One Good Deed

By: David Baldacci

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini

Length: 11 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's Summary

In this fast-paced historical thriller, the number one New York Times best-selling author introduces Archer, a WWII veteran forced to investigate a small-town murder - or risk returning to prison. 

It's 1949. When war veteran Aloysius Archer is released from Carderock Prison, he is sent to Poca City on parole with a short list of dos and a much longer list of don'ts: do report regularly to his parole officer, don't go to bars, certainly don't drink alcohol, do get a job - and don't ever associate with loose women. 

The small town quickly proves more complicated and dangerous than Archer's years serving in the war or his time in jail. Within a single night, his search for gainful employment - and a stiff drink - leads him to a local bar, where he is hired for what seems like a simple job: to collect a debt owed to a powerful local businessman, Hank Pittleman. 

Soon Archer discovers that recovering the debt won't be so easy. The indebted man has a furious grudge against Hank and refuses to pay; Hank's clever mistress has her own designs on Archer; and both Hank and Archer's stern parole officer, Miss Crabtree, are keeping a sharp eye on him.  

When a murder takes place right under Archer's nose, police suspicions rise against the ex-convict, and Archer realizes that the crime could send him right back to prison...if he doesn't use every skill in his arsenal to track down the real killer.

©2019 David Baldacci (P)2019 Hachette Audio

Critic Reviews

"Listeners will find Archer, as performed by Ballerini, an appealing character.... Ballerini expertly differentiates the many characters, male and female." (AudioFile Magazine)

One good disappointment

I’m truly disappointed in this book from Mr Baldacci, I have enjoyed his other books but this one doesn’t do him much justice other than having written another book. It rambles along before making a pointe, and instead of keeping you interested it starts rambling again.

Superior Historical Crime novel!!

This book is an absolutely fantastic, outstanding (more superlatives then I can think of right now!) historical crime book that takes place in 1949. Author David Baldacci has written a book outside his norm that far succeeded my expectations. I sincerely hope this becomes another series.
The protagonist (Aloysius Archer) had been wrongfully convicted and spent a few years in prison. Now he's out and on parole. After a 7 hour bus ride he winds up in Poca City where he's been assigned a parole officer.
He believes his life is going to change for the better when on his first night he finds a job as a collector for the wealthiest man in town. But then that man ends up murdered on the night Archer sleeps with his mistress. Of course Archer is the main suspect.
This is a tangled story with many family secrets held close. And from more than one family.
I really enjoyed the periodic references. The cars (a Nash and a Hudson Hornet), women's fairly new right to vote and the cost of living and salaries ($5/day for hard manual labor).
Edoardo Ballerini does an outstanding job narrating. He is a favorite of mine and I'm so happy to see he has recently been narrating more books.

This book has my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION.

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Not up to Baldacci's talents

I agree with other reviewers that it is hard to believe that Baldacci wrote this, Weak plot, weak characters. Many unbelievable story lines, Would any state trooper team up with an ex-con just days after being released from prison and then giving him a gun. I don't think so. The story does seem to be setting up for a sequel but if they do, I hope the real David Baldacci will write it.

Baldacci's Squirming To Find His Lost Talent.

This book was preceded by "Long Road To Mercy" which warned Baldacci's fans that the writer was in trouble. Reviews and sales disappointments perhaps alerted the writer's editors to do an intervention? Here in "One Good Deed" readers can feel Baldacci's writhing to once again construct a tight plot with the twists and turns which made the man's reputation in this genre: at least for the first half, perhaps even the first two thirds of this book. Then "WHUMP!", everything collapses into a sententious treacle that goes on longer than the Macarena at your cousin's wedding reception.

ANNOYING!!!

In my review of "Long Road To Mercy" I wondered if this writer was bored, burnt out, or washed up? Let me do you One Good Deed... This is the book that makes me conclude that Baldacci's dangerously close to washed up so be very careful of studying reviews before you grab his next effort. K?

Edoardo Ballerini strangely agreed to read this? Wonder why? Oh well, we all gotta' work, huh - even the best of us.

save your time.

this thing is so tedious that I couldn't stay for the twist, which I am sure is there . It also has technical mistakes: Nobody can look at a S&W revolver on a table and tell it has a hair trigger. Not the narrator, not the hero (archer), not nobody. and I don't care that his new suit is a Hart, Shaffner, &Marx. the book is at least half padding. Moreover our hero does unbelievable, stupid stuff, like carrying around in his pocket absolute conclusive proof of guilt of the crime at hand. I quit listening before somebody finds it.

SLOW

I've read every book by Baldacci, this was a painful book to listen to. It takes over 30 chapters to get to the nitty gritty.
I can see this protagonist being in future books, but it will be with a slow purchase that I buy the next book.
The ending is well done in this book and worth the wait, but getting there was very difficult.
In all fairness I can see this becoming a good new protagonist for Baldacci..

Prize for the most boring book

The story was way too long, way too boring and a total waste of time. I am aghast that David Baldacci would put his name on the story. What was his editor thinking?
I would give the story NO stars if possible. I patiently waited until the end, hoping it would get better. It did not.
How anyone could like this book is puzzling to me. UH.

Stick with it!

I started several times to give up on this book. Frankly, the first 90% of the book is laborious and boring. But the whole thing comes to gather beautifully in the end.Every book David Baldacci has written is in my audible library. Thisis my least favorite.

Disappointed

I eagerly look forward to each Baldachi book every time. This time i struggled to finish. The quality of this entire story was a long the lines of a poorly written and amateur writer. I ended up skipping much of each chapter. I seriously question if he even wrote this himself. Very disappointed in this book.

A BIG MISS

I love all of the Baldacci books, which is why I kept listening through to the end. I kept reading it because I couldn’t believe that this was a Baldacci book, and I had to believe that any moment, the veil would lift and an enjoyable book would make its presence known. Such was not the case.

To me, this book was written more like a screenplay. There was so much superfluous writing and unnecessary descriptions, filler and fluff. While the novel was set in the post WW11 era, the dialogue was ridiculous and excruciating to listen to. I kept visualizing the main character as Jimmy Stewart.

Ok folks... that’s my 2 cent review! 😊