A Gambling Man (An Archer Novel, 2)
A Gambling Man (An Archer Novel, 2) book cover

A Gambling Man (An Archer Novel, 2)

Price
$13.74
Format
Hardcover
Pages
448
Publisher
Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1538719671
Dimensions
6.4 x 1.75 x 9.35 inches
Weight
1.42 pounds

Description

"David Baldacci is one of the all-time best thriller authors."― Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author "David Baldacci is no stranger to hitting literary home runs, but his second book to feature World War II veteran turned avenging angel Aloysius Archer, A Gambling Man , is a flat-out grand slam . . .xa0Few authors are able to frame period pieces for a contemporary sensibility, but Baldacci proves more than up to the task in fashioning a tale that's as close to perfect as a thriller can get."― Providence Sunday Journal “Baldacci . . . definitely is onto something with Archer. He’s a very interesting guy, in a rough-and-tumble way, and Baldacci renders Archer's postwar world with the kind of vivid detail that catches a reader’s eye . . . Readers new to the series will definitely want to catch up on what they've missed.”― Booklist "Fans of Baldacci should go all in for A Gambling Man . This spicy novel deals out a hand of brothels, gambling dens, drug operations, and government corruption—all a sure bet for a rollicking good time."― New York Journal of Books “Baldacci establishes bona fides for this historical mystery with great delicacy, deftly navigating the cliché minefield and giving his readers a sense of the milieu without drowning them in minutiae. He delivers a cracking good suspense novel in the process.”― BookPage "Baldacci delivers, every time!"― Lisa Scottoline, New York Times bestselling author "David Baldacci is a master storyteller."― Associated Press "With drugs, gambling, brothels, murders and more, for historical crime fans, this one’s got it all."― CNN Underscored " A Gambling Man is delicious crime noir with fascinating historical data thrown in to keep the story interesting . . .xa0Archer is one of today’s standout fictional characters, and you are missing out if you don’t jump into this terrific series at the beginning."― Bookreporter.com "A master storyteller."― People “ A Gambling Man moves at a steady clip, as Baldacci’s plot pays homage to private eye novels by Raymond Chandler and Ross Macdonald. Archer is a well-drawn character, a man of his times who tries to overcome his past and embrace new attitudes. Liberty is no damsel in distress but is a strong woman who knows how to protect herself and isn’t fooled by any man, rising above clichés that may surround showgirls . . . A return to Archer and Liberty will be welcomed."― South Florida Sun-Sentinel "In Archer, Baldacci has plumbed post-war time and place. His story’s personality is framed by Archer’s snappy dialogue [and] infused with just the right amount of suspense to keep you glued to the narrative."― Jersey's Best "Good stuff from a master. Can’t wait for another."― Florida Times-Union 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.

Features & Highlights

  • Aloysius Archer, the straight-talking World War II veteran fresh out of prison, returns in this riveting #1
  • New York Times
  • bestselling thriller from David Baldacci.
  • The 1950s are on the horizon, and Archer is in dire need of a fresh start after a nearly fatal detour in Poca City. So Archer hops on a bus and begins the long journey out west to California, where rumor has it there is money to be made if you’re hard-working, lucky, criminal—or all three. Along the way, Archer stops in Reno, where a stroke of fortune delivers him a wad of cash and an eye-popping blood-red 1939 Delahaye convertible—plus a companion for the final leg of the journey, an aspiring actress named Liberty Callahan who is planning to try her luck in Hollywood. But when the two arrive in Bay Town, California, Archer quickly discovers that the hordes of people who flocked there seeking fame and fortune landed in a false paradise that instead caters to their worst addictions and fears. Archer’s first stop is a P.I. office where he is hoping to apprentice with a legendary private eye and former FBI agent named Willie Dash. He lands the job, and immediately finds himself in the thick of a potential scandal: a blackmail case involving a wealthy well-connected politician running for mayor that soon spins into something even more sinister. As bodies begin falling, Archer and Dash must infiltrate the world of brothels, gambling dens, drug operations, and long-hidden secrets, descending into the rotten bones of a corrupt town that is selling itself as the promised land—but might actually be the road to perdition, and Archer’s final resting place.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(10K)
★★★★
25%
(8.3K)
★★★
15%
(5K)
★★
7%
(2.3K)
23%
(7.7K)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Archer novel

This is the second Archer novel by Baldacci and did not live up to expectations. Slow paced, no twists like is usually present in his novels and the time frame set in the novel was not well depicted. I am a big fan of his works so I was very disappointed in this one. He needs to step up Archer's character.
27 people found this helpful
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Slow Pace......my life because of Covid has been slow enough without reading a slow paced book

Having read everything Mr. B has written, I am having a hard time getting “into” this book. Usually I have to MAKE myself put down one of his books; this one.....I have had 8 days and am only on page 84. Hoping it will pick up......with this one Imhave to MAKE myself read a few pages. Sooo disappointed
21 people found this helpful
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A fabulously entertaining historical read !

(no spoilers)
A Gambling Man is and historical crime as its most authentic and feels like a book written in the period in which it's set. Although, Archer is perhaps more enlightened than many men of the era.
This is a fabulously entertaining historical read that I found wonderfully compelling and suspenseful. Highly recommended.
Archer is better in this second book. He is smart, tough, and funny. What else do you need? The pacing in this book is perfect and the narrative tight, using the back and forth exchanges between characters to drive the action on. This is not a fast paced story, but very well written as you would expect from Baldacci.
13 people found this helpful
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Boring

Love Baldacci but this book was boring. I actually stopped reading it. I suspect it gets better once he is hired as a PI but the first third was horribly boring
4 people found this helpful
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Not My Favorite

I am a Baldacci fan, but this is not my favorite.
1) How can one person have this many murders in their lives in such a short time? I lost count!
2) How can these people drink this much and not have to have a liver transplant?
3) How and why does sex have to be depicted all through the book when many times it is just plain unnecessary?

Great story line but ruined for me for these reasons. And, no, I am not a prude.
4 people found this helpful
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Too many details!

I could not finish this book. It is filled with unnecessary details that go on and on and on. This book was exhausting to read. After about 40% in, I had to bail.
2 people found this helpful
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What was he thinking?

What a very unusual book for Baldacci. One reviewer said the book was padded with meticulous description of what everybody was wearing. I thought it was padded with constantly lighting cigarettes and nipping from a flask. Honestly, I sort of enjoyed reading this, but came to realize toward the end that maybe it's just a parody of a hardboiled west coast crime drama. Kind of a collaboration between Raymond Chandler and Mel Brooks.

Set in 1949, the year I was born, he describes a time that was much simpler, with no immediate world-threatening problems - a far nicer time that 2021 has been. I guess nostalgia is good medicine. If he writes another one of these, I'll probably buy it.
2 people found this helpful
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really enjoyed the trip back in time!

Aloysius Archer is a WWII vet who has served time in prison and now seeks to make an honest living as a private eye. The novel is set in the 1950s era and as I read, I could picture the scenes as if they were playing on an old black and white TV. The main character goes by the name Archer, and he is smarter than he lets on, having no problem stepping into someone else’s mess if he can give them a hand.
Archer travels to California with the hopes of learning how to be a private eye under the tutelage of one named Willie Dash. However, before he gets there, Archer becomes entangled with a man who needs to sell a very rare vehicle to cover a debt. With his new ride and a woman he just met by his side, off they go in search of fulfilling their dreams. Readers first meet Archer in One Good Deed, which is a riveting suspense-filled tale, though one doesn’t have to read it to understand the nuances of A Gambling Man.
Archer is a stand-up man, who enjoys his Lucky Strike cigarettes and carries a flask in his coat pocket at all times. The moment Archer meets Willie Dash until the last page of the book, there is never a dull moment. What is really appealing about the story is it doesn’t have new-fangled gadgets to help him solve crimes. Archer has to trust his instincts and go where the cluses lead him. Even when Archer is questioning people, his thoughts aren’t always revealed which makes it more intriguing to see where Archer goes and who he is going to see.
The one major difference I noticed between the first book and this one is the focus here being more on who done it and less on Archer’s extra circular movements. Liberty Callahan brings a flair to Archer’s life and a unique perspective to his new career as a “gumshoe.” I hope the author plans on giving us more action and adventure with Archer; he’s a favorite to me and I like the era Archer is placed in too!
I have been anticipating this book for a while and spent the weekend enjoying every word! Each of David Baldacci’s books are filled with mystery, romance, thrills and spills! If you haven’t’ read any of his books, pick one up and be prepared to be entertained for hours!
2 people found this helpful
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Trope filled disappointment

A very good author like Baldacci was lost to me with this noir cliche-filled mess of a novel. It seemed like he had a summer intern write it for him. It's a shame to see a good author claim to have written this weak and predictable fiction.
1 people found this helpful
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Stellar Sequel

A book or movie sequel can go either way...you either have it or you don’t. In this follow-up of Baldacci’s book one (“One Good Deed”) of the Archer series you can’t go wrong. Baldacci rules!

Main character Aloysius Archer’s persona seems to have elevated ten-fold to additional spunk, spit and savvy as he and private-eye Willie Dash separate the chess pieces for several murders all hinging on a blackmail note to a prospective mayoral candidate.

As the novel unfolds, the parts slowly come into focus but nonetheless with a surprise ending at the bottom of the cracker box.
1 people found this helpful