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The Last Mile

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The Last Mile

By: David Baldacci
Narrated by: Kyf Brewer
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When a convicted killer is saved by another man's confession, Amos Decker, now an FBI special task force detective, must find the truth in this "utterly absorbing" #1 New York Times bestseller (Associated Press).

Convicted murderer Melvin Mars is counting down the last hours before his execution--for the violent killing of his parents twenty years earlier--when he's granted an unexpected reprieve. Another man has confessed to the crime.

Amos Decker, newly hired on an FBI special task force, takes an interest in Mars's case after discovering the striking similarities to his own life: Both men were talented football players with promising careers cut short by tragedy. Both men's families were brutally murdered. And in both cases, another suspect came forward, years after the killing, to confess to the crime. A suspect who may or may not have been telling the truth.

The confession has the potential to make Melvin Mars--guilty or not--a free man. Who wants Mars out of prison? And why now?

But when a member of Decker's team disappears, it becomes clear that something much larger--and more sinister--than just one convicted criminal's life hangs in the balance. Decker will need all of his extraordinary brainpower to stop an innocent man from being executed.
 Police Procedurals Thriller & Suspense Crime Mystery Suspense Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Fiction International Mystery & Crime Action & Adventure

Critic reviews

"Entertaining and enlightening, The Last Mile is a rich novel that has much to offer...In the best Baldacci tradition, the action is fast and furious. But The Last Mile is more than a good action thriller. It sheds light on racism, a father-son relationship and capital punishment. Both Mars and Decker are substantive, solid characters....Utterly absorbing."—Associated Press
"[Amos Decker is] one of the most unique protagonists seen in thriller fiction....David Baldacci has always been a top-notch thriller writer ...[his] fertile imagination and intricate plotting abilities make each of his books a treat for thriller readers. The Last Mile is no exception."—BookReporter.com
"The intricate details in Baldacci's explosive new novel engage until the final word. He's hit the pinnacle traveling the Deep South and exploring its traditions. Decker and his compatriots are characters to remember long after reading this impressive undertaking."—RT Book Reviews (4 1/2 stars - Top Pick!)
"A compelling mystery with emotional resonance. Just when the story line heads to what seems an obvious conclusion, Baldacci veers off course with a surprising twist. The end result is another exciting read from a thriller master."—Library Journal (Starred Review)
"Baldacci excels at developing interesting, three-dimensional protagonists...Baldacci fans will not be disappointed, and The Last Mile gives good reason to look forward to the next Amos Decker thriller."—New York Journal of Books

Featured Article: The 20 Best Thriller Audiobooks to Get Your Heart Racing


Few stories lend themselves to audio better than thrillers. Listening gives you time to play detective and figure out the mysteries with the characters. There’s no way to quickly flip through the tense, nerve-wracking parts—and that’s what makes hearing them so much more exciting. Whether you enjoy classic detective thrillers, or something more sinister, there are endless stories to choose from. Here are the 20 best thriller audiobooks to get you started.

Featured Article The 20 Best Thriller Audiobooks to Get Your Heart Racing
Unpredictable Twists • Gripping Suspense • Excellent Narration • Compelling Protagonist • Complex Storyline

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I have nearly 100 audible books in my library, and this is the first time I have ever heard two narrators used this way. It is HORRIBLE! Brewer's text narration is okay, but he makes Decker's dialogue sound like a 14 year old kid. And then, out of nowhere, we have a woman speaking the female parts. Why???? It is BEYOND distracting. I can see using two narrators when you have two separate point of view characters, although with a really good actor at the helm, it's not necessary. But this is ridiculous.

The story grabbed me from the beginning, but I'm not sure how far I'm going to get into it. I totally agree with another reviewer who requested a re-recording. This one is terrible. Just terrible!

Why have a woman narrator for female dialogue?

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I might be in the minority opinion but this plot had several holes. Some motives and results just did not make sense or get resolved. I don't want to share examples so as not to spoil it for anyone but the clues did not add up. What saves this book are the character sketches, the character development (I hope the series will continue, I love Decker), and the excellent writing. Narration was also top notch. Even though it's the second in a series it can easily be enjoyed as a stand alone.

Plot holes filled by strong characters

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As of this writing, the Amos Decker Series by David Baldacci consists of five novels. The Memory Man, The Last Mile, The Fix, The Fallen, and Redemption. This is a review of all five in audiobook format.

You’ll learn in Book 1, The Memory Man, that Amos was a star athlete - played for the Cleveland Browns. A severe football injury results in Amos having extraordinary memory skills - in fact, he remembers everything as if it happened moments ago. He forgets nothing. This bizarre ability thrusts Amos into the role of an investigator for the government; he’s a valued FBI investigator on a special task force. Amos solves the unsolvable.

Each of the five books will stand alone; you don’t need to read them in sequence. But, if you plan on reading all five, start with Memory Man. This story gives the background of Amos and the horrible loss of his family. Subsequent stories will be more interesting for you with a more in-depth understanding of Amos Decker. Beware Book 1, The Memory Man, has some problematic audio issues that might have been corrected by this writing.

No sex, no language issues, clean reads. Don’t hesitate to give as gifts to anyone.

Typical of Baldacci, the stories are intricate mysteries, a few near-death events for Amos and his partner, much sleuthing and guessing. Narration is well done. Orlagh Cassidy reads the female characters throughout all five novels, male characters read by Kyf Brewer except Memory Man. Ron McKlarty reads this book. Personally, I prefer the McKlarty/Cassidy pairing, but either is fine. The transition between male/female voices is very smooth throughout. Baldacci books are almost like watching movies in your head, riveting stories. 😮

All five novels were published during the month of April in 2015, 16, 17, 18, 19 respectively, 11-13 hours of listening, released by Hachette Audio. Recommended.

The Last Mile

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I did enjoy the book however Amos Decker seem to transform too quickly from the first book...I the first book Decker's condition and internal monologues were compelling his different personality and difficulty with human interaction....I this book he changed too quickly...this would have made a good third or fourth book.

A Decent Listen...was slightly disappointed

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Strong characters, unexpected plot twists, very good listen. My only criticism is that I don't like to listen to Orlagh Cassidy.

A great new series

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