The EDGE
David Baldacci
Synopsis
Dropped by his handlers into a small coastal town in Maine to solve the murder of a CIA agent who knew America’s dirtiest secrets—can Travis Devine uncover the truth before his time runs out?
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When CIA operative Jenny Sikwell is murdered in rural Maine, government officials have immediate concerns over national security. Her laptop and phone were full of state secrets that, in the wrong hands, endanger the lives of countless operatives. In need of someone who can solve the murder quickly and retrieve the missing information, the U.S. government knows just the chameleon they can call on.
Ex-Army Ranger Travis Devine spent his time in the military preparing to take on any scenario, followed by his short-lived business career chasing shadows in the deepest halls of power, so his analytical mind makes him particularly well-suited for complex, high-stakes tasks. Taking down the world’s largest financial conspiracy proved his value, and in comparison, this case looks straightforward. Except small towns hold secrets and Devine finds himself an outsider again.
Devine must ingratiate himself with locals who have trusted each other their whole lives, and who distrust outsiders just as much. Dak, Jenny’s brother, who’s working to revitalize the town. Earl, the retired lobsterman found Jenny’s body. And Alex, Jenny’s sister with a dark past of her own. As Devine gets to know the residents of Potter, Maine, answers seem to appear and then transform into more questions. There’s a long history of secrets and those who will stop at nothing to keep them from being exposed, leaving Devine with no idea who he can trust… and who wants him dead.
Richard says
Stuart Woods writes adult comic books; Tess Gerritsen writes books that are teen-level readers for adults; David Baldacci writes adult books, stories with plots that demand thinking. His books are intellectual puzzles with solutions tied neatly at the end.
The Edge is exactly that, a story that presents a murder puzzle with intricate and many pieces. Baldacci presents a scenic puzzle with the state of Maine the stage and a multiplicity of suspects for Travis Devine to investigate. A CIA agent is murdered in the backwaters of Maine and CIA investigator, Travis Devine, is sent to find the killer. As his investigation unfolds, he becomes the target, escaping a number of attempts on his life.
The story has a well-developed plot, descriptively well-written. There is the usual suspense, zig-zagging from calm, polished narration to suspense-filled pages that demand ever-quickening page turning. Baldacci’s The EDGE is excellent writing for adults. It has a plot that is sophisticated and enigmatic with suspects popping up like ground hogs on a western prairie. He has you guessing and wondering chapter after chapter and keeps the writing at peak calibre throughout.
A good story, engaging as a well-written ‘who done it!’
