Book Review: The 6.20 Man by David Baldacci

My Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thirty-two-year-old Travis Devine, is "The 6:20 Man", boarding the commuter train every morning into Manhattan, arriving early for a grueling day at his entry-level job as a financial analyst at Cowl and Comely, a prestigious investment firm, spending long hours crunching numbers six days a week. A decorated ex-Army Ranger who rose to the rank of Captain, he decided to quit, got his MBA, and joined the world of finance. Though he isn’t completely happy with his new life, he has reconciled with his new reality but his years as a “combat stud” were far more satisfying on a personal level.

One morning he receives an anonymous email informing him that his colleague, mentor to his recruiting class and former girlfriend twenty-eight-year-old Sara Ewes was found dead in his office building, presumed to have committed suicide by hanging. However, Travis is doubtful that she would commit suicide and as the story progresses it becomes obvious that Sara was murdered. Both local and federal authorities reach out to Travis. The NYPD initially regard him as a suspect in Sara’s death. The federal authorities suspect Travis’s employers of shady dealings and reel him in to investigate within his company, compelling him to do so by bringing up the reasons for which he quit the Army- events from his past that still haunt him. As Travis investigates, he unearths secrets from Sara’s past and also realizes that someone is trying to frame him in Sara’s death. He also gathers proof that there is much more to what meets the eye as far as his employers and their business dealings are concerned. Everyone has secrets and everyone is a suspect. He often seeks help from his housemates- a Russian hacker who loves his adopted country, a brilliant tech entrepreneur and a law graduate, but at times he is compelled to regard everyone with suspicion.

What happened to Sara? What or who caused her death? What goes on behind the closed doors of the 52nd floor of Cowl and Comely? Was Sara involved in the suspected shady dealings in the company or was she murdered for more personal reasons? Why is someone trying to implicate Travis?

Overall,  David Baldacci’s The 6:20 Man is a thrilling read that weaves a complex web of murder, financial crimes, corrupt businessmen, and international conspiracy. Though the setting of the novel is in the world of finance, the author does not drown us in technical jargon or make it too difficult to comprehend. The author takes his time in introducing the protagonist and his backstory. After a relatively slow start, the story picks up its pace and hooks us in till the very end. Full of twists and turns, Baldacci does not fail to surprise with the final reveal. Every time I thought I had figured it all out, we are delivered another twist and not until the very end do we identify the culprit(s). However, all is not resolved and we can expect a series in the making. Yes, as with most thrillers, we can expect far-fetched and OTT moments, but that’s the fun of reading an action-packed, fast-paced Baldacci thriller! I look forward to more thrillers featuring "The 6:20 Man", Travis Devine, in the future.