The Simple Truth by David Baldacci

Two brothers, two storylines, and one thoroughly confused listener.

I have enjoyed quite a few books by David Baldacci, so I had high hopes for The Simple Truth. Unfortunately, this one just wasn't working for me.

The story goes back and forth between two brothers, and I found myself constantly trying to figure out which one I was listening to at any given moment. By the time I sorted that out, we'd moved on again. Somewhere along the way, I lost the plot. Possibly more than one.

I don't necessarily think this is a bad book. I think it's a book that would work better for me in print. When I'm reading, I can flip back a few pages, double-check who's who, and get myself straightened out. Audiobooks aren't quite so forgiving, especially when I'm trying to follow the story while doing something else.

And frankly, listening to a book shouldn't feel like taking a pop quiz on character identification.

So I'm calling this one a DNF, but only for the audiobook version. I'm not ruling out picking up the print edition someday, because I suspect there's a perfectly good Baldacci story buried beneath my confusion.

Sometimes it's not the book. Sometimes it's the format. And sometimes you just need to know which brother you're dealing with!

Long Shadows by David Baldacci (Amos Decker #7)

I had theories. Decker had theories. Only one of us should be solving murders.

As usual, David Baldacci’s audiobook refused to stay in the car. Kudos to Hachette Audio for keeping it entertaining and enjoyable!

Long Shadows brings Amos Decker back for another complicated investigation, and at this point, I really like this guy. The more time I spend with Decker, the more human he becomes. He’s still blunt, socially awkward, and capable of seeing connections nobody else sees, but he has changed considerably from the man we first met in Memory Man. There’s more humanity underneath all that Decker-ness now, and I’ve really enjoyed watching his character develop.

This time, Decker also has a new partner: Frederica “Freddie” White. I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about somebody replacing Alex Jamison, but I needn’t have worried. White is terrific. She’s smart, capable, and takes absolutely no crap from Decker. Better yet, she isn’t Jamison 2.0. She has her own personality and her own way of dealing with him, and watching the two of them figure each other out was one of my favorite parts of the book. Especially since she has two black belts and threatened to take him out if he didn’t behave.

I like her already.

The story begins with a suicide and quickly moves to the murders of a federal judge and her bodyguard, killed in the same house at nearly the same time. Naturally, things aren’t quite as straightforward as they appear.

Decker has a theory. I had a response to his theory.

Oh please ... What are the chances?

Apparently, the chances were pretty darn good.

That’s Baldacci, though. He takes something that sounds just improbable enough to make me skeptical and then starts fitting the pieces together. Meanwhile, what initially looks like one investigation becomes something much bigger and considerably more complicated.

And I never figured it out.

He’s gooood.

That’s probably why this audiobook escaped the car. Again. I would finish my drive, turn off the engine, go inside ... and turn the audiobook right back on. Baldacci kept me curious about how the murders fit together, whether Decker’s seemingly unlikely theory was actually right, and just how many more secrets were waiting underneath the ones we already knew about.

Five stars from me. Long Shadows gave me a complicated mystery I couldn’t solve, continued the wonderful evolution of Amos Decker, and introduced a new partner I’m already looking forward to spending more time with.

Apparently, my car no longer has exclusive listening rights to David Baldacci.

Walk the Wire by David Baldacci (Amos Decker #6)

Come for the murder. Stay for the toxic waste, terrorism, and  government secrets. I mean, why not?

This is yet another David Baldacci audiobook that refused to stay in the car. At this point, I should probably stop pretending these are strictly for my commute. I'm not kidding anyone but myself.

Walk the Wire is the sixth book in Baldacci’s Amos Decker series, and the more time I spend with Amos Decker and Alex Jamison, the more I like them. Especially Amos. His character development throughout this series has been fantastic. The man we met in Memory Man is still very much there: brilliant, blunt, socially awkward, and equipped with a brain that works unlike anyone else’s. With every book, though, he becomes just a little more human.

This time, Decker and Jamison are sent to investigate the murder of a young woman in a small North Dakota town. On the surface, it looks like a fairly straightforward murder investigation.

Oh, bless your heart, you sweet summer child. Have you not met David Baldacci?

Because before long, we've got secrets, more murder, toxic waste, terrorism, government interests, and enough people hiding things to make you wonder whether anyone in town has ever told the truth about anything.

This is one of the things Baldacci does so well. He starts with a crime that seems relatively contained, then begins pulling threads. Every person seems to know something they're not saying, and the only thing that is obvious is that nothing is obvious.

The narration made this another easy audiobook to get lost in. Or, in my case, one that was supposed to live in the car and mysteriously followed me into the house. Funny how that keeps happening with Baldacci and Hachette Audio.

Five out of five stars. No hesitation.

If you've been reading the Amos Decker series from the beginning, Walk the Wire gives you everything you've come to expect: a complicated investigation, twists piled on top of twists, plenty of danger, and Amos using that extraordinary brain of his to notice the things everyone else misses. But it also gives us another chapter in Amos's slow, fascinating evolution.

And apparently all it takes to help Amos Decker become more human is a little friendship, a lot of murder, some toxic waste, and the occasional terrorist threat.

No judgment here, Amos. You do you! I'm just going to stand back and watch the magic happen.

Redemption by David Baldacci (Amos Decker #5)

Note to self: Never start a David Baldacci audiobook unless your schedule is completely clear.

Some audiobooks are content to keep me company on my commute. Others apparently decide I have no plans for the rest of my day. Redemption by David Baldacci firmly belongs in the second category. I fully intended to listen only while driving and/or walking, but before long I found myself listening while making dinner, doing chores, and any old mindless task that allowed me to follow the story.

This is the fifth book in the Amos Decker series, and somehow Baldacci keeps making both the mysteries and the characters better. Amos is still brilliant, with his perfect memory and uncanny ability to spot details everyone else misses. But what I enjoyed most in this installment had nothing to do with solving crimes. It was watching Amos continue to become more human.

His brain injury changed every aspect of his life, including making physical contact with other people practically unbearable. In Redemption, he realizes he can finally tolerate someone touching him and even accept a hug. It sounds like such a small thing, but after following his journey through the series, it felt like a huge moment.

The mystery begins when Amos returns to his hometown in Ohio to visit the graves of his wife, daughter, and brother-in-law. While there, he's confronted by a man Amos convicted of murder years ago. The man insists he was innocent all along, but before Amos can learn the truth, he's murdered. As more bodies begin piling up, Amos is forced to revisit the very first homicide investigation of his career and ask a question no detective ever wants to face: Did I convict the wrong person?

The investigation is clever, full of twists, and kept me guessing until the end. Baldacci does an excellent job of building suspense without relying on cheap tricks or impossible coincidences.

As much as I enjoyed the mystery, it is Amos himself who keeps me invested. He's no longer just the fascinating detective with a remarkable brain. He's learning how to reconnect with people and carry the weight of his past without letting it define his future. That growth has become just as compelling as the investigations.

Five books in, the Amos Decker series continues to impress me. If you're looking for a smart crime thriller with an unforgettable lead character, this series absolutely deserves a place on your reading list. I am already downloading #6.

The Fallen by David Baldacci (Amos Decker #4)

Never invite Amos Decker on vacation unless your town is overdue for a homicide investigation. 

Amos Decker just can't catch a break.

The Fallen, the fourth book in the Amos Decker series, sends Amos and his FBI partner, Alex Jamison, to visit Alex's sister for what is supposed to be a relaxing vacation and her niece's sixth birthday. Instead, they arrive in Baronville, Pennsylvania, where six murders remain unsolved, drugs are tearing through the community, and nearly everyone seems to have a grudge against the last surviving member of the town's founding family. So much for rest and relaxation.

One of my favorite things about this series is watching Amos continue to grow. He's becoming more than just his abilities. His relationships are evolving, he's learning to connect with people, and he's beginning to feel a little less like a machine and a little more human. In this installment, he connects with Alex's niece, although the idea initially terrifies him.

The mystery itself kept me guessing. Baldacci layers multiple storylines together without making them confusing. The small-town setting adds another layer of tension because everyone knows everyone else, everyone has history, and nobody seems eager to tell the whole truth. In fact, some of them don't tell the truth at all. 

If you're looking for a fast-paced thriller with an unforgettable detective, The Fallen delivers. I'll be looking into the next installment just as soon as I finish writing this review. This was another easy five-star read. Apparently, vacations are simply Amos Decker's way of finding his next homicide investigation.

The Fix by David Baldacci (Amos Decker #3)

 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.

The Last Mile by David Baldacci (Amos Decker #2)

Another "commute only" audiobook that absolutely refused to stay in the car.

One thing is becoming painfully obvious: David Baldacci clearly has no respect for my "commute only" audiobook rule.

The Last Mile was supposed to keep me company on my various commutes. Instead, I found myself sitting in the garage because I needed to know what happened next. And then I just kept it playing on my phone in the house. The couch is more comfortable than the driver's seat. But I digress...

Amos Decker continues to be one of the most interesting detectives I've read in a long time. His perfect memory and synesthesia could have easily turned him into a gimmick, but Baldacci makes those traits feel like just one part of who he is. I also enjoyed seeing Decker make some personal changes. What starts as reluctant dietary changes and exercise slowly becomes a genuine effort to take better care of himself, adding another layer to a character who already stands out.

The mystery begins with a man on death row whose execution is stopped at the last possible moment after someone else confesses to the murders. That premise alone was enough to hook me. As Decker digs deeper (sometimes with the help of the FBI, and sometimes not), it becomes clear that almost everyone involved is hiding something. Secrets pile on top of secrets, and the investigation eventually reaches people in positions of power who believe the rules simply don't apply to them.

I love this series so far because the mysteries are very complex. They're layered conspiracies where every answer seems to uncover another question or reveal enough to make you suspect you're looking for yet another secret. Just when I thought I had things figured out, Baldacci replaced the flooring. While I was standing on it.

If you're looking for a fast-paced thriller with an unforgettable detective, this series continues to deliver. Just don't make the mistake I keep making and tell yourself you'll only listen during your commute. Chances are you'll be finding excuses to stay in the car a little longer. Or just get the hard copy and stay on your couch.

Memory Man by David Baldacci (Amos Decker #1)

The best protagonists aren't the ones with extraordinary abilities. They're the ones who have to pay for them.

I picked up Memory Man as a commute audiobook, fully expecting to listen to it only in my car. I should know better. We're talking about David Baldacci, after all. The production company he uses for his audiobooks is fantastic. Kudos to narrators Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy. This isn't the first time I've listened to them, and it certainly won't be the last. I didn't wait for my next commute to finish this book, and I have already purchased the next two books in this series.

Amos Decker isn't your typical thriller hero. A former detective, he has hyperthymesia, a condition that allows him to remember virtually every detail of his life. At first, it sounds like the perfect skill for solving crimes. But Baldacci wisely doesn't treat it as a superpower. Instead, he shows it for what it really is. As Adrian Monk would say, it's a blessing and a curse.

Most of us heal because memories soften with time. The sharp edges dull. We forget little details, and sometimes that's a gift. Amos Decker doesn't have that luxury. Every tragedy, every mistake, every painful memory remains as vivid as the day it happened. That includes every single little detail of the day he found his family murdered. His greatest strength is also the thing that keeps him from moving forward.

That alone would have made for an interesting character, but Baldacci wraps him in an investigation that kept me guessing until the very end. The clues are all there from the beginning, but Baldacci has a gift for steering readers toward the wrong conclusions. I found myself making the wrong assumptions exactly as he intended.

Decker is socially awkward, grieving, stubborn, physically imposing, and emotionally scarred. He's competent, but deeply flawed. Those are the protagonists I connect with most because they feel like real people rather than action heroes. Decker doesn't breeze through impossible situations because he's invincible. He succeeds despite carrying burdens most of us couldn't imagine.

Memory Man is more than a cleverly plotted thriller. It's an exploration of memory, grief, and the cost of never being able to forget. The mystery may be solved by the final chapter, but Amos Decker's journey feels like it's only beginning. I'm looking forward to following him wherever Baldacci takes him next.