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A Gambling Man

A Gambling Man

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  • Create Date：2021-04-12 08:34:00
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：David Baldacci
  • ISBN：B08BZ9WSPC
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Summary

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。

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Reviews

Louise Wilson ，

Archer #2The 1950's are on the horizon and Aloysius Archer is in a dire need of a fresh start after a nearly fatal detour in Poca City。 So Archer hops on a bus and begins a long journey to California where there's 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， a 1939 Delehaye convertible and a companion for the rest of the journey， Liberty Callahan， who's planning to try her luck i Archer #2The 1950's are on the horizon and Aloysius Archer is in a dire need of a fresh start after a nearly fatal detour in Poca City。 So Archer hops on a bus and begins a long journey to California where there's 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， a 1939 Delehaye convertible and a companion for the rest of the journey， Liberty Callahan， who's planning to try her luck in Hollywood。Archer travels to California to work as a Private Investigator and ends up being involved in a blackmailing case。 The story is told from Archer's point of view。 It's action packed with plenty of twist and turns。 I really liked Liberty Callaghan， she's one tough cookie。 The book id descriptively written and the cljues are there to be found。 The pace is steady。 This book could be rad as a standalone but it's turning out to be a really good series， so I would grab a copy of One Good Deed before you read this book。 I would like to thank #NetGalley， #PanMacmilla and the author #DavidBaldacci for my ARC of #AGamblingMan in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Aaron ，

A typical David Baldacci book。 He grabs your attention from the first pages and doesn’t let you go。 A Gambling Man is written beautifully， suspenseful with historical facts strewn in。 Can’t wait for his next book

Pat ，

This is the first one of David Baldacci's books I have read。 But， it won't be the last。 Although the book was over 400 pages， which is a little long for me， I enjoyed it to the last page。 The plot kept me intrigued to the end and I am looking forward to reading more of his books。 This is the first one of David Baldacci's books I have read。 But， it won't be the last。 Although the book was over 400 pages， which is a little long for me， I enjoyed it to the last page。 The plot kept me intrigued to the end and I am looking forward to reading more of his books。 。。。more

Greville Waterman ，

David Baldacci is a master of his craft and anything written by him is well worth reading。 This is the second Aloysius Archer novel and it is a wonderfully crafted and entertaining piece of work。Archer is a beautifully depicted hero， cool， calm， competent but still vulnerable and you really root for him as he is embroiled in an imbroglio of small town politics and murder。The sense of time and place of the late 40's/early 50s and the book races by in a delight of excellent plotting， characterisat David Baldacci is a master of his craft and anything written by him is well worth reading。 This is the second Aloysius Archer novel and it is a wonderfully crafted and entertaining piece of work。Archer is a beautifully depicted hero， cool， calm， competent but still vulnerable and you really root for him as he is embroiled in an imbroglio of small town politics and murder。The sense of time and place of the late 40's/early 50s and the book races by in a delight of excellent plotting， characterisation and writing。 。。。more

kartik narayanan ，

Video review coming soon。。。 （my book tube channel）'A Gambling Man' is David Baldacci's latest thriller。 It stars Aloysius Archer - whom we last saw in 'One Good Deed'。Following the events in Poca City， Archer is on his way to California to see if a potential apprentice with a Private Detective will work out。 He makes a stop in Reno， where after some action， he picks up a load of cash， a fancy automobile called a Delahaye and an aspiring actress named Liberty Callahan。 Eventually， they reach Bay Video review coming soon。。。 （my book tube channel）'A Gambling Man' is David Baldacci's latest thriller。 It stars Aloysius Archer - whom we last saw in 'One Good Deed'。Following the events in Poca City， Archer is on his way to California to see if a potential apprentice with a Private Detective will work out。 He makes a stop in Reno， where after some action， he picks up a load of cash， a fancy automobile called a Delahaye and an aspiring actress named Liberty Callahan。 Eventually， they reach Bay Town， California， a stopping point for would-be and failed stars。 Archer gets the P。I。 job and is immediately embroiled in a string of murders。I will be honest。 Archer is the most forgettable Baldacci hero。 Even Atlee Pine， with her set of ho-hum stories， is more memorable than Archer。 I had to look up 'One Good Deed' to find out who Archer was and what he had done in his debut。 I had given a high rating to that book which means that while the story is probably good， the lead character is quite bland。 Essentially， I was starting 'A Gambling Man' without knowing who Archer was or why he was in Reno。'A Gambling Man' is a slow burner and is unlike any other Baldacci I remember。 The tone ranges from a noirish detective fiction like L。A。 Confidential to an Alistair MacLean story like 'Fear is the Key'。 There is a bit of action， but mostly it is Archer figuring out what is happening。 I think this old school detection is the book's highlight， and kudos to Baldacci for trying out something new。But that said， there are several issues。 The story starts in Reno and is set up for Archer to get his iconic car and become friends with Liberty Callahan。 A plot set-up in Reno ultimately goes nowhere， and this is quite disappointing。 In my opinion， we could have started the story with Archer in Bay Town and explained away the presence of the Delahaye and Liberty in a paragraph。 The second issue is the pacing。 The book is slow， and it takes a while to get into the story。 In my case， I had to read about half the story because I was sort of hooked on to it。 After this point， the pacing improves。 I am not sure the cause and effect here， but the first half is a trudge。The third issue is that the author glosses over some plot points in the ending。 We don't get to see some threads resolved while others are just papered over in the ' they lived happily ever after ' sort of way。Where the book does excel is in the detective work （mentioned earlier） as well as creating a 1950s kind of atmosphere。 I like how Archer and his boss actually have to spend time going through books， records， legal records etc as well as canvas witnesses and informers。 Archer， as such， is a decent character but I feel that Baldacci needs to add something extra to make him stand out。Overall， I liked 'A Gambling Man'。 It will not figure in Baldacci's top 10， but neither is it bad。 It is a flawed book that is entertaining once you get past the initial sections。 。。。more

Jay Dwight ，

Really enjoyed this second instalment in the Aloysius Archer series and I have no doubt Baldacci also gets great enjoyment from the journey back in time to the simpler times of 1949。Archer travels to California to work for a Private Investigator and is involved in a blackmailing case that turns out a lot more complex。 Archer is a man of his time ！

Rajesh ，

Archer is good。 Better in his second book。 He's tough， smart， funny。 What else do you need。 Also the charm of old world detection， no CCTV footage， no recording devices or bugs。 Not even DNA testing。 Archer is good。 Better in his second book。 He's tough， smart， funny。 What else do you need。 Also the charm of old world detection， no CCTV footage， no recording devices or bugs。 Not even DNA testing。 。。。more

Deborah ，

David Balcacci's books take up quite a bit of real estate on my bookshelves。 I particularly love his Amos Decker and Atlee Pine series but somehow I missed the first in his new historical crime fiction series featuring ex-con Aloysius Archer。And I enjoyed this so much I'm going to be hunting down its predecessor， One Good Deed。Read my review here: https://www。debbish。com/books-literat。。。 David Balcacci's books take up quite a bit of real estate on my bookshelves。 I particularly love his Amos Decker and Atlee Pine series but somehow I missed the first in his new historical crime fiction series featuring ex-con Aloysius Archer。And I enjoyed this so much I'm going to be hunting down its predecessor， One Good Deed。Read my review here: https://www。debbish。com/books-literat。。。 。。。more

Sheila Cohen ，

Another good David Baldacci novel。

Jen ，

I have to be honest - I think I developed a little bit of a book crush on Aloysius Archer when I first met him back in One Good Deed。 The principled， straight thinking， former soldier and ex-con really made an impression， and so I was absolutely thrilled to learn this was going to become a series after all。 It was obvious there was scope for it， and with archer leaving his former probation town of Poca Raton for a new start as a trainee Private Eye on the West Coast， the possibilities are most d I have to be honest - I think I developed a little bit of a book crush on Aloysius Archer when I first met him back in One Good Deed。 The principled， straight thinking， former soldier and ex-con really made an impression， and so I was absolutely thrilled to learn this was going to become a series after all。 It was obvious there was scope for it， and with archer leaving his former probation town of Poca Raton for a new start as a trainee Private Eye on the West Coast， the possibilities are most definitely thrilling to think about。 And for a man who you think would want to keep his nose clean， Archer has a way of finding trouble。 Or maybe it is trouble that keeps finding him。Now this is a story which almost seems to be in two halves - the before and after of archer's arrival in Bay Town。 The before is a segment which is full of colourful characters and smoking action， as Archer decides to take a stop over in Reno。 Here he finds himself caught up with two very different people - inveterate gambler， Robert Howells - or Bobby H as he's known to his friends - and nightclub performer and aspiring Hollywood actress Liberty Callahan。 It wouldn't take a genius to work out which of the pair has the majority of Archer's interest， but it would be wrong to assume that Bobby H doesn;t have a key part to play in Archer's future。 Stepping in to help the old guy lands Archer， and Liberty by association， in some very hot water leading to some of the most surprising scenes of the novel。 The whole encounter plays out in proper 1950's style， captured perfectly on the page， and leaving me wondering how much of this early story will come back to haunt the pair later。 It certainly sets up the second half of the book brilliantly， painting a very clear picture of post war America， and the cultural differences between the gambling state of Nevada， and California， where gambling has been slowly outlawed and where movies and money do the talking。I really do like that way in which David Baldacci has set up Archer as a character。 He is far from perfect， but he is a man of real moral fibre， perhaps even slightly ahead of the curve when it comes to his views on equality and the respect he has for women， much to the disappointment of Liberty at times。 Yes he is an ex-con， but he is a man who is a victim of circumstance and maybe a little ill-judgement， not a hardened criminal。 He knows how to handle himself in a fight， has a healthy mistrust of others and is a very quick study， something that will stand him in good stead in his new career as private-eye of 'gumshoe'， working for Willie Dash with his 'very private investigations'。 As an ex-cop， Willie Dash makes a great mentor for Archer， albeit that he is possibly headed towards the end of his career。 I warmed to his character quickly， his touch of cynicism， and his ability to read all of the people around him。Their first case together is intriguing - investigating the attempted blackmail of a local businessman who is standing for the newly available role of Mayor in Bay Town。 As we quickly learn， nothing in the town is quite as pleasant as you might hope， and the thick fogs which roll in off the Atlantic are helping to cloak the darker side of a city built on one family's money and power。 This is a classic P。I。 tale， seeing Archer taking on very clear corruption and power plays， ones which soon turn deadly。 He has to rely on wits， and some very canny investigating in order to get to the truth， and the secrets and lies that are unearthed are as twisted as the roads up into the mountains where the very affluent reside and look down on their 'kingdom'。What I have loved about these books is that you really do get that 1950's vibe from the narrative。 There is a real sense of place， a feeling of everything being just on the cusp of something bigger and set up for some real change。 You get the brilliant combination of 50's sensibilities but with an edge that shows that even then， women were not willing to be simply the victim。 This is very clear in the way in which Liberty Callahan is developed as a character。 Yes she is chasing fame and fortune， but there is a strength of character there and you know there is plenty more to discover about her， as if what we learn through。 the course of the novel is not surprising enough。 She is matched perfectly by some of the other strong female characters in this book， a theme which has been carried over from book one。 They may not have full equality， but the women in these books are no shrinking violets and most definitely are not to be underestimated。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， all action kind of a novel， although there are some very key scenes where the tension is high and the stakes even higher。 More this is a story where being quick witted is as powerful as any weapon， and whilst violence is a part of the story， it is kept largely off the page， being used only as necessary to move the story onward。 Afterall， this is a tale of a power play and politics in 1950's America - it helps to keep it all feeling a little more authentic。 Think of a kind of Chandler-esque/LA Confidential kind of vibe and you'll be somewhere there。 Another brilliant addition to this series which has just made me like Archer even more。 He may have a long way to go as a Junior Private Detective， but he's sure made waves already and in a coastal town like Bay Town， it remains to be seen just how much disruption that might cause。 Is it too soon to be enquiring about the next book， do you think， as I definitely cannot wait。 。。。more

Annette ，

This is the second book in the Aloysius Archer series which is set in 1940s America。 Archer is an ex con and veteran of World War Two who has been wrongly convicted of a crime。 After his release from gaol he has become involved in solving a mystery and building on this experience he has decided to try his hand at becoming a private detective。 When we meet him he is en route to California to work for Willy Dash， an experienced “gumshoe”。On a stopover in Reno Archer wins a lot of money in a casino This is the second book in the Aloysius Archer series which is set in 1940s America。 Archer is an ex con and veteran of World War Two who has been wrongly convicted of a crime。 After his release from gaol he has become involved in solving a mystery and building on this experience he has decided to try his hand at becoming a private detective。 When we meet him he is en route to California to work for Willy Dash， an experienced “gumshoe”。On a stopover in Reno Archer wins a lot of money in a casino and uses it to buy an amazing continental car。 He also meets aspiring actress， Liberty Callahan and the two of them pair up to drive to California。 They encounter a number of obstacles on the way and once they arrive Willy Dash gets Archer involved in a complicated blackmail investigation whilst Liberty gets work in a nightclub。There is a lot going on in this novel and many characters to get your head around。 I really liked the relationship between Archer and Liberty who turns out not to be a shy and retiring sort of person。 She even carries a pistol in her handbag！ They try to keep things on a friendly level but there is obviously an attraction between the two of them。 I look forward to seeing more of Liberty in the next book。My only criticism of the novel would be that there is a lot of detailed description about what the characters are wearing and after a while I had to skip over these bits as they did not hold my attention sufficiently。All in all “ A Gambling Man “ was a compelling thriller with well researched period detail about America in the late 1940s when World War 2 was still fresh in everyone’s minds。 It was written in the vein of Raymond Chandler， James Ellroy and Dashell Hammett。Although it is book number two in the series it would definitely work well as a stand alone。Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Elaine Tomasso ，

I would like to thank Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an advance copy of A Gambling Man， the second novel set in 1949 to feature Aloysius Archer。Aloysius stops in Reno on his way to interview for a job as a PI in Bay Town， California。 There he meets aspiring actress Liberty Callahan and after a few escapades they head west together。 Getting the job seems to be the easy part because Archer is soon plunged into corruption and murder in a town that hides its seamy underbelly。I thoroughly enjoyed A I would like to thank Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an advance copy of A Gambling Man， the second novel set in 1949 to feature Aloysius Archer。Aloysius stops in Reno on his way to interview for a job as a PI in Bay Town， California。 There he meets aspiring actress Liberty Callahan and after a few escapades they head west together。 Getting the job seems to be the easy part because Archer is soon plunged into corruption and murder in a town that hides its seamy underbelly。I thoroughly enjoyed A Gambling Man， which is a highly entertaining read with plenty of twists and turns。 It is told entirely from Archer’s point of view so the reader can get stuck in immediately without distraction。 I got so immersed in the story that I hardly stopped for a breather and was astonished at how much time had passed without a break。 For that I couldn’t go lower than 5*。The plot has plenty of action， misdirection and unexpected events that kept me interested and reading。 Is it plausible？ Probably not， but who cares when it’s so entertaining。 I like the post war feel to the novel and the theme of corruption and greed seem ideally suited to it， although I don’t know why as it is universal and timeless。 I never think that characterisation is Mr Baldacci’s strong suit， but in this series it is the characters that give the novel its warmth and strength。 Archer is a strangely naïve man， given that he has served both in the army and a prison sentence。 He is a moral man with a desire to do good， so his reactions are never predictable。 This adds to the charm of the novel。 The real breakout character， however， is Liberty Callahan， tough but idealistic。 She’s a hoot and brings humour and fun to the novel。 Together they bring the hope of a better future to the novel。 It might be corny but it’s warm and fun。A Gambling Man is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending。 。。。more

Paromjit ，

David Baldacci impresses with this stylish， historical crime， Chandleresque sequel to One Good Deed featuring war veteran Aloysius Archer， an innocent man who has spent time in prison， and after events that could have seen him hang in Poca City， he is making his way to Bay Town， California in 1949。 He is pursuing a career as a gumshoe， having picked up skills previously with Detective Irving Shaw， who recommends him to Willie Dash， an ex-FBI private investigator offering the opportunity of an ap David Baldacci impresses with this stylish， historical crime， Chandleresque sequel to One Good Deed featuring war veteran Aloysius Archer， an innocent man who has spent time in prison， and after events that could have seen him hang in Poca City， he is making his way to Bay Town， California in 1949。 He is pursuing a career as a gumshoe， having picked up skills previously with Detective Irving Shaw， who recommends him to Willie Dash， an ex-FBI private investigator offering the opportunity of an apprenticeship。 He stops off at Reno that sees lady luck smile on him when he wins big at the casino， and which allows him to acquire an eye catching， exclusive and desirable car， a blood red French convertible Delahaye。 He acquires a companion on his drive to Bay Town， the beautiful Liberty Callahan， a woman chasing dreams of fame and fortune in Hollywood as an actress。Archer is not the man he used to be， he has learnt the hard way to be more wary of women， and experience has taught him to not divulge personal details and focus more on listening。 He is courteous， hardworking and respectful， his needs are modest， a place to live， a job， and to be able to buy a drink or two。 He is not a man who can walk on by when a man is being viciously beaten up， getting involved， even when it seems the height of folly。 The coastal Bay Town is booming， a divided place， where the wealthy and powerful live in a different milieu from the ordinary folk。 Dash takes on Archer， although his prison record requires that he operates under a private investigator's licence from Dash's agency， an enterprise that is struggling financially。 A married mayoral candidate， Douglas Kemper， is being blackmailed， over a purported affair， a perilous case that is set to expose the ugly， brutal， deadly and corrupt reality of Bay Town。 As the number of dead begins to rise， Archer and Dash find themselves facing the gravest of dangers。Baldacci excels in providing a picture of post-war small town America， such as the hotbed of political intrigue， the growth and ambitions of the gambling industry， and a glamorous Hollywood world of movies and film stars that attracts big numbers of people wanting to act， with most destined to have their dreams shattered。 More than anything， it is a man's world when it comes to power and influence， an all too real reflection of the social norms and attitudes of the period， along with the unpalatable racism。 Liberty has learnt to stand up for herself and deal with the myriads of dangers that men represent to women， it is fascinating to observe the relationship that develops between her and Archer， they have far more in common than might first appear。 This is a fabulously entertaining historical read that I found wonderfully compelling and suspenseful。 Highly recommended。 Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for an ARC。 。。。more

Tracy Wood ，

Sometimes lady luck glances in Aloysius Archer's direction and he is able to take full advantage。 A stop at a casino in Reno on his way to Bay Town， California， results in him gaining a travelling companion， a vehicle of his own and a few dollars in his pocket。 Of course Archer's luck never lasts and by the time he arrives at his destination he's been reminded of that a few times。 He does， at least， have a new job to go to and not every 2nd World War veteran has that。 His new boss， Willie Dash， Sometimes lady luck glances in Aloysius Archer's direction and he is able to take full advantage。 A stop at a casino in Reno on his way to Bay Town， California， results in him gaining a travelling companion， a vehicle of his own and a few dollars in his pocket。 Of course Archer's luck never lasts and by the time he arrives at his destination he's been reminded of that a few times。 He does， at least， have a new job to go to and not every 2nd World War veteran has that。 His new boss， Willie Dash， a quick thinking， experienced private eye isn't swimming in cases but one lands on his doorstep at almost the same time as Archer。 His travelling companion， Liberty Callahan， was on her way to Hollywood but decides to stay a while in Bay Town and gets herself a job at a burlesque club where Archer finds himself and Dash investigating a blackmail case which is about to get very dangerous very quickly。 He likes his new home town but wonders if he'll live long enough to to experience its highlights。 This is the second Archer book and is as professionally executed as the first。 Archer now has a very nice ride and a lady friend who plans to be the next big thing to hit Hollywood。 He also has a boss who he was recommended to by the cop from the first book。 That is the only connection to 'One Good Deed' and so this can easily be read as a standalone although that is also an excellent read。 As with all David Baldacci books there is a lot of description but there are clues and relevant information hidden throughout。 He also paints a vivid picture of smallish town America after the war in the sunshine state， although it seems to rain quite a bit！ The case involving the cream of Bay Town society is complex， evenly paced， and draws you in immediately。 The pace of life is not hectic， the coroner smokes at the crime scene and you'll need change for the phone readily to hand all of which is delivered in a wonderfully atmospheric and realistic manner。 I was glad I didn't work the solution out any faster than Archer as it made for an extremely satisfying read from the first chapter to the last。 Now I just have to wait to find out what happens next。 I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own。 I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it。 。。。more

Gary ，

Every time I read a David Baldacci novel I promise myself I will read more of his books。 He is an excellent author and really do want to read more of his books。 This is the second book in the ‘Archer’ series and after loving the first one ‘ One Good Deed’ I was really looking forward to reading this one。 In truth it took me a while to get into this one but eventually everything started to click and by the end was ready for another Baldacci novel。Set in 1949 California， Aloysius Archer is on his Every time I read a David Baldacci novel I promise myself I will read more of his books。 He is an excellent author and really do want to read more of his books。 This is the second book in the ‘Archer’ series and after loving the first one ‘ One Good Deed’ I was really looking forward to reading this one。 In truth it took me a while to get into this one but eventually everything started to click and by the end was ready for another Baldacci novel。Set in 1949 California， Aloysius Archer is on his way to start a new job with a renowned Private Investigator in Bay Town。 While stopping off at a casino in Reno he meets an aspiring actress Liberty Callahan。 They travel together heading west to California， where Archer is tasked with finding out who is doing everything they can to disrupt the appointment of a top official。 Then two seemingly unconnected people are murdered at a burlesque club。 In a tight-lipped community， Archer must dig deep to reveal the connection between the victims。The book is well written with very good characters， after a fairly slow start the novel really stepped up a level and makes a fascinating read。 Full of suspense， great characters and an intriguing plot。I would like to thank both Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for supplying a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Chrissie ，

2021 ATY Challenge - a book whose title refers to a person without using their name

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=A Gambling Man

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=A Gambling Man&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,A Gambling Man&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0