THE LAST MILE
Convicted murderer Melvin Mars is counting down the last hours before his execution–for the violent killing of his parents twenty years earlier–when he’s granted an unexpected reprieve. Another man has confessed to the crime.
Amos Decker, newly hired on an FBI special task force, takes an interest in Mars’s case after discovering the striking similarities to his own life: Both men … own life: Both men were talented football players with promising careers cut short by tragedy. Both men’s families were brutally murdered. And in both cases, another suspect came forward, years after the killing, to confess to the crime. A suspect who may or may not have been telling the truth.
The confession has the potential to make Melvin Mars–guilty or not–a free man. Who wants Mars out of prison? And why now?
But when a member of Decker’s team disappears, it becomes clear that something much larger–and more sinister–than just one convicted criminal’s life hangs in the balance. Decker will need all of his extraordinary brainpower to stop an innocent man from being executed.
In his #1 New York Times bestseller Memory Man, David Baldacci introduced the extraordinary detective Amos Decker-the man who can forget nothing. Now, Decker returns in a spectacular new thriller . . .
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This book was exciting from the first page to the last. The main character Amos Decker was a renegade that reminded me of the all of the detectives that have a gift of finding out the impossible. Anyway if you want to read a book that you can’t put down this is it.
In David Baldacci’s The Last Mile, chief protagonist FBI agent Amos Decker is investigating Melvin Mars, a convicted murderer on death row. Mars has a similar background to Amos Decker; both played football, and both had their families brutally murdered. Just hours before his scheduled execution someone confesses to the crime and Mars is granted a reprieve. Amos Decker and his team have questions, and then one of Decker’s team disappears. Is Mars really guilty or innocent? An intriguing and enjoyable read.
This is the second Amos Decker novel I’ve read, the first being the series opener Memory Man. I liked this story better. There were more characters to care about and they were all more developed. Perhaps this is just a result of being a second book in a series, but the story just connected with me more. It felt more human and believable. There were still surprises that I wasn’t expecting and the end was more satisfying. One thing I have to say about Baldacci’s writing is it’s easy to read and is never feels overwritten. That right there keeps the pages flipping and before you know it, an hour has passed.
Amos Decker, from Memory Man, is now a paid consultant for the FBI. While driving to D.C. to start his new job he is listening to NPR. He hears about a man who is on death row in Texas. The man is someone he played against in college football. Someone has confessed to the murders Melvin Mars is due to die for killing. On the day of Mars’ execution, there is a reprieve.
Amos thinks it is too weird that someone has come forward to confess just like someone confessed to killing his family. He convinces the group he is working with at the FBI to look into the confession and the murders. The more they research the murder and backgrounds of the people involved, the stranger it gets. The murdered people have no past before showing up in Texas.
The story isn’t as good as the first Amos Decker book, but since I felt like I knew him, I was invested. I like Melvin much more than I do Amos. Amos is not a likable person. I would guess the most you could do would be learn to tolerate him. But, he has a fantastic memory, for everything, and if he can fit the pieces together and not get killed in the process he will hopefully learn the truth.
David Baldacci’s THE LAST MILE kept me riveted in the passenger seat on a cross-country road trip! A suspense-filled page turner, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. And when it did—BANG! I didn’t see it coming.
Amos Decker is an interesting and unforgettable character.
Love this series!
Been reading David Baldacci for years. Love his characters and his storylines. Also like that I can’t figure it out.
It’s a page turner, with interesting characters, and you want to keep on reading!
As usual with this author you go through multiple twists and turns. You never know the truth until the end.
This is the 2nd Amos Decker book, but it can be a stand alone story. It is a fast paced story and has plenty of twists and turns.
Great mystery thriller. Book #2. First book , Memory Man, also great.
Review for the audio version:
Well done, vocally. It was easy to tell which male characters were speaking: Mr. Brewer handled that very well. The major female characters all sounded alike. Peripherals like waitresses and neighbors were distinguishable with their dialects.
The story wasn’t believable. The FBI and the federal/state governments don’t do things like this. When an agent is pulled off a case, s/he is off, not back again later in the week. I don’t think that the FBI allows civilians on a task force the latitude that Decker and team enjoy. The government does not award money tax-free. The female villain was easy to spot. Scene changes were sometimes a little too convenient: Jameson asks why they at FBI headquarters after they arrive, not before they got on the plan to DC …
But all in all, it was an enjoyable 12 (almost) hours, as long as the reader/listener is willing to suspend belief from time to time.
Wow
As far as I know Baldacci has never written anything but the best reading. This is no exception. I recommend it.
Amos Decker, aka the memory man has a new job with the FBI. He’s facing a lot of changes in his life. On his way to Quantico to meet with his new team, he turns on the radio and hears the story of convicted murderer, Melvin Mars awaiting execution in Texas for killing his parents. Someone in Alabama has confessed to the crime earing Mars a stay of execution. Seeing similarities with his own life, Amos convinces the team to take the case.
Melvin and Amos share a past on the gridiron, both men’s families were brutally murdered and their lives forever changed, in both cases another suspect came forward to confess to the crime but the confession distorts the truth rather than enlighten it. In Melvin’s situation, the confession could be the difference between life and death, freedom and incarceration.
What looked like a simple case of a black man being sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit turns into something more intriguing and convoluted. When a member of their team is kidnapped, it rachets up the tension even more.
This is a fantastic series. I love the characters especially Amos Decker.
I think Baldacci is unable to write a book that doesn’t grab my attention!
I figured out the main mysteries early but they did put in some twist and turns through out the book. Characters are developed more but still have a lot to go. Looking forward to the next book and learning more about each character. Audio was good with the use of two people and sound effects.
I like the main character
Amos Decker is perhaps Mr. Baldacci’s most original character and this narrative is among his most inventive. I thought I had it all figured out and then he gave it a few more twists. You’ll love it.