Reading this new series by Baldacci I couldn't help but hear his publisher - or him telling them - 'we need to come up with a Jack Reacher character.' Ex-military with finely-tuned, expert combat instincts and skills who breaks down crimes, bones and serves justice. The parallels are hard to miss. But Travis Devine has more sensitivity than Reacher. Less opaque and more approachable. The plots and characters are also a bit more complex than Lee Child's. Not better or worse (as a dedicated Reacher fan) - just different. It's a good series so far and hopefully Baldacci will get enough mileage for quite a few more. If you like taut thrillers, these are excellent choices.
6:20 Man
In the opening book, Travis puts on a cheap suit, grabs his faux-leather briefcase and boards the 6:20 commuter train to Manhattan where he works as an entry-level analyst at the city's most prestigious investment firm. In the mornings, he gazes out the train window at the lavish homes of the uberwealthy; one of which is owned by the founder of his firm and often decorated with a stunning bikini-clad blonde by the pool. In the evenings he listens to the financial news, preparing for the next grueling day in the cutthroat world of high-finance. Then one morning Devine's tedious routine is shattered by an anonymous email: She is dead.
Sara Ewes, Devine's coworker and former girlfriend has been found hanging in a storage room of his office building - presumably a suicide, at least for now - prompting the NYPD to come calling on him. Then he gets another call that threatens to dredge up dark secrets from this past. It's a high-stakes conspiracy, there's a killer out there with an agenda, and Devine is in the bull's-eye.
The Edge
When CIA operative Jenny Silkwell is murdered in rural Maine, government officials have immediate concerns over national security. Her laptop and phone were full of state secrets that, in the wrong hands, endanger the lives of countless operatives. In need of someone who can solve the murder quickly and retrieve the missing information, the U.S. government knows just the chameleon they can call on.
Ex-Army Ranger Travis Devine spent his time in the military preparing to take on any scenario, followed by his short-lived business career chasing shadows in the deepest halls of power. Taking down the world's largest financial conspiracy proved his value and, in comparison, this case looks easy. Except small towns hold secrets and those who will stop at nothing to keep them from being exposed. Leaving Devine with no idea who he can trust....and who wants him dead. As with the first book, the culprit is one you'd least suspect (of course).
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