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The Fix

Review

The Fix

A man walking along the street in front of FBI headquarters in DC shoots a woman and then turns the gun on himself. Amos Decker, one of the most unique crime fighters in modern thrillers, happens to witness it. So, from the very start, we know who did it, but that leaves us far from knowing why. First, there appears to be no connection between the victim and the killer. Simply random. And then neither person bears up all that well under closer scrutiny.

On the surface at least, the shooter, Walter Dabney, had a nearly perfect life --- well-respected, head of a successful business, happily married for decades, with four loving daughters, living in a mansion, money not a concern. Seriously, what more could one want? And what could drive a man with a life like this to kill a total stranger, especially when there’s no chance of getting away? That’s what Decker and his team must figure out. But the more they learn, the more they realize that they’d better figure it out fast because the deadline is far closer than any of them realized --- and the secrets are far deeper.

"David Baldacci delivers a thrill ride, as always. Big time. Pick up THE FIX, and you won’t put it down until you reach the end. Guaranteed. That’s okay, though, because it reads at a breakneck pace."

Decker was once a promising NFL star. But during a game, he took a hard hit that landed him in the hospital. When he came out, he was a much different person from the one who went in. His personality had changed from an affable, gregarious guy to a fellow with almost no social skills and no ability to forget. In other words, Decker remembers everything. That might sound like a positive attribute, especially for a detective, but think again. In Decker’s world now, a world fighting violent crime, he sees a lot that he’d rather forget. And then there’s the memory of what happened to his family; try as he might, he can’t forget that. Scenes of the last time he saw them flash in and out of his mind.

Right now, though, Decker needs to focus on Dabney and the woman he shot. Decker and his partner, Alex, begin digging up whatever they can on their killer. But every time they start closing in on a good lead, they meet with serious pushback. Heavy resistance seems to come from all directions. Just as they think they’re hot on the trail, someone takes a shot at either Decker or Alex. Or both. Rather than back off, they look at it this way: they must be getting warmer, as the saying goes.

They’re in a high-stakes game for sure, with just about every clandestine agency involved and keeping secrets from each other, creating an atmosphere crackling with tension. There’s no question that something catastrophic is coming. But when? And where? And who’s behind it? All of the agents will need to share what they know in order to prevent a disaster of epic proportions. A big problem, though, is that none of them play well with others. Plus, there’s the constant, nagging worry of a mole in their midst. Who can you trust? Well, if you ask Amos Decker, pretty much no one.

Bestselling author David Baldacci delivers a thrill ride, as always. Big time. Pick up THE FIX, and you won’t put it down until you reach the end. Guaranteed. That’s okay, though, because it reads at a breakneck pace.

Reviewed by Kate Ayers on April 19, 2017

The Fix
by David Baldacci

  • Publication Date: September 12, 2017
  • Genres: Fiction, Suspense, Thriller
  • Paperback: 480 pages
  • Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
  • ISBN-10: 1455586544
  • ISBN-13: 9781455586547