Murder mysteries – The Book Review Station

Amos Decker is back!

If you’ve read any of my previous reviews of the books starring the man brought to life by David Baldacci, you’ll know that Amos Decker is one of my favorite literary characters. And Redemption, while keeping up the pace that its prequel – the Fallen – had set, just adds more reasons to love the flawed, moralistic, often pig-headed Decker.

David Baldacci Redemption — Source: Goodreads

Genre:

Mystery, Thriller

Length:

418 pages

Blurb:

Amos Decker returns to his hometown of Burlington to visit his wife and daughter’s graves on the day that would have been his daughter’s fourteenth birthday, and comes face to face with Meryl Hawkins. Hawkins had murdered four people, thirteen years ago, including two children. He’d been found guilty of the murder on the basis of overwhelming evidence – evidence that Decker and his partner, Mary Lancaster, had found as detectives assigned to their first homicide. Released due to a terminal illness, Hawkins claims that he’s innocent, and he wants Decker to find the real killer. Decker refuses. Until another murder shocks the town and brings up an unexpected connection to the thirteen-year-old case. Had Decker really made a mistake and caused an innocent man’s incarceration? If Hawkins was innocent, who had really committed the four murders? And how many people may die if Decker doesn’t find the right answers in time?

Overall Rating:

8 out of 10

Plot:

8 out of 10

Characterization:

10 out of 10

Primary Element:

7 out of 10 for its mystery

Writing Style:

7 out of 10

Part of a Series:

Yes. This is the fifth book in the Amos Decker series, which is best read in chronological order:

Memory Man (review here)
The Last Mile (review here)
The Fix (review here)
The Fallen (review here)

Highlighted Takeaway:

The shift from who Decker began as in Memory Man, to the character he’s now been made into. It’s a risk – playing with the essence of what makes Decker, Decker. But Baldacci has built the shift well over the series, making it such that you can easily associate and empathize with this version of him.

What I Liked:

Each character holds their own in Redemption, making for a book that has multiple personal tangents that tie together really well. Vulnerabilities and strengths of all characters are well-explored to make them all relatable, and get the reader invested in the story.

What I Didn’t Like:

There was nothing specific that is unlikable in the book.

Who Should Read It:

Anyone who enjoys intricate and layered storylines, and anyone who likes complex mysteries that are about more than just the case at hand. Also, anyone who’s a fan of David Baldacci – the Decker series is one of his most popular one and for good reason.

Who Should Avoid:

People that enjoy thrillers where the chill gets into your bone. While Redemption is a thriller in that you’re turning the pages in a rush to know what happens next, it won’t leave you looking over your shoulder. So if that’s what you look for in a thriller, then it may be best to avoid Redemption.

Read It For:

A complex but well-laid storyline, great characterization, and the intriguing development of Amos Decker’s character.

Have you read David Baldacci’s Redemption yet? Share your thoughts on the book (or any other) in the comments below. And thanks for stopping by!

– Rishika

Length: 312 pages

My rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Laurel Muir did not want to accept the unexpected but familiar invitation and return to Chateau du Cygne Noir – the castle turned BnB – for a weekend getaway with her friends. The tragedy that had struck ten years ago had sent those very friends on their own individual paths, the friendship strained, almost broken by what had happened. That event had ended a decade-long tradition of annual weekend getaways, and filled each of their hearts with doubt for each other. Driven by the need to rekindle that friendship and overcome the past, she finds herself accepting the invitation. But the past is not done with them yet. When a murderer strikes, the remaining friends are forced to face the truth – a killer lies in their midst. Thrown once again into a police investigation and with nowhere to go, they decide to uncover the truth this time. But Laurel does not know who to trust as she adamantly takes it upon herself to find answers. And as the skeletons in the closet are slowly exposed, Laurel finds that she may have been too ambitious and that her ambition could cost her her life.

My take:

First off, thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of The Last Weekend. Here is my honest review.

That Last Weekend is a ‘novel of suspense’. And it definitely keeps the suspense. The story is interesting and is filled with twists and turns, most of which you don’t see coming. Set in the present, the story touches upon events of the past through flashbacks. The transitions are smooth and comfortable to follow. They don’t break the flow and, in fact, add some interesting dimensions to the book.

The book gets right into it without much preamble. As a result, you take some time to get used to who’s who. That is still easier to do here than it is with a Mary Higgins Clark novel, though. Keeping with its ‘let’s get right to it’ beginning, the book moves along at a fast pace, without a single dull moment. It also has some good creepy elements which really set the scene perfectly. The writing style pulls you in and keeps you there, really allowing you to experience the entire eerie castle and small town setting, and adding to the suspense.

Yet, there are some aspects of the book that come across as a bit annoying. Some of the characters, for example. While Laurel seems level headed and easy to associate with, some of the other characters are just irritating. It wasn’t an in-your-face sort of irritation. It is just the way they are – not too pleasant would be the best way to describe it, I guess. You could chalk that up to the diversity that is existent in people. But their reactions to the events are just not sensible enough for someone who was in that situation. I have to admit that the diversity is what brings credibility and depth to such a story, but that didn’t exactly stop me from growling at the screen of my tablet at certain moments.

The last thing is that the story itself is actually incredibly interesting. It is twisted to a whole other level. But that itself is what made me wonder, “Can someone even be like that?” And that hint of incredibility brings down its appeal just a notch.

(Yes, I am aware that the last two paragraphs have me contradicting myself a lot. It was just that kind of a book.)

All in all, That Last Weekend was a more-than-just-good kind of read. It moved fast, kept me turning the pages, maintained its suspense well, and had a storyline that was convoluted to the right degree. It may not be the best suspense novel you read (given its few drawbacks), but is definitely worth reading especially if:

you like suspense novels
you like cozy mysteries
you enjoy murder mysteries and classic whodunits

That Last Weekend is scheduled for release on September 8, 2017 by Midnight Ink. I’d recommend grabbing a copy.

Liked or hated this review? Drop a comment below and tell us why. Also, let us know what you thought of the book or why you’d want to read it. And thanks for stopping by!