Another audiobook that wouldn't stay in the car.
Some audiobooks are great for the commute. Others refuse to stay in the car. The Fix by David Baldacci is definitely one of those. I started listening while running errands, continued on my daily walk, and finally finished it while sitting in my living room staring into space because there was no way I was stopping before the end.
This is the third book in the Amos Decker series, and I can honestly say I love this character more with every installment.
The story begins with what appears to be a senseless murder-suicide. A defense contractor walks up to a substitute teacher outside a federal building, shoots her, and then turns the gun on himself. Amos Decker and his team are called in to investigate, and it quickly becomes obvious that nothing about the case is as straightforward as it first appears. Every answer uncovers another question, and every lead seems to point in a different direction. Even the small things are important. Like... why the federal building?
I really like how Baldacci is developing Amos Decker's character. When we first met Amos in Memory Man, he was defined almost entirely by his extraordinary abilities. His perfect memory and synesthesia made him a brilliant investigator, but they also isolated him from everyone around him. As the series has progressed, Baldacci has allowed him to slowly reclaim parts of his life. He's still socially awkward. He still notices everything. He still says exactly what's on his mind whether people want to hear it or not. But now he has something he didn't have before: people.
His partnership with Alex Jamison has become one of my favorite parts of the series. She gets frustrated by his habits and bluntness, which is so real life it makes me laugh, but she understands him better than almost anyone else. Their friendship feels genuine because neither one of them is trying to change the other. They simply have each other's backs.
I was also happy to see Melvin Mars make another appearance. I really enjoyed his character in The Last Mile, so seeing him become part of Decker's inner circle was a pleasant surprise. Too many thriller series introduce memorable characters only to forget they ever existed. Baldacci does the opposite, and it makes the world feel much more connected.
Of course, the mystery itself delivers exactly what I've come to expect from this series. Nothing is straightforward, even when it seems it should be. I was completely immersed in the story, and the pacing made it incredibly difficult (read: impossible) to press pause.
Apparently, I've developed a new five-star test. If an audiobook escapes the car, steals my daily walk, and ends with me staring into space in my living room because I have to know how it ends... it's earned every one of those stars.
