Review Dreamtown – David Baldacci

The number three in the series with private investigator Archer is called ‘Dreamtown’, after the tinseltown of Los Angeles. Stories with Archer are set in the ’50s, right after WW2. Los Angeles is just starting to be the number one town in movies. Archer finds himself in Hollywood surrounded by upcoming movie stars.

Archer

Now if you’ve read the first two books with Archer you will know that he is not impressed by all this Hollywood glitter and glamour. As long as he has food to eat and a place to sleep he is more than content with his life. Now all of a sudden he has to appear at parties where he doesn’t know anybody and where everybody seems only interested in money and speaking to the ‘right’ people. People who can help them get even more money.

Missing

When a woman approaches him during one of those parties to ask him to work for her in finding out who wants to kill her, he is at first reluctant. But when he finds a dead body in her home with her nowhere to be found he gets intrigued. Before he knows it he finds himself in the middle of a drugs- and people trade by a maffia group.

Maffia

Now everybody knows to stay well away from those guys. Not Archer though. He made a promise and he will keep it, if it costs him his life. Fortunately he always seems to escape at the last minute. But there are enough dead bodies and there is enough tension to keep it interesting.

Suspense

And though you can guess the outcome, there are enough surprises to want to read ‘just one more chapter’ before going to sleep. David Baldacci is a master in suspense. He must keep an extensive folder to not confuse all the personalities he uses in his numerous books. Although I’m partial to his ‘political’ books, I actually love all his characters and his writing style.

David Baldacci

I had the pleasure of meeting mr. Baldacci in Utrecht, when he did a promotional tour in Europe. He took his time to answer all my questions (and they were many) and was exceptionally charming and friendly in giving me some tips on how to write a book, but maybe even more importantly in how to get it published once it’s finished. His best advice was to never ever give up. It sounds easy enough, but believe me, it’s not. No writer is secure enough to just get the story out there. It took him more then 12 publishers before he found one that gave him a shot. And look at him now.

Wish you well Foundation

David Baldacci is not just an allround nice guy. He’s also an intelligent one. He and his wife Michelle founded the ‘Wish you well Foundation’. A foundation against illiteracy. A cause close to my heart. Yes, there are many great foundations helping people all over the world. But one of the most important things is to help people learn how to read. Reading is knowledge. Knowledge is power. Power is ending hunger, war, poverty.