The Sixth Man by David Baldacci is the 5th book in the “King and Maxwell” thriller series. Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, April 2011
After the #1 New York Times bestsellers Split Second, Hour Game, Simple Genius, and First Family, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell return in their most shocking case: a high-stakes struggle where the relentless needs of national security run up against the absolute limits of the human mind.
Edgar Roy-an alleged serial killer held in a secure, fortress-like Federal Supermax facility-is awaiting trial. He faces almost certain conviction. Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are called in by Roy’s attorney, Sean’s old friend and mentor Ted Bergin, to help work the case. But their investigation is derailed before it begins-en route to their first meeting with Bergin, Sean and Michelle find him murdered.
It is now up to Sean and Michelle to ask the questions no one seems to want answered: Is Roy a killer? Who murdered Bergin?
With help from some surprising allies, they continue to pursue the case. But the more they dig into Roy’s past, the more they encounter obstacles, half-truths, dead-ends, false friends, and escalating threats from every direction. Their persistence puts them on a collision course with the highest levels of the government and the darkest corners of power. In a terrifying confrontation that will push Sean and Michelle to their limits, the duo may be permanently parted.
Sean and Michelle are headed to Maine to help Sean’s old friend, but what they encountered is his dead body. When Sean begins to investigate his friend’s death, he runs afoul of a conspiracy that involves too many people in the government. Getting help from an unlikely source, Sean and Michelle venture back up forth up the East coast to put a halt to their caper before all of them becomes deadly victims. What a roller coaster and thrilling ride this book took me on. This action-packed, page-turning drama kept me glues to the pages and had my adrenaline pumping as I speed through the chapters from the beginning to the satisfying conclusion. What a great read!