If you see yourself as a fan of thriller and mystery, gather round, cause I have one for you. Welcome to the world of the Atlee Pine Series! In a race against time, Atlee Pine is set to discover secrets of her past or what’s left of it. This is the second book in the Atlee Pine thriller series and If you know anything about David Baldacci, you know there’s always more than meets the eye. It’s everything you need for a thriller- a creepy small town, sketchy residents, and chilling murders.
Written by #1 New York best-times selling author, David Baldacci, A minute to midnight-the second book in the Atlee Pine Series-takes you on an emotional journey with the titular main character, Atlee Pine, who is on a mission to find what happened to her other half. Secrets will be revealed and this story will keep you on your toes.
Premise
Atlee Pine was six years old when the event took place…the night her twin sister Mercy was abducted from their room, right under their parents’ noses. With hardly any recollection of what happened after being hit, she was left with the scars from the injury inflicted and memories of the fear from that night. Having occurred in a small town, anyone could have been the culprit yet no clue was found. It’s now been thirty years since the incident, yet it still feels like yesterday and the only thing unresolved like the case is Pine’s anger.
Now an FBI Agent, Atlee Pine is going back to her hometown to solve the case that changed the trajectory and her and her family’s life forever. Back to where it all started, Andersonville, Georgia, Pine and Carol Blum, her assistant, are set to unravel the mystery in hopes of finding her sister Mercy. However, not too long after their arrival, mysterious killings take place with hints of a serial killer on the loose. Now she is faced with catching the killer, while unraveling her past. Small towns are often known for secrets, but are some secrets worth discovering? We’ll find out!
This book is definitely a slow cooker. The author takes us along the journey with Pine, from moments in her time as an FBI Agent to one who is just desperate to find her sister.
Such a traumatic event at a young age is one not easy to heal and Pine has been left with so much confusion and anger from what happened thirty years ago. They say we are shaped from our environment and certain events that take place in our lives…and for Pine, it’s no different. It has definitely shaped the woman she has become. Carrying all that trauma for thirty years has been difficult and we see in the book, that the sheer determination to find her sister-dead or alive- has kept her going.
Book Setup
We know the story is what makes the book but I think the buttery smooth writing is what takes us on the adventure. Have you ever read a book that had a good story-line but just frustrated you because of the bad grammar or the breakaway of scenes that just don’t make sense? I don’t know about you but i have, which is why this part of a book is very important to me and i would say David Baldacci does a great job with it.
The grammar and sentence structure of the book help carry the reader along and leaves no room for confusion. This is crucial for a book, especially one with twists and turns. The organization of events adds to the flow of the story and is not disrupted; it is easy to follow along. While he may be an experienced writer, he makes use of simple language adding to the ease that comes with reading it.
Aside from the grammar, we also have the setting. I would say this part of the story adds to the eerie feeling of the book. Being a thriller already gives that eerie feeling but combining it with the setting is what makes the reader anxious about what’s going to happen next. Andersonville is a small town of two hundred and fifty people with a deep history. The town has been made a tourist attraction due to past leaders transforming it to look like how it did during the civil war. A time with a lot of imprisonments and gruesome deaths. With a mass cemetery and old isolated roads, the town seems to be a haven for crimes.
Characters
Another great thing about this book is the characters. They all have an important piece to play in the puzzle. Here are a few prominent characters.
Atlee Pine – the lady of the hour- a dedicated and formidable FBI agent who has a tough exterior but a wounded interior as she can’t seem to move on from her past. The events which take place in the story help build her character through the plotline. In the beginning, she was an agent with nothing other than the haunting memories of her past and frustration which caused her to sometimes make reckless decisions. We see this in her back and forth with Daniel Tor, in prison, who she suspects, based on no solid evidence to be her sister’s abductor:
“You said you knew I was operating in Georgia around that time. So you know what I think? The hypnosis didn’t produce an actual memory, it merely gave you the basis to form a conclusion at which you had already arrived based on extraneous information.”
And the author tells us:
“She said nothing because the man could be right about that.”
Here, the author gives us a glimpse of the point she’s reached in her efforts to find out the truth. However, towards the ending, she seems to grow to be more grounded and more mature as an agent. Of course with the help of her assistant.
Carol Blum – a loyal and supportive assistant to Atlee Pine, mother of six children and someone who is not to be underestimated. Although she’s worked a desk job at the Bureau for thirty years she is more skilled than some FBI agents.
Daniel Tor – described as a “six-four, 280 pound narcissistic sociopath,” is a serial killer, currently held in a federal supermax prison. He is Atlee Pine’s first suspect in the thirty year-old case. Daniel is a character that knows more about Mercy’s abduction case than he lets on.
Julia and Tim Pine – Atlee Pine’s parents
Cy Tanner– A current resident in the Atlees’ old home.
Overall Outlook
The story is well-balanced. The darkness, the suspense, and the comedic flair, which we see from time to time to lighten the mood all help balance the storyline. Seeing the depths one is willing to dive for their loved one is another thing that helps the readers empathise with Atlee Pine.
Overall, It is interesting to see how the author gives the readers just enough information to keep them curious as to what happens next. It is definitely a good read.
Although this is a book series, It is written perfectly that the books can be independently read and still understood.
Order of Publication
● Long Road to Mercy
● A Minute to Midnight
● Daylight
● Mercy
