In this post-WWII crime noir, a stand-alone, narrator Edoardo Ballerini takes us into the life of recently released ex-convict Aloysius Archer. Listeners will find Archer, as performed by Ballerini, an appealing character. Archer moves to a fictional city in the Midwest, where he encounters, not just one, but two femme fatales, and a host of other good and bad folks. Ballerini expertly differentiates the many characters, male and female. Baldacci has taken the noir aspects seriously, describing in detail, and with lots of metaphors, the features of every person Archer encounters. This tendency, along with the smart-aleck banter, slows down the action. Fans of Baldacci should be prepared for a different experience in story, pace, and delivery. E.Q. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
One Good Deed
Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini
David BaldacciUnabridged — 11 hours, 41 minutes
One Good Deed
Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini
David BaldacciUnabridged — 11 hours, 41 minutes
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Overview
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.
Editorial Reviews
"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
In this post-WWII crime noir, a stand-alone, narrator Edoardo Ballerini takes us into the life of recently released ex-convict Aloysius Archer. Listeners will find Archer, as performed by Ballerini, an appealing character. Archer moves to a fictional city in the Midwest, where he encounters, not just one, but two femme fatales, and a host of other good and bad folks. Ballerini expertly differentiates the many characters, male and female. Baldacci has taken the noir aspects seriously, describing in detail, and with lots of metaphors, the features of every person Archer encounters. This tendency, along with the smart-aleck banter, slows down the action. Fans of Baldacci should be prepared for a different experience in story, pace, and delivery. E.Q. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
2019-11-14
Thriller writer Baldacci (A Minute to Midnight, 2019, etc.) launches a new detective series starring World War II combat vet Aloysius Archer.
In 1949, Archer is paroled from Carderock Prison (he was innocent) and must report regularly to his parole officer, Ernestine Crabtree (she's "damn fine-looking"). Parole terms forbid his visiting bars or loose women, which could become a problem. Trouble starts when businessman Hank Pittleman offers Archer $100 to recover a '47 Cadillac that's collateral for a debt owed by Lucas Tuttle, who readily agrees he owes the money. But Tuttle wants his daughter Jackie back—she's Pittleman's girlfriend, and she won't return to Daddy. Archer finds the car, but it's been torched. With no collateral to collect, he may have to return his hundred bucks. Meanwhile, Crabtree gets Archer the only job available, butchering hogs at the slaughterhouse. He'd killed plenty of men in combat, and now he needs peace. The Pittleman job doesn't provide that peace, but at least it doesn't involve bashing hogs' brains in. People wind up dead and Archer becomes a suspect. So he noses around and shows that he might have the chops to be a good private investigator, a shamus. This is an era when gals have gams, guys say dang and keep extra Lucky Strikes in their hatbands, and a Lady Liberty half-dollar buys a good meal. The dialogue has a '40s noir feel: "And don't trust nobody.…I don't care how damn pretty they are." There's adult entertainment at the Cat's Meow, cheap grub at the Checkered Past, and just enough clichés to prove that no one's highfalutin. Readers will like Archer. He's a talented man who enjoys detective stories, won't keep ill-gotten gains, and respects women. All signs suggest a sequel where he hangs out a shamus shingle.
Archer will be a great series character for fans of crime fiction. Let's hope the cigarettes don't kill him.
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940170090853 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Hachette Audio |
| Publication date: | 07/23/2019 |
| Series: | Aloysius Archer Series , #1 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
| Sales rank: | 1,131,493 |
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