The Last Mile: 2 (Memory Man)

Product Information

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.*** Convicted murderer Melvin Mars is counting down the last hours before his execution--for the violent killing of his parents twenty years earlier--when he's granted an unexpected reprieve. Another man has confessed to the crime. In 1876, professor Edward Cope takes a group of students to the unforgiving American West to hunt for dinosaur fossils, and they make a tremendous discovery.

One of the world's biggest-selling thriller writers, Baldacci needs no introduction . . . Brilliant plotting, heart-grabbing action and characters to die for A compelling mystery with emotional resonance. Just when the story line heads to what seems an obvious conclusion, Baldacci veers off course with a surprising twist. The end result is another exciting read from a thriller master."— Library Journal (Starred Review) The confession has the potential to make Melvin Mars–guilty or not–a free man. Who wants Mars out of prison? And why now?I live in Nashville, now admittedly it's not Texas but I have been there and believe me racism is as frowned on here and there as it is in New York or Washington. As a matter of fact though it may be hard for my left wing friends to comprehend here in "fly-over country" we have flush toilets, electric lights and everything. And the vast majority of us are not nearly so worried about the color of a person's skin as the lefties think we must be. I liked this book better than the first one in this series. Amos, as an MC, was portrayed as more 'normal' than in the last one. This one had him working with other people who were actually capable of adding to the fact finding and not merely as tools to make Amos look good (although, there was still some of that). His memory/brain injury was also handled so much better in this one, but he was still able to make some incredible leaps by skipping the steps that mere mortals (normal people with lower functioning brains) would need.

Baldacci was a consulting producer on King & Maxwell, a TNT television series based on his characters Sean King and Michelle Maxwell. Jon Tenney and Rebecca Romijn starred. My weakness for thrillers made me say yes to this book when I was asked if I wanted to read and review the book. Now I'm very glad I did. I haven't read Memory Man, the first book in the series, but that didn't stop me from truly enjoying this book. I do however plan to read the first book some day. The confession has the potential to make Melvin Mars--guilty or not--a free man. Who wants Mars out of prison? And why now? Memmott, Carol (February 27, 2013). "David Baldacci clues kids in to Smithsonian's treasures". USA Today. McLean, VA: Gannett. ISSN 0734-7456 . Retrieved 17 May 2013. Convicted murderer Melvin Mars is counting down the last hours before his execution–for the violent killing of his parents twenty years earlier–when he’s granted an unexpected reprieve. Another man has confessed to the crime.Baldacci’s story, despite its being totally linear in the telling and almost entirely devoid of red herrings or any blind alleys, twists and turns is still compelling, gripping and evocative. For my money, that approach was a most pleasant change from the twisted, Byzantine plots that plague so many of today’s modern suspense thrillers. THE LAST MILE is also an eloquent statement against the use of capital punishment (sentiments which certainly line up with my own ideas) and a critique of the violence, hatred and racism that seems so sadly prevalent in American society. But when my nose is in a book like this one, my mouth sings a different tune: "I can't see in the fridge from my chair, babe. If you find some, how about bringing me a bowl while you're up?"