The Last Mile

The Last Mile, David Baldacci, author; Kyf Brewer, Orlagh Cassidy, narrators

A young man sat waiting patiently, if it could actually be said that someone could wait patiently for his own execution; he had prepared himself and was hoping to die with dignity. Not quite 42, he had spent half of his life behind bars, convicted of the gruesome, double murder of his parents. Out of the blue, at the last minute, he suddenly received a stay of execution, although all of his prior appeals have been turned down. Why? It seemed that someone else had confessed to the crime. That claim was being investigated, and if verified, he would be set free.

Melvin Mars had been looking at a bright future with the NFL, as a tailback, when for no apparent reason, show more his parents, a mixed race couple, were murdered. He was accused and convicted of the crime. The successful trajectory of his life was altered. Why would he kill his parents with such a wonderful life awaiting him? Who were his parents? Did they have an unusual past? Did they have enemies? Mars was going to earn big bucks as a football player. Did they want a piece of it? Would a demand for money have constituted his motive for murder?

A special task force had recently been created to investigate wrongful convictions and Amos Decker, who suffered from kinesthesia due to a football injury on his first day of play in the NFL, remembered playing against Melvin Mars while a student. Decker’s head injury gave him the ability to remember everything he ever experienced. There were many parallels between Decker’s life and Melvin’s life. Both had been accused of murdering members of their family. The case of Melvin Mars intrigued him. He decided that it was the case the team should investigate first, even though it wasn’t on their list of possible investigations. He convinced the others, and what began as an FBI investigation into Melvin’s death sentence turned into a multi-layered plot embracing racism very well, without getting political or taking sides, but which highlighted what it was like during the sixties with the protests and marches of the civil rights era. There were many unanswered questions and secrets revealed as the inquiry proceeded.

While the murder mystery in the novel unraveled, new issues were raised. Mars was asked to try and remember anything from two decades ago that might help to explain why he would have been framed for the murder, but his memory was not like Decker’s and he had few memories that seemed to be of consequence. Theories were developed and strategies plotted out, some that seemed very plausible, but none worked out. Decker refused to give up even when the investigation was halted for what seemed to be political reasons. He had become the unauthorized leader of the investigation, and the others looked to him for guidance. Even though all the evidence consistently pointed to Mars, Decker’s gut feelings continued to tell him that Melvin was innocent, so they continued their search for the real killer. Melvin, for his part, was reluctant to trust the team of investigators. How did he know that the FBI was not trying to trick him into giving up some piece of information which would condemn him further, guaranteeing his execution? His experiences with law enforcement and the legal system had not been positive. However, as the agents faced danger and still pursued their inquiries, he began to trust them. He also wanted to know why anyone would want to murder his parents. Still, the conundrum remained. Why would someone suddenly come forward a score of years later to confess to a crime? Having kept the secret for 20 years seemed like a plausible enough reason to continue keeping it.

The investigation was thorough as all possible evidence and motives were examined. It proceeded in fits and starts and the plot sometimes seemed convoluted, but it remained plausible at the same time. The novel was tightly written without silly romance, gratuitous sex or unnecessary graphic violence. Occasionally, the dialogue between characters became trite, but in general, it was necessary drivel to redirect the plot as it meandered and misdirected the reader.

Will justice finally be done in the end? Will Mars be freed or condemned again? show less

This was a solid mystery and suspense thriller with a sympathetic group of FBI cold case crimebusters built around the hyperthymesia (perfect memory recall) skill of lead character Amos Decker vs. an assorted group of hidden baddies.

I was actually disappointed with the first book in this series [book:Memory Man|23153154] and rated it fairly low and wasn't even interested enough to comment on/review it. In retrospect it didn't seem to utilize the Amos Decker character in enough of a compelling way to engage the reader. "The Last Mile" is engaging from the get-go and builds intrigue and suspense very effectively.

Decker's synesthesia (experiencing one sense as another, in his case: sights/feelings/emotions in colours) still didn't play show more much of a role but that leaves room for possible future plot lines.

I am back on the Baldacci bus and look forward to the next one! show less

I have read this series out of order and read later ones in the series before reading this one.

The title seemingly comes from what they call the death row prisoner's walk to his execution.

Amos Decker becomes intrigued with the case of Melvin Mars because he sees parallels between what happened to his own family and what happened to Mars's parents. I didn't see the same parallels that Decker saw--they weren't as clear to me as they were to the author or the character. I did like the twist that Decker and Mars had played against each other in college football. I like the friendship the two of them have and I hope we see Mars again (though I can't say I remember him being in the books I've already read. Not that he might not have been, show more just not as a character that stuck out to me.)

One question readers could explore is "can you do something to atone for past crimes?". Callahan participated in racist attacks in the past that resulted in deaths and he also appears to have set up Mars to take the fall for a different murder. But he does try to get Mars exonerated before Mars's execution can take place and he sacrifices himself later in the book. To our human eyes, we might say he's atoned for his crime--but he did still commit those crimes and no matter what he does, he can't bring the people he killed back.

Baldacci usually writes a tight storyline that keeps me turning the pages. This one was no exception. show less

Clever story abouta wrongly imprisoned football star. Decker's persona is further developed and while he seems both real and believable his feats are also unbelievable. While much is made of his memory it really isn't the star of the story. I will continue to follow his exploits.

Convicted murderer Melvin Mars is headed for his appointment with a lethal injection when someone else confesses to murdering his parents. When Amos Decker hears about this stunning event he remembers Mars from his football days and notices a parallel between their two stories. Mars was on his way to the NFL when he was convicted of murdering his parents. Decker made it to one game in the NFL before getting tackled and suffering a traumatic brain injury and later being accused of murdering his family.

Decker, now a member of an FBI task force, convinces the rest of the team to investigate what really happened and whether Mars is guilty or innocent. Soon they discover more and more reasons why Mars may have been set up. When a member of show more Decker's team disappears they stumble onto a large-scale conspiracy that may link to the upper echelons of society.

I was completely drawn into the story. Baldacci has added some extra layers to Amos Decker and his extraordinary brain. He suffers from hyperthymesia, which gives him an extraordinary memory and he can't forget anything . The book has a very complex plot that was also very fast-moving. It was a completely engrossing story and I'm looking forward to many more books featuring Amos Decker. show less

We meet Amos Decker, the memory man, again. This time he has the might of the FBI behind him and decides to take on the case of Melvin Mars that he happens to hear about on the radio. This investigation goes deeper and deeper and twists and turns and the reader has to keep their wits about them to keep up. The plot just keeps on giving, at times it is unlikely but I stayed with it to the end.

Book two of this series flowed much better for me. I found prison life depicted in an haunting way that I've heard to be true. Melvin is introduced along with much football lingo which pairs well with Amos of course. I'm a basketball & baseball fan but before this book reached it's end the football logic was making perfect sense, so on to #3.