Whilst visiting her home to collect his fee and have the contract signed, he stumbles across a dead body before being knocked out. It’s an intricate, tight, satisfying read by Baldacci, and I can’t wait to read whatever this steadfast gumshoe gets himself tied up in next. When the woman disappears and they find a dead man in her home, Archer begins digging in a town that has multiple faces and alliances. The book captures the glamour of the era, the rise of the Hollywood star and the importance of the movie studios and the people who pull the strings, but also the seedier side of the town. Bill Clinton on One Good Deed One Good Deed represents David Baldacci’s move into historical crime with a new character, ex-jailbird Aloysius Archer .

The enjoyed reading this book but alas all his books and plots are pretty much main stream and would love if author would bring anything new to the table. This was already my favorite of Baldacci's recurring series, and Dream Town only reinforces that, in large part because of Baldacci's brilliance in stitching his story across a tapestry of a bygone era of movie magic with a dark side. I was fascinated by the 1950s setting and the fantastic detailed descriptions - with all the allure and mystique of that decade. A mixture of murder investigation and missing person case, Archer finds himself right in the heart of the action even though the person who initially asks for his help, Eleanor Lamb, is nowhere to be found.While this book is part of a series, it's written as a standalone and you don't have to read the other books to enjoy this one.

A lifelong Virginian, David is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia School of Law. David Baldacci plays his cards very close to his chest and manages to leave the really big reveals to those critical points in the story, at stages where the impact will be very keenly felt. The writing is tight and the plot is a terrific rollercoaster ride - with lots of stomach dropping free-falls. The narration by Edoardo Ballerini (all male voices) and Brittany Pressley (all female voices) was excellent.There are many threads to this investigation, from the murder to smuggling, and with everything in Hollywood being one unending facade, an Oscar worthy performance of lies and misdirection, it’s hard to know who, if anyone to trust.

We are—well, ask Bigfoot, as Brooks does in this delightful yarn, following on his bestseller World War Z (2006). From an inauspicious start back in books one, One Good Deed, it’s clear he is a man who is on the right side of the law, even if his background might beg to differ. Most of the minor characters are your stereotypical bad guys, but I didn't mind, as it was still fun to read. Now we’ve reached the 3rd book in the series, Dream Town, and Archer is virtually a solo PI taking on crime in L.I wasn't around in 1953 and I am sure there was more smoking and drinking at that time but again to me the stories don't ring very true. Baldacci adds in the proper political and social norms, and enough details from post-World War II to provide the depth and quality needed to portray the true historical context. To make matters worse there is no sign of Lamb and he is now hired by one of Eleanor’s friends to investigate her disappearance.