Complicated double plot mystery/FBI investigation. ( )

(2022) A new character - FBI Agent-Amos Decker. Due to a traumatic head, he has the ability to remember everything, which can be a blessing and a curse. Assigned a new partner, Freddie White (who is black - really?), they are assigned to a double homicide case in Florida that involves the knife slashing of a female Federal judge and the shooting death of her ?supposed? body guard. Turns out, he was the judge's lover. They solve the crimes in the end-the body guard had information that linked a former Senator to the death of a prostitute was committed to bury the crime by that Senator. The judge was murdered by her ex-husband. OK story but predictable and a little too misogynous for this #MeToo times we are living in. Guess Baldacci has not really grown up from his previous legal thrillers. KIRKUS: A thriller with bloody murders and plenty of suspects and featuring an unlikely partnership between two FBI investigators.FBI consultant Amos Decker has a lot on his mind. The huge fellow once played for the Cleveland Browns in the NFL until he received a catastrophic brain injury, leaving him with synesthesia; he sees death as electric blue. More pertinent to the plot, he also has hyperthymesia, or spontaneous and highly accurate recall. On the one hand, his memories can be horrible. He'd once come home to find his wife and daughter murdered, dead in pools of blood. Later, he listens helplessly on the telephone while his ex-partner shoots herself in the mouth. On the other hand, his memory helps him solve every case he's given. Now he's sent to Florida with a brand-new partner, Special Agent Frederica White, to investigate the murder of a federal judge. Both partners are pissed at their last-minute pairing, and they immediately see themselves as a bad fit. White is a diminutive Black single mother of two who has a double black belt in karate ?because I hate getting my ass kicked.? (The author doesn't mention Decker's race, but since he's being contrasted with his new partner in every way, perhaps readers are expected to see him as White. Clarity would be nice.) Their case is strange: Judge Julia Cummins was stabbed 10 times and her face covered with a mask, while her bodyguard was shot to death. Decker and White puzzle over the ?very contrarian crime scene? where two murders seem to have been committed by two different people in the same place. The plot gets complex, with suspects galore. But the interpersonal dynamic between Decker and White is just as interesting as the solution to the murders, which doesn't come easily. At first, they'd like to be done with each other and go their separate ways. But as they work together, their mutual respect rises and�alas�the tension between them fades almost completely. The pair will make a great series duo, especially if a bit of that initial tension between them returns. And Baldacci shouldn't give Decker a pass on his tortured memories, because readers enjoy suffering heroes. It's not enough that his near-perfect recall helps him in his job.Fascinating main characters and a clever plot add up to an exciting read.Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2022ISBN: 978-1-5387-1982-4Page Count: 448Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

This was a great one - Amos is one of my favorite characters, and Freddie White really grew on me. ( )

Memory Man Series. Loved it. ( )

Former police detective turned FBI consultant, Amos Decker is back! Grappling with a personal loss, adjusting to working with a new partner and experiencing changes in his own medical condition(a sports injury from years ago that altered his brain function resulting in his perfect recall and synesthesia), he has a lot on his plate. When a federal judge Julia Cummins and her bodyguard Alan Draymont are murdered in the judge’s home, he travels to Florida with his newly assigned partner FBI Special Agent Frederica “Freddie” White to take lead on the case assisted by the local FBI office. It appears that the MO for both murders was different. While the judge was brutally stabbed to death, her bodyguard was shot with a wad of foreign currency shoved down his throat. Decker suspects more than one perpetrator. Working together or separate agendas? What follows is a deep – dive into the personal and professional lives of both victims. What follows is a complex web of murder, lies, deception, corruption and blackmail and cover-ups of crimes that date back decades.

Complicating things further is the question of why, despite having FBI presence in the area were Decker and White sent to Florida to take lead on this case? With internal changes happening in the FBI, what does this mean for Decker’s future?

The plot of Long Shadows is complicated (in a good way) and I thoroughly enjoyed the investigative/procedural aspect of crime solving involving multiple probable suspects, red herrings and a lot of surprises on the way to a thrilling end! With its well-developed and suspenseful plot, short chapters and consistent pacing , Long Shadows is a great addition to David Baldacci’s Memory Man Series (this is Book #7), the first featuring Decker’s new partner FBI Special Agent Freddie White who is very likable. I was concerned when I saw that Alex Jamison didn’t return as Decker’s partner ( but she does contribute her bit to the case in a minor role!) but I was really impressed with White and thought she and Decker made an awesome crime –solving team!

I look forward to more stories featuring Decker and White in the future. Not just the Memory Man Series, I would love more stories featuring John Puller and/or Will Robie! Atlee Pine too! ( )