Jim K. (papertiger) - reviewed on 3/31/2016 + 42 more book reviews

David Baldacci is one of my favorite authors and I am happy to see him introduce a new character series, especially a man with a unique ability; to always remember everything. My enthusiasm at the beginning of "Memory Man" waned by the end, unfortunately, and it took me awhile to figure out why. Amos Decker is an overweight, down and out ex-police detective. He is working his way back from the trauma of finding his wife and child brutally slain in their home and the following period of devolving into a homeless street bum. He just is not all that lovable. The plot revolves around his being enlisted as a civilian consultant by his former boss and working with his ex-partner to investigate a shooting spree at the local high school. Simultaneously, Decker is looking into a man who voluntarily confessed to killing his family but who turned out to be in jail at the time of the murders. The plot is intricate and convoluted, the investigation is clever and progressive, but it just seems to go on too long with too many sub-plots. I am hoping that this first installment clears away some of the complexities of Amos Decker's tragic circumstances and allows him to adopt a more conventional role that will focus on his extraordinary memory and what can be done with it. I will read the next one with high hopes for the future.

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