MEMORY MAN (Amos Decker #1) by David Baldacci ⭐⭐

(Original review written July 15, 2019)

Not sure Baldacci stuck the landing on this one.

I don’t think there was any hope after the constant reminders about Decker’s ability and size. He’s the biggest cop ever, if you didn’t know. He played football, so obviously he’s huuuuuge. Wouldn’t have picked that up from the thousand references 🙄.

Also, would a guy that has the incredible ability to remember every single thing and recall it like a DVR seriously choose to be a middling detective in his hometown? He should be curing cancer or something!

What really turned things sour after ignoring plot holes and convenient lapses in Decker’s memory (you had ONE job!) was the seriously overused phrase “gang-raped, beaten, and left for dead”. Nearly every other page towards the end threw in that exact sentence. It felt more and more cringe-y with each use.

The premise for Amos Decker’s character is a good one, and I hope the sequels are able to turn it into something more worthwhile. I’ve read The Guilty by Baldacci and know he can at the very least make a breezy, entertaining story. It just didn’t happen here. I’ll probably give his arsenal a break, though his uncanny ability to make you turn the page even in times of annoyance will bring me back eventually.