A Gambling Man

By David Baldacci,

Book cover of A Gambling Man

Book description

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…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked A Gambling Man as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

A retro pulp-fiction novel from one of the world’s best-selling authors, David Baldacci.

A Gambling Man is the second intriguing story in Baldacci’s Archer Series about a former WWII veteran working as a private detective. Archer is joined en route to Los Angeles by a beautiful young lady with ambitions in Hollywood who leads them into dangerous territory with murderous gangsters and politicians trying to improve the odds in their favour.

Baldacci’s Archer Series is modeled on the early detective stories of authors like Raymond Chandler and Mickey Spillane. He creates a tough guy detective in the style of the…

From Delvin's list on where the action hero is everyone.

This book is a ferociously fast-paced mystery set in 1949 California after a brief stop in Reno. Archer is the quintessential loner PI in the vein of Marlowe and Spade. Although not really a gambling man at all, he gets his stake winning money at craps and roulette in Reno, as well as meeting the intriguing Liberty. In Baldacci fashion, there is action on almost every page, the prose is tight and well-constructed, and the twists keep you guessing. This is definitely at the top of my list for recent historical mysteries and promises to entertain. 

From Matt's list on where history and mystery merge.

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