Memory Man

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The first in the Amos Decker series, Memory Man is an astounding novel from blockbuster author David Baldacci, where an extraordinary man races to hunt down a terrible killer.

Amos Decker would forever remember all three of their violent deaths in the most paralyzing shade of blue. It would cut into him at unpredictable moments, like a gutting knife made of colored light. He would never be free from it.

When Amos Decker returned home eighteen months ago to find the bodies of his wife and only daughter, he didn't think he could carry on living. Overwhelmed with grief, he saw his life spiral out of control, losing his job as a detective, his house and his self-respect. But when his former partner in the police, Mary Lancaster, visits to tell him that someone has confessed to the murder of his family, he knows he owes it to his wife and child to seek justice for them.

As Decker comes to terms with the news, tragedy strikes at the local school. Thirteen teenagers are gunned down, and the killer is at large. Following the serious brain injury Amos suffered as a professional footballer, he gained a remarkable gift - and the police believe that this unusual skill will assist in the hunt for the killer.

Amos must endure the memories he would rather forget, and when new evidence links the murders, he is left with only one option.

Memory Man will stay with you long after the turn of the final page.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Star football player Amos Decker was severely injured during his first professional game. As a consequence of a powerful blow to the head, his brain was altered-Decker now has total, permanent recall of anything he reads, observes, or experiences. He would like to forget the details of the brutal murder of his wife, young daughter, and brother-in-law, but he can't. Since the senseless loss of his family, he has mentally and physically deteriorated. The police and FBI recruit Decker to help discover who committed the crimes and why the killings continue. Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy do a fine job bringing the characters to life with clear and engaging narration. Verdict Recommended for all Baldacci fans and listeners who enjoy psychological mysteries and thrillers.-Ilka Gordon, Beachwood, OH © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly Review

This strong first in a new thriller series from bestseller Baldacci (The Escape) introduces Amos Decker, the memory man, whose unique abilities are the result of a vicious hit he suffered as a 22-year-old NFL rookie that ended his football career. The injury induced hyperthymesia and synesthesia in Decker-he forgets nothing, and he "counts in colors and sees time as pictures in [his] head." Years later, the murders of his wife and daughter left him too grief-stricken to continue working as a cop in what may be Burlington, Vt. At age 42, the grossly overweight Decker is barely scratching out a living as a PI. The arrest of Sebastian Leopold for the slaughter of his family and a mass shooting at a local high school combine to put an unwilling Decker back into the game with temporary credentials as a policeman. Rusty but still brilliant, he rejoins his former partner, detective Mary Lancaster, in investigating both cases. A startling discovery links the school killings and those of his family. Baldacci supplies a multitude of clever touches as his wounded bear of a detective takes on a most ingenious enemy. Agent: Aaron Priest, Aaron M. Priest Literary Agency. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Booklist Review

Meet Amos Decker: former college football star, NFL player for one brief moment, police officer, and now a down-and-out private investigator. He sounds like a bit of a stereotype, and he probably would be, if it weren't for something that sets him apart: due to a violent accident on the playing field, Decker now has hyperthymesia, a psychological condition that makes him unable to forget anything. This isn't a completely fresh idea the main character in the TV series Unforgettable has hyperthymesia, and The Big Bang Theory's Sheldon Cooper and Criminal Minds' Spencer Reid have eidetic memories (a heightened ability to remember things) but Baldacci makes it feel fresh by adding in a highly dramatic element: Decker's family was murdered about a year and a half ago, and, out of the blue, someone has confessed. Using his perfect memory, Decker sees a way to find out what really happened to his wife and child, and to find peace. One of Baldacci's better recent novels.--Pitt, David Copyright 2010 Booklist

Kirkus Book Review

Perennial bestseller Baldacci unveils an offbeat hero with an unusual skill set and tragic past who takes on the evil mastermind behind a devastating school shooting. Amos Decker went off the rails 15 months ago when the Burlington police detective returned home from his shift to find someone had cut his brother-in-law's throat, shot his wife, Cassie, in the head, and strangled his 9-year-old daughter, Molly. The case still hasn't been solved, and in his grief and despair, Decker leaves the police department. After a bout with homelessness, he settles in as a small-time private investigator operating out of the hotel room in which he also lives. The 42-year-old Decker is overweight and out-of-shape, but he was once a professional football player. During his time in the NFL, he took a hard hit, and the traumatic brain injury induced a rare condition known as hyperthymesiahe can't forget any detail about anything he experiences. When his former partner, Mary Lancaster, tells him a man named Sebastian Leopold has confessed to killing his family, Decker lies his way into the jail to see the guy. At the same time, a bloody school shooting takes place at his old stomping grounds, Mansfield High School, leaving many dead. The FBI shows up and the BPD brings the obese ex-cop in as a consultant. But could everything be connected? Once Decker starts unraveling the threads, it begins to look like it, and soon he's following trails that no one but he can see, much less interpret. The killer's motive seems tenuous, at best, and the killer's trail is difficult to follow, but Decker, who has no discernible social skills and a tendency to abruptly disappear, proves a quirky, original antihero with a definite method to his madness. Although the crimes and their perpetrators are far-fetched, readers will want to see Decker back on the printed page again and again. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.