#ReadThis says #WhomYouKnow @ManhattanPeachy @GrandCentralPub #OneGoodDeed by #DavidBaldacci
It's not who you know, it's WHOM YOU KNOW and you have known that for years.
But, do you know Aloysius Archer?
You will when we are through with you here! A Bogart-esque character, Archer brings us back to the post-WW2 era: the greatest generation. If you are Peachy's age, you totally missed it but you can watch movies and read books. You didn't have as good of a weekend as we did if you haven't read this yet, so put it on your list for next weekend. It looks like the last time we featured Baldacci was 2012:
The first reaction to the well-read should provoke fuzzy recollections of a teddy bear...but first name only. This guy goes by last name, and he's from the school of hard-knocks, fresh out of prison for a crime he didn't commit, tumbling into a no-name town in God-knows-where. We would most definitely not want to go there, and we were not thrilled with the setting. (Where would we eat? Where would we shop? Where would we watch NHL games?) Don't worry though, in this case bien sur mes amies you go there by opening the book.
Also note it takes a whopping six pages for the main character to note that going to Manhattan is great and he is familiar with the Rockettes and Macy's, and ate lunch in Central Park (hey Archer in 1949 you could have gone to Old Town! We think you would dig it.)
But, we were thrilled with the plot and character development, both of which are brilliant. Archer has style, right down to his Raymond Reddington-esque Panama hat, and as the pages turn, you'll see he has quite the knack for getting into scrapes and identifying crime, like Reddington. As you come to know him, Archer possesses a good-guy charm and execution to match, exemplifying respect and decency through his actions. Baldacci leads with intrigue and of course, this is not his first rodeo, so-to-speak. For our Irish readers, you won't find a Seamus but you will find quite the Shamus.
As the story unfolds, it does so at a good speed and though this tops 400 pages, it goes by quickly with no slow spots. There's lovely banter in this work, and the conversational, everyday nature of the entirety will make this widely appealing. Even INXS is quoted in our mind, as the Devil Inside is referenced (p.75). The names are quite creative and Dickie Dill is quite memorable. He's not going to make you feel the same way about bacon...
Finally, if you are a millenial, you need to read this most of all because there are immeasurable factors you will learn from this greatest generation!
Are people who they seem to be?
You'll have to see. Do yourself one good deed and READ THIS!
One Good Deed is Recommended by Whom You Know.
***
David Baldacci is known for his pulse-pounding contemporary thrillers, but the master of suspense is back this summer with something different—a terrific historical thriller called ONE GOOD DEED [Grand Central Publishing; Hardcover; July 23, 2019] that features a new character who ranks among Baldacci’s most memorable protagonists.
The year is 1949 and World War II veteran Aloysius Archer is released from Carderock Prison. He is sent to Poca City on parole with a short list of do’s and a much longer list of don’ts: do report regularly to his parole officer; don’t go into bars and certainly don’t drink alcohol; do get a job—and always stay out of trouble.
The small town quickly proves more complicated and dangerous than Archer’s years serving in the war or his time in jail. Within a single night, his search for gainful employment—and a stiff drink—leads him to a local bar, where he is hired for what seems like a simple job: collect a debt owed to a powerful local businessman, Hank Pittleman.
Soon Archer finds out that recouping the debt won’t be so easy: The indebted man has a furious grudge against Hank and refuses to pay; Hank’s quick-witted mistress has her own designs on Archer; and both the unforgiving Hank and Archer’s stern parole officer, Miss Crabtree, are keeping a close eye on him. When a murder takes place right under Archer’s nose, police suspicions rise against the ex-convict and Archer realizes that this murder could send him right back to prison… if he doesn’t use every skill in his arsenal to track down the real killer himself.
About the Author
DAVID BALDACCI is a global #1 bestselling author, and one of the world’s favorite storytellers. His books are published in over 45 languages and in more than 80 countries, with over 130 million worldwide sales. His works have been adapted for both feature film and television. David Baldacci is also the cofounder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across America. Still a resident of his native Virginia, for more please visit DavidBaldacci.com and WishYouWellFoundation.org.
About the Book
ONE GOOD DEED by David Baldacci
On-Sale: July 23, 2019
Grand Central Publishing | Pages: 432
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-5387-5056-8
E-book ISBN: 978-1-5387-5055-1
Audio Book ISBN: 978-1-5491-5196-5
Large Print ISBN: 978-1-5387-5057-5
