One Good Deed

One Good Deed by David Baldacci Its 1949. When war veteran
Aloysius Archer is released from Carderock Prison he is
sent to Poca City on parole with a short list of dos and a
much longer list of donts: do report regularly to his
parole officer dont go to bars certainly dont drink
alcohol do get a job–and dont ever associate with loose
women. The small town quickly proves more complicated and
dangerous than Archers years serving in the war or his
time in jail. Within a single night his search for gainful
employment–and a stiff drink–leads him to a local bar
where he is hired for what seems like a simple job: to
collect a debt owed to a powerful local businessman Hank
Pittleman. Soon Archer discovers that recovering the debt
wont be so easy. The indebted man has a furious grudge
against Hank and refuses to pay; Hanks clever mistress has
her own designs on Archer; and both Hank and Archers stern
parole officer Miss Crabtree are keeping a sharp eye on
him. When a murder takes place right under Archers nose
police suspicions rise against the ex-convict and Archer
realizes that the crime could send him right back to
prison . . . if he doesnt use every skill in his arsenal
to track down the real killer.