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 is disturbing and dark. 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!
The Last Mile is the second book in the Amos Decker series by David Baldacci and originally published on April 16, 2016.
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.
In this second plot Amos Decker is now a consultant to FBI, thanks to Ross Bogart, his FBI contact in the first book. However, he hears a radio piece about a football player who was on death row for 20 years, when someone else cops for the murders of his parents for which this player was originally convicted of. Intrigued and despite FBI’s reluctance he goes to Texas to uncover the truth behind this convoluted and twisted conspiracy surrounding Melvin Mars.
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’s FBI partner Agent Alex Jamison, whom we met in the first book works towards reducing his weight, but he 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.
As opposed to the first book, Alex plays a key role in solving the case and just not relying on Decker’s incredible memory. I see a lot of football euphemisms included in the plot and also different plays that they use on football.
Spoiler Alerts:
Plot Reveals:
1) Melvin and Decker become good friends at the end of the plot.
Sub Plots:
1. FBI Agents – Special Agent Ross Bogart; “Alex” Jamison, reporter for News Leader in Burlington, Ohio who becomes an FBI consultant.; Lisa Davenport; Todd Milligan;
2. 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.
Galavant Reflections 