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The 6:20 Man

Review

The 6:20 Man

David Baldacci is one of the finest and most gifted plotters working today, which makes for a first-rate reading experience. The title of his latest novel, THE 6:20 MAN, refers to the scheduled train that Travis Devine catches each morning from Mount Kisco to Manhattan. He works as an entry-level analyst at New York City’s most prestigious investment firm, Cowl & Comely, following years of military service.

"Just when you think you have everything figured out, Baldacci pulls the rug out from under you and sends you spinning in another direction."

The former Army Ranger is going to require every bit of his specialized training after receiving an anonymous email on his phone: “She is dead.” This message will mean nothing to Travis until he learns that the lifeless body of his coworker, Sara Ewes, has been found in a storage room of his office building, the victim of an apparent suicide. This hits him especially hard as he had briefly dated Sara and slept with her once --- facts that eventually will come out as her shocking death turns into an active police investigation.

As Travis exits the building, a vehicle is waiting for him. He is politely asked to step in, which he does. He arrives at a nondescript office and is introduced to Emerson Campbell, a retired general who now runs the Office of Special Projects, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security. Campbell proceeds to go over Travis’ entire military career, including suspicious allegations concerning the death of a colleague of whom few people were aware.

Using this as leverage, Campbell lets Travis know that he will now be working with them as their eyes and ears inside Cowl & Comely. Some extremely shady business is going on there, including major money laundering to enemies of the United States. They also claim that Sara was murdered for what she knew. From this point on, Travis answers only to them and must find out the truth.

As the body count rises in the ensuing pages, Travis is asked to get deeper and deeper into the snake pit to uncover the secrets necessary to take everything down. Little does he know that there are parties working against him with agendas of their own.

THE 6:20 MAN is a simply brilliant read that I cannot recommend highly enough. Just when you think you have everything figured out, Baldacci pulls the rug out from under you and sends you spinning in another direction. This is exactly what a fun thriller is supposed to feel like.

Reviewed by Ray Palen on July 15, 2022

The 6:20 Man
by David Baldacci

  • Publication Date: June 20, 2023
  • Genres: Fiction, Suspense, Thriller
  • Paperback: 464 pages
  • Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
  • ISBN-10: 1538719851
  • ISBN-13: 9781538719855