Small Towns Keep the Darkest Secrets in David Baldacci’s ‘Walk the Wire’ [REVIEW]

A secret life. A gruesome murder. A community spiraling out of control. When Amos Decker heads to North Dakota to solve a crime, will he be able to uncover the truth before the whole town goes up in smoke? Find out in David Baldacci’s sixth Memory Man thriller, Walk the Wire.

Amos Decker and Alex Jamison team up again to travel to the small Midwest town of London, North Dakota to investigate the murder of a young woman named Irene Cramer, a teacher for a local religious organization by day and a prostitute by night. Or was she?

As the number of clues and bodies begins to rise, Amos and Alex believe this town is not all it seems on the surface.

In this breathlessly paced novel, Baldacci weaves a tale so full of twists and turns, readers will find themselves reaching for the grab handle as they careen around each new curve in the story.

At times it seems like we are left with more questions than answers. Who did kill Ms. Cramer? Who would benefit most from her death? Could it be the fracking company who employs most of the town? The shady government officials who stonewalls every question that’s asked? A religious sect which owns the land where Ms. Cramer was killed? Or is the motive behind this crime of passion simply the oldest reason in the book? Readers will have fun trying to stay one step ahead of the investigation.

Not only did I enjoy the novel’s suspenseful plot, but I also appreciated the arc of Amos Decker’s character development in this volume of the Memory Man saga. Amos is trying to become a better brother, friend and colleague. Along the way, he realizes he needs to come to terms with his past and embrace the present if he’s ever to build the kind of future he desires for himself.

Baldacci digs deep as he provides Amos with numerous—albeit conflicting—facets of his personality. Yet Decker remains a man that every reader can relate to in one way or another, one we happily cheer on in the hopes that he ultimately beats the odds, betters himself, and nabs his villain.

If you love stories that challenge your crime-solving capabilities even as they pull at your heartstrings, you won’t want to miss Walk the Wire. David Baldacci is on fire!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Baldacci has been writing since childhood, when his mother gave him a lined notebook in which to write down his stories. (Much later, when David thanked her for being the spark that ignited his writing career, she revealed that she’d given him the notebook to keep him quiet, “because every mom needs a break now and then.”)

David published his first novel, Absolute Power, in 1996. The feature film adaptation followed, with Clint Eastwood as its director and star. In total, David has published 41 novels for adults; all have been national and international bestsellers, and several have been adapted for film and television. His novels are published in over 45 languages and in more than 80 countries, with 150 million copies sold worldwide. David has also published seven novels for younger readers.

A lifelong Virginian, David received his Bachelor’s degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law, after which he practiced law in Washington, D.C.

In addition to being a prolific writer, David is a devoted philanthropist, and his greatest efforts are dedicated to his family’s Wish You Well Foundation®. Established by David and his wife, Michelle, the Wish You Well Foundation supports family and adult literacy programs in the United States. In 2008 the Foundation partnered with Feeding America to launch Feeding Body & Mind, a program to address the connection between literacy, poverty and hunger. Through Feeding Body & Mind, more than 1 million new and gently used books have been collected and distributed through food banks to families in need.

David and his family live in Virginia.

For more information, visit DavidBaldacci.com, like him on Facebook, and follow him on Twitter, Instagram, BookBub, and Goodreads.

WALK THE WIRE
By David Baldacci
432 pp. Grand Central. $29.

Purchase Walk the Wire direct from Jathan & Heather Books or from one of these other fine online retailers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Half Price Books, Hudson Booksellers, IndieBound, Powell’s, Target, or Walmart.