Author: David Baldacci

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, he invites you to visit him at DavidBaldacci.com and his foundation at WishYouWellFoundation.org.

Photograph by Allen Jones.

#BookReview To Die For by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci @GrandCentralPub #DavidBaldacci #The620ManSeries #ToDieFor #GCPInsider

#BookReview To Die For by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci @GrandCentralPub #DavidBaldacci #The620ManSeries #ToDieFor #GCPInsider Title: To Die For

Author: David Baldacci

Series: The 6:20 Man #3

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Nov. 12, 2024

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 432

Format: Hardcover

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 9/10

From #1 New York Times bestselling author, David Baldacci, the 6:20 Man returns, this time sent to the Pacific Northwest to aid the FBI in a case that gets more complicated with the more questions Devine asks—and he’s about to come face-to-face with his nemesis, the girl on the train.

Travis Devine has become a pro at adapting to any situation to accomplish the mission set in front of him. Whether it’s a high-powered corporate setting or small-town community, Devine will become the man for the job. His time as an Army Ranger and on the financial battlefields of Wall Street gave him the skills he needed, and he’s put them to good use. But this time it’s not his skills that send him to Seattle to aid the FBI in escorting orphaned, twelve-year-old Betsy Odom to a meeting with her uncle, who’s under investigation for RICO charges. Instead, he’s hoping to lie low and keep off the radar of an enemy that he evaded on a train in Switzerland and who has been after him ever since—the girl on the train.

But as Devine gets to know Betsy, questions begin to arise around the death of her parents. Betsy is adamant that they had never used drugs, but the police in the small rural town where they died insist the Odoms died of an overdose. Devine starts digging for answers, and what he finds points to a conspiracy bigger than he could’ve ever imagined. The question is, how do Betsy, her uncle, and various government agencies all fit into it.

It might finally be time for Devine and the girl on the train to come face-to-face, and when that happens, Devine is going to find himself unsure of who are his allies and who are his enemies. And in some cases, they might well be both.


Review:

Action-packed, menacing, and intricate!

In this gripping third instalment in the 6:20 Man series, To Die For, Baldacci has written an adrenaline-pumping thriller that now sees Ex-Army Ranger Travis Devine heading to Seattle to investigate the strange deaths of a husband and wife that has not only caught the attention of multiple government agencies but seems to have familial ties with a large racketeering organization.

The writing is descriptive and tight. The characters are astute, tenacious, and crafty. And the plot keeps you on the edge of your seat with its intense, exhilarating chapters that submerge you, page after page, into a world full of danger, deception, secrets, lies, corruption, power, violence, manipulation, malevolence, and murder.

Overall, To Die For is another cleverly woven, sinister, highly entertaining thrill ride by Baldacci with a good sense of urgency, great characterization, and a brisk pace that’s an absolutely fabulous addition to the 6:20 Man series that shouldn’t be missed.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or one of the following links.

             

 

 

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About David Baldacci

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, he invites you to visit him at DavidBaldacci.com and his foundation at WishYouWellFoundation.org.

Photograph by Allen Jones.

#BookReview The Edge by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci @GrandCentralPub #DavidBaldacci #The620ManSeries #TheEdge #GCPInsider

#BookReview The Edge by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci @GrandCentralPub #DavidBaldacci #The620ManSeries #TheEdge #GCPInsider Title: The Edge

Author: David Baldacci

Series: The 6:20 Man #2

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Nov. 14, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 416

Format: Hardcover

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 9/10

The 6:20 Man is back, dropped by his handlers into a small coastal town in Maine to solve the murder of a CIA agent who knew America’s dirtiest secrets—can Travis Devine uncover the truth before his time runs out?
 
When CIA operative Jenny Sikwell is murdered in rural Maine, government officials have immediate concerns over national security. Her laptop and phone were full of state secrets that, in the wrong hands, endanger the lives of countless operatives. In need of someone who can solve the murder quickly and retrieve the missing information, the U.S. government knows just the chameleon they can call on.
 
Ex-Army Ranger Travis Devine spent his time in the military preparing to take on any scenario, followed by his short-lived business career chasing shadows in the deepest halls of power, so his analytical mind makes him particularly well-suited for complex, high-stakes tasks. Taking down the world’s largest financial conspiracy proved his value, and in comparison, this case looks straightforward. Except small towns hold secrets and Devine finds himself an outsider again.
 
Devine must ingratiate himself with locals who have trusted each other their whole lives, and who distrust outsiders just as much. Dak, Jenny’s brother, who’s working to revitalize the town. Earl, the retired lobsterman who found Jenny’s body. And Alex, Jenny’s sister with a dark past of her own. As Devine gets to know the residents of Potter, Maine, answers seem to appear and then transform into more questions. There’s a long history of secrets and those who will stop at nothing to keep them from being exposed. Leaving Devine with no idea who he can trust… and who wants him dead.


Review:

Dark, meticulous, and menacing!

The Edge is a fast-paced, addictive thriller that sees Ex-Army Ranger Travis Devine heading to Maine to investigate the death of CIA operative Jenny Sikwell, but while it seems at first glance to be a straightforward case of murder, it quickly becomes apparent that something a lot more sinister is underway that has strong ties to the past and a ruthlessly vicious event that occurred more than decade ago.

The writing is edgy and crisp. The characters are secretive, multilayered, and persistent. And the plot is an intense, mysterious tale filled with twists, turns, mayhem, deception, suspicious personalities, lies, secrets, tragic loss, and murder.

David Baldacci has written some amazing characters over the years that I’ve absolutely loved, like Will Robbie and Jessica Reel, and now Travis Devine has easily joined that list. The Edge is a riveting, pacey, action-packed thrill ride that has just the right amount of suspense, well-drawn characterization, and creative storyline to make it a satisfying, highly entertaining addition to The 6:20 Man series that I honestly can’t get enough of.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or one of the following links.

             

 

 

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About David Baldacci

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, he invites you to visit him at DavidBaldacci.com and his foundation at WishYouWellFoundation.org.

Photograph by Allen Jones.

#BookReview Simply Lies by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci @GrandCentralPub #DavidBaldacci #SimplyLies #GCPInsider

#BookReview Simply Lies by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci @GrandCentralPub #DavidBaldacci #SimplyLies #GCPInsider Title: Simply Lies

Author: David Baldacci

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Apr. 18, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 432

Format: Hardcover

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

A twisting new psychological thriller in which two women—one a former detective, the other a dangerous con artist—go head-to-head in an electrifying game of cat and mouse.

Mickey Gibson, single mother and former detective, leads a hectic life similar to that of many moms: juggling the demands of her two small children with the tasks of her job working remotely for ProEye, a global investigation company that hunts down wealthy tax and credit cheats.

When Mickey gets a call from a colleague named Arlene Robinson, she thinks nothing of Arlene’s unusual request for her to go inventory the vacant home of an arms dealer who cheated ProEye’s clients and fled. That is, until she arrives at the mansion to discover a dead body in a secret room—and that nothing is as it seems.

Not only does the arms dealer not exist but the murder victim turns out to be Harry Lancaster, a man with mob ties who used to be in Witness Protection. What’s more, no one named Arlene Robinson works at ProEye.

In the blink of an eye, Gibson has become a prime suspect in a murder investigation—and now her job is also on the line until she proves that she was set up. Before long, Gibson is locked in a battle of wits with a brilliant woman with no name, a hidden past, and unknown motives—whose end game is as mysterious as it is deadly.


Review:

Captivating, intelligent, and well-crafted!

Simply Lies is an elaborately plotted, suspenseful tale that takes you into the life of Mickey Gibson, a former police officer, now data analyst and single mother of two whose monotonous life is suddenly turned upside down when she finds herself embroiled in the investigation of a murdered man with a dark, devious, dangerous past when she is deceptively sent out to inventory the contents of a vacant estate.

The writing is sharp and tight. The characters are persistent, resourceful, and multilayered. And the plot, including all the subplots, seamlessly intertwine and unravel into a gripping tale full of twists, turns, surprises, revelations, manipulation, abuse, vengeance, mischief, mayhem, and murder.

Overall, Simply Lies is an exceptionally menacing, intricately woven, highly entertaining mystery that has a nice amount of suspense, good character development, and great pace. It’s currently a standalone novel by Baldacci, but something tells me this could quickly turn out to be another must-read series I need to add to my list.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or one of the following links.

             

 

 

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About David Baldacci

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, he invites you to visit him at DavidBaldacci.com and his foundation at WishYouWellFoundation.org.

Photograph by Allen Jones.

#BookReview Long Shadows by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci @HBGCanada @GrandCentralPub #DavidBaldacci #LongShadows #AmosDecker #HBGCanada #GCPInsider

#BookReview Long Shadows by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci @HBGCanada @GrandCentralPub #DavidBaldacci #LongShadows #AmosDecker #HBGCanada #GCPInsider Title: Long Shadows

Author: David Baldacci

Series: Amos Decker #7

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Oct. 11, 2022

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 448

Format: Hardcover

Source: HBG Canada

Book Rating: 9/10

From the author of The 6:20 Man, “Memory Man” Amos Decker—an FBI consultant with perfect recall—delves into a bewildering double homicide in this new thriller in David Baldacci’s #1 New York Times bestselling series.
 
When Amos Decker is called to South Florida to investigate a double homicide, the case appears straightforward: A federal judge and her bodyguard have been found dead, the judge’s face sporting a blindfold with two eye holes crudely cut out, a clear sign that she’d made one too many enemies over her years on the bench.
 
What at first seems cut and dry is anything but: Not only did the judge have more enemies than Decker can count—from violent gang members, drug dealers, and smugglers to a resentful ex-husband—but the bodyguard presents additional conundrums that muddy the waters even further. Who was the real target in this vicious attack?
 
Meanwhile, Decker must contend with a series of unsettling changes, including a new partner—Special Agent Frederica “Freddie” White—and a devastating event that brings Decker’s own tragic past back to the present . . . and forces him to reckon with his future. As potential witnesses start disappearing, Decker and White are inexorably pulled down a twisted tunnel of secrets, crimes, and scandal—at the end of which lies Decker’s deadliest threat yet.


Review:

Charged, tight, and propulsive!

In this seventh instalment in the Amos Decker series, Long Shadows, Baldacci has written an ominous, unpredictable thriller that sees FBI Consultant Amos Decker heading to Florida with his new partner, the reluctant Special Agent Frederica White, to investigate the complex murder of a federal judge and her bodyguard that may actually end up involving two different killers, a lot of blackmail, and a secret from the past that someone is willing to protect at all costs.

The writing is meticulous and crisp. The characters are multilayered, scarred, and reliable. And the plot is a sinister tale full of twists, turns, intrigue, action, greed, power, passion, corruption, obsession, duplicity, violence, and murder.

Overall, Long Shadows is another addictive, thrilling, gripping addition to one of my favourite series with its flawed, intriguing characters, dark, intricate storyline, and consistent sense of urgency that I can never get enough of.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or one of the following links.

                

 

 

Thank you to HBG Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About David Baldacci

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, he invites you to visit him at DavidBaldacci.com and his foundation at WishYouWellFoundation.org.

Photograph by Allen Jones.

#BookReview The 6:20 Man by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci @HBGCanada @GrandCentralPub #DavidBaldacci #The620Man #HBGCanada #GCPInsider

#BookReview The 6:20 Man by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci @HBGCanada @GrandCentralPub #DavidBaldacci #The620Man #HBGCanada #GCPInsider Title: The 6:20 Man

Author: David Baldacci

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Jul. 12, 2022

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 432

Format: Hardcover

Source: HBG Canada

Book Rating: 10/10

Every day without fail, Travis Devine puts on a cheap suit, grabs his faux-leather briefcase, and boards the 6:20 commuter train to Manhattan, where he works as an entry-level analyst at the city’s most prestigious investment firm. In the mornings, he gazes out the train window at the lavish homes of the uberwealthy, dreaming about joining their ranks. In the evenings, he listens to the fiscal news on his phone, already preparing for the next grueling day in the cutthroat realm of finance.

Then one morning Devine’s tedious routine is shattered by an anonymous email: She is dead.

Sara Ewes, Devine’s coworker and former girlfriend, has been found hanging in a storage room of his office building—presumably a suicide, prompting the NYPD to come calling on him. If that wasn’t enough, Devine receives another ominous visit, a confrontation that threatens to dredge up grim secrets from his past in the Army unless he participates in a clandestine investigation into his firm.

This treacherous role will take Travis from the impossibly glittering lives he once saw only through a train window, to the darkest corners of the country’s economic halls of power…where something rotten lurks. And apart from this high-stakes conspiracy, there’s a killer out there with their own agenda, and Devine is the bullseye.


Review:

Riveting, suspenseful, and tortuously thrilling!

The 6:20 Man is an edgy, menacing tale that takes you into the life of Travis Devine, a former U.S. Army ranger, now entry-level Wall Street analyst whose mundane life is suddenly turned upside down when his coworker and former lover is found hanging in a company storage closet and it becomes quickly apparent that this isn’t just a simple case of suicide and something a lot more sinister involving high finance corruption and some extremely powerful people is underway.

The writing is compelling and tight. The characters are sly, secretive, and resourceful. And the plot is an intense, mysterious tale filled with twists, turns, mayhem, coercion, politics, power, obsession, lies, secrets, revenge, and murder.

Overall, The 6:20 Man had everything I’ve come to expect in a David Baldacci novel, as well as a new hero with so much charisma it was hard not to swoon. It’s action-packed, intricate, and exceptionally twisty, and for this long-time Baldacci fan, all I can say is I WANT MORE!

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or one of the following links.

                

 

 

Thank you to HBG Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About David Baldacci

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, he invites you to visit him at DavidBaldacci.com and his foundation at WishYouWellFoundation.org.

Photograph by Allen Jones.

#BookReview Dream Town (Archer #3) by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci @GrandCentralPub #DavidBaldacci #DreamTown #ArcherSeries

#BookReview Dream Town (Archer #3) by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci @GrandCentralPub #DavidBaldacci #DreamTown #ArcherSeries Title: Dream Town

Author: David Baldacci

Series: Archer #3

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Apr. 19, 2022

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 432

Format: Hardcover

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 9/10

Private investigator and World War II veteran Aloysius Archer heads to Los Angeles, the city where dreams are made and shattered, and is ensnared in a lethal case in this latest thriller in #1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci’s Nero Award-winning series.  

It’s the eve of 1953, and Aloysius Archer is in Los Angeles to ring in the New Year with an old friend, aspiring actress Liberty Callahan, when their evening is interrupted by an acquaintance of Callahan’s: Eleanor Lamb, a screenwriter in dire straits.
 
After a series of increasingly chilling events—mysterious phone calls, the same blue car loitering outside her house, and a bloody knife left in her sink—Eleanor fears that her life is in danger, and she wants to hire Archer to look into the matter. Archer suspects that Eleanor knows more than she’s saying, but before he can officially take on her case, a dead body turns up inside of Eleanor’s home . . . and Eleanor herself disappears. 
 
Missing client or not, Archer is dead set on finding both the murderer and Eleanor. With the help of Callahan and his partner Willie Dash, he launches an investigation that will take him from mob-ridden Las Vegas to the glamorous world of Hollywood to the darkest corners of Los Angeles—a city in which beautiful faces are attached to cutthroat schemers, where the cops can be more corrupt than the criminals . . . and where the powerful people responsible for his client’s disappearance will kill without a moment’s hesitation if they catch Archer on their trail. 


Review:

Rich, gritty, and menacing!

Dream Town is a mysterious, gripping tale that takes us back into the life of Aloysius Archer as he decides to head down to the City of Angeles, where his friend Liberty is just starting to make her mark on Hollywood and where his PI skills will once again come in handy when a writer who is afraid for her life suddenly goes missing and the trail to find her is littered with dead bodies, corruption, smuggling, drugs, blackmail and gangsters.

The prose is vivid and smooth. The characters are loyal, determined, and brave. And the plot is a well-paced, twisty whodunit full of red herrings, sleuthing, suspicious personalities, deduction, attraction, coercion, danger, mayhem, mischief, and murder.

Dream Town is the third book in the Archer series, and if you love mysteries set in the glitz and glamour of 1950s Tinseltown, this one won’t disappoint. It’s an intricate, tight, satisfying read by Baldacci, and I can’t wait to read whatever this steadfast gumshoe gets himself tied up in next.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About David Baldacci

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, he invites you to visit him at DavidBaldacci.com and his foundation at WishYouWellFoundation.org.

Photograph by Allen Jones.

#BookReview Mercy (Atlee Pine #4) by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci @HBGCanada @grandcentralpub #DavidBaldacci #Mercy #AtleePineSeries

#BookReview Mercy (Atlee Pine #4) by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci @HBGCanada @grandcentralpub #DavidBaldacci #Mercy #AtleePineSeries Title: Mercy

Author: David Baldacci

Series: Atlee Pine #4

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Nov. 16, 2021

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 416

Format: Hardcover

Source: HBG Canada

Book Rating: 9/10

FBI Agent Atlee Pine’s harrowing search for her long-lost sister Mercy reaches a boiling point in this breakneck thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci. 
 
For her entire life, FBI agent Atlee Pine has been searching for her twin sister, Mercy, who was abducted at the age of six and never seen again. Mercy’s disappearance left behind a damaged family that later shattered beyond repair when Atlee’s parents inexplicably abandoned her.
 
Now, after a perilous investigation that nearly proved fatal, Atlee has finally discovered not only the reason behind her parents’ abandonment and Mercy’s kidnapping, but also the most promising breakthrough yet: proof that Mercy survived her abduction and then escaped her captors many years ago. 
 
Though Atlee is tantalizingly close to her family at last, the final leg of her long road to Mercy will be the most treacherous yet. Mercy left at least one dead body behind before fleeing her captors years before. Atlee has no idea if her sister is still alive, and if so, how she has been surviving all this time. When the truth is finally revealed, Atlee Pine will face the greatest danger yet, and it may well cost her everything.


Review:

Thrilling, twisty, and meticulous!

Mercy is a propulsive, gripping tale that picks up right where Daylight left off, taking us back into the life of FBI agent Atlee Pine, as she and her loyal assistant, Carol Blum, decide to take a leave of absence from the bureau to work full-time on discovering once and for all what happened to her twin sister, Mercy, who after escaping from her captors nineteen years ago seems to have vanished without a trace.

The writing is gritty and descriptive. The characters are cunning, ruthless, and persistent. And the plot keeps you on the edge of your seat as it immerses you into a malicious tale full of twists, turns, mayhem, chaos, revenge, survival, danger, violence, cruelty, and murder.

Overall, Mercy is another compelling, intricate, addictive mystery by Baldacci that I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend, and although it seems like it might be the last novel we get to enjoy in this series, it certainly introduced us to a new, formidable heroine, Spectator, who is easily in my opinion definitely worthy of a series of her own.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to HBG Canada & Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About David Baldacci

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, he invites you to visit him at DavidBaldacci.com and his foundation at WishYouWellFoundation.org.

Photograph by Allen Jones.

#BookReview A Gambling Man (Archer #2) by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci @GrandCentralPub #DavidBaldacci #AGamblingMan #ArcherSeries

#BookReview A Gambling Man (Archer #2) by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci @GrandCentralPub #DavidBaldacci #AGamblingMan #ArcherSeries Title: A Gambling Man

Author: David Baldacci

Series: Archer #2

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Apr. 20, 2021

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 448

Format: Hardcover

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Aloysius Archer, the straight-talking World War II veteran fresh out of prison, returns in this riveting new thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author 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.


Review:

Twisty, colourful, and unpredictable!

A Gambling Man is a menacing, action-packed mystery that picks up right where One Good Deed left off, taking us back into the life of Aloysius Archer as he now makes his way to Bay Town, California, by way of Reno, NV, where he befriends the luscious Liberty Callahan, wins a nice bit of cash on the roulette wheel, and attracts the attention of a ruthless gang of thugs before arriving on the west coast and taking up the position of junior PI to the infamous Willie Dash and working on a blackmailing case involving a mayoral candidate with extremely influential in-laws.

The prose is sharp and brisk. The characters are multilayered, flawed, and principled. And the plot, including all the subplots, intertwine and unravel seamlessly into a mysterious tale of mischief, mayhem, corruption, coercion, politics, suspicious motivations, criminal behaviour, dangerous endeavours, red herrings, deduction, lies, and murder.

Overall, A Gambling Man is an ominous, sophisticated, entertaining addition to the Archer series by Baldacci that I am confident will more than satisfy fans of 1950s noir with its action, adventure, violence, and straight-up detective work.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About David Baldacci

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, he invites you to visit him at DavidBaldacci.com and his foundation at WishYouWellFoundation.org.

Photograph by Allen Jones.

#BookReview Daylight (Atlee Pine #3) by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci @GrandCentralPub #DavidBaldacci #Daylight #AtleePineSeries

#BookReview Daylight (Atlee Pine #3) by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci @GrandCentralPub #DavidBaldacci #Daylight #AtleePineSeries Title: Daylight

Author: David Baldacci

Series: Atlee Pine #3

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Nov. 17, 2020

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 416

Format: Hardcover

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 9/10

FBI Agent Atlee Pine’s search for her sister Mercy clashes with military investigator John Puller’s high-stakes case, leading them both deep into a global conspiracy — from which neither of them will escape unscathed.

For many long years, Atlee Pine was tormented by uncertainty after her twin sister, Mercy, was abducted at the age of six and never seen again. Now, just as Atlee is pressured to end her investigation into Mercy’s disappearance, she finally gets her most promising breakthrough yet: the identity of her sister’s kidnapper, Ito Vincenzo.

With time running out, Atlee and her assistant Carol Blum race to Vincenzo’s last known location in Trenton, New Jersey — and unknowingly stumble straight into John Puller’s case, blowing his arrest during a drug ring investigation involving a military installation.

Stunningly, Pine and Puller’s joint investigation uncovers a connection between Vincenzo’s family and a breathtaking scheme that strikes at the very heart of global democracy. Peeling back the layers of deceit, lies and cover-ups, Atlee finally discovers the truth about what happened to Mercy. And that truth will shock Pine to her very core.


Review:

Gritty, pacey, and menacing!

Daylight is an action-packed, suspenseful thriller that sees FBI agent Atlee Pine working with Army CID investigator John Puller when cases from the past and present collide and bodies are piling up everywhere, suspects are numerous, coercion and corruption seem to be rampant, and danger lurks around every corner.

The prose is crisp and precise. The characters are driven, tenacious, and resilient. And the plot is an engrossing, fast-paced tale full of twists, turns, intrigue, action, greed, power, duplicity, violence, and murder.

Overall, Daylight is a riveting, sinister, edgy tale by Baldacci that highlights just how fine the line between right and wrong truly is and reminds us just how ruthless and cruel those with something to hide can often be.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About David Baldacci

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, he invites you to visit him at DavidBaldacci.com and his foundation at WishYouWellFoundation.org.

Photograph by Allen Jones.

#BookReview The Last Mile by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci

#BookReview The Last Mile by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci Title: The Last Mile

Author: David Baldacci

Series: Amos Decker #2

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Apr. 19, 2016

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 420

Format: Hardcover

Source: Borrowed

Book Rating: 9/10

In his #1 New York Times bestseller Memory Man, David Baldacci introduced the extraordinary detective Amos Decker-the man who can forget nothing. Now, Decker returns in a spectacular new thriller . . . 
THE LAST MILE
Convicted murderer Melvin Mars is counting down the last hours before his execution–for the violent killing of his parents twenty years earlier–when he’s granted an unexpected reprieve. Another man has confessed to the crime.
Amos Decker, newly hired on an FBI special task force, takes an interest in Mars’s case after discovering the striking similarities to his own life: Both men were talented football players with promising careers cut short by tragedy. Both men’s families were brutally murdered. And in both cases, another suspect came forward, years after the killing, to confess to the crime. A suspect who may or may not have been telling the truth.
The confession has the potential to make Melvin Mars–guilty or not–a free man. Who wants Mars out of prison? And why now?
But when a member of Decker’s team disappears, it becomes clear that something much larger–and more sinister–than just one convicted criminal’s life hangs in the balance. Decker will need all of his extraordinary brainpower to stop an innocent man from being executed. 


Review:

This is another great mystery from David Baldacci. It is the second book in the Amos Decker series, but can definitely be read as a standalone.

In this novel our favourite characters, Decker, Jamison and Bogart, from Memory Man are back and working together as a special team in the FBI that try to solve cold cases.

This story is well written, interesting, suspenseful, and intelligent. It has everything you look for in a good mystery, murder, kidnapping, blackmail, and deceit.

It is a captivating page turner that you won’t want to put down. I highly recommend it.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from the following Amazon links.

Amazon UKAmazon USAmazon Canada

 

For more information on David Baldacci, visit his website at: davidbaldacci.com

or follow him on Twitter at: @davidbaldacci