Leafing Through Pages - Long Shadows (Amos Decker #7)
First posted on WordPress here.
For review of all books in the Amos Decker series, go here.
Stars: 3 / 5
Recommendation: Definitely not fast-paced since a lot of redundancy and droning goes on. Somehow Baldacci still managed to keep the reader gripping to the tale. That is what this makes readable! This book felt much slower than others in the series. May be not having Will Robie, it seems a little slower.
Long Shadows is the seventh book in the Amos Decker series by David Baldacci and originally published on October 11, 2022.
The stories in this series center on Amos Decker, a detective turned private investigator who has an excellent memory, that he doesn’t forget anything and can recall things from his past and personal experiences and also everything he heard or read about in history. His condition - hyperthymesia and synesthesia - is due to the helmet-to-helmet collision with opposing team player on his very first NFL game, that almost killed him. He was revived twice which caused his brain to retain memory; and also see world in a kaleidoscope of colors and numbers. He uses his skills to catch killers as a detective first and later as a private investigator.
Amos doesn’t like change. And changes are happening fast for him than he would like to - his brain seems to be changing again although his hyperyhymesia and synesthesia are still there; his FBI boos Ross Bogart is retired; his partner Alex Jamison moved to NYC and he is given a new partner
Amos feels all alone for the first time especially since he lost Bogart's hand to protect him and FBI is wanting to rid of him. His brain was his constant companion and now that seems to be changing as well, although he doesn’t know the changes, yet! This time he is sent to FL along with his new partner Freddie to solve a double murder - a federal judge and her bodyguard.
This is not a simple tale as it seems leading Amos Decker down a path that opens doors to unexpected avenues. A case that would sink him or rise him to be seen. Again it leads Amos into unsolved past case as well as present murders. There is still a lot of paraphrasing and repetitive scenes and scenarios that we could have gotten away with it and still have a decent story. It is unusual for Baldacci’s books since I read a few of his novels in a different series. Perhaps to show Decker's synesthesia and hyperthymesia, he had to take this approach.
Decker still remains a fat agent as he describes himself. He continues to be very human with real emotions as opposed to having a god-like figure and overtly rich as shown in many TV shows. This was the one of the saving graces that made me give 3 stars. I see a lot of football euphemisms included in the plot and also different plays that they use on football.
As the books proceed we see that Amos struggles with his ever changing memory. Although he seems to regain his perfect memory still.
The books in this series are following a similar pattern. It is still a well-written and engaging story. Definitely not fast-paced since a lot of redundancy and droning goes on. Somehow Baldacci still managed to keep the reader gripping to the tale. That is what this makes readable! This book felt much slower than others in the series. May be not having Will Robie, it seems a little slower.
Spoiler Alerts:
Plot Reveals:
1) Looks like Alex will come back as his partner.
2) Alex is dating Kevin in NYC.
3) Amos becomes friends with Tyler, Judge Cummins' son.
Sub Plots:
1. FBI Joint Task Force - Special Agent Talbott; Special Agent Frederica "Freddie" White divorced with two kids Calvin and Jacky and mother Serena Washington; Special Agent Doug Andrews
2. Mary Lancaster shoots herself unable to bear with the change her brain was taking because of early onset dementia. In #7
3. Amos Decker’s family and friends: His dead family - Cassandra “Cassie” his wife, Molly his daughter and Johnny his brother-in-law; he has two sisters - Renee and her husband Stan Baker and kids,
4. Melvin Mars is married and moved to CA; no inkling as to if he was married to Harper Brown. In #6
5. Alex's family - sister Amber and niece Zoe Mitchell;