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One Good Deed (An Archer Novel) by [David Baldacci]

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David Baldacci

One Good Deed (An Archer Novel) Kindle Edition

by David Baldacci (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

10,671 ratings

Book 1 of 2: An Archer Novel

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In this fast-paced historical thriller, the #1 New York Times bestselling author introduces Archer, a WWII veteran forced to investigate a small-town murder -- or risk returning to prison.
It's 1949. When war 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 to bars, certainly don't drink alcohol, do get a job -- and don't ever associate with loose women.

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: to collect a debt owed to a powerful local businessman, Hank Pittleman.

Soon Archer discovers that recovering the debt won't be so easy. The indebted man has a furious grudge against Hank and refuses to pay; Hank's clever mistress has her own designs on Archer; and both Hank and Archer's stern parole officer, Miss Crabtree, are keeping a sharp eye on him.

When a murder takes place right under Archer's nose, police suspicions rise against the ex-convict, and Archer realizes that the crime could send him right back to prison . . . if he doesn't use every skill in his arsenal to track down the real killer.

Print length

433 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Grand Central Publishing
Publication date

July 23, 2019
File size

2412 KB
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Word Wise

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Books In This Series (2 Books)

Complete Series

An Archer Novel

Kindle Edition

Page 1 of 1Start OverPage 1 of 1

1
One Good Deed (An Archer Novel)
David Baldacci

(10,671)

Kindle Edition

$9.99
2
A Gambling Man (An Archer Novel Book 2)
David Baldacci

(16,056)

Kindle Edition

$14.99

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"One of [Baldacci's] finest books. Great character, great story, great portrait of an era."―Bill Clinton

"David Baldacci is a master storyteller, and he invokes the classic feel of the post-war 1940s evident in the timeless literature and film of that time. A sympathetic hero and a cast of mysterious citizens in a small town summon familiar themes one expects in a Baldacci novel, and he once again doesn't disappoint."―Associated Press

"Insightful and entertaining, Baldacci has captured the time and events perfectly with authenticity, beauty and flawless prose . . . Archer is a terrific anti-hero with plenty of longevity and originality [and] the supporting cast is just as memorable. Gripping from beginning to end."―New York Journal of Books

"Baldacci has crafted an ingenious and addicting read in which each paragraph provides a new revelation. The time period and writing style immediately called to mind the works of the immortal James M. Cain . . . [a] terrific slice of crime noir."―Bookreporter.com

"Mega-selling mystery writer David Baldacci's latest takes us back in time and introduces a new series protagonist that may become one of his most popular . . . a captivating page-turner."―The Florida Times-Union

"David Baldacci switches gears with magnificent results . . . simmering suspense and splendid prose . . . Terrific-reading entertainment."―Providence Journal

"Baldacci nails the setting -- capturing everything from the way things looked back in 1949 to how people spoke, adding realism and authenticity to the story. The characters are developed nicely, especially Archer, who flashes real star power throughout . . . Fast-paced and packed with plenty of suspense."―The Real Book Spy

"One Good Deed is an uproarious, tangled-web tale . . . David Baldacci knows how to pleasurably wind us up."―The Washington Book Review

"Baldacci is a master of pace and plotting, and One Good Deed doesn't let up on the throttle. A good ´40s noir."―Historical Novel Society

"This is a world that twists with murder and vengeance . . . Will keep you engrossed until the last page."―She Reads --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

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 forty-five languages and in more than eighty countries, with 150 million copies sold worldwide. 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, he invites you to visit him at DavidBaldacci.com and his foundation at WishYouWellFoundation.org. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07NL5VP9J
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grand Central Publishing (July 23, 2019)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 23, 2019
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2412 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 433 pages
Lending ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #1,693 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #8 in Historical Thrillers (Kindle Store)
- #23 in Historical Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Fiction
- #24 in Historical Thrillers (Books)

Customer Reviews:
10,671 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		66%
4 star		23%
3 star		7%
2 star		2%
1 star		2%

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Top reviews from the United States

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lholbrook

Who are you and what have you done with David Baldacci?

Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2019

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This just isn't David Baldacci's usual style. While some may enjoy it...my elderly parents who grew up in that era perhaps...I'm finding it both dull and annoying to read. I've slogged through about half of it and am considering a skip to the end just to get it over with. It drags, is repetitive, and I find that, while Archer seems to have some intelligence, he is also foolish and annoying, and not a protagonist I want to know or like.

156 people found this helpful

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Gritty Tale Told with CLEAN Language, Kept My Interest...

Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2019

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Although I have read and/or listened to a couple of Baldacci novels in the past, I am not a devotee of his writing. I enjoy it, to be sure, but I am just not a huge follower of him. Well, I haven’t been, but I can see where, after reading “One Good Deed,” I might just make his writing a more common purchase. The writing is good, and the plot for this new character reminds me of the Rockford Files. In fact, I would say that, with a little wry humor, and the introduction of a couple more characters, this could fill that niche.

POV: Written in third person, some aspects of intimacy are weak, despite some touches by the author in developing the primary characters. What I mean is, we don’t get that personal feeling of the main character. Also, with first person POV we could be fooled, now and then, in the same way the hero would be while he conducts his investigation and learns of the errors of his previous mistaken observations. That’s why I ordinarily opt for private eyes who tell us what they see and do as they proceed through their narrative. Still, Baldacci does a good job taking us through the daily routine of a WWII vet after he is released from prison for a crime he didn’t commit.

BLUSH FACTOR: Although there is plenty of the rough language, there is not a single eff-word in “One Good Deed.” For those interested in sordid details, there is reference to, uh, extracurricular affairs but not in any way graphic. Be certain that the author is NOT a kiss-and-tell type writer. Look to other writers if graphic stimulation is your reason for reading anything of a romantic nature.

Excerpt: Fans of Baldacci, even of this new character, probably already have good reason to read the book, even without glancing at an excerpt. Newbies, though, might appreciate this very short piece taken from about 12 percent into the book.

‘…His spending spree had cost him all of fifty cents, with the twin Jacksons lying in the depths of his pocket undiminished. He managed to scrounge a cigarette off a passing stranger, and he sat on a bench near the town square taking his time whittling it down and watching all who passed by in front of him. There was prosperity in the air, comingling with those clearly in economic despair. But those on that woeful side of the equation would no doubt work hard to get to the “other side” with all due speed, rising to the mountaintop to look down on others scrambling madly for their piece of the pie. And that, to Archer, was the fledgling American dream in a nutshell, particularly after a war that had knocked the stuffing out of just about everyone.

Archer had good reason to soak in as much of Poca City as he possibly could. This would be his home, at least for the foreseeable future, and he had made friendly with as many folks as he could on his walking tour, at the same time foraging for information to the extent he could without raising their suspicions. He had learned that some had short fuses, and he was not looking to make enemies of any sort.

Like Dill, many had heard of Mr. Hank Pittleman, though the opinions of these folks varied greatly. He was either a devil or a benefactor, with not one commentator occupying the middle ground. Archer took in all this with a grain of salt and let it marinate as he smoked. Many had also heard of Lucas Tuttle. He was described as a farmer of fierce devotion to the soil and a provocateur of skilled debate. He was also a seasoned hunter, as comfortable with firearms as he was skewering, with his impressive vocabulary and agile wits, those who did not align with his points of view on myriad subjects. These ranged from local crop rotation theories to the efficacy of the Marshall Plan to the question of the gold standard versus all other benchmarks.

A curious combination and perhaps the earmarks of a formidable person from whom to…’

Baldacci, David. One Good Deed (pp. 42-43). Grand Central Publishing. Kindle Edition.

BOTTOM LINE:

Kept me guessing and, the further I got into the story, the more I had to read it. Definitely, I recommend this to readers looking for a clean action-adventure suspense novel. It’s not a great tale, but it certainly is a story worth your time. I intend to purchase the Audible Edition and will listen to it during my next journey across country.

Four stars out of five.

119 people found this helpful

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Bob Simmons

Where in the world is David Baldavci???

Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2019

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The story was good but it moved so slow, even the dialogue was sluggish. I actually looked back to the front to make sure I had his book. This won't be one that I read several times.

105 people found this helpful

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Bookworm

Contrived and slow

Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2019

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This surprising attempt at writing a noir period piece never really gets off. Stilted dialogue, jokes falling flat... Will the real Baldacci please come back? I would have given it one star but having struggled to the - improbable - ending, I shall grant it two.

95 people found this helpful

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M. Stewart

Best Baldacci Novel Yet

Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2019

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This story, set in 1949, is his most satisfying story yet, in my experience. As a novelist, I began reading him to see why he was so successful, but this story is a page-turner that is believable, gripping, and wonderfully written. I received it yesterday, finished today. Get it.

81 people found this helpful

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POST WORLD WAR II TALE

Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2019

Chances are that you are considering reading this book because of your familiarity with bestselling author David Baldacci's other work. An attorney turned prolific writer, Baldacci has published 37 books for adults and 7 books for the younger set since his first novel Absolute Power was published in 1996. Most of those books are parts of series.

In One Good Deed, Baldacci breaks from type, setting his novel in the period immediately following World War II. Fresh out of prison, we follow World War II veteran Aloysius Archer to Poca City where he must serve three years of parole. Armed with a list of dos and dont's, Archer immediately seeks out the nearest bar and gets in trouble. Naturally.

The writing style is spare, clipped, with a surprising number of sentence fragments. It feels very much like a man is writing for other men. There is detail aplenty, but it is detached, impersonal.

If you've liked Baldacci's other books, you'll like enjoy this one as well.

95 people found this helpful

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Colorado Avid Reader

An unusual and entertaining read from the author

Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2019

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Mr. Baldacci shows readers he’s a chameleon as a writer. Here, he transports us to the late 1940’s. The writing style is clipped, terse and correct for the time. The story is complex and intriguing. The characters have breadth and depth. This one borders on mystery noir as Archer wends his way through the morass that is his “present” as a parolee. Congratulations to the author for a fine period mystery.

58 people found this helpful

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Jack G Hardy

A Must Read

Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2019

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A story you’ll find puzzling at first, then clearly new in context and content. As with all of his books, impossible to put down. Enjoy 😊

42 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

dfg

Second rate Steinbeck

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 16, 2019

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Prepare for a new series - Archer an ex con turned detective, set in the 1940s. It is like a mixture of a James Cagney movie and Wallace and Grommet! You can see what he is trying to do with this mixture of Sam Spade and Grapes of Wrath but it does not really work. Two dimension characters and stilted dialogue trying to hard to be “period”.

13 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Not his best work

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 13, 2019

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For me not one of his best. Very slow to get into and indeed I was past half way in the book before it became interesting. I have read all Baldacci books and the only one I did not like was the Atlee Pine book. However, I must say that any more with the character in One Good Deed will also be given a miss. Where has the Baldacci flare gone.

10 people found this helpful

Tel

Not a typical Baldacci book but still a very good read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 28, 2020

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Great book. Not one of his usual pacy thrillers. This one’s set in America in the early part of the 20th century in a small town. A stranger arrives and one of the local business owners offers him work. Seems innocent enough but the story is about what happens next after one of the owners is murdered. The plot is fairly pacy, but in a relaxed way and the characters are well described. You love or hate them.

6 people found this helpful

normalbloke75

Really good read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 15, 2021

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I did not know what to expect from this book, but was pleasantly surprised. Archer is an interesting new character who helps to solve a mystery in a Reacher-esque sort of a way but set in the late forties / early fifties.

Yes there are some plot devices which test the limits of credibility, but the story moves along at pace, with good characters and strong writing.

I hope there are more outings for Archer.

3 people found this helpful

Grace

Unusual thriller.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 26, 2019

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I wondered what this was going to be about at the beginning. Then couldn't put it down. Is this a new main character? I don't know but I would want more. Archer a man of the world. A thinking man. Fascinating tale of putting wrongs to rights. Hope there will be a next one. What a character.

4 people found this helpful