The Sixth Man

First and last book I will ever read by Baldacci. It was an incredibly fast read because there is nothing to slow one down. It is frictionless. If one subtracts the plot from the novel the amount of character left wouldn't fill a thimble. Moreover, each character other than fulfilling different plot requirements is emotionally undifferentiated. The writing is like standing in church beside a monotone who belts with gusto.

Is it really this bad. Pretty much. It is the corollary of a child's connect-the-dots piece of art--a connect-the-dots novel. Each chapter is a little plot blurb that is then fleshed out. Each chapter ends either with a snarky comeback or some vague and completely unmoving emotional exchange between persons.

What did I show more learn? Maybe a few interesting tidbits about the ballistic characteristics of certain rounds.

Finally, I thought the ending might at least come off with some small amount of subtlety because everything was already so incredibly obvious. But no, Baldacci has to go for an American Idol ending, reaching for the emotional stars in the final scenes as a female lead character who, for all intents and purposes was never alive, hovers between life and death, so much so that it is hard to distinguish her living state from her coma.

Would I write this stuff? Probably, if I could make the money Baldacci makes But I would be debilitatingly embarrassed. I would use a pseudonym and wear long baggy coats and sunglasses to book readings with paste on beards. I would sneak into my extraordinarily large apartment/home under the cover of darkness. In private, I would likely mortify my flesh with a pen.

I guess that any reading is better than no reading and that this must fulfill some need to read. But, lord, please, please save me in my dotage from deriving any pleasure from the likes of this. Better to watch daytime TV.

My heartfelt apologies to Mr. Baldacci. I have tried to write. I do know how f'ing hard it is, and I do not think I am very good at it. But one has to raise one's muzzle a good bit higher than this and at a target a lot further down range before pulling the trigger or else one simply derives whatever pleasure results from a contact wound bullseye.

Finally, this is private and a pretty accurate take for what I think. I would never release such as this into public view while an author is living because I could just never do that. And, as I said, because of how hard it is to write--anything. The work that goes into a novel must be respected even if the work itself is not. show less

The Sixth Man by David Baldacci
King & Maxwell Series Book #5
4.5 Stars

From The Book:
Edgar Roy--an alleged serial killer held in a secure, fortress-like Federal Supermax facility-is awaiting trial. He faces almost certain conviction. Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are called in by Roy's attorney, Sean's old friend and mentor Ted Bergin, to help work the case. But their investigation is derailed before it begins. It is now up to them to ask the questions no one seems to want answered: With help from some surprising allies, they continue to pursue the case. But the more they dig into Roy's past, the more they encounter obstacles, half-truths, dead-ends, false friends, and escalating threats from every direction.

My Views:
I'm a bit show more prejudiced when it comes to this series as it is my favorite of all the Baldacci offerings. The characters of Sean King and Michelle Maxwell continue to develop more fully from book to book, and the main mystery...like all David Baldacci mysteries... is built like an onion with layers upon layers that the reader must peel away to find the answer. One reviewer of the book hit the nail on the head with the comment " There were more double-crosses than a tic-tac-toe tournament." That pretty much sums it up. show less

The Sixth Man by David Baldacci
King & Maxwell Series Book #5
4.5 Stars

From The Book:
Edgar Roy--an alleged serial killer held in a secure, fortress-like Federal Supermax facility-is awaiting trial. He faces almost certain conviction. Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are called in by Roy's attorney, Sean's old friend and mentor Ted Bergin, to help work the case. But their investigation is derailed before it begins. It is now up to them to ask the questions no one seems to want answered: With help from some surprising allies, they continue to pursue the case. But the more they dig into Roy's past, the more they encounter obstacles, half-truths, dead-ends, false friends, and escalating threats from every direction.

My Views:
I'm a bit show more prejudiced when it comes to this series as it is my favorite of all the Baldacci offerings. The characters of Sean King and Michelle Maxwell continue to develop more fully from book to book, and the main mystery...like all David Baldacci mysteries... is built like an onion with layers upon layers that the reader must peel away to find the answer. One reviewer of the book hit the nail on the head with the comment " There were more double-crosses than a tic-tac-toe tournament." That pretty much sums it up. show less

All the elements of a good Baldacci novel are present in "The Sixth Man" but somehow they just don't come together quite as well as in some of his previous books. There is the usual secret service goings on and their questionable actions which leave you wondering who is in the right and who's on who's side. The two main characters Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are both ex-secret service who share a common link that draws them together and sparks romance. Working as PIs they are hired to help in the case of a serial killer. The storyi s interesting as we follow the couple on their journey which makes this an enjoyable read. It just lacked a little bit of suspense in the way that it was revealed.

The Sixth Man is the fifth book in the King and Maxwell series by David Baldacci and was first published in 2011. Once again Baldacci has created a thriller worth its weight in gold. This is gripping dissecting what many Americans think about their alphabet soup of federal intelligence agencies. This book could make you paranoid or more paranoid about the amount of information our government’s collect about us.

King and Maxwell have been hired by King’s former mentor as an investigative team in a complex case. On the way to Cutter’s Rock a federal psychiatric unit somewhere in Maine. On the way to meet their ‘employer’ Ted Bergan they discover his dead body at the side of the road, shot, in the back of beyond Maine. The case show more has taken an unexpected turn, and they need to find the reason why Ted Bergan was murdered too. They also need to visit Bergan’s client that is being held in the psychiatric unit. Not that it is going to be easy with the FBI taking over the case. They need to work out why Edgar Roy is so important to the FBI and the other gathering federal agencies.

The further King and Maxwell dig into the case the further away from the truth it seems they are with an increasing body count and the flow of information confusing it becomes about who you can trust. Dealing with the intelligence agencies in the US does not mean you are to get anywhere near the truth. You might get their version of the truth though. Will Edgar Rory remain safe? How many times can you play with the lives of others in pursuit of power and money? Will King and Maxwell survive?

This is a fantastic read and brilliant thriller by a master of the genre. show less

Edgar Roy has been arrested for mass murder and placed in a high tech prison where he hasn't spoken or acknowledged anyone or anything. His lawyer, Ted Bergin, hires Sean King and Michelle Maxwell to do some investigation so he can properly represent Edgar. They discover that Edgar Roy has an amazing memory. Not only can he remember everything in his life, he can put together various scenarios and come up with comprehensive plans to deal with them. The government wants to use him to prevent events like 9/11.

This is the fifth book of the Sean King and Michelle Maxwell series and I really enjoyed it. The plot was interesting and the author did a good job of making it almost believable. There is plenty of action with multiple suspects, show more many of them working for the government. Half of them want Edgar back at work and the other half want him dead, so no other agency can utilize his skills. Sean and Michelle seem to have come to some sort of consensus on their relationship, and how it will affect their work partnership. There was a lot more technical information about guns than I will ever need but I really like these characters and will continue with what seems to be the final book in the series, King and Maxwell. show less

The Sixth Man, the fifth book in the King and Mawell series by David Baldacci, opens with Sean and Michelle travelling to Maine to work with Sean’s law professor and friend, Ted Bergin. On the several hour drive from the airport to the remote town where they will be staying, they come across a car alongside a deserted stretch of highway. Inside, is Ted Bergin with a bullet in his brain. Sean believes this to be murder and an attempt to stop the defense of Edgar Roy.

Edgar Roy is an off-the-charts genius that is being held at Cutter’s Bay, a maximum security prison in remote Maine. Roy is accused of killing 6 people and burying them on his family farm. Sean and Michelle decide to continue with the case in the hopes of finding show more Bergin’s murderer. What initially seemed to be a simple murder defense soon becomes a tangled and twisted intrigue involving national security, a struggle between government agencies and an assassination plot.

The story is a bit convoluted and the bad guys over-the-top bad but it’s an easy and entertaining read. Even better, the personal demons that Michelle has struggled with for the first four books finally seem to have been vanquished and she has become an asset to the team rather than a liability. Sean seems more trusting and open now that the relationship has improved and Michelle is less volatile.

At this point, there is one more book in the series. I will definitely continue with this story.

4 Stars show less