Eh. I figured out the who and the why long before the big reveal. Short on thrills, suspense and action.

Travis Devine, the 6:20 man and ex-Army Ranger, is back, now working for a a Homeland Security section. His handler, an older former colleague with a lot of confidence in Travis, sends him to Maine to quietly solve the murder of Jenny Silkwell, a CIA operative who returned to her coastal hometown for unspecified reasons. It is unclear whether Jenny's death is related to her work or her family. The Silkwells, once a wealthy and still a powerful family, own a mansion in the town where Jenny's artist sister and tattoo parlor owner brother live in separate wings.

Travis needs to identify the killer, Jenny's government laptop, and determine whether any classified information was leaked. He is smart and had extensive training and experience as a Ranger but he is not a trained investigator. Travis needs to get a lot of information fast in a small, close-knit community where residents seem to know everybody's business and are unlikely to reveal anything to him. In the course of this investigation, Baldacci creates a cast of well crafted characters, a community so believable we could pretty much walk through it and a series of backstories that are revealed at just the right pace and time.

I liked Travis in The 6:20 man, but he shines in The Edge. The narration is offered by a cast of readers who are very talented and so the audio version is quite enjoyable. Highly recommend.

Travis Devine arrived as a new Baldacci character in The 6:20 Man; when he might show up in another of Baldacci’s cornucopia of books was not certain. A little more than a year after The 6:20 Man, The Edge delivers Travis to a terrible crime on the shores of Maine. The narrative is bookended by someone assaulting Travis in Europe in the beginning and an ominous note that portends future trouble for Travis at the end.

Meanwhile, two questionable families entangle Travis in a few side plots, including eel trading, a sharpshooter, midnight drops of goods on the seashore, and more. Couple this with a small-town atmosphere that loves to hide the truth and protect its own, and you’ve got quite a ride.

It’s a lovely plot, quick-paced. The kind and even a little sensitive, though thoroughly tough, Travis Devine leads the way.

Pick it up. You will love it. -Tom L.