Prolific bestselling author David Baldacci has a number of successful series to his name, but the 6:20 Man series featuring Travis Devine is fast becoming one of my favorites of his. The prior installment, THE EDGE, was by far one of the best thrillers of 2023. The latest, TO DIE FOR, continues the path of excellence that already has been carved out for it.

Travis, a former Army officer and now Homeland Security Agent, barely escaped with his life following the fatal small-town events he faced in Maine. Once again, he is sent on a mission that eventually places him in yet another deadly small town. Travis’ boss, Emerson Campbell, needs him to head to Seattle and assist the FBI in escorting a 12-year-old girl to a meeting with her wealthy uncle, who is awaiting trial on multiple RICO charges. Betsy Odom recently had to endure the horror of watching both of her parents die in front of her. Danny Glass, her only living relative, has applied to become her new guardian.

"This wild ride continues to surprise at every turn. TO DIE FOR is an addictive read and supports statements I have made for years about David Baldacci being incapable of writing an uninteresting novel."

Travis briefly came into contact with Danny during wartime when Danny was responsible for saving his unit during a skirmish. He is also dealing with a mysterious note slipped into his pocket in the airport from the woman he knows simply as the girl on the train, who initially had tried to kill him while on a mission in Europe. Knowing she is out there while he is traveling far from home on this new assignment does not sit well with him.

Betsy is thrilled that Travis is there as she is not very fond of her current handler, FBI Special Agent Ellen Saxby. As a result, Travis will escort Betsy by himself to the meeting with Danny to officially discuss his application to take over her guardianship. Of course, Travis has a lot of questions about Danny’s alleged criminal activities. He is also curious about how Betsy’s parents died. The police report claim it was a drug overdose, but Betsy and some friends of her parents vehemently deny that. This makes him wonder who might have wanted them out of the picture and why.

The one thing that is clear to Travis is that Danny barely knows his niece, and she does not seem terribly enamored of him. When a quite shady man approaches Travis looking to shake him down for dirt on Danny, he refuses, only to find out that this same individual was stabbed to death in a bar that night. Travis works with Detectives Stephen Braddock and Beth Walker on the deaths of Betsy’s parents, the most recent slaying and their obvious connections. It becomes evident that it may be more than just Danny behind these murderous deeds, which is confirmed when Travis goes to the small town of Ricketts where the Odoms died.

Everyone comes across as highly suspicious in Ricketts, which seems to be living well beyond their means with a police force housed in an upscale building and equipped with all the best modern gadgetry. Travis does not trust the wheelchair-bound police chief or his wife, who happens to be the town mayor. And on top of that, a few thugs get the drop on Travis and attempt to take him out of the game. Only his quick thinking and experience get him out of this situation, along with some backup from the girl on the train.

This wild ride continues to surprise at every turn. TO DIE FOR is an addictive read and supports statements I have made for years about David Baldacci being incapable of writing an uninteresting novel. These 6:20 Man stories are not to be missed!