One Good Deed
David Baldacci
In addition to some great standalones, Baldacci really excels when it comes to juggling multiple series. At any one time, he usually has two or three separate series on the go, switching between protagonists, before introducing a new character and writing several starring that person. Typically, he writes modern thrillers, often with FBI or Secret Service agents, or in the case of John Puller, a military investigator.
Following the logic that he’s never let me down before, when adding books to my Amazon wish list for Christmas, I saw One Good Deed, subtitled ‘Introducing Aloysius Archer’, and I didn’t even read the jacket blurb. I just clicked add.
So I had absolutely no idea until I plucked the book off the very generous stack that my family had bought me for Christmas what a departure it was from his usual fare.
Unlike his other series, this one is set in 1949. Archer, a young man who served his country admirably in the Second World War, leaves prison early after serving time for a crime he did not commit. Following the terms of his release, he catches the bus to the town of Poca City, where he is to meet his parole officer weekly, find gainful employment, and avoid drink and loose women.
Within 24 hours of signing into the local hotel where all new parolees start their new lives, he meets a beautiful woman, is employed as a debt collector by the wealthiest man in town and convinces his parole officer that there is no need of her offer of a job bashing in hogs’ skulls at the local pork farm.
All seems well and Archer is looking forward to biding his time and getting his life on track. And then there’s a murder…
I really enjoyed this. Most of what I read and write is contemporary, so this was a refreshing change. I’m in no position to express an opinion on how accurate the details are, but it certainly feels authentic and Baldacci has clearly spent time researching the time period. The dialogue is snappy and reminiscent of the various movies of the time that I have seen, the characters are vividly described and the plot is a cracking whodunnit.
The advantage of writing a novel set seventy years ago, is that so much of what we take for granted in modern fiction is not available. That’s not to say that it is easier to write in that period – far from it – but it allows for a different type of story to be told that just wouldn’t be possible nowadays, and that brings its own pleasure. The fact is, DCI Warren Jones could have solved the case in 48 hours. His team of CSIs would have identified the murderer from the DNA evidence left at the scene, their alibi would have been destroyed by their mobile phone location history, and they’d probably have been caught on CCTV.
Instead, we are treated to good old-fashioned detective work; tracking down witnesses, wearing out the shoe leather, and fine, deductive reasoning. The book is generous in length, but paced perfectly and draws the reader in with plenty of twists and turns, and expertly crafted reveals. The motives and the reasons behind the shocking events when they are finally uncovered are both complex and simple – just like all the best stories.
There is a sequel due later this year, and I will be adding it to my wish list for next Christmas.
I heartily recommend this book.
