stars. I see a lot of football euphemisms included in the plot and also different plays that they use on football.
As the books proceed we see that Amos struggles with his ever changing memory. Although he seems to regain his perfect memory still. This time around he has very little support from FBI since he goes against their wishes to solve this case. But Melvin mars makes an appearance and becomes a formidable partner.
The books in this series are following a similar pattern. It is still a well-written and engaging story, even though it leads to unexpected roads. Definitely not fast-paced since a lot of redundancy and droning goes on. Somehow Baldacci still managed to keep the reader gripping to the tale. That is what this makes readable!
Spoiler Alerts:
Plot Reveals:
1) Police force in Burlington – Mary Lancaster, her husband Earl and daughter Sandy; Kelly Fairweather; Captain MacKenzie Miller; Sally Brimmer; Blake Natty;
Sub Plots:
1. FBI Joint Task Force – Special Agent Ross Bogart; “Alex” Jamison, FBI consultant.; Todd Milligan;
2. Mary Lancaster is diagnosed with early onset dementia.
3. Amos Decker’s family and friends: His dead family – Cassandra “Cassie” his wife, Molly his daughter and Johnny his brother-in-law; he has two sisters too with spouses and kids.
4. Alex’s family – sister Amber and niece Zoe Mitchell;
Galavant Reflections 