Status
Available
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Vision (2016), Edition: Reissue, 509 pages
Description
"Amos Decker's life changed forever--twice. The first time was on the gridiron. A big, towering athlete, he was the only person from his hometown of Burlington ever to go pro. But his career ended before it had a chance to begin. On his very first play, a violent helmet-to-helmet collision knocked him off the field for good, and left him with an improbable side effect--he can never forget anything. The second time was at home nearly two decades later. Now a police detective, Decker returned from a stakeout one evening and entered a nightmare--his wife, young daughter, and brother-in-law had been murdered. His family destroyed, their killer's identity as mysterious as the motive behind the crime, and unable to forget a single detail from that horrible night, Decker finds his world collapsing around him. He leaves the police force, loses his home, and winds up on the street, taking piecemeal jobs as a private investigator when he can. But over a year later, a man turns himself in to the police and confesses to the murders. At the same time a horrific event nearly brings Burlington to its knees, and Decker is called back in to help with this investigation. Decker also seizes his chance to learn what really happened to his family that night. To uncover the stunning truth, he must use his remarkable gifts and confront the burdens that go along with them. He must endure the memories he would much rather forget. And he may have to make the ultimate sacrifice" --… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member BingeReader87
This book is what got me into reading David Baldacci's works. This is about Amos Decker, a former detective who now does PI work. He is a heavy man who has synesthsia, where he will see colors and associate them with certain aspects of life and events. The thing that drew me to the character of
Aside from that, the story is really great with plenty of plot twists and suspense. I really enjoyed it and recommend it to other readers.
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Amos Decker was the fact that he was heavy. I am not small and I am working towards changing that, but I have never once came across a crime novel with the leading man being heavier than others. It may sound weird for someone to enjoy a character based on their weight, but to me it means alot that he is heavyset, because being heavy myself, it fills me a weird sense of confidence. Aside from that, the story is really great with plenty of plot twists and suspense. I really enjoyed it and recommend it to other readers.
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LibraryThing member iBeth
I really liked the character of Amos Decker, and the book gets interesting very quickly. However, by the end the plot seemed so unlikely that I sort of lost the suspense.
LibraryThing member buffalogr
Although the book is exciting in places, it is not very memorable as the story is pretty thin. In the middle of the book, it drags quite a bit as Amos knocks off each question in the investigation...none seems a lead to solving the whodunit part of the crime. Our hero, a washed up football player,
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is dynamic in his own right but just another gumshoe. I assume that his malady has been researched by the author? The ending doesn't seem to connect with the rest of the book, except through one character and new revelations at the end pit his persona. I'll not be reading other Amos Decker books. Show Less
LibraryThing member cmeilink
Where to begin?
First, let me congratulate the author on giving readers a refreshing plot and an interesting and unusual central character.
Amos Decker is a man who had his life changed when a hard hit in his first pro football game resulted in a trauma that left him with the questionable gift of
He met Cassie while recuperating from his injury, and somehow the two of them found a life together. They married, had a daughter, and Decker, with his remarkable memory, became an outstanding police officer and then detective. Things seemed to be coming together for him, but then his life was changed again.
He came home to find his wife and daughter brutally murdered, and his life crumbled around him.
Now, an ex-football player, ex-police officer, ex-detective, no longer a husband nor father, he lived in the streets, beaten low by the hard hits of fate.
When he finally decided to reenter the world, it was as a private investigator, handling enough small jobs to eat and keep a roof over his head.
Life might have gone on like that indefinitely except for the day when a man named Sebastian Leopold walked into a police station and confessed to the murders of his family.
Unable to stay away, Decker lied his way into the police station to talk to Leopold. The police station that day was unusually empty. Most of the officers had been dispatched to the high school where multiple kids and teachers had been shot by an unknown shooter.
With no obvious clues to the shooter's identity, Decker is asked to serve as a consultant on the case. As clues begin to emerge, it becomes obvious that the murder of his family is related to the murders of the victims at the high school.
How can these crimes be related? Who is trying to destroy Decker? What did he do in his past that angered a person enough to do this?
The process of solving these crimes and answering these questions is presented by a master. Just like peeling an onion, we're allowed a glimpse of each small clue as it is discovered, and layer by layer, the truth and answers are revealed.
Memory Man was unique, well-paced, and well written. I strongly recommend this book.
First, let me congratulate the author on giving readers a refreshing plot and an interesting and unusual central character.
Amos Decker is a man who had his life changed when a hard hit in his first pro football game resulted in a trauma that left him with the questionable gift of
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being able to remember everything. Although this would serve him well in police work, that same hit also affected his ability to connect to other people.He met Cassie while recuperating from his injury, and somehow the two of them found a life together. They married, had a daughter, and Decker, with his remarkable memory, became an outstanding police officer and then detective. Things seemed to be coming together for him, but then his life was changed again.
He came home to find his wife and daughter brutally murdered, and his life crumbled around him.
Now, an ex-football player, ex-police officer, ex-detective, no longer a husband nor father, he lived in the streets, beaten low by the hard hits of fate.
When he finally decided to reenter the world, it was as a private investigator, handling enough small jobs to eat and keep a roof over his head.
Life might have gone on like that indefinitely except for the day when a man named Sebastian Leopold walked into a police station and confessed to the murders of his family.
Unable to stay away, Decker lied his way into the police station to talk to Leopold. The police station that day was unusually empty. Most of the officers had been dispatched to the high school where multiple kids and teachers had been shot by an unknown shooter.
With no obvious clues to the shooter's identity, Decker is asked to serve as a consultant on the case. As clues begin to emerge, it becomes obvious that the murder of his family is related to the murders of the victims at the high school.
How can these crimes be related? Who is trying to destroy Decker? What did he do in his past that angered a person enough to do this?
The process of solving these crimes and answering these questions is presented by a master. Just like peeling an onion, we're allowed a glimpse of each small clue as it is discovered, and layer by layer, the truth and answers are revealed.
Memory Man was unique, well-paced, and well written. I strongly recommend this book.
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LibraryThing member creighley
Amos Decker had his life irreparably altered when on the first play of his pro football career, he suffers a helmet to helmet collision which alters his brain so that he can no longer forget anything. Twenty years later, he is a respectable detective using his uncanny abilities to solve cases. One
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night he comes home to find his wife, child and brother-in-law murdered. It was a case no one solved. Now, he is one small step above homeless , lives in a hotel, and is starting a PI business. Eighteen months later, a man walks into the precinct and confesses to the murders. Amos suspects there's more. Show Less
LibraryThing member Judiex
Detectuve Amos Decker came home from work one night to discover his brother-in-law, wife, and ten-year-old daughter had been brutally murdered. He went into a deep depression and became homeless after losing his home and his job. After a while, he decided to become a private investigator, but
Suddenly a man showed up at police headquarters and claimed responsibility for the killings. The same day, there was a massacre at the local high school. Six students and two teachers died. Messages from the shooter said the deaths were in retaliation for Decker dissing the killer.
Decker could not remember dissing the person, whoever it was. That in itself was unusual because a head injury during his first appearance in a professional game changed his brain so that he would remember everything he saw or heard. That ability had made him an excellent police officer.
His determination to solve the school massacre, as well as hope to find his family’s assassin, led the police department to hire him as an advisor. More killings follow, all carrying messages directed to Decker as he tries to figure out how the school killings were carried out and their motive.
MEMORY MAN has an engaging plot involving some intricate detective work and some excellent writing. Unfortunately, it is extremely repetitive. Some key information is repeated several times to the point of monotony. It also has unnecessarily short chapters. I always lower the rating one level because of that. It is not what I expected from David Baldacci.
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sixteen months after the murders, the killer had not been found. Suddenly a man showed up at police headquarters and claimed responsibility for the killings. The same day, there was a massacre at the local high school. Six students and two teachers died. Messages from the shooter said the deaths were in retaliation for Decker dissing the killer.
Decker could not remember dissing the person, whoever it was. That in itself was unusual because a head injury during his first appearance in a professional game changed his brain so that he would remember everything he saw or heard. That ability had made him an excellent police officer.
His determination to solve the school massacre, as well as hope to find his family’s assassin, led the police department to hire him as an advisor. More killings follow, all carrying messages directed to Decker as he tries to figure out how the school killings were carried out and their motive.
MEMORY MAN has an engaging plot involving some intricate detective work and some excellent writing. Unfortunately, it is extremely repetitive. Some key information is repeated several times to the point of monotony. It also has unnecessarily short chapters. I always lower the rating one level because of that. It is not what I expected from David Baldacci.
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LibraryThing member jfe16
Amos Decker was Burlington’s first pro athlete, but it was a short-lived career. A violent tackle on the first play of the game sidelined him for good and left him with an unusual aftereffect. He cannot remember the accident that ended his sports career, but from that moment forward, everything
Amos returned home, worked his way through the police academy, and became a detective. It ended one night when he returned home from a stakeout to discover that a violent murder spree had robbed him of his wife, his young daughter, and his brother-in-law.
Leaving the police force, Amos ultimately loses his home to foreclosure and joins the ranks of the homeless street people, taking occasional odd jobs as a private investigator.
When the unthinkable happens in Burlington, the department seeks Decker’s help in their investigation and, at the same time, a man walks into the police station and calmly confesses to slaying Amos Decker’s family. What part will Decker’s unique memory play in unraveling the circumstances surrounding the town’s tragedy? Will being thrown back into a horror he wishes he could forget uncover the truth?
This can’t-put-it-down thriller will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the last haunting page has been turned.
Highly recommended.
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is etched in his memory, never to be forgotten.Amos returned home, worked his way through the police academy, and became a detective. It ended one night when he returned home from a stakeout to discover that a violent murder spree had robbed him of his wife, his young daughter, and his brother-in-law.
Leaving the police force, Amos ultimately loses his home to foreclosure and joins the ranks of the homeless street people, taking occasional odd jobs as a private investigator.
When the unthinkable happens in Burlington, the department seeks Decker’s help in their investigation and, at the same time, a man walks into the police station and calmly confesses to slaying Amos Decker’s family. What part will Decker’s unique memory play in unraveling the circumstances surrounding the town’s tragedy? Will being thrown back into a horror he wishes he could forget uncover the truth?
This can’t-put-it-down thriller will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the last haunting page has been turned.
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member rufusraider
Memory Man by David Baldacci is one of the best books I have read in quite some time. The story grabs you from the first page and never lets up. Has enough twists and turns to keep you involved in the story from the beginning.
The story starts with a detective coming home late one night from a stake
His former partner comes to tell him that there has been a break in the case. A homeless man has turned himself in stating that he had committed the murders. Amos heads down to the precinct hoping to see the man with the intent if possible to kill the guy. As he arrives, all of the cops are headed out to school shooting in progress. Amos bluffs his way in to see the guy insinuating that he is a lawyer that needs to talk to the guy. He interviews the guy and quickly comes to the answer that the guy did not do it even though he has confessed.
Amos is later confronted by the precinct chief about his subterfuge. He is warned to stay away. Though later, as the impact of the school shooting comes into focus his is brought on as a consultant to help with the case because of his perfect memory. Eerily it turns out that the murder of his family several years earlier and the school shooting are tied together because of the weapon used in both shootings.
There is a lot more to tell, but it would possibly spoil the story. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thriller or murder mystery. Just make sure you have plenty of free time. You will have a hard time putting the book down. It won't take you long to finish it, because you will make time to keep reading.
The story starts with a detective coming home late one night from a stake
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out and finding his family murdered. It takes up the story of Amos Decker and his quick downfall to a private detective who has been homeless within two years of the murders. It also starts the story of his incredible memory that was caused by blunt force trauma in his first pro football game. He became a cop after his recovery in his hometown.His former partner comes to tell him that there has been a break in the case. A homeless man has turned himself in stating that he had committed the murders. Amos heads down to the precinct hoping to see the man with the intent if possible to kill the guy. As he arrives, all of the cops are headed out to school shooting in progress. Amos bluffs his way in to see the guy insinuating that he is a lawyer that needs to talk to the guy. He interviews the guy and quickly comes to the answer that the guy did not do it even though he has confessed.
Amos is later confronted by the precinct chief about his subterfuge. He is warned to stay away. Though later, as the impact of the school shooting comes into focus his is brought on as a consultant to help with the case because of his perfect memory. Eerily it turns out that the murder of his family several years earlier and the school shooting are tied together because of the weapon used in both shootings.
There is a lot more to tell, but it would possibly spoil the story. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thriller or murder mystery. Just make sure you have plenty of free time. You will have a hard time putting the book down. It won't take you long to finish it, because you will make time to keep reading.
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LibraryThing member ChristineEllei
Amos Decker is the first athlete from his high school to ever make it to the pros. Sadly, his career was short lived when a horrible tackle from an opposing player left him sprawled on the field technically dead for a for moments. This resulted in some unusual side effects including the fact that
It seems like that would be talent that comes in handy when he is trying to finish his college education (straight A’s) and pass the police entrance exam (top of his class) but when life once again plays an unfair card and it is Amos who discovers his wife and daughter murdered in their home, that’s something he does not want to remember in vivid detail. The memory is debilitating. He can no longer function, loses everything and lives day-to-day wondering why he didn’t go through with killing himself the night he made the discovery. He becomes a self-imposed hermit, one tiny step away from being homeless.
Almost a year and a half year later two events happen that force him back into the real world. The police finally have a viable suspect in his family’s murder and a rampage at his old high school leaves one teacher and many students dead. He wants answers to his family’s killing but to get those he needs to help the police in the case of the shootings. Against his will he is drawn back into the world of the living.
As usual Mr. Baldacci weaves an interesting story, filled with more questions than answers right up to the end. Amos is a little different too. He is not one of the usual “war hero/super cop/can do no wrong” characters that sometimes populate Mr. Baldacci’s books. In fact Amos would have fit in well with some of the odd characters in the (my favorite) Camel Club series.
My one criticism of this book and a few other of his more recent books is that Mr. Baldacci does not give his readers enough credit. He has become very repetitive. In the last book I felt that if I read the words “army creds” one more time I would have hurled the book into the nearest wall. In “Memory Man” it was his description of Amos as “having let himself go”. Amos is a tall man, former football player so obviously he is a big guy. I also understand that Amos’ size is a determining factor in solving some of the clues in this book. But it seemed as if every other page mentioned the fact that he was “overweight”, “fat”, “had to shop at the Big Man store” and filled his plate to overflowing at the breakfast buffet. I got the reference after the first ten times … I get it … I GET it … I GET IT!! I kept thinking to myself that “yes, that visual is clear in my head – now give it a rest”. It really took away from my enjoyment of the story so hence my three star rating for an otherwise really good who-dun-it.
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now he forgets NOTHING.It seems like that would be talent that comes in handy when he is trying to finish his college education (straight A’s) and pass the police entrance exam (top of his class) but when life once again plays an unfair card and it is Amos who discovers his wife and daughter murdered in their home, that’s something he does not want to remember in vivid detail. The memory is debilitating. He can no longer function, loses everything and lives day-to-day wondering why he didn’t go through with killing himself the night he made the discovery. He becomes a self-imposed hermit, one tiny step away from being homeless.
Almost a year and a half year later two events happen that force him back into the real world. The police finally have a viable suspect in his family’s murder and a rampage at his old high school leaves one teacher and many students dead. He wants answers to his family’s killing but to get those he needs to help the police in the case of the shootings. Against his will he is drawn back into the world of the living.
As usual Mr. Baldacci weaves an interesting story, filled with more questions than answers right up to the end. Amos is a little different too. He is not one of the usual “war hero/super cop/can do no wrong” characters that sometimes populate Mr. Baldacci’s books. In fact Amos would have fit in well with some of the odd characters in the (my favorite) Camel Club series.
My one criticism of this book and a few other of his more recent books is that Mr. Baldacci does not give his readers enough credit. He has become very repetitive. In the last book I felt that if I read the words “army creds” one more time I would have hurled the book into the nearest wall. In “Memory Man” it was his description of Amos as “having let himself go”. Amos is a tall man, former football player so obviously he is a big guy. I also understand that Amos’ size is a determining factor in solving some of the clues in this book. But it seemed as if every other page mentioned the fact that he was “overweight”, “fat”, “had to shop at the Big Man store” and filled his plate to overflowing at the breakfast buffet. I got the reference after the first ten times … I get it … I GET it … I GET IT!! I kept thinking to myself that “yes, that visual is clear in my head – now give it a rest”. It really took away from my enjoyment of the story so hence my three star rating for an otherwise really good who-dun-it.
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LibraryThing member MarlaAMadison
Probably my favorite by Baldacci! Super suspense and a character I definitely would like to see again. Adam Dekker, a former cop, hits bottom after his family is murdered and their killer never found. He's encouraged back into the force as a consultant when a school shooting becomes linked to the
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murders of his family. Totally engrossing plot, a book that is hard to put down! Highly recommend. Show Less
LibraryThing member infjsarah
I find Baldacci an erratic writer. Sometimes I really like his books, other times, they are simply awful. But this one is at the top end of the scale. It is very enjoyable and I powered through it very quickly. Family slaughter mixed with school shootings and serial killers - wow, shove it all in.
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Well drawn characters, though I do get a bit tired of the whole main character must be massively tall and big thing. Would be nice to have a male protaganist who isn't 6ft plus. Show Less
LibraryThing member labdaddy4
Another excellent book by David Baldacci. In Memory Man he has introduced his readers to a new primary character. While the newness and unique features of Amos Decker took a while to grab me - they did, and the experience really took off. As the book progressed it became harder & harder to put
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down. Baldacci has another hit book and another hit character. As in previous novels the character development, plot line, dialog, and pace are all very strong features of this book. Baldacci just keeps hitting it "out of the park". Show Less
LibraryThing member LivelyLady
Amos Decker tries to find the killer of his wife and daughter. Not the author's best. I was ready for it to end.
LibraryThing member Writermala
The book is in true Baldacci style with a little Psychology stuff thrown into the mix. It was hard not to like. Amos Decker loses his wife and daughter to a murderer; but that is not the end. The little town of Burlington where he lives falls into the hands of a psychopath who seems to have a
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vendetta against Decker. All the big guns including the FBI are on the scene but it is Decker who has to solve the case. It is a good thing Decker is the Memory Man! Show Less
LibraryThing member WesleyH
Memory Man is a murder mystery about a private investigator brought into a mass shooting at a high school. The PI learns that there are suspicious parallels to this case and the unsolved case of the murders of his family sixteen months earlier. This author did a great job of closing out each
The main reason I rated this four-stars and not five is that I couldn’t relate with the main character. I didn’t find him endearing. I barely felt empathy for his loss of his family. Other than his freakish memory, I’m not sure what redeeming qualities he had. The other reason for four-stars was that I was a bit disappointed by the conclusion. After fifty-plus chapters of a gripping story, I thought the ending was weak - I just expected more to it than there was.
I noted one glaring technical error. In Chapter 38, the main character describes other people he knew who had “gifts.” He said one “could divide any prime number in his head no matter how large.” Prime numbers are defined as those that can only be divided by itself and one. There is no “gift” to dividing prime numbers no matter how large.
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chapter with a hook that kept me wanting to read on. The PI suffered from a brain condition that was brought on by a football injury and enabled him to retain everything he saw instantly and retrieve that information like it was on a DVR. He used this ability to recall important details to solving both cases.The main reason I rated this four-stars and not five is that I couldn’t relate with the main character. I didn’t find him endearing. I barely felt empathy for his loss of his family. Other than his freakish memory, I’m not sure what redeeming qualities he had. The other reason for four-stars was that I was a bit disappointed by the conclusion. After fifty-plus chapters of a gripping story, I thought the ending was weak - I just expected more to it than there was.
I noted one glaring technical error. In Chapter 38, the main character describes other people he knew who had “gifts.” He said one “could divide any prime number in his head no matter how large.” Prime numbers are defined as those that can only be divided by itself and one. There is no “gift” to dividing prime numbers no matter how large.
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LibraryThing member mikedraper
As I was being entertained by the story, "Memory Man," I kept thinking how good a writer and storyteller David Baldacci is.
This novel introduces a new protagonist, Amos Decker. He was a pro football player who suffered a massive hit on the helmet by another player. The helmet to helmet collision
Decker went on to be a cop in Burlington and was very successful until a killer murder his wife and family - including his ten-year-old daughter. He resigned from the police department and from life. He ended up sleeping on the streets until he rebounded enough to live in a motel and start a private investigator business. Since he can't forget anything, he continues to see events of that night and it almost brings him to the brink of suicide.
Over a year later, a homeless man confesses to the killing but when Decker gets to question him, he can't provide the small details of the crime.
During this time, there is a mass killing at the high school. Decker ic called back to the job to help with the investigation.
Are the two crimes related? If not, the odds of two horrific killings a year apart don't seem possible.
With the homeless man set free, Decker and his old partner attempt to recreate the crimes to see who might be the killer. They go into Decker's past and come up with various obstacles and surprises.
Since Decker can't forget things, he's able to look at evidence in a minute manner and make progress.
Super entertaining but not quite a 5*
This novel introduces a new protagonist, Amos Decker. He was a pro football player who suffered a massive hit on the helmet by another player. The helmet to helmet collision
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ended his career and caused an unexplained side effect - he never forgets anything.Decker went on to be a cop in Burlington and was very successful until a killer murder his wife and family - including his ten-year-old daughter. He resigned from the police department and from life. He ended up sleeping on the streets until he rebounded enough to live in a motel and start a private investigator business. Since he can't forget anything, he continues to see events of that night and it almost brings him to the brink of suicide.
Over a year later, a homeless man confesses to the killing but when Decker gets to question him, he can't provide the small details of the crime.
During this time, there is a mass killing at the high school. Decker ic called back to the job to help with the investigation.
Are the two crimes related? If not, the odds of two horrific killings a year apart don't seem possible.
With the homeless man set free, Decker and his old partner attempt to recreate the crimes to see who might be the killer. They go into Decker's past and come up with various obstacles and surprises.
Since Decker can't forget things, he's able to look at evidence in a minute manner and make progress.
Super entertaining but not quite a 5*
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LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
This book is the first in a new series about Amos Decker, a tall and bulky hulk of a man. Amos was a college football star, but in his first game in the pros, he was tackled by an opposing player, and he received a catastrophic injury leaving him with a condition called synesthesia. After an
Baldacci has a gift. He can keep the reader riveted to the story, even when the story is a bit contrived and often unrealistic. This mystery fits that bill. It is interesting but some of the time the narrative is overly detailed. There is no shortage of brutal murders for those who like that kind of action. There is no shortage of dysfunction either. Throw in a bit of sexual dysfunction, teenage love gone awry, and a sideline budding adult love story, and all the bases are covered. There are few likeable characters, and even those that might fit the bill of being likeable are flawed. As a detective, without a portfolio, Decker is superb. He finds clues in places everyone else misses them, he puts clues together to discover facts that no one else seems to discover. Although the book is exciting, it is not very memorable as the story is pretty thin. It can be summed up this way: man’s family is murdered, man loses it, man tries to catch murderer, man reforms somewhat, man may find romance again… end of story.
Take this book on vacation, on a plane trip or a cruise and you won’t be disappointed. It requires very little cerebral effort and it genuinely entertains as a diabolical murder mystery unfolds.
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extensive stay in a facility for those with cognitive disorders, he married, became a cop and then a detective. He loved his job in police work until the day his family was brutally murdered. Over the following 15 months after their deaths, Amos loses all interest in life and descends into the depths of poverty, even to the point of living on the street. Finally, he pulls himself somewhat together, moves into a Residence Inn and takes odd Private Investigating jobs. In all this time, there has been no progress in finding the murderer of his wife, daughter and brother-in-law. Suddenly, one day, a man walks into the police station and admits to their murders. This rouses Amos from his stupor, he cleans himself up, rudimentarily, and he schemes his way into the jail cell to talk to the man who says he murdered them simply because Amos somehow offended him. With his cognitive issue, all of his memories are permanent and cannot be forgotten. He is sure he will recognize the man if his confession is, in fact, true.Baldacci has a gift. He can keep the reader riveted to the story, even when the story is a bit contrived and often unrealistic. This mystery fits that bill. It is interesting but some of the time the narrative is overly detailed. There is no shortage of brutal murders for those who like that kind of action. There is no shortage of dysfunction either. Throw in a bit of sexual dysfunction, teenage love gone awry, and a sideline budding adult love story, and all the bases are covered. There are few likeable characters, and even those that might fit the bill of being likeable are flawed. As a detective, without a portfolio, Decker is superb. He finds clues in places everyone else misses them, he puts clues together to discover facts that no one else seems to discover. Although the book is exciting, it is not very memorable as the story is pretty thin. It can be summed up this way: man’s family is murdered, man loses it, man tries to catch murderer, man reforms somewhat, man may find romance again… end of story.
Take this book on vacation, on a plane trip or a cruise and you won’t be disappointed. It requires very little cerebral effort and it genuinely entertains as a diabolical murder mystery unfolds.
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LibraryThing member librarygeek33
After being on the wrong end of a ferocious football tackle, Amos Decker was left with the amazing curse of never being able to forget. Anything. This twist on the main character makes this title more memorable than the average summer mystery.
LibraryThing member JudithDCollins
A special thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
David Baldacci is at the “top of this game”, delivering a riveting and absorbing new series. MEMORY MAN a flawed offbeat hero-Amos Decker, drawing you into his world of tragedy, loss, and
Amos Decker would forever remember all of their violent deaths in the most paralyzing shade of blue. He would never be free from it. The night when his life changed. Former Detective Amos Decker had been on a stakeout, driving home and walks in to his worst nightmare. Red. Blood. He discovers first a knife, second a gun; his brother-in-law, Johnny, throat split from ear to ear; his wife, Cassie, a single-entry gunshot in her forehead; and lastly, his precious daughter, Molly-not quite ten years old, death by strangulation. With nothing left. He cannot stay. His family is gone. He stares at his muzzle, ready to end his life, as he was not there to protect his family. As he stares at his muzzle ready to end his life, to die, and join his family; however, for some reason unknown even to him, Amos Decker does not pull the trigger and calls 911.
In the months to come, he loses the house to foreclosure, as they were barely making the payments with his and Cassie’s salary. On his paycheck alone it was impossible. He tried to sell it; however, no one would buy a house covered in blood. He lived in an apartment for several months, then a motel, a friend’s couch to a homeless shelter, to a cardboard box in a Walmart parking lot, when he reaches rock bottom. Cassie and Molly would be ashamed. So he cleans himself up with some odd jobs and moved into the Residence Inn and hangs out his PI shingle.
Amos has not had a simple life. A four-year-college football player, a professional for short stint, keeping fit as a cop and later a detective. A big, towering athlete, he was the only person from his hometown of Burlington ever to go pro. But his career ended before it had a chance to begin. On his very first play, a violent helmet-to-helmet collision knocked him off the field for good, and left him with an improbable side effect—he can never forget anything. Amos Decker’s life changed forever—twice.
From that moment, Decker's brain shifted and he lost the ability to forget. The entire world became a myriad of colors and memories that he could easily access. With his new abilities, he's the perfect candidate to become a police detective. He can visit a crime scene once and walk through it over and over again in his mind, and he can remember verbatim testimony by a witness or suspect. Decker has hyperthymesia, an extremely rare condition that makes him unable to forget anything. Two decades after suffering the hit, the blow-- Decker's life is once again unraveling, with the murder of his wife, young daughter and brother-in-law.
Months later, no suspects, and no one had been arrested for the murders of his family. A trail grown cold, and the odds of solving the case and catching the killer had dropped to near zero. He had left the police force, as he could no longer push paper, when he cared about nothing, except for “one thing”. Their deaths had to be connected with what he did; after all, he had put hundreds of people away over the years and some were out of prison now and they could have found him for revenge. But there was no scrap of evidence. No trial, No execution. His fault, His guilt.
Now, fifty pounds overweight, a bum knee, and a soft gut. However, he has never been normal since the “hit” the only thing he had never remembered. Ironically, since it was the catalyst for his “never forgetting” anything else. And even the national news felt the need to document the violence done to him, on YouTube. All he had done to deserve the folderol of attention was to die on a football field, not once, but twice. He could have been written up in scholarly journals and there could have been media and money, but he had not seen himself as a prodigy. He had seen himself as a freak and no longer able to watch sports. He was just a machine and some prick was taunting him, the monster who killed his family and and now could they be turning their rage on Mansfield High School?
Three years later, Decker discovers a man has turned himself in to the police and confesses to the murders, and he comes up with a brilliant plan. (Loved this part). He pretends to be an attorney to get into the cell. He has talents and gifts and he will use them to uncover the truth. He has learn the truth - Is this the monster who killed his family? Too many holes in his story. This cannot be the man, but why is he confessing? In addition, at the same time another tragedy occurs in the same town of Burlington. A high school shooting.
What comes next is an intense fast-paced action mystery suspense of connecting the past, a football career, the time when he was recovering from the hit, a police career, a new school shooting, an army base - all of which may be connected to his family’s murders, and a decade-old plan of evil, murder, and revenge. Some awesome characters contribute to some added human dynamics with Decker’s former partner, FBI agent, a reporter, and a fellow cop.
Wow, I have read almost every Baldacci series: John Puller, Will Robie, King & Maxwell, The Camel Club, The Shaw Series, and his many standalones, each being unique; however, MEMORY MAN is captivating, from page one. The author brilliantly sets up his character; he is humble, troubled, flawed, worn down, homeless and sharp. He can assist the authorities in ways no one else can. He had it all, and lost it all. Amos' tenacity, his gift, and his drive to find the killers, a humble hero on his journey to redemption – cleverly plotted.
Amos Decker is a stand-out character leaving fans anxiously awaiting a second book, (let’s hope), as this one is just too damn good to be a standalone. I literally dropped my other ARCs, planning to start this one for a few hours; did not stop until I reached the end.
Having already pre-ordered the audiobook, before receiving an advanced reading copy, had the double pleasure of enjoying both fascinating versions. As always, Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy delivers an outstanding performance!
If for some reason (cannot conceive), if you have never read David Baldacci, MEMORY MAN is a perfect place to start--your journey to being an avid fan, like the rest of us!
David Baldacci is at the “top of this game”, delivering a riveting and absorbing new series. MEMORY MAN a flawed offbeat hero-Amos Decker, drawing you into his world of tragedy, loss, and
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complexity for hours of mind-blowing intensity. With a mix of crime, cop procedural, medical, psychological, and a multi-layered mystery thriller page-turner, you cannot put down--until you reach the words, “for just a little while.”Amos Decker would forever remember all of their violent deaths in the most paralyzing shade of blue. He would never be free from it. The night when his life changed. Former Detective Amos Decker had been on a stakeout, driving home and walks in to his worst nightmare. Red. Blood. He discovers first a knife, second a gun; his brother-in-law, Johnny, throat split from ear to ear; his wife, Cassie, a single-entry gunshot in her forehead; and lastly, his precious daughter, Molly-not quite ten years old, death by strangulation. With nothing left. He cannot stay. His family is gone. He stares at his muzzle, ready to end his life, as he was not there to protect his family. As he stares at his muzzle ready to end his life, to die, and join his family; however, for some reason unknown even to him, Amos Decker does not pull the trigger and calls 911.
In the months to come, he loses the house to foreclosure, as they were barely making the payments with his and Cassie’s salary. On his paycheck alone it was impossible. He tried to sell it; however, no one would buy a house covered in blood. He lived in an apartment for several months, then a motel, a friend’s couch to a homeless shelter, to a cardboard box in a Walmart parking lot, when he reaches rock bottom. Cassie and Molly would be ashamed. So he cleans himself up with some odd jobs and moved into the Residence Inn and hangs out his PI shingle.
Amos has not had a simple life. A four-year-college football player, a professional for short stint, keeping fit as a cop and later a detective. A big, towering athlete, he was the only person from his hometown of Burlington ever to go pro. But his career ended before it had a chance to begin. On his very first play, a violent helmet-to-helmet collision knocked him off the field for good, and left him with an improbable side effect—he can never forget anything. Amos Decker’s life changed forever—twice.
From that moment, Decker's brain shifted and he lost the ability to forget. The entire world became a myriad of colors and memories that he could easily access. With his new abilities, he's the perfect candidate to become a police detective. He can visit a crime scene once and walk through it over and over again in his mind, and he can remember verbatim testimony by a witness or suspect. Decker has hyperthymesia, an extremely rare condition that makes him unable to forget anything. Two decades after suffering the hit, the blow-- Decker's life is once again unraveling, with the murder of his wife, young daughter and brother-in-law.
Months later, no suspects, and no one had been arrested for the murders of his family. A trail grown cold, and the odds of solving the case and catching the killer had dropped to near zero. He had left the police force, as he could no longer push paper, when he cared about nothing, except for “one thing”. Their deaths had to be connected with what he did; after all, he had put hundreds of people away over the years and some were out of prison now and they could have found him for revenge. But there was no scrap of evidence. No trial, No execution. His fault, His guilt.
Now, fifty pounds overweight, a bum knee, and a soft gut. However, he has never been normal since the “hit” the only thing he had never remembered. Ironically, since it was the catalyst for his “never forgetting” anything else. And even the national news felt the need to document the violence done to him, on YouTube. All he had done to deserve the folderol of attention was to die on a football field, not once, but twice. He could have been written up in scholarly journals and there could have been media and money, but he had not seen himself as a prodigy. He had seen himself as a freak and no longer able to watch sports. He was just a machine and some prick was taunting him, the monster who killed his family and and now could they be turning their rage on Mansfield High School?
Three years later, Decker discovers a man has turned himself in to the police and confesses to the murders, and he comes up with a brilliant plan. (Loved this part). He pretends to be an attorney to get into the cell. He has talents and gifts and he will use them to uncover the truth. He has learn the truth - Is this the monster who killed his family? Too many holes in his story. This cannot be the man, but why is he confessing? In addition, at the same time another tragedy occurs in the same town of Burlington. A high school shooting.
What comes next is an intense fast-paced action mystery suspense of connecting the past, a football career, the time when he was recovering from the hit, a police career, a new school shooting, an army base - all of which may be connected to his family’s murders, and a decade-old plan of evil, murder, and revenge. Some awesome characters contribute to some added human dynamics with Decker’s former partner, FBI agent, a reporter, and a fellow cop.
Wow, I have read almost every Baldacci series: John Puller, Will Robie, King & Maxwell, The Camel Club, The Shaw Series, and his many standalones, each being unique; however, MEMORY MAN is captivating, from page one. The author brilliantly sets up his character; he is humble, troubled, flawed, worn down, homeless and sharp. He can assist the authorities in ways no one else can. He had it all, and lost it all. Amos' tenacity, his gift, and his drive to find the killers, a humble hero on his journey to redemption – cleverly plotted.
Amos Decker is a stand-out character leaving fans anxiously awaiting a second book, (let’s hope), as this one is just too damn good to be a standalone. I literally dropped my other ARCs, planning to start this one for a few hours; did not stop until I reached the end.
Having already pre-ordered the audiobook, before receiving an advanced reading copy, had the double pleasure of enjoying both fascinating versions. As always, Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy delivers an outstanding performance!
If for some reason (cannot conceive), if you have never read David Baldacci, MEMORY MAN is a perfect place to start--your journey to being an avid fan, like the rest of us!
Show Less
LibraryThing member dementomstie
Pretty good, but not amazing really.
The main character is unlikeable, but there's a reason for it so it's not an unenjoyable book.
The mystery moves along at an interesting pace, not too fast, but not too slow. The story is focused on looking for and learning about the person who is responsible
The main character is unlikeable, but there's a reason for it so it's not an unenjoyable book.
The mystery moves along at an interesting pace, not too fast, but not too slow. The story is focused on looking for and learning about the person who is responsible
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for these crimes that occur in the book, so I don't mind a killer that is taunting the person/people hunting them. Show Less
LibraryThing member coku
A really good read! I liked the character of Amos Decker and I think that despite his special brain condition he retained more humanity, than he, or David Baldacci made us believe.
The only weak point for me was the reason behind the killers killing spree. It was just not compelling enough.
The only weak point for me was the reason behind the killers killing spree. It was just not compelling enough.
LibraryThing member kteeley
Good story if a little far fetched, but hey, that makes a good story!. New likable character in Amos Decker, hope this is part of a series. I like the way Baldacci scrolls thru Decker's memory to turn up "new " clues. Clever. A good read but not fabulous.
LibraryThing member alohaboy
A great new series with an intriguing main character.
LibraryThing member nyiper
Definitely on the grizzly side to read but engrossing all the same. Very typical Balcacci---I'm always ready to read another one of his books!
LibraryThing member bpascoe
Amos Decker's life changed forever--twice.
The first time was on the gridiron. A big, towering athlete, he was the only person from his hometown of Burlington ever to go pro. But his career ended before it had a chance to begin. On his very first play, a violent helmet-to-helmet collision knocked
The second time was at home nearly two decades later. Now a police detective, Decker returned from a stakeout one evening and entered a nightmare--his wife, young daughter, and brother-in-law had been murdered.
His family destroyed, their killer's identity as mysterious as the motive behind the crime, and unable to forget a single detail from that horrible night, Decker finds his world collapsing around him. He leaves the police force, loses his home, and winds up on the street, taking piecemeal jobs as a private investigator when he can.
But over a year later, a man turns himself in to the police and confesses to the murders. At the same time a horrific event nearly brings Burlington to its knees, and Decker is called back in to help with this investigation. Decker also seizes his chance to learn what really happened to his family that night. To uncover the stunning truth, he must use his remarkable gifts and confront the burdens that go along with them. He must endure the memories he would much rather forget. And he may have to make the ultimate sacrifice.
MEMORY MAN will stay with you long after the turn of the final page.
The first time was on the gridiron. A big, towering athlete, he was the only person from his hometown of Burlington ever to go pro. But his career ended before it had a chance to begin. On his very first play, a violent helmet-to-helmet collision knocked
Show More
him off the field for good, and left him with an improbable side effect--he can never forget anything.The second time was at home nearly two decades later. Now a police detective, Decker returned from a stakeout one evening and entered a nightmare--his wife, young daughter, and brother-in-law had been murdered.
His family destroyed, their killer's identity as mysterious as the motive behind the crime, and unable to forget a single detail from that horrible night, Decker finds his world collapsing around him. He leaves the police force, loses his home, and winds up on the street, taking piecemeal jobs as a private investigator when he can.
But over a year later, a man turns himself in to the police and confesses to the murders. At the same time a horrific event nearly brings Burlington to its knees, and Decker is called back in to help with this investigation. Decker also seizes his chance to learn what really happened to his family that night. To uncover the stunning truth, he must use his remarkable gifts and confront the burdens that go along with them. He must endure the memories he would much rather forget. And he may have to make the ultimate sacrifice.
MEMORY MAN will stay with you long after the turn of the final page.
Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2015-04-21
Physical description
509 p.; 4.25 inches
ISBN
1455559806 / 9781455559800