3.5
The 6:20 Man
ByPublisher Description
A cryptic murder pulls a former soldier turned financial analyst deep into the corruption and menace that prowl beneath the opulent world of finance, in this #1 New York Times bestselling thriller from David Baldacci.
Every day without fail, Travis Devine puts on a cheap suit, grabs his faux-leather briefcase, and boards the 6:20 commuter train to Manhattan, where he works as an entry-level analyst at the city’s most prestigious investment firm. In the mornings, he gazes out the train window at the lavish homes of the uberwealthy, dreaming about joining their ranks. In the evenings, he listens to the fiscal news on his phone, already preparing for the next grueling day in the cutthroat realm of finance. Then one morning Devine’s tedious routine is shattered by an anonymous email: She is dead.
Sara Ewes, Devine’s coworker and former girlfriend, has been found hanging in a storage room of his office building—presumably a suicide, at least for now—prompting the NYPD to come calling on him. If that wasn’t enough, before the day is out, Devine receives another ominous visit, a confrontation that threatens to dredge up grim secrets from his past in the army unless he participates in a clandestine investigation into his firm. This treacherous role will take him from the impossibly glittering lives he once saw only through a train window, to the darkest corners of the country’s economic halls of power . . . where something rotten lurks. And apart from this high-stakes conspiracy, there’s a killer out there with their own agenda, and Devine is the bull’s-eye.
Every day without fail, Travis Devine puts on a cheap suit, grabs his faux-leather briefcase, and boards the 6:20 commuter train to Manhattan, where he works as an entry-level analyst at the city’s most prestigious investment firm. In the mornings, he gazes out the train window at the lavish homes of the uberwealthy, dreaming about joining their ranks. In the evenings, he listens to the fiscal news on his phone, already preparing for the next grueling day in the cutthroat realm of finance. Then one morning Devine’s tedious routine is shattered by an anonymous email: She is dead.
Sara Ewes, Devine’s coworker and former girlfriend, has been found hanging in a storage room of his office building—presumably a suicide, at least for now—prompting the NYPD to come calling on him. If that wasn’t enough, before the day is out, Devine receives another ominous visit, a confrontation that threatens to dredge up grim secrets from his past in the army unless he participates in a clandestine investigation into his firm. This treacherous role will take him from the impossibly glittering lives he once saw only through a train window, to the darkest corners of the country’s economic halls of power . . . where something rotten lurks. And apart from this high-stakes conspiracy, there’s a killer out there with their own agenda, and Devine is the bull’s-eye.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesThe 6:20 Man Reviews
3.5
“It's been a while since I finished this first book in the Travis Devine series and I still vividly remember the kind of suspenseful and thrilling reading experience it was. For me, it was an opportunity to get introduced to Travis Devine, a new addition in the series master David Baldacci has written. And this first experience somewhat carries a bit of doubt and uncertainty when it comes to acceptance of a new main character because I, as a reader and admirer of Baldacci' work and characters written by him, have four more main characters as a reference of comparison.
The best part? Travis Devine turned out to be as distinct as Amos Decker, Will Robbie, John Puller and Atlee Pine. I will keep Nash Walls separate in this review because I read 'Nash Falls' months later of The 6:20 Man and I have some thoughts on that (yet another new character and series) so I will cover that in its review.
Just like any other Baldacci book our protagonist had daddy issues in his life that directed his life and how Devine leaves his Army career to join a corporate job as a financial analyst just to please his father and his expectations. The story shifts into full gear when Devine's close friend Sarah Ewes is found dead in his office and all evidence points towards Devine where he finds himself in a conspiracy far beyond national security, all while the ghosts from his past come haunting him and he is forced to join Homeland Security for special operations that include to investigate his own firm and its operations.
I still remember that startling revelation of the main culprit behind all the murders and how least expected it was. The 1/3 of the beginning of the book felt a bit slow but book picks its pace and doesn't slow down when ”numbers” start rising and stakes become too high. Devine's training and experience as an Army Ranger is certainly evident in his fights and his way through unraveling the mysteries.
It was 4/5 for me but totally worth of a thrilling experience it delivered. I am already 60% down in the second book of this series and just like all sequels, master Baldacci keeps bar high in ‘The Edge’ as well.”
About David Baldacci
DAVID BALDACCI is an award-winning global #1 bestselling author, and one of the world’s favorite storytellers. His books are published in over forty-five languages and in more than eighty countries, with over 200 million copies sold worldwide. His works have been adapted for both feature film and television. David Baldacci is also the cofounder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across America. Still a resident of his native Virginia, he invites you to visit him at DavidBaldacci.com and his foundation at WishYouWellFoundation.org.
Other books by David Baldacci
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