Traveling by train from Geneva to Milan, former Army Ranger Travis Devine believed his life was in danger. He was correct.
When he got back to the United States, he met with Emerson Campbell who had recruited him to serve in the Office of Special Projects supposedly under Homeland Security. The body of Jennifer Silkwell, a highly placed CIA agent and daughter of a former US, Senator, had been found near the family home in Potter, Maine. Her CIA laptop and her personal phone were both missing. Concerned about what information might’ve been contained on those items required the special skills that Devine possessed.
People in small towns tend to know each other very well. On the flipside, they tend to not trust outsiders. That was very true in Potter and much of the information Devine received was questionable.
To keep the locals involved, Divine interacted with them as much as he could. The Chief of Police Richard, Wayne Harper, who was not happy about having federal government involved in what he considered his job, was reluctant to consider alternatives.
During his investigation, Divine discovered what he thought were several suspicious deaths over several years that had been determined to be accidents or suicides.
The most interesting character was Alex Silkwell, Jennifer‘s younger sister, who is an amazingly good artist, living in seclusion in the family home, and who has the story that has affected her life, but that she cannot remember.
THE EDGE has a lot of twist, turns, and red herrings. Devine explains some of his methods to stay alive.
It has quite a bit of extended extraneous material (lobsters?) and could have been shorter. The last few chapters reminded me of the end of the Perry Mason shows where everything is too easily revealed.
Tidbits: “Around 15,000 Mainers die every year. The vast majority by accident…. next – highest cause of death is natural, then suicide, undetermined, and homicide is in last place… But the autopsy rates are going up. 6% in 2000, 11% next year, and 15% of total death last year, receiving the full work up because fentanyl.
Maine has a lot of coastline than California.
West Point was identified by George Washington as the most strategic location in the American Revolutionary War. Originally named Fort Clinton, it was the oldest continuously, maintained military outpost in the country. It was on the West Bank of the Hudson, hence the name. ( )

Ex-Army Ranger Travis Devine is sent to Putnam, Maine, when CIA operative Jenny Silkwell is found shot in the head and thrown over a cliff. Her government laptop and phone are missing. He is to locate the laptop and phone and determine if the killing was related to her work in the CIA or if it was something local. He is not welcomed by the citizens or police in Putnam, a small town on the coast of Maine. He interviews many people but feels he is being lied to or misdirected, particularly by Earl Marsh, a recent widower and retired lobster-man and possibly by the police and the coroner Francesca Bing and her brother Fred, the funeral director. The Silkwell siblings, Alex and Dak live in their parents old mansion. Dak is an entrepreneur who wants to do what he can to save Putnam. Alex suffers from situational amnesia due to a rape when she was 15. She is a talented artist, mostly self-taught with the exception of instruction by Alberta (Bertie) Marsh who was killed in a hit and run accident recently. Their mother and father are divorced with the father, Curt, a former military man and senator, having dementia and living in an institution; and mother remarried to a wealthy man and living in Washington, D.C. When Devine is shot at twice and kidnapped, he does not know if those instances have to do with his investigation or are the result of some previous operation he completed. ( )

The return of Travis Devine, the 6:20 Man, in 'The Edge' delivers a gripping thriller set in a small coastal town in Maine. The murder of a CIA operative sparks a riveting narrative, blending espionage with the complexities of tight-knit communities. Devine's analytical mind takes center stage as he navigates through layers of secrets, deception, and hidden agendas. The novel's strength lies in its unpredictable twists and well-drawn characters, creating a suspenseful atmosphere that keeps readers engaged from start to finish. 'The Edge' is a rollercoaster of intrigue, leaving readers eagerly anticipating every revelation. ( )

The Edge is a book that has a lot of characters which are hard to remember who was who. There were many deaths, and lies as people try to cover for each other. There were many close calls that just were too close to really be believable but that is best part of writing a book. You get to write the close calls for the heroes and for the villains. Only 31/2 stars were given in this review. The book was better than an average three stars but not really worthy of four stars--hence, three and one half stars. ( )

This was a great story and a quick read.

Travis Devine, an ex army ranger, now does specialized mission, calling on all of his past skills. Coming straight off a mission in Europe, he heads to rural Maine, where a CIA operative, Jenny Sikwell has been killed. Travis soon realizes, although rural, there are deep secrets and this mission is every bit as challenging as ones he faced during combat. As he unravels clues, he realizes that he's found yet another layer in the mystery. Was Jenny killed because of something she was working on with the CIA or is there something else. Coincidences are becoming less and less likely, someone is trying to keep past secrets past. ( )