Memory Man – David Baldacci | A Book Review

Title: Memory Man

Author: David Baldacci

Genre: Mystery Thriller

About the book: It’s the first in the Amos Decker series. He’s a detective who returns home to find his wife, daughter, and brother-in-law murdered. Over a year later, a man confesses to the murders and a tragedy affects his hometown. He has a perfect memory because of a violent collision on a football field when he was younger. To uncover the truth, Decker has to face the memories he wishes he could forget the most.

First impressions: I’ve read a few other books in this series, so I was excited to finally pick up the first one. I enjoyed learning more about Decker, but the beginning is so sad.

Characters: Baldacci does a great job with Decker’s character development. It’s easy to root for him and relate to his struggles. Even though I like the plot, I think Amos Decker carries this story. Some of the secondary characters also grew on me more than I expected.

Quote:

“And you can say all you want about the world being unfair and people rising above the atrocities done to them, but everyone is different.”

Writing: It’s a little over 500 pages, but there’s a lot going on, and I never felt bored. I’m a fan of the different twists and turns as well as the cliffhangers at the end of some chapters. I couldn’t predict a lot of events that happened, especially near the end as everything is revealed. The book contains a lot of mature content, exploring sensitive topics and issues.

Final thoughts: I found the ending fitting. I wish the motivations behind the murders were more realistic. At times, I was suspending disbelief, but it’s still an entertaining story. If you’re interested in reading about an antihero with a tragic past uncovering the mystery of who killed his family, I’d recommend Memory Man.