The Amos Decker series in order is easiest to read from the beginning. Each book gives Decker a new case, but his personal story, FBI work, and relationships build as the series goes.
David Baldacci’s Amos Decker series is also known as the Memory Man series. It follows a former football player turned investigator whose life changes after a violent hit on the field leaves him with perfect recall.
For Baldacci’s other series and standalones, use my full David Baldacci books in order guide.
Jump to:
- Amos Decker Books in Publication Order
- How to Read the Memory Man Series
- About the Amos Decker Series
Amos Decker Books in Publication Order
The Amos Decker series should be read in publication order, starting with Memory Man. There are seven books, with no Amos Decker short stories, novellas, or companion books you need to track down before starting.
- Memory Man (2015)
- The Last Mile (2016)
- The Fix (2017)
- The Fallen (2018)
- Redemption (2019)
- Walk the Wire (2020)
- Long Shadows (2022)
How to Read the Memory Man Series
Publication order is the right order for the Memory Man series. Baldacci gives Decker a new mystery in each book, so you can follow the case without remembering every detail from the previous one. Still, the series works better when you see Decker change from book to book.
Memory Man is the place to start because it explains the two events that shape Decker: the football injury that changes his brain and the murder of his family. Those pieces follow him through the series, especially as his work moves from local police cases into larger FBI investigations.
You could pick up one of the later books and follow the plot, but I wouldn’t recommend it for a first read. The cases hit harder when you already understand Decker, Alex Jamison, and the grief Decker carries into each investigation.
About the Amos Decker Series
Amos Decker is one of Baldacci’s more distinctive thriller leads. He was once a professional football player, but his career ended almost immediately after a violent hit on the field. The injury left him unable to forget anything, including the memories he most wants to escape.
After football, Decker becomes a police detective. Then his life falls apart again when he comes home and finds his wife, daughter, and brother-in-law murdered. That loss pushes him out of the police force and into a much darker place before the first book pulls him back into the case.
That is what gives the series its hook. Decker can remember every detail, but that gift hurts as much as it helps. He catches clues other people miss, but he also has to live with grief in a way most people never could. That gives the books more weight than a standard case-of-the-week thriller.
Looking for similar books in order?
If you want more thriller authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Thriller Books in Order index.