Travis Devine returns, in a strange mystery in small-town Maine

The 6:20 Man is back, dropped by his handlers into a small coastal town in Maine to solve the murder of a CIA agent who knew America’s dirtiest secrets — can Travis Devine uncover the truth before his time runs out?

When CIA operative Jenny Silkwell is murdered in rural Maine, government officials have immediate concerns over national security. Her laptop and phone were full of state secrets that, in the wrong hands, endanger the lives of countless operatives. In need of someone who can solve the murder quickly and retrieve the missing information, the U.S. government knows just the chameleon they can call on.

Ex-Army Ranger Travis Devine spent his time in the military preparing to take on any scenario, followed by his short-lived business career chasing shadows in the deepest halls of power, so his analytical mind makes him particularly well-suited for complex, high-stakes tasks. Taking down the world’s largest financial conspiracy proved his value, and in comparison, this case looks straightforward. Except small towns hold secrets and Devine finds himself an outsider again.

Devine must ingratiate himself with locals who have trusted each other their whole lives, and who distrust outsiders just as much. Dak, Jenny’s brother, who’s working to revitalize the town. Earl, the retired lobsterman who found Jenny’s body. And Alex, Jenny’s sister with a dark past of her own. As Devine gets to know the residents of Putnam, Maine, answers seem to appear and then transform into more questions. There’s a long history of secrets and those who will stop at nothing to keep them from being exposed. Leaving Devine with no idea who he can trust… and who wants him dead.

The second novel in Baldacci’s 6:20 Man/Travis Devine series takes the action from New York to a small town in Maine; a town of secrets that stretch back a decade. This novel is a marked improvement on The 6:20 Man, and I think this character could stick around for a while.

Travis Devine’s previous outing, The 6:20 Man was a pretty good mystery, but The Edge offers (in my opinion) a stronger story. The novel opens at the end of an operation in Switzerland, on a high-speed train. It’s a quick scene, but one gets the feeling that it will cast a shadow over future cases that Devine undertakes.

Devine is still working for Campbell, as a Homeland Security agent, Devine is dispatched to Putnam, Maine to investigate the death of Jenny Silkwell. A CIA agent, and daughter of long-time colleague and friend of Campbell’s, there’s an assumption that there might be a connection to Silkwell’s work for CIA. However, as Devine investigates, he starts to realize that there’s a lot more going on under the surface of this idyllic town.

He comes into contact with most of the residents (all of whom seem to know all of his business, very quickly — as is the way in small towns), and uncovers a web of relationships, shared histories (some good, many painful or difficult), and plenty of distrust from civilians and local law enforcement alike. Slowly, though, he gathers allies for his investigation, as he slowly comes to understand some of what is going on in Putnam, as well as details of historical events that may still be casting shadows. Travis becomes especially close to Jenny’s sister, Alex: a talented local artist, but one who is still managing the psychological scars of an assault many years ago.

I found The Edge to be better than The 6:20 Man in almost every way. The storytelling felt more assured, as I would expect from Baldacci, the pacing was better (a shade quicker than the previous book), and the characters more interesting. The story is more of a mystery than a thriller, which I also very much enjoyed. Baldacci includes many of the classic elements of a small-town mystery, and what happens when an outsider starts poking about old and new secrets; at the same time, the author adds plenty of additional new and interesting story elements, to make it feel original and distinct. I would certainly like to read more novels starring Travis Devine — and, given his job and the fact that he’s not tied to any one geographic region, I think there’s plenty of scope for many more stories.

Another very good Baldacci novel, and one I have no doubt his long-time fans will enjoy. If you’re new to his books, I’d recommend reading The 6:20 Man before this one (although it’s not essential to do so). I’d also highly recommend his Camel Club and Will Robie novels, which remain my favourites of the author’s novels.

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David Baldacci’s The Edge is out now, published by Grand Central Publishing in North America, and Pan Macmillan in the UK. The third Devine novel, To Die For, is due to be published in November by Grand Central.

Also on CR: Reviews of The 6:20 Man, Stone Cold, Divine Justice, Hell’s Corner, Bullseye, The Innocent, The Hit, The Target, The Guilty, End Game, Whole Truth, First Family, Memory Man, True Blue, and Deliver Us From Evil

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Review copy received via NetGalley