Keeps the Pace Up: A Review of Redemption (By David Baldacci)
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.
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:
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
