HOPE RISES

5 stars out of 5

Any book series, I’ve long maintained, is best enjoyed from the beginning. No matter how well the author provides sufficient information from the previous book(s) to make the current one completely understandable, readers still stand to miss a lot of the backstory that makes the current book more enjoyable. This is a case in point, perhaps more so than others; yes, it stands alone well, but since I’d read its predecessor (Nash Falls) fairly recently, I’m sure I enjoyed it a bit more for having read it. That said, I loved this one and am looking forward to the next installment to see if a couple of things sort of left hanging here get picked up again.

For those who missed the first one, Walter Nash spent most of his adult years as a Clark Kent of the business world – happy with his job, his wife Judith and their daughter Maggie. Then one day the world as he knew it crashed right before his eyes – with not the least of the issues being his wife having an affair with his uber-wealthy boss, Rhett Temple. The end result was that Walter necessarily transformed himself into a Superman, with help from his friend Shock – perhaps the only man in the world he really trusts, becoming a lean, mean fighting machine totally unrecognizable to those he knew in the past. He adopts a new name as well – he’s now known as Dillon Hope.

And he’s laser-focused on a single task: taking out crime queen Victoria Steers, who took away his primary reason for living – and not far down his list is his former boss. But Victoria, too, has an axe to grind; it was Dillon who became an FBI informant against her and her very powerful crime organization. And, she’s no slouch in the fighting machine department; she’s an expert in several forms of lethal combat. Should the twain ever meet, it’s a toss-up as to who would emerge “Victori”ous.

And then it happens: Dillon is called to meet with Victoria’s emissary, who relays to him that the dragon lady, who has heard of his formidable skills, wants to meet up. Dillon agrees, knowing that his new physique and “look” makes him unrecognizable as the Walter Nash she’s so eager to kill. Happily for him, he’s right; turns out she suspects nothing and wants him to spring her mother, the formidable woman who built the criminal empire Victoria now runs, out of a high-security, secluded prison in Myanmar – a virtual impossibility, but Victoria claims she has a plan. If he fails, it’s almost certain he’ll die in the process. Even if he survives and accomplishes his assignment, though, given Victoria’s devious ways there’s no guarantee she’ll let him live to see another day.

But since his conversion to a whole new man, Dillon is used to uncertainty – so off he goes. And it’s here that I sign off as well – I can’t reveal more without spoiling the anticipation for other readers. I’ll just say it’s exciting and edge-of-seat action to the end and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to take it all in by way of a pre-release copy. Terrific series!

Hope Rises by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, February 2026); 432 pp.

NASH FALLS

5 stars out of 5 

It’s the creation of a human killing machine – albeit an unwilling one – and the start of what I expect will be another highly successful series from one of my favorite authors. For sure I’m already chomping at the bit to read the next installment – it was, after all, hard to put this one down. My concern, though – and I’ll be honest - is that this regenerated guy, Dillon Hope (nee Walter Nash) won’t turn out to be a carbon copy of former-nice-guys-now-seeking redemption characters from other series I’ve read. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, mind you, but I personally am not looking for another one.

That aside, it’s all systems go. Walter Nash is a top executive at Sybaritic Investments, where his direct boss is Rhett Temple, son of the company founder (neither of whom I’d call a “people” person). Walter, though, is happy enough – he’s got his wife, Judith, and their almost-20 daughter Maggie - both nice to come home to. Then one day, he gets a call from a high-level FBI agent, asking for his help in bringing down the investment company and its suspected illegal activities. Certain officials are, the agent claims, in cahoots with an international criminal named Victoria Steers.

Walter, of course, is less than thrilled with becoming a spy and whistleblower, especially knowing the end result almost certainly will be the witness protection program for him and his family – no more fancy home or cars, no huge nest egg nor other perks of his job or Judith’s – plus the kibosh on all of his daughter’s dreams for the future. But when he protests, the FBI agent makes him an offer he can’t refuse – accept the deal or go down with the ship and get nothing except possibly jail time.

Reluctantly, Walter agrees, and it soon becomes clear the FBI isn’t wrong; something is terribly amiss at the company. But who is behind it? And more to the point, can he find out before someone at the company finds out he’s a snitch? When things begin to look as if it’s all a downhill slide, Walter is contacted by his late and long-estranged father’s former military buddy, nicknamed Shock – a man Walter was certain hated him even more than his own father had. Truths emerge, but more important, Shock points out the only direction that will lead to the company’s downfall but at the same time save Walter’s skin - and he follows that up with a promise to lead the way.

Problem is, it means Walter will have to be transformed into the kind of person he never in a thousand years wanted to be.  Worse, there’s no guarantee he’ll survive the journey. But it’s the only choice he has, so he goes along for the wildest ride of his life. Put another way, Walter Nash falls, rising again as Dillon Hope (leading to the next book, appropriately titled Hope Rises, tentatively set for release in early April 2026).

You can bet your last dollar I’ll be snagging that one too. Meantime, I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to get in at the beginning. You should, too!

Nash Falls by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, November 2025); 448 pp.

 

TO DIE FOR

5 stars out of 5

Any book by this author is sure to be a treat for me, and this - the third in the series featuring ex-Army Ranger Travis Devine - certainly doesn't disappoint. This time out, he's been called to Seattle to protect 12-year-old Betsy Odom, who recently lost both her parents to drug overdoses. He's a bit reluctant to become a glorified babysitter or do anything that puts him in a spotlilght, especially since his recent encounter in Switzerland with the "girl on the train" that nearly cost him his life.

But duty calls (or more to the point, his boss, so off to Seattle he goes. Betsy's long-lost uncle, Danny Glass, wants her to come live with him. But despite having more riches than King Midas (or maybe because of it), Danny is under FBI investigation for RICO violations that could put him behind bars for a very long time. The FBI has an agent on the scene guarding Betsy, but there's reason to believe Betsy may not be safe so they're hedging their bets by having Devine run interference.

Almost from the start, though, Travis senses something's wrong. To begin with, Betsy - who was with her parents when they suddenly convulsed and died - insists they never did drugs. Further, the official record notes that Betsy herself administered Narcan to try to save them - a claim she disputes as well. The police in the tiny town in which the parents died, though, insist they investigated thoroughly and indeed, drugs were involved. But after meeting with a couple of the Odoms' friends who are hanging out in their house, Travis is even more convinced that some kind of cover-up is in place - perhaps an extensive one that reaches far beyond the local cops and might even (gasp) put him in the crosshairs of that mysterious girl on the train once again.

All told, it's quite an intriguing adventure, and now that it's over, I'm once again hoping the next installment will come sooner rather than later. Meantime, thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy of this one. 

To Die For by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, November 2024); 424 pp.

A CALAMITY OF SOULS

5 stars out of 5

More than anything else, this story - which the author says he started to write more than a decade ago - provides an unsettling look at a part of our history that these days, IMHO, many folks seem to want to shove under the rug where, also IMHO, it doesn't belong. And yes, it tends to get a bit "preachy" in spots, but if the message brings edification to just a few readers, that's fine by me. Set in 1968 in Virginia, where some residents are trying to live with new laws that protect the rights of some others (some accepting, others not so much), it centers on Jack Lee, a white lawyer who finds himself representing a Black man charged with the gruesome murder of a wealthy, elderly husband and wife. The second the man was found near the dead bodies, he was presumed guilty by virtually all the powers-that-be; so without hard evidence to the contrary, the man is destined for a lifetime behind bars at best.

And while Jack is a talented, experienced attorney, he's never dealt with a capital case - much less the blowback from those who believe his client has no real standing as a human being and therefore doesn't deserve someone to defend him (certainly not a white man). The situation gets what could be a bit of a break with the appearance of Desiree DuBose, a seasoned Black lawyer from Chicago who's made a name for herself with exactly this type of case. She and Jack form a somewhat uneasy alliance, both knowing that without the other, the defendant cannot possibly get a fair trial.

Quickly, though, they realize that outside of a couple of personal friends, the two of them are the only ones inside the courtroom who give a rip about fairness. To everyone else, their client is Black, guilty as charged and deserves to die - the sooner the better. As do, apparently, those who dare to try to prevent that from happening.

Of course, the backstories of the client, Jerome Washington, Jack and his family and Desiree add enlightenment to this complex story - as do the efforts of the aforesaid powers-that-be to "convince" Jack and Desiree to back off and allow the natural order of things to remain the status quo (this is the deep South, after all). More than that I can't say without giving too much away except that it's an exceptionally well-written book that's worth reading. Especially now.

A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, April, 2024); 496 pp.

THE EDGE

4 stars out of 5

On the surface, ex-Army Ranger Travis Devine isn't all that much different from several others from several other series who are looking to outrun/compensate for/redeem themselves because of their pasts. But the author's considerable writing talent moves Travis way up on my list of favorites, where I'm sure he'll remain. My only concern now is how I missed the first installment (this is the second).

This time, Travis is called in by his boss to investigate the death of CIA operative Jenny Silkwell, the daughter of the boss's longtime friend and a former well-known politician. Not only is Travis charged with identifying Jenny's killer, he's to learn what happened to her laptop and phone, which could have contained critical and sensitive government secrets. The task sends Travis to the smallish town of Potter, Maine, not far from the Canadian border and Bay of Fundy.

There, the plot quickly thickens; he's to work with local law enforcement, who fall somewhere in between appreciating his assistance and perseverence and wanting to ride him out of town on a rail. Jenny's family, too, is a strange bunch; mom and dad are divorced and mom has remarried, while her sister Alex and brother Dak live in two different ends of the huge family mansion and rarely meet in the middle (perhaps for good reasons).

From the git-go, some things don't add up - including how Jenny's body ended up where it ended up. But Travis is getting push-back from the local cops, who would prefer that old pots not be stirred. Needless to say, that doesn't cut it for him, especially after even more discrepancies turn up and he gets to better know some of the local players. The cuts get deeper still when he finds connections to the past and - even more telling - others who have ties to Jenny turn up dead. Uh-oh, could Travis be next on the killer's list?

I'll never tell. And if you want to find out, read the book - I'm sure you won't be disappointed. In the end, events lead to the next installment - and I, for one, am on the "edge" of my seat hoping that happens soon. Meantime, thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy of this one. 

The Edge by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, November 2023); 461 pp.

SIMPLY LIES

4 stars out of 5

If this book is intended (or hoped) to be the start of a new series, it's a solid start that sticks to a proven formula. There's a female former cop with a personal life in something of a turmoil, a potential love interest she can't quite trust, a seasoned ex-cop for a father, a self-centered female "accomplice" and a whodunit chase with the potential of putting her life in danger especially when she doesn't listen to reason (her own or anybody else's). So if you're looking for a gobsmacking thriller with truly unique characters, you won't find it here; but there's still plenty to love and if this does end up with a sequel, or several, yes, I'll be wanting to read them.

At the center of this one is Mickey Gibson, a single parent of two toddlers (more on that later) who works from home tracking down illicit exchanges of big money on behalf of ProEye, a global private investigation agency. She misses the old days of being out in the field, but she's pretty much resigned to a life of kid vomit, patching scraped knees and wiping up errant poo. That's a little easier since her parents live nearby and can pitch in pretty much on demand and she can afford a part-time sitter - both of which doesn't elicit much sympathy from those of us who went through the kid thing without the benefit of help from anybody else. Then, she gets a phone call from a company rep asking her to make an emergency trip to a house to inventory potentially valuable contents. When she does, she makes a find that will change the direction of her life - and not necessarily in a good way.

It's a dead guy, and he's not just dead, but murdered. At this point, Mickey remains true to her profession (more on that later), calling it in to the authorities. Enter Wilson Sullivan, a hunky unmarried (of course) Bureau of Criminal Investigation agent whom she finds intriguing but doesn't trust and who doesn't trust her (also of course). Back home, Mickey learns the female caller wasn't really from the company; but when she calls again to ask Mickey to find the killer, she seems even more evasive.

And that's pretty much when Mickey turns into an investigator who decides to eschew most of her professional ethics and instead follow instructions of a woman whose identity she doesn't even know - even though it could be costly to her career (i.e., the career that supports those two kids she basically lets run the household because, as she frequently notes, she recalls her own behavior as a child and identifies with their behavior that often includes the aforementioned puking). 

Much of the investigation centers on Mickey's online talents of ferreting out well-concealed data, explanations of which were detailed but never fully understood by me (try as I might, I've yet to "get" the Bitcoin concept). The rest of her efforts were forays to meet people involved with the dead guy's past - including some her father knew of - people Mickey is certain are tied to the murder. Overriding the whole thing, however, is determining the identity of the mystery woman who Mickey is allowing to call the shots.

If all that sounds exciting, it is; it would have been more so, to me at least, had I really felt a connect with any of the characters and their actions (well, maybe except for those kids; even grown-ups like me can relate to dumping syrup all over their plates and fingerpainting with it - and if Mom thinks that's okay, well, count me in). Needless to say, there's quite a build-up until the finish, when things are sufficiently resolved and with fodder left over for a next edition, assuming there is one. Count me in on that as well; while this may not have been my favorite book by this author (who has always been, and remains, a favorite), I know many readers will love it. I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to get in on the action by way of a pre-release copy.

Simply Lies by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, April 2023); 433 pp.

DREAM TOWN

4 stars out of 5

It's always refreshing when the old is new again - as in a return to the "private eyes" of the '50s. This is the third in the series featuring Aloysius Archer, a P.I. and World War II vet who plies his trade in Los Angeles. This one is a little darker than the first two, I think, but no less entertaining.

Archer works for friend Willie Dash at the latter's detective agency; as this story begins, he's planning a nice evening with old friend and love interest of sorts, Liberty Callahan to ring in the new year. Their dinner is interrupted by the appearance of Eleanor Lamb, a screenwriter and friend of Liberty. When she learns what Archer does for a living, she tells him she thinks someone is trying to kill her and hires a somewhat reluctant Archer to investigate.

Later, when he calls Ellie for more information, a man answers but hangs up. Curious, Archer heads for Ellie's house, only to find a dead body inside but no Ellie. Now more curious than ever - and worried that something bad may have happened to Ellie - he sets off on a journey that takes him through the bowels of 1950s Hollywood and the mob-infested casinos of Las Vegas and nearly gets himself killed.

And therein lies the best parts of the book; especially since I grew up in the 1950s with my nose in "movie star" magazines like "Photoplay" and "Modern Screen" to get the latest scoops on Marilyn Monroe, Pat Boone, Doris Day, Audrey Hepburn and James Dean (just to mention a few), the behind-the-scenes studio goings-on, not all of which were pleasant, were a treat to read about.

As for the plot, I can't reveal much more without running into spoiler territory. So, I'll just say I enjoyed this one (and the previous two) very much and think you will, too.

Dream Town by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, April 2022); 433 pp.

MERCY

4 stars out of 5

For openers, this is a difficult book to review; while FBI agent Atlee Pine grows closer every day to finding her long-lost kidnapped twin sister Mercy - with lots of help from Atlee's older and more sensible administrative assistant, Carol Blum - describing whether or not they succeed in this fourth book in the series (and how and what happens next if she does or does not) would be too revealing.

What I can say is that Atlee has found proof that Mercy escaped those who captured and imprisoned her many years earlier. What became of her after that remains a mystery to Atlee; it's entirely possible that she's no longer alive. Just knowing that she escaped, though, is more than enough incentive for Atlee and Carol to take a leave from the FBI to concentrate even harder on tracking her down.

Needless to say, their journey is fraught with roadblocks, several of which are life-threatening (overdone, IMHO, to the point at which I said, "Whoa, nobody could survive this." But then, I suppose it was a cake walk for Mercy, whose captive years are described in even more horrific detail. Put another way, if explicit barbarian-style torture isn't your cup of tea, you'll want to skip parts of this one. It's also heavier on melodrama than usual, which was a bit of a turn-off for me as well. 

Overall, though, while I won't say this, the fourth book in the series, is my favorite, it was entertaining as always. It certainly brought the series to full circle - wrapping up several loose ends and leaving  me with only the question of what happens next. So hey, I've followed the series from the beginning, so if there are other chapters to follow, count me in!

Mercy by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, November 2021); 417 pp.

A GAMBLING MAN

5 stars out of 5

Generally speaking, I'm not fond of "period" stories; when I do tackle them, they're more often set in the future than the past. This series is an exception - and a wonderful one at that. I loved would-be private eye Aloysius Archer from the git-go (which was in the first book of the series, One Good Deed), and I love him here as well. 

The period is in the late '40s, when Archer (he tends to avoid mentioning his given name) has just been released from jail for a crime he insists he didn't commit and is headed for California to look for private investigator Willie Dash, under whose tutelage he hopes to learn the ropes and carve out a new and potentially rewarding career for himself. As a World War II vet, he's seen plenty of action, so he figures he can withstand a little danger here and there.

He makes a pitstop in Reno, where he lands some money and a rare bright red 1939 Delahaye convertible (note: Google this car - you gotta see this baby to believe it). Archer also meets up with feisty actress wannabe named Liberty Callahan, who, as luck would have it, is headed to California as well and joins him for the last leg of the journey. A few experiences later, they land in Bay Town, overlooking the vast Pacific Ocean; here, Archer finds his mentor and Liberty finds a decent job as a singer/dancer at a local saloon to tide her over till she moves on to the Hollywood scene.

Willie is happy with Archer, but with the town, not so much. It's run, for the most part, by a filthy rich family, and the son-in-law of the head honcho is running for mayor against a local dentist. But the family guy is a blackmail target - accused of bedding one of the "girls" from the saloon. He denies the allegations, of course, and has hired Willie to get to the bottom of things. Willie, in turn, puts Archer on the case; when the saloon woman turns up murdered, things start to heat up and the bad guys start packing heat. It doesn't take long, though, for Archer to discover not only that there's much more at stake here than a mayoral race, but that some people will take extreme measures to bring his investigation efforts to a halt.

The rest of the story is riddled with bullets, dead bodies and wrongdoing of all kinds, but it all gets sorted out in the end thanks mostly to Archer. It's a great follow-up to the first one, and I hope the author wastes no time coming up with the third. Well done!

A Gambling Man by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, April 2021); 375 pp.

DAYLIGHT

5 stars out of 5

When it comes to series characters from this author, military investigator John Puller earns top honors as far as I'm concerned - with FBI agent Atlee Pine a fairly close second. Bring them together, and, well, I'm in character heaven. Officially, this is the third in the Pine series, and she's still doing her darndest to find her twin sister, Mercy - who was kidnapped some 30 years earlier and hasn't been seen since. At the moment, Pine is taking a few days away from her remote Arizona base to follow a trail to Georgia, where she learns the name of her sister's kidnapper.

The follow-up puts Atlee and her capable assistant, Carol Blum, in Trenton, N.J.; there, she locates a relative of the kidnapper and hopes he's got some beans to spill. But in a fluke, he runs away - and Pine runs smack dab into Puller, who was there to arrest the same guy in connection with a drug ring. After she explains what she was after, she and Puller pay a visit to the runaway's father, who's in jail - only to have the interview inexplicably cut short. When other avenues of investigation - of both Pine's sister's disappearance and Puller's drug case - are slammed shut, they realize that some kind of cover-up is happening at the highest levels of government. 

Needless to say, that only makes them more determined to ferret out the truth, and Puller enlists help from his very capable Air Force brother, Robert. Only one thing is certain: the two cases share commonalities, which means Pine and Puller jointly commandeer a substantial portion of the book (Puller makes so many appearances, in fact, that it took the ending, which focuses more on Pine, to remind me whose book this really is). But that's a plus for fans of both series, who I expect will enjoy the interaction between two top-dog characters as much as I did.

Most everything gets resolved in the end, but not without plenty of action, losses of life and near misses thereof. What isn't, I presume, will become the premise of the next book - to which I am, of course, looking forward. Just as an aside, though, I will advise those who haven't read the other two Atlee Pine books to start at the beginning; I'm sure I was able to hit the ground running with this one simply because I was familiar with her story. Overall, though, I don't hesitate to call this one another winner.

Daylight by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, November 2020); 416 pp.

WALK THE WIRE

5 stars out of 5

There are way too many reasons I love this series to mention, but - almost lifelong Ohio resident that I am - I'll confirm that one is "Memory Man" Amos Decker's connection to the Buckeye State: Not only did he graduate from THE Ohio State University, but he was signed by my favorite NFL team, the Cleveland Browns. The latter was, alas, a career-ender - on his very first play of his very first professional game, he was injured so badly that he could play no more. That experience did, however, leave him with  hyperthymesia, which causes him to remember every detail of every single day (whether he wants to or not) as well as synesthia abilities - associating colors with people and objects. 

Now an investigator, he and his FBI colleague Alex Jamison go where they're sent; in this instance, it's remote London, North Dakota, where the rich Bakken oil field has put the fracking industry in boom mode. They're here to investigate the apparent murder of a young woman named Irene Cramer, whose body was dumped in an open area and, inexplicably, had been autopsied. Neither Amos nor Alex has any idea why Irene is important to the FBI powers-that-be, but they do learn that by day she was a teacher at a religious community near the fracking operations (and near a secretive government facility that claims to be watching the skies for possible nuclear invasion). After the sun went down, it appears that Irene supplemented her income as a lady of the night.

Nothing, though, is as it seems; Amos and Alex spend a goodly amount of time looking into all three operations - fracking, the government facility and the religious group - trying to determine who Irene really was, why she was murdered and whether any or all of the three operations are connected in any way. It doesn't take long for the investigation to turn deadly, though, and therein came an exciting surprise - the appearance of three other familiar characters from a different (and another favorite) series. From that point on, the pace picks up fast, making for edge-of-seat action the rest of the way. Yeah, I know it's highly unlikely that an author will kill off a major character in a popular series (this is the sixth Decker installment). That said, from my perspective it's a credit to any author who can make me worry that it really could happen - and I admit to holding my breath more than once in this one. Great job!

Walk the Wire by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, April 2020); 433 pp.

A MINUTE TO MIDNIGHT

5 stars out of 5

Have I mentioned that I really like this new series? Why yes - yes I did - when I read the first one last year. To that one I gave a resounding 5-star rating, and if anything, I enjoyed this one even more.

Atlee, a tall weightlifter now an FBI agent based in a relatively remote part of Arizona, has been on a 30-year quest to find out what really happened to her twin sister, Mercy. In the night back then, someone came into their bedroom, snatched Mercy and gave Atlee a whack on the head that nearly killed her. So far, her efforts to learn anything more about Mercy have led to dead ends; but now, she's got to ratchet up her search a few notches because she lost her cool on the job by unnecessarily beating up a killer she's just captured (and if she does that again, she'll lose her job as well).

Advised (make that ordered) to take some time off, Atlee and her very capable assistant Carol Blum head to Andersonville, Georgia, and the now-old house from which Mercy was taken all those years ago. Their father is dead - a declared suicide - and their mother inexplicably took off for parts unknown to Atlee. Not long after they arrive, though, a local woman is found dead - murdered, positioned and dressed in a ritualistic fashion. A Georgia FBI guy is called in for the official investigation, but shorthanded, he welcomes Atlee's help. Then, another murder happens with a similar M.O. Could it be there's a serial killer on the loose?

At that point, another FBI guy arrives to help; turns out he and Atlee have a history that wasn't all that pleasant for either of them. As they try to overcome their history and work together on the murder cases, Atlee continues to collect information on what happened to her family (with a little help from the very sympathetic FBI guys). Interviews with local folks who knew the family back then unearth new leads as well as the surprising awareness that not everything Atlee has been told was the absoute truth - some of it not even close.

It all builds to an exciting ending as well as, of course, enough loose ends to get a good start on the next book. And that, hopefully, will not be long in coming.

A Minute to Midnight by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, November 2019); 433 pp.

ONE GOOD DEED

5 stars out of 5

Any time a book by one of my all-time favorite authors is released, it goes on my must-read list. And when it brings the promise of a new character, well, I immediately move it to the top; after all, it could be the start of something good.

Honestly, I don't know if the intent here is to launch a series featuring World War II veteran and newly released prison inmate Aloysius Archer; I do know that if it is, count me in. Set in 1949, it's certainly different - with words like "gumshoe," "grub" and "dames" sprinkled liberally throughout. Men wore hats (Archer, a fedora), ladies wore gloves and Veronica Lake peekaboo hairdos and everybody smoked - usually unfiltered Lucky Strikes or Pall Malls. The only thing halfway resembling technology came in the form of a Dictaphone machine (if you need to ask what that is, you're just a young whippersnapper).

Deposited by bus in prison-assigned Poca City, Archer will be on parole for three years and report to officer Ernestine Crabtree. Chancing a stop in a local bar - off limits to parolees - he meets a flaunt-it-all high-roller who's there showing off his female arm candy. They begin to talk, and the guy hires Archer, who must find gainful employment as a condition of parole, to collect a debt (specifically, a Cadillac) he's owed by another local businessman. But when Archer goes to meet that man, he learns there's more to the story; that arm candy, it seems, is the daughter of the guy who hired him. What's more, that Caddy's going nowhere unless the daughter agrees to come back home to daddy - and she ain't budging.

That leaves Archer somewhere between a rock and a hard place, and matters get even more complicated when said daughter decides she's sweet on Archer. If that weren't enough, everywhere he turns, the rather stuffy Miss Crabtree keeps her eye on his comings and goings - as does another ex-con Archer knows to be nastier than most. When one of the characters bites the dust right under Archer's nose, the law comes calling - tapping Archer, of course, as the primary suspect.

Returning to jail understandably isn't on Archer's agenda, though, and the only way he can prove his innocence is to find the motive and unearth the real killer. That's exactly what he sets out to do, finding an unlikely ally in the form of one of the detectives on the case - who tells Archer he's got the makings to become a pretty good gumshoe (which I'm taking as a clue that we'll see him again).

And that's where my part of the story ends; the rest is a very entertaining, finely tuned story that had me riveted right up to the end. Yes, it's a bit of a departure from the author's usual fare and the time setting is reminiscent of a Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammett book. But I absolutely loved it, and I think other readers will agree. Highly recommended - oh, and more, please? 

One Good Deed by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, July 2019); 433 pp.

REDEMPTION

5 stars out of 5

The author is one of my all-time favorites (meaning anything he writes, I want to read). And from the start four books ago, his "Memory Man" series was a big hit with me. This one, the fifth, adds another five-star entry.

Detective Amos Decker is a very intriguing character; as a result of a football injury, he developed hyperthymesia, which causes him to remember every detail of every single day (whether he wants to or not) as well as synesthia abilities - associating colors with people and objects. But I have to admit my initial attraction was at a far more human level: He played football at THE Ohio State University (go bucks!!), and the aforementioned football injury that ended his sports career happened on the first play as a member of the Cleveland Browns (yep, my favorite NFL team - needless to say, I live in Ohio).

Earlier in the series, Decker's wife and daughter were murdered (imagine being forced to remember every detail of that for the rest of your life), and in this book, he's returned to Burlington, Ohio, to visit the cemetery as he always does on his daughter Molly's birthday. An aging, tattered and battered man interrupts Decker, who realizes it's Meryl Hawkins, his first arrest for murder back when he was a newbie on the force. Released from prison because of a terminal illness, Hawkins knew of Decker's annual cemetery visits, thanks to information from Decker's former partner, Mary Lancaster. When he gets Decker's reluctant attention, Hawkins insists he was not guilty as charged and pleads with Decker to prove his innocence.

That's not a project Decker wants to undertake, given that it could mean he was instrumental in putting an innocent man behind bars. Besides that, Decker's boss back at the FBI isn't happy that he's thinking of going rogue yet again - and he orders Decker's current partner, Alex Jamison, who's with him in Burlington, back to the office (as an aside, another personal coinkidink: My mother's maiden name was Jamison).

But when evidence turns up that Hawkins might have been wrongly convicted, Decker (and his memories) can't walk away even if it jeopardizes his FBI work. Complicating matters further is that a personal connection means Lancaster, who was willing to help out, is forced to recuse herself from the investigation - leaving Decker pretty much on his own. On the plus side, Jamison contacts Decker's old friend Melvin Mars, who insists on helping despite Decker's protests. The two make a great combination, and that makes for a great story that's both complex and exciting. 

For the record, this book stands well on its own, but I have no doubt I enjoyed it more because I'd read its predecessors (which I recommend that others new to the series should do as well, not only for that reason, but simply because they're all so enjoyable). As for me, I say keep 'em coming!

Redemption by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, April 2019); 433 pp.

LONG ROAD TO MERCY

5 stars out of 5

A new series from a favorite author? I'm on it! And although I've just finished, I'm already eager  to read the next installment.

That is not to say, however, that FBI Special Agent Atlee Pine totally won me over. I like that she's strong (both mentally and physically) and thus able to handle just about anything that comes her way. That she's carrying around a traumatic childhood - her own almost death and the kidnapping of her twin sister, Mercy - is less intriguing; for me, it simply provides another dimension to the story and, most likely, a recurring theme for the series. As I read, I was reminded of another series character: Jane Hawk, the feisty heroine conceived by another favorite author, Dean Koontz. Both women live and work on the fringes of credibility - both in what they are able to handle physically and in terms of a sometimes hard-to-believe plot. But I'm one of those who go with the flow and accept a story for what it is - a story - and this is a good one.

At age 35, nearly 6 feet in height and an almost-Olympic weightlifter, Atlee has joined the FBI and now happily heads up a remote office near the Grand Canyon National Park. At the beginning, she remains fixated on finding out what happened to Mercy; believing that a prolific serial killer was involved, she visits him in the no-mercy federal prison in which he's expected to spend the rest of his life. But then comes a distraction; one of the mules that transports tourists up and down the steep canyon trails is found dead - gutted with two seemingly meaningless letters cut into its hide. But as she and local park rangers begin to investigate, she's suddenly called off the case in no uncertain terms by folks way above her pay grade. Then, the two park rangers who were helping her are abruptly reassigned. 

When Atlee and her capable secretary, Carol Blum, forge ahead despite orders from on high, they find themselves the targets of some very nasty men. Narrowly escaping death, the two now are certain that something rotten in those canyon walls besides a decaying mule. But rather than concede victory to the higher-ups (and probably more bad guys), the pair decide to go rogue. From this point on anything I write would spoil things for others, so I'll just say they face a number of other close calls before they figure out what's really going on and decide what to do about it.

In my book, it's an adventure well worth reading - highly recommended.

Long Road to Mercy by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, November 2018); 417 pp.

THE FALLEN

5 stars out of 5


What can I say about this book besides it's another stellar entry into an already great series? Honestly, not much except that this is the fourth featuring former police detective Amos Decker, who landed a spot on my Top 10 book "heroes" list right from the first. That's partly because he's an Ohio boy (I've been a proud Buckeye State resident most of my life) and a football standout - that is, until he took a nearly deadly hit on his first play as a member of the Cleveland Browns.

He didn't die, obviously, but he did end up with some rather unusual after-effects - most notably being hyperthymesia, or the ability to remember every single moment of every single day and call any one of them up at will. He also acquired synesthia, or the association of colors with people and objects. Particularly in his career as a detective, those rare abilities usually are extremely helpful, but in his personal life, not so much. There's no escaping, for instance, the years-ago horror of the brutal murder of his beloved wife and young daughter. He's also a bit emotionally challenged, in that for the most part he's unable to express his feelings. Those qualities make him a unique character - the biggest reason I'm a big fan.

These days, Amos and his partner Alex Jamison work with the FBI (another "connection" since my late mother's maiden name is Jamison). As this story begins, they are in small-town Baronville (located in northwestern Pennsylvania not far from the Ohio border - another fun coincidence, since I live in northeastern Ohio not far from the Pennsylvania line). They've come to visit Alex's sister Amanda, her husband Frank and their daughter Zoe, who not long ago relocated in Baronville when Frank took a job at a huge new distribution center. Still another coincidence; the area in which I live - just off Interstate 80 - is a hot spot for distribution centers as well.

Amos and Alex are hoping for a few days of down time, but that changes quickly when Amos notices some strange sights and sounds at the house behind the one they're in. Unable to resist checking things out, Amos finds two dead bodies. Poking around results in another serious head injury - one that has mind-altering potential. Further investigation, with help from local cops, reveals other recent murders - far more than would be expected in such a small town. Among the suspects is the hermit-like descendent of the town's founding father, who was a highly successful industrial magnate believed to have caused the town's steep economic decline and, not inconsequentally, the opoid addiction that's running rampant in and around the community.

Amos has to work to win the confidence of the local police, and gaining traction in that area puts him and his partner in the crosshairs of the bad guys. Murders keep piling up, and it's clear that someone is intent on adding Amos and Alex to that stack. Can they find out what's really going on and who's behind it before they become victims as well? Ah, but that's for me to know and other readers to find out. The only thing I'll pass on is that this is another winner - highly recommended!

The Fallen by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, April 2018); 433 pp.

END GAME

4 stars out of 5

No doubt about it: Government-sanctioned assassins Will Robie and Jessica Reel have never fail to get the job done, even when it comes at great personal cost and a smattering of collateral damage. This time, though, their efforts border on overkill (pun intended).

Will and Jessica are returning to action after separate assignments that left them physically and mentally devastated. They've healed as much as humanly possible, but Jessica's mind is still reeling (another pun intended) -  leaving in limbo the "connection" they formed during a previous joint venture. They haven't seen each other for six months, but now they get called in to solve a surprising problem: Their elderly and much revered handler, known as Blue Man, went missing while on a fishing vacation in backwoods Colorado, where he grew up.

Their reunion is more or less amicable, but Will and Jessica are of the same mind when it comes to their mission - find Blue Man at any cost, including their own lives should it come to that. Needless to say, as they bump up against infestations of skinheads, neo-Nazis and other undesirables in this godforsaken territory, there's a good probability that's exactly how it will end. Throw in a few abandoned government bunkers and silos and it closes in on a sure bet.

But there's a bit of a problem, as I see it, is in the execution - and I mean that as a double entendre. Murders, quite a few execution-style, result in bodies piling up faster than pitchfork-flung hay in a mow (some of them deservedly so, others not). From a writing standpoint, the execution rather quickly dives into - and stays in - the realm of "you've got to be kidding." That Will and Jessica possess near super-human capabilities both individually and as a team is de rigueur in this series, but what they accomplish here stretches imagination beyond the limit, at least for me. But then again, in the end all's right with the world - except for a few issues that no doubt will carry over to the next book.

All things considered, if you're looking for serious kick-assction (I made that one up to avoid getting censored, so hopefully you get my drift), it would be tough to beat this book. And for sure, I'll be in line to get the next installment. 

End Game by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, November 2017); 416 pp.

THE FIX

5 stars out of 5


I'm not sure how well I'd like Amos Decker - the emotionally flawed "hero" in this, the third installment of a wonderful series - but he fascinates the heck out of me. So much do I hang on his every word and action, in fact, that I stayed up an hour past my bedtime just to finish this book. Yes, folks, it's that good.

Decker appeals to me on many levels, not the least of which is that when he took a huge hit in his debut NFL game, he became an "acquired savant" with hyperthymesia. Besides that, he has synesthia abilities - meaning he is able to associate colors with people and objects. That's enough to hold my attention; but wait, there's more. He's also a native Ohioan (as am I), played football at The Ohio State University (go Bucks!) and his injury came after a hit during his debut game with the Cleveland Browns (from whom, based on this season's NFL draft, I'm expecting good things this fall). Besides that, there's yet another personal association: His FBI partner's last name is Jamison - my late mother's maiden name. How cool is all that?

But back to the nitty gritty. Here, Decker hits the ground running with a hit of another kind: As he's walking toward FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., he spots a man and woman walking toward each other. Nothing wrong with that, he thinks - until the unthinkable happens; the man pulls a gun and shoots the woman, then points it toward himself and pulls the trigger.

And then comes another surprise. Decker and his team had been working solely on cold cases, but suddenly, their world changes as they're relocated from Quantico to the D.C. Field Office and assigned to investigate and solve the shooting (in part as a result of his injuries, Decker intensely dislikes change). Big problem is, even after substantial digging, they can find no connection whatsoever between the killer and his victim, a substitute school teacher and Hospice volunteer. And the man who killed her still seems to be a loving husband, father and successful business owner - with nothing in his past that would provoke him to commit murder, much less suicide. At the same time, Decker's personal life, or what little he has of it, gets complicated as Alex finds the two of them an apartment in a fixer-upper old building in which a former tenant was killed in a drug deal gone bad.

The murdered woman becomes more interesting, though, when they discover that her past extends for only about 10 years; prior to that, there's no record of her at all.  But then, Defense Intelligence Agency agent Harper Brown shows up - and she's not wanting to share the investigation with Decker and his team. Apparently, the DIA has been digging for dirt on the same people, trying to prevent what they suspect could be an upcoming, and very deadly, terrorist attack.

Needless to say, Decker isn't much into sharing either (and he certainly doesn't trust the DIA agent), so attitudes get rather testy until both sides reluctantly realize they'll get a better outcome by playing nice. Even then, it's a race to the finish with one faction trying to one-up the other; the big question is, can they all get to the bottom of things before something terrible happens? 

Also needless to say, that's a question I'm not going to answer - you'll just have to read it for yourself to find out. I'll also emphasize that while this one can be read on its own, I think readers will get more out of it by reading the other two first (The Last Mile, No. 1, and Memory Man, No. 2. They're both excellent as well, so enjoy!

The Fix by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, April 2017); 560 pp.

NO MAN'S LAND

5 stars out of 5

Sometimes, I want to kick back and read a book or two just for the pure pleasure of it. Such is the case now, when the notion of cooking Thanksgiving dinner for two groups of relatives on two different days has had me stressed out for a month. So, I put my ever-growing stack of free-for-review books aside and turned to new entries by a few of my favorite authors.

And oh, what a relief it is! This is the fourth in the John Puller series, and I've been looking forward to reading it ever since I learned the release date. Now I admit it's a bit on the technologically far-fetched end of the spectrum (especially considering the backstory happened 30 years ago), but it came so close to the realm of possibility that I wasn't bothered at all. In fact, I hated to put it down, and on the day before the first of the two crowds was to arrive, I even put off making my delicious (if I do say so myself) deviled eggs for the half-hour I needed to finish it.

In the beginning, chapters flip between scenes from two story lines. In the first, a criminal named Paul Rogers is released after 10 years in jail; clearly, he's hell-bent on revenge for something that happened to him 30 years ago that turned him into nothing short of a monster. And just as clearly, he'll stop at nothing to get it. Meantime, Puller is notified that the case of his mother's disappearance back when he was 8 years old will be reopened. She was never found, and now it seems someone has accused Puller's elderly three-star-general father of murdering her. 

Puller, an Army special agent, and his brother Robert, an Air Force major, don't believe the accusations and want to learn the truth. The government, though, doesn't make it easy, putting roadblocks and cease-and-desist orders at every turn. But even though his brother's hands are tied and he's unable to follow through, John throws caution to the wind and refuses to give up (turning to his capable and attractive friend Veronica Knox for help).

As expected, the two story lines begin to converge; the Puller brothers' mother, Jackie, disappeared when the family lived at Fort Monroe, Virginia. And at that time, Rogers was at the Fort as well. The deeper Puller digs into the past, the closer it brings him to Rogers. It's a high-stakes race with an inevitable clash at the end - and the resulting fallout could be deadly. But for whom?

Honestly, I'd love to spill the beans, but I'm out of time. Gotta get that turkey in the oven stat!

No Man's Land by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, November 2016); 432 pp.

THE LAST MILE

5 stars out of 5


It's for sure no one will ever accuse me of being a compliant little wifey-poo. Still, more often than not when I've got my nose in my Kindle and my husband pops up with, "Honey, do we have more of yesterday's chocolate pudding?" my response is something like,  "Let me finish this chapter and I'll go check."

But when my nose is in a book like this one, my mouth sings a different tune: "I can't see in the fridge from my chair, babe. If you find some, how about bringing me a bowl while you're up?"

Oh, yeah - this book is that good.

Actually, it's the second in the author's new series that debuted last year featuring Amos Decker, whose promising NFL football career was derailed by a serious head injury during his first game for the Cleveland Browns ("my" team, BTW). As a result, he not only is able to remember every single detail of every single minute of every single day (a rare condition called hyperthymesia), but he associates many of them with vivid colors (an even more rare synesthia). That first book, Memory Man, was quite good, but this one jumped to the top of my enjoyment meter from the get-go. For the record, it stands on its own just fine, but  I suggest starting at the beginning (as I do with any series).

Football, in fact, that is the reason Decker, just picked to be on an FBI special task force, wants to take on a particular case. Melvin Mars, who's been in prison for 20 years after being convicted of murdering his parents, is set to be executed in a few hours. At the eleventh hour, another death-row prisoner confesses to the killing, and Mars gets a reprieve from walking "the last mile" to the chamber. Mars once beat the shoulder pads off of Decker when the latter was playing for The Ohio State University Buckeyes (go Bucks!) Not only that, but Decker's own family was murdered, and years after that, a suspect confessed. The similarities are impossible for Decker to overlook (well, let's be honest - given his condition, it's impossible for Decker to overlook much of anything), and he convinces the reluctant head of the FBI team to take on Mars's case.

The stakes for getting to the truth are high; in one outcome, an innocent man could be executed. In another, a murderer could be set free. The trail begins, of course, with attempts to learn whether the prisoner's last-ditch confession is true and why he waited so long to make it. That's not an easy task since he's dead (choosing to go out, for some inexplicable reason, via the electric chair rather than the now-standard lethal injection). But guided by Decker's unfailing recollections and ability to not only find puzzle pieces but pull them together, team members uncover clues and follow where they lead. When one teamster suddenly disappears - presumed to have been kidnapped - things really start to heat up.

There's no shortage of action and twists (and I'm patting myself on the back for figuring out one of the biggest ones). But the big attraction for me, without question, is Decker himself. I seriously doubt I'd like him much if I met him in person - for openers, his conditions have left him rather devoid of emotions - but watching [reading] how his mind works is absolutely fascinating to me. If I'm forced to say something on the negative side, I'll admit the plot (and outcome) smack a little bit of coming up with an ending and making the details fit after the fact. But hey: As stand-up accordion-toting comedian Judy Tenuta is fond of saying, "It could happen!"

All I know is it sure worked for me. Kudos (and more, please)!

The Last Mile by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, April 2016); 432 pp.