Helpful Score: 1
David Baldacci is one of my go-to authors and when I get my hands on his new book, it goes to the top of my TBR. He introduces a new character Aloysius Archer, a mild mannered, likable young man in 1949 on parole in Poca City a small town in an unnamed State.
He quickly becomes involved with two murders, two woman one of which is his Parole officer and a quick witted homicide detective who becomes his friend. He is forced to defend himself in court against the murders as old and well kept secrets are revealed.
I'm looking forward to reading more about Archer.
He quickly becomes involved with two murders, two woman one of which is his Parole officer and a quick witted homicide detective who becomes his friend. He is forced to defend himself in court against the murders as old and well kept secrets are revealed.
I'm looking forward to reading more about Archer.
Helpful Score: 1
slow start, but good read at end
Baldacci veers from his usual suspense thriller format, writing this one as a whodunit, court room type novel. It's a good page turner, and Baldacci's writing style is always compelling.
WTH?????????????
How did this one get any good reviews? is beyond me!
Story is so stupid, slow, boring and did I mention slow? did I mention stupid? did mention BORING?
I kept reading to past page 100 (usually my limit for a bad book) and it was so boring, slow and stupid--did I mention that? It just goes nowhere and mostly it is pages and pages of just nonsense, Baldacci just rambles on and on page after page and contributes nothing to moving it forward--that is poorly written I don't care how many previous successes he's had this one is one of his worst!
How did this one get any good reviews? is beyond me!
Story is so stupid, slow, boring and did I mention slow? did I mention stupid? did mention BORING?
I kept reading to past page 100 (usually my limit for a bad book) and it was so boring, slow and stupid--did I mention that? It just goes nowhere and mostly it is pages and pages of just nonsense, Baldacci just rambles on and on page after page and contributes nothing to moving it forward--that is poorly written I don't care how many previous successes he's had this one is one of his worst!
Baldacci has long been one of my favorite authors, a really versatile writer who has written many good books, all of which I have read. But as for One Good Deed, early into it, I found myself reacting to the dialogue and interactions between characters with distaste. I would remind myself that the time setting of the story was very soon after WWII had ended and that was surely a factor in how people talked. Still, the dialogue struck me as so hokey and the characters not very believable. Repeatedly, I would read four or five pages and find myself feeling so disgusted I'd close the book and do something else. My nature is such that even when I read a book I don't like I feel compelled to finish it which is why it took me like 3 weeks to finally get through this one. The thing is I am not exactly sure why it struck me this way. The plot was quite clever but that is about the only positive thing I can say. My bottom line impression was, had this book been written by someone that was not a New York Times #1 Bestselling Author, it would never have been chosen for publication.
Fair. Gets a bit confusing at the end, but story keeps you interested. Takes place after WW2, murders, theafs, good guy wins in end.
