A Gambling Man

In this gripping new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci, Aloysius Archer—the straight-talking World War II veteran just released from prison—returns.

Approaching the 1950s, Archer is desperate for a new beginning following a nearly catastrophic diversion in Poca City. Thus, Archer boards a bus and sets out on the arduous trek westward to California, where there is purportedly money to be made if one is diligent, fortunate, a criminal, or all three.

During the trip, Archer makes a stop in Reno, where he is lucky enough to get a large sum of money and a striking red 1939 Delahaye convertible. In addition, he meets Liberty Callahan, an aspiring actress who wants to try her luck in Hollywood, who will travel with him for the last part of the voyage. But Archer soon learns that the masses of individuals who traveled to Bay Town, California, in search of fame and money instead found themselves in a fake paradise that feeds their greatest fears and addictions.

Archer's first destination is a P.I. office, where he hopes to work as an apprentice for Willie Dash, a renowned private investigator and former FBI agent. After accepting the position, he finds himself embroiled in a possible scandal: a case of blackmail involving a wealthy and well-connected politician seeking mayor, which quickly turns into something much more dangerous. When the bodies start to fall, Archer and Dash have to descend into the rotten bones of a corrupt town that is passing itself off as the promised land, but may actually be the path to perdition and Archer's last resting place. They must infiltrate the world of brothels, gambling dens, drug operations, and long-kept secrets.