Review of "Redemption: An Amos Decker 'Memory Man' Mystery" by David Baldacci

In this 5th book in the 'Amos Decker' series, the detective re-investigates a multiple murder that occurred 13 years ago. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

Former Burlington, Ohio homicide detective Amos Decker is now a consultant for the FBI. His partner is Agent Alex Jamison, whom he first met when she was a journalist, and who's now his (platonic) roommate.



Decker is assisted in his investigative work by a condition called hyperthymesia, which was caused by a massive head injury when he was a young football player. The hyperthymesia gives Decker the ability to recall - in vivid detail - everything he's ever seen, read, or experienced.

Decker's family was brutally killed four years ago, and he returns to Ohio every year to visit their graves. Decker and Jamison are standing in the Burlington cemetery when they're approached by a sick, shuffling man who identifies himself as Meryl Hawkins.





Decker remembers Hawkins, a perp he helped put away 13 years ago for killing businessman Don Richards, Richards' two young children, and a banker named David Katz, who happened to be in Richards' house.

Hawkins says he's been released from prison because he's terminally ill. He goes on to assert that he was wrongly convicted; that he has new information about the Richards and Katz murders; and that he wants Decker to investigate. Decker agrees to meet Hawkins later on, but the convict himself is killed before that can happen.



When he thinks back, Decker recalls that the Richards/Katz murder case was open and shut. Hawkins' fingerprint was found in the Richards' house; the murder gun was found in Hawkins' closet; and Hawkins DNA was found under the fingernails of one of the dead children. Because Hawkins was clearly the killer Decker didn't carefully consider other evidence, like autopsy results.

When Hawkins is murdered Decker becomes concerned that- as a newly minted homicide cop - he might have put away an innocent man. Thus Decker decides to re-investigate the four old murders as well as Hawkins recent death.

Decker's partner Alex Jamison has to leave for other FBI business, but Decker remains in Ohio to look into the killings. As a result Decker gets STRONG pushback from jealous and abrasive Burlington detectives, and is even put in jail for a few hours.



Decker carries on regardless. He manages to get a copy of the murder file; he visits the original Richards/Katz murder scene; he re-interviews family members; he speaks to witnesses; he looks for new evidence; and so on.

All this frightens someone, because more murders occur and Decker himself is almost shot. As a result, Decker's friend Melvin Mars - who was on death row before Decker intervened - comes to Ohio to protect Decker and assist with the inquiries.



Little by little Decker unveils an intricate, diabolical scheme that led to the murders over a decade ago as well as the current killings.

Decker, who's always been rather unemotional due to his head injury, has a lot of personal challenges in this book. His good friend has marriage problems and early onset Alzheimer's; he's angry at himself for a 'shoddy' original investigation; and he's in danger of losing his job because he disregarded FBI orders. This humanizes the detective and makes him a little more relatable.

I enjoyed the book but it's not the best entry in the Amos Decker series (IMO). For one thing, the first part of the book consists of Decker and his associates discussing the original crimes again and again, which gets repetitive and tedious. For another thing, I have a problem with the elaborate criminal scheme Decker uncovers, which requires too much suspension of disbelief (for me).

Still, this is a good series with interesting characters. Recommended to mystery fans.

Rating: 3 stars