Most of the minor characters are your stereotypical bad guys, but I didn't mind, as it was still fun to read. Overall, “Dream Town” is an enjoyable journey back in time when things were different and America was recovering and rebuilding following the devastation of World War II, and unfortunately men and power ran the world. He describes the setting and history constantly throughout, using interesting anecdotes that strongly sarcastic and satirical. The atmosphere of the novel, set mostly on this wild Greek island, echoes strongly the classical tragedies of Greece. 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.

Last year, Baldacci brought Archer back for his second outing – “A Gambling Man” – which continued his journey into California during 1950 and solving another mystery. I always enjoy a new Baldacci novel and I really like Aloysius Archer so I was looking forward to this one. The book captures the glamour of the era, the rise of the Hollywood star and the importance of the movie studios and the people who pull the strings, but also the seedier side of the town. As the novel concludes, we find Dash informing Archer that he is now ready to stand on his own two feet, this leads him to establish his own PI agency in LA.

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. Can Archer find Lamb, figure out who killed the man in her house and stop the local drug den from continuing business before it's too late? Later, he sneaks into Lamb’s house and stumbles upon a body, then gets knocked out by an unseen assailant. When he makes his way to Malibu later that night, he finds a dead man in her home, with no sign of Eleanor, and ends up being coshed and knocked out. There is so much going on and yet the reader can slide into a level of comfort easily, leaving them ready to learn more with every page turn.

Hachette Book Group is a leading book publisher based in New York and a division of Hachette Livre, the third-largest publisher in the world. Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.The 1950s weren’t the fabled good old days, but they’re fodder for gritty crime stories of high ideals and lowlifes, of longing and disappointment, and all the trouble a PI can handle. This is well written and full of action and has Archer mixing with the rich and famous as well as the criminals. I plunged right into Baldacci's PI series featuring Aloysius Archer, WWII vet, set in Hollywood in the 50s. Established by David and his wife, Michelle, the Wish You Well Foundation supports family and adult literacy programs in the United States. Later that night, he goes to her house to check on her only to discover a dead body there and Lamb nowhere to be found.

Brooks presents a case for making room for Bigfoot in the world while peppering his narrative with timely social criticism about bad behavior on the human side of the conflict: The explosion of Rainier might have been better forecast had the president not slashed the budget of the U. Absolutely recommended for folks who like their action with that perfect historical, American noirish edge. Archer remains down to earth and ready to impress, asking the right questions and yet always finding ways to get into just enough trouble to prove worrisome.

Every character has a secret or more, connecting them to other characters and connecting all of the dots got, quite frankly, almost a bit overwhelming. First, there is a fairly large cast of characters in this one, so a mental scorecard is needed to keep track of everyone.