The Last Mile

By: David Baldacci

Narrated by: Kyf Brewer, Orlagh Cassidy

Length: 11 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

In his number-one New York Times best-seller Memory Man, David Baldacci introduced the extraordinary detective Amos Decker-the man who can forget nothing. Now, Decker returns in a spectacular new thriller...

THE LAST MILE

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.

Amos Decker, newly hired on an FBI special task force, takes an interest in Mars's case after discovering the striking similarities to his own life: Both men were talented football players with promising careers cut short by tragedy. Both men's families were brutally murdered. And in both cases, another suspect came forward, years after the killing, to confess to the crime. A suspect who may or may not have been telling the truth.

The confession has the potential to make Melvin Mars--guilty or not--a free man. Who wants Mars out of prison? And why now?

But when a member of Decker's team disappears, it becomes clear that something much larger--and more sinister--than just one convicted criminal's life hangs in the balance. Decker will need all of his extraordinary brainpower to stop an innocent man from being executed.

©2016 David Baldacci (P)2016 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"David Baldacci's latest thriller is not only highly relevant, it is also well timed. And the details seem so real that it's hard not to wonder if the author is an insider; the tone is that authentic. An absolute page-turner, King and Maxwell is Baldacci at the pinnacle of his game." (BookReporter.com)

"Its pace is relentless, and Baldacci's reworking of his perennial theme - absolute power corrupts absolutely - gives the book a sense of urgency and cultural relevance that many thrillers lack." (Richmond Times-Dispatch on The Hit)

"One of the most compelling characters in David Baldacci's thrillers is John Puller, a crackerjack investigator of military crimes...Twists and turns come fast and furious in the best Baldacci tradition. The Escape is much more than a thriller. It's a moving tale of two military brothers and their father, a retired Army general and fighting legend now suffering from dementia. Emotionally intense, The Escape is Baldacci's best to date." (Associated Press)

"Brilliant use of language...vivid supporting characters and numerous sudden and unexpected plot twists...[Baldacci] doesn't let the action sag at any point...In [Chung-Cha], Mr. Baldacci has created one of his most memorable characters." (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on The Target)

"There’s nothing routine in this solid whodunit - just striking performances from superb narrators." (AudioFile)

Why have a woman narrator for female dialogue?

I have nearly 100 audible books in my library, and this is the first time I have ever heard two narrators used this way. It is HORRIBLE! Brewer's text narration is okay, but he makes Decker's dialogue sound like a 14 year old kid. And then, out of nowhere, we have a woman speaking the female parts. Why???? It is BEYOND distracting. I can see using two narrators when you have two separate point of view characters, although with a really good actor at the helm, it's not necessary. But this is ridiculous.

The story grabbed me from the beginning, but I'm not sure how far I'm going to get into it. I totally agree with another reviewer who requested a re-recording. This one is terrible. Just terrible!

Plot holes filled by strong characters

I might be in the minority opinion but this plot had several holes. Some motives and results just did not make sense or get resolved. I don't want to share examples so as not to spoil it for anyone but the clues did not add up. What saves this book are the character sketches, the character development (I hope the series will continue, I love Decker), and the excellent writing. Narration was also top notch. Even though it's the second in a series it can easily be enjoyed as a stand alone.

The Last Mile

As of this writing, the Amos Decker Series by David Baldacci consists of five novels. The Memory Man, The Last Mile, The Fix, The Fallen, and Redemption. This is a review of all five in audiobook format.

You’ll learn in Book 1, The Memory Man, that Amos was a star athlete - played for the Cleveland Browns. A severe football injury results in Amos having extraordinary memory skills - in fact, he remembers everything as if it happened moments ago. He forgets nothing. This bizarre ability thrusts Amos into the role of an investigator for the government; he’s a valued FBI investigator on a special task force. Amos solves the unsolvable.

Each of the five books will stand alone; you don’t need to read them in sequence. But, if you plan on reading all five, start with Memory Man. This story gives the background of Amos and the horrible loss of his family. Subsequent stories will be more interesting for you with a more in-depth understanding of Amos Decker. Beware Book 1, The Memory Man, has some problematic audio issues that might have been corrected by this writing.

No sex, no language issues, clean reads. Don’t hesitate to give as gifts to anyone.

Typical of Baldacci, the stories are intricate mysteries, a few near-death events for Amos and his partner, much sleuthing and guessing. Narration is well done. Orlagh Cassidy reads the female characters throughout all five novels, male characters read by Kyf Brewer except Memory Man. Ron McKlarty reads this book. Personally, I prefer the McKlarty/Cassidy pairing, but either is fine. The transition between male/female voices is very smooth throughout. Baldacci books are almost like watching movies in your head, riveting stories. 😮

All five novels were published during the month of April in 2015, 16, 17, 18, 19 respectively, 11-13 hours of listening, released by Hachette Audio. Recommended.

A Decent Listen...was slightly disappointed

I did enjoy the book however Amos Decker seem to transform too quickly from the first book...I the first book Decker's condition and internal monologues were compelling his different personality and difficulty with human interaction....I this book he changed too quickly...this would have made a good third or fourth book.

A great new series

Strong characters, unexpected plot twists, very good listen. My only criticism is that I don't like to listen to Orlagh Cassidy.

great listen

great listen. narration was spot on. baldacci is always worth listening to. made my drive time much shorter.

The last Mile

A very good read. Actually a very g good book to listen too. The story was one that could have happened. The characters in the story were very believable and you liked the ones that were the good guys and disliked the bad guys. Hope there will be other stories about Decker.

Macdaddy

Amos Decker, a favorite Baldacci character

What did you love best about The Last Mile?

I am a huge fan of this Baldacci character. I thought the first book was great, great story and I think I even enjoyed this book better. The story was great, the characters, again, fun to read about.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Last Mile?

Some thoughts of the main character at the end. Enough said, don't want any spoilers.

Which character – as performed by Kyf Brewer and Orlagh Cassidy – was your favorite?

Amos Decker

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The ending

Any additional comments?

This is a great series, I cannot wait for the next in the series.

Great Job

I’ve read most of the books by David and this has to be my favorite. The story is well written and it was great to see the growth of Amos Decker. Keep this series coming.

melvin and Decker

good story, very different plot twist than i thought was coming.
Worth the read.
Not Baldacci's best but still very good.