Title:	Dream Town
	Author:	David Baldacci
	Published:	April 19, 2022, Grand Central Publishing
	No. of Pages:	432
	Cover Price:	$29.00 Hardcover, $14.99

---

Dream Town is the third installment in the popular Archer series by bestselling author David Baldacci. The protagonist is Aloysius Archer and the time period is post war 1953 where Archer served, then was jailed for a crime he didn’t commit, and is now a private investigator. In this novel, Archer goes to Los angeles to meet his friend, aspiring actress Liberty Callahan. While at a New Year’s Eve party, an acquaintance of Liberty, Ellie Lamb, who has joined them at their table, insists someone is trying to kill her and tells Archer she wants to hire him and to meet him in the morning at her office to pick up his check and sign a contract. However, Lamb is missing and a PI’s body is found in her home. Archer begins searching for Lamb, and gets himself involved in Hollywood and the world of acting and screenwriting.

Baldacci is a master storyteller, and this series is no exception. Since it’s set in the 1950s, it’s obvious that he has done his homework to make the setting true to the time period. He is also very good at developing his characters. Aloysius Archer is a likeable, relatable character; he is a perfect protagonist for an ongoing series. The supporting characters in this novel are believable as real people, both good and bad. Baldacci knows how to use them to move the story along, build suspense, and keep readers wondering who is responsible for murder and the surprising dénouement.

If readers haven’t read the previous novels in this series, they have missed out and ought to read them. However, this third novel in the series can be read as a standalone novel. Baldacci is always recommended, and this novel is very good.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.