This is one of my favorite authors and I immediately buy everything he writes. He puts a lot of humor in his books and many times I can not help but to laugh out loud. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to his new releases

I love the Archer novels, and again Baldacci gives us the seedy side of Hollywood and it makes for a great ride. Totally entertaining and fully engaging. Happy to chat it up, and ready for the next one!

In book 3 in the Aloysius Archer series, it's the eve of 1953, and Archer is in Los Angeles to ring in the New Year with an old friend, aspiring actress Liberty Callahan. While at a party, he meets a screenwriter by the name of Eleanor Lamb who begs him to help her. Eleanor fears that her life is in danger, and she wants to hire Archer to look into the matter. 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. He launches an investigation that will take him from the glamorous world of Hollywood to the most dangerous parts of Chinatown.
This is such a fun and exciting series. I love the time period it is set in. Reading it is like watching a classic 50's black & white film. There is non-stop action, and Archer never quite winds up with the girl because he is too dangerous for her. He is a charmer though, and all the ladies seem to fall for him, but he only has eyes for Liberty Callahan. The plot was very complicated with lots of threads that were interwoven. They were tied up very neatly at the end, but if you aren't paying attention, you may get lost. All-in-all it was very enjoyable and perfect for anyone who loves a good thriller.

New Year's Eve 1952 finds Aloysius Archer heading to Los Angeles to ring in the new year with his friend, actress Liberty Callahan. At one of the parties on their agenda, one of Liberty's friends approaches Archer and asks for his help. Eleanor is convinced someone is trying to kill her, and Archer takes the case, despite feeling that Eleanor is holding back essential information.

This is the third book in this historical crime series that reminds me of books like The Maltese Falcon and Walter Mosley's Easy Rawlins books. Archer is a WW2 vet, still learning the ropes as a PI; he's both a gentleman and a tough guy, determined not to let anyone keep him from doing his job, no matter how well-connected that person might be. I enjoy these books, but they're not my favorite Baldacci series. I like Archer and Liberty, and the people who help Archer with his cases, but many of the other characters, although they are probably accurate representations of people in this time period in this location, are hard to like. Maybe that's the point?

The story was well-written, of course, and the twists and turns in the plot kept me guessing almost every time I turned a page. It was hard to put the book down until I reached the end, when I was finally able to say "Whew! What a ride!" I was surprised at the identity of the bad guy, and I can't wait to read the next book in this series.

Archer is celebrating New Years Eve 1953 when is approached by a woman who says she thinks someone is going to kill her. By the time the evening is over Archer has found a dead body and been chased by drug runners on a beach. There is a lot going on in this book and you have to pay attention with all sorts of twists that only lead to more questions. The book is fast paced and will definitely hold your attention. I was surprised by how the story turned out, who the bad guys were. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Dream Town is the 3rd book in the Archer series from David Baldacci. It can totally be read as a stand-alone.

“Archer is ringing in the new year of 1953 with his friend Liberty Callahan. An acquaintance of hers, Eleanor Lamb, stops by their table. When she finds out that Archer is a PI she hires him to look into the death threats she’s been getting. She disappears but Archer has the itch to find out what happened to her. He is knocked out, beat up, shot at and almost buried alive. But he will find the truth.”

Baldacci hits the right mix of story and atmosphere in this book. The first book had too much description in it. The 2nd book was a little less. This one works. You do feel like you’re in the middle of one of those B&W gangster movies sometimes.
The story is complex because of all of the characters. You have to pay attention. You’ll be surprised at who the bad guy is and what happens to Eleanor. Lots going on but it has that fast-paced Baldacci writing to make it go. Book releases in April. Fans of historical crime fiction and Hollywood will enjoy this one.