Macmillan
ISBN: 978-0-230-75333-4
Reviewed by: Gaile Hughes
The stakes have never been higher for Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, Secret Service agents turned private investigators. An alleged serial killer, Edgar Roy, has been locked away in the new federal facility ‘Cutters Rock’; a psychiatric prison located in isolated Maine.
Ted Bergin, an old friend and mentor of King, is Edgar Roy’s attorney. He summons the pair to investigate the allegations against his client. Nearing their destination on an isolated stretch of road they see the emergency lights flashing from a car. In the car they find Bergin – dead – murdered.
King is determined to avenge his friend’s murder and investigate the case against Edgar Roy . When the duo tries to question Roy in the Cutters Rock facility, they discover that since his arrest he has retreated into a catatonic-like state.
The bodies start to pile up as King and Maxwell begin to unravel the details of the case. The pair stumble across a secret government operation called ‘The Wall’. What is the Wall and how is it connected to Edgar Roy? Why are the nations top security forces involved? As King and Maxwell delve further, it leads them into increasingly dangerous territory. What follows exposes the corruption, greed, ambition and infighting in the highest levels of government.
The Sixth Man is the Baldacci’s fifth adventure for King and Maxwell. As a standalone, or for readers already familiar with the characters, this is a fast moving, complex thriller, full to the brim with plots and subplots. Baldacci has created interesting and thought-provoking characters where love, loyalty and betrayal are played out in a tense, fast paced storyline, with a few surprises along the way.
I did feel that the multiple journeys of King and Maxwell were a little repetitive. Doubtless the reader will overlook this as the storyline is so fast paced, so gripping, that it may be a welcome pause that allows you to catch your breath. As always Baldacci is the master craftsman.
Leave a Reply