‘It’s time to catch a killer…’
– The 6:20 Man
[ About the Book ]
A journey that took him to hell . . .
Having survived combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq and been decorated with medals, Travis Devine mysteriously leaves the Army under a cloud of suspicion. And at thirty-two years old, he’s swapping fighting the Taliban and Al Qaeda for a different kind of danger in the cut-throat world of high finance.
His daily commute on the 6.20 a.m. train into New York’s financial district, to his new job as an analyst at the minted powerhouse investment bank Cowl and Comely, takes him into a world where greed, power, jealousy and ambition result in the financial abuse of the masses and the enrichment of an elite few. But it is on this daily journey that he passes a house where he sees something that sounds alarm signals he cannot ignore.
A close friend of Devine’s, Sarah Ewes, is the first victim and the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death at Cowl and Comely compel him to investigate further. As he digs deeper, he discovers strange coincidences and unnerving truths. As the deaths pile up, and the major players show their hands, he must question who he can trust and who he must fight.
[ My Review ]
The 6:20 Man by David Baldacci was published August 4th by Macmillan and is described as ‘a heart-racing thriller set in the world of high finance in New York‘. If you are looking for a fast-paced page-turner this might just be the read to satiate your appetite.
Travis Devine has had a fraught relationship with his father all his life. His other siblings have successful careers but when Travis joined the army, his father’s disappointment was clearly evident. Now, thirty-two years of age, Travis has left his army days behind him under a cloud and has joined the rat race, like his father had always expected of him. But Travis isn’t just doing this to please his father, he is punishing himself for an incident in his past, one that he cannot erase from his memory.
He gets up close to 4am every morning for a punishing exercise regime before he takes the 6:20 am train into New York City’s financial district to his job at an investment bank. He is one of many trainees, known as burners, who are trying to make it as successful analysts. But Travis Devine is different to the rest of them. He is a decorated soldier who has seen combat, with diverse life-experiences. He does not relish the stressful part of being a trainee analyst, for Travis he just has no choice.
But the day a colleague, Sarah Ewes, is discovered dead in the workplace under a cloud of suspicion, Travis’s antennae are raised. He immediately senses that something sinister is at play. As he delves deeper into Sarah’s death, he slowly unravels a web of greed, lies, deceit and murder, a web that stretches far and wide, one with no borders and one that chokes off any individual who get’s in its way.
Simultaneously, Travis’s attention has been alerted to an incident he sees out the train window on his daily commute. Initially he pays it little heed, a bit of titillation, but soon realises that there is something very off with this whole scenario. Travis Devine doesn’t believe in coincidences. He fears little for his own safety but when a second body is discovered following a vicious attack, Travis starts to get very concerned for other individuals in his circle and beyond.
The 6:20 Man is an action-packed read that builds up to a climactic conclusion with some fabulous twists and turns along the way. Travis Devine is a brilliantly drawn hero, easy to visualise, therefore bringing him very much to life in the mind of the reader. Most definitely a book that will appeal to all Jack Reacher fans, The 6:20 Man has it all. The mis-understood brooding main character with a weight on his shoulders. A conscience that sits alongside a restless yet charismatic personality encouraging the reader to root for him at all times as he faces danger at every turn. Highly enjoyable, compelling, exciting and downright entertaining, The 6:20 Man is a blast. Powerful people, politics, corruption, violence, jealousy, mystery and murder all combine to provide, what I hope, is the launch pad for a new series.
[ Bio ]
David Baldacci is one of the world’s bestselling and favourite thriller writers. A former trial lawyer with a keen interest in world politics, he has specialist knowledge in the US political system and intelligence services, and his first book, Absolute Power, became an instant international bestseller, with the movie starring Clint Eastwood a major box office hit.
He has since written more than forty bestsellers featuring Amos Decker, Aloysius Archer, Atlee Pine and John Puller. David is also the co-founder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across the US.
Twitter ~ @davidbaldacci
Great review, Mairéad. I love David Baldacci’s books and his characters. This sounds like a story that I would very much enjoy as I love fast paced adventure and yes, brooding characters too.