A Gambling Man (An Archer Novel, 2)

Sometimes lady luck glances in Aloysius Archer's direction and he is able to take full advantage. A stop at a casino in Reno on his way to Bay Town, California, results in him gaining a travelling companion, a vehicle of his own and a few dollars in his pocket. Of course Archer's luck never lasts and by the time he arrives at his destination he's been reminded of that a few times. He does, at least, have a new job to go to and not every 2nd World War veteran has that. His new boss, Willie Dash, a quick thinking, experienced private eye isn't swimming in cases but one lands on his doorstep at almost the same time as Archer. His travelling companion, Liberty Callahan, was on her way to Hollywood but decides to stay a while in Bay Town and gets herself a job at a burlesque club where Archer finds himself and Dash investigating a blackmail case which is about to get very dangerous very quickly. He likes his new home town but wonders if he'll live long enough to to experience its highlights. This is the second Archer book and is as professionally executed as the first. Archer now has a very nice ride and a lady friend who plans to be the next big thing to hit Hollywood. He also has a boss who he was recommended to by the cop from the first book. That is the only connection to 'One Good Deed' and so this can easily be read as a standalone although that is also an excellent read. As with all David Baldacci books there is a lot of description but there are clues and relevant information hidden throughout. He also paints a vivid picture of smallish town America after the war in the sunshine state, although it seems to rain quite a bit! The case involving the cream of Bay Town society is complex, evenly paced, and draws you in immediately. The pace of life is not hectic, the coroner smokes at the crime scene and you'll need change for the phone readily to hand all of which is delivered in a wonderfully atmospheric and realistic manner. I was glad I didn't work the solution out any faster than Archer as it made for an extremely satisfying read from the first chapter to the last. Now I just have to wait to find out what happens next. I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

I’ve enjoyed the Archer series. Recommend them. Not to heavy and not too light. I like the characters in each book. Good read with just enough “nail biting”.

All 3 books in this series are a great read. It’s hard to put the book down once you start. You almost feel like your there with the character’s feeling the excitement and the fear. Great read, hope the series continues.

In this second installment in David Baldacci’s noir-ish series featuring Aloysius Archer we find the ex-G.I. (and wrongly accused ex-con) in Reno after his departure from Poca City. He’s on the way to Bay Town, CA circa 1949 and hopefully a new job as a private eye under the tutelage of a former FBI agent turned P.I. named Willie Dash. Circumstances develop in Reno where Archer comes into a pile of dough and a luxe 1939 Delahaye convertible along with gaining a fetching travel companion, would-be actress Liberty Callahan. The duo encounters a few challenges along the way but once at their destination Archer is soon embroiled in a complex murder mystery with plenty of twist and turns. I’m not a big Baldacci devotee but I liked the first Archer book, “One Good Deed” well enough to purchase this title. The pacing is good and I enjoy the late 1940’s period; the author captures it nicely with descriptions of clothing, cars, and the dialog style of the era. An awful lot of bodies drop in this story to the point where you almost wonder if anyone will survive by the ending. There’s plenty of action and good old fashioned sleuthing that should satisfy mystery fans who like pre-CSI detectives. My only complaints revolve around the author’s depictions of guns. Early on in after one encounter with a trio of bad guys who Archer and Liberty are able to disarm they take their guns and throw them in a nearby river. Then we get this line: “He watched them float for a few minutes in the strong current, and then they were gone,…” Umm, no way any firearms are “floating” for a few seconds, let alone a few minutes; they would sink like rocks immediately. Later on Archer pulls his .38 revolver and observes that: “He had five shots left in the barrel.” Nope, he had five shots left in the cylinder; it’s impossible for them to be in the barrel of the pistol. If you don’t know guns this wouldn’t matter and it’s just nit-picking on my part but for those readers who are familiar with handguns it is annoying. I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series due out this year, “Dream Town” where we find Archer and Liberty in L.A. for new adventures. I hope that Archer enjoys a long run and Baldacci keeps them coming.

The second installation in the historical Archer series has his parole ending and he’s headed west to try his hand at becoming a private investigator in CA. His stopover in Reno on the way to CA proves fraught with a criminal underbelly in this the biggest little city. A gambling town with casinos to lure those seeking new beginnings. His stopover in Reno nets him a eye-catching French automobile, a Delahaye, and a travelling partner, Liberty Callahan, singer, a dancer and a wannabe actress. After leaving their brush with the greed and corruption of the mayoral race behind, they’re off to Bay Town. Archer is keen on following his next adventure starting with a job interview with PI Willie Dash. Liberty has big dreams of stardom in Hollywood. The pace of their adventures makes for an easy read, could be read as a standalone, but even better if you have Archer’s history from “One Good Deed”. Both the variety of characters and the very descriptive time period are superbly written. You feel just like you’re there in another era. Another winner from a longtime favorite author, already have the next book on my TBR list.