| Baldacci
borrows bits and pieces from Social Media and Sci-Fi to create
his newest series, and he does it well. To me, it looks like
Baldacci pulled the killer's uniqueness from social media.
Baldacci keeps the murderer's true identity well-hidden and
makes his hero work hard to reveal it. Baldacci gives us a
very unusual hero. He could be considered a superhuman, but
only when it comes to his brain power. His name is Amos Decker.
He's a family man and a police detective. Decker has perfect
memory recall and he sees people and places in colors and
numbers. Decker isn't your typical Baldacci hero, which is
what I like about him the most. He's average looking, overweight,
poorly dressed and rude. He hasn't bothered to hone or take
advantage of his skills when it comes to his job, either.
He sounds like a real loser, but as Baldacci slowly reveals
Decker's story, you begin to understand and can't help but
root for him.
In the
opening chapters, we discover how Decker's brain damage came
about and witness the loss of his family. Beware, it is graphic.
Decker is forced out of his grief after his former partner
tells him a suspect has admitted to murdering his family.
Throughout the storyline, the suspect offers Decker a suspicious
story, false hope, and crooked leads. It's maddening. Who
would hate Decker enough to destroy his life? In his past,
Decker was not a man who made an effort to right the wrong
and make enemies in return. What Decker discovers is that
the same perfect memory that tortured him daily with his family's
death is the very tool that can bring his enemy to justice.
It's a deadly path of emotional torment, mental training,
and physical torture that listeners/readers will want to witness
in order to see justice served, but to also help them to understand
this hero and those he finally allows near him. The good news
is that the last page of Memory Man is actually the
beginning. I get excited just thinking about the next in series.
Team
McLarty and Cassidy bring Baldacci's new series to life. They've
narrated other titles by Baldacci and each narration is unique
in its own right. With Memory Man, Ron successfully
conveys Decker's various moods, as well as the other male
characters. Orlagh brings to life Decker's patience former
partner, as well as a gutsy reporter and other female characters.
Mclarty and Cassidy are both well-known actors. McLarty is
also an author; his latest title is Traveler. Cassidy
is also well-known on the stage and has been seen on TV shows
such as Sex and the City, Law & Order and
The Guiding Light.
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