Love and War

Love and War by David Archer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Again, I really liked another Sam Prichard Mystery. This book. That would be four stars. I liked its writing, and Mikael Naramore's reading of it. I'm reviewing both the ebook and the audio-book.

In this book we open with Sam singing in the shower with joy of his upcoming nuptials. Which reminds me of a review of the previous Sam Pricharcd novel, “ Death Sung Softly”. I’m reminded because I mention the previous novel is a “musical”. This book is also a musical in the same ways. The audio-book sings, the ebook has the lyrics and links to the singing, but it isn’t as extensive a musical as “Death Sung Softly” where Sam became the lead singer of band who hired him as a private investigator to find their missing lead singer.

I digress.

The Goodreads blurb tells more spoiler info than I like to provide in order to encourage folks to read a book. My additions will, however, spoil it further, sorry.


It is a novel where our beloved protagonists Sam and Indie get married. They fly off to Hawaii for a honeymoon we all like to imagine. Before the “honeymoon things” get a chance to become monotonous, as some honeymoons do, mystery and thriller urgently arrives, right on schedule.

The author David Archer provides a terrorist group to add some excitement to the joys of matrimony.

A terrorist group makes world news interrupting our honeymooners. They have decided to explode 12 nuclear weapons! One of those bombs is scheduled to explode in Hawaii, entirely ruining the honeymoon Sam and Indie are enjoying.

Before Sam and Indie ever take off from Denver en route to Hawaii for their honeymoon, Sam noticed a last minute loading of a colorful package on to their plane. The thinking Sam and Indie entertain at the moment of the mysterious late loaded package was that someone may be happy their luggage is actually going to Hawaii instead of Singapore.

The morning after the night of honeymoon bliss, Sam gets a call regarding the world news he has missed during his recent consumption of his wife Indie. Turning on the TV Sam learns about the 12 nuclear bombs that terrorists promise to use. It isn’t long before Sam recalls the “last minute” colorful package being loaded on their plane.

Doing his civil duty, Sam tries to notify the local police about the possible lead in the case. He tries multiple times. Each time the police blow him off with a “thanks for the tip” without even taking a note of the tip. Frustrated Sam and Indie decide to investigate a little on their own, just to rule out their suspicion about their tip, which they think is likely nothing.

Indie’s “dragoon tattoo” like investigative skills provide confirmation of their fears instead of alleviating their fears. Then Sam again gets blown off by the local police; even though he can tell them the possible location of the nuclear bomb in Hawaii.

If you read “The Grave Man” Sam Prichard #1, Sam gets entangled in a missing person case that evolves into a possible mob drug case, then still grows into a top priority, top secret, national security emergency that threatens millions of lives. I mention this because in this book, Sam has run out of options with the local police. Naturally he’s frustrated, but then he remembers Harry Winslow, an undercover operative of the Department of Homeland Security who he worked with during "The Grave Man adventure."

Indie and Harry search to find the Homeland Security acquaintance's contact number, hoping he may take them more seriously. After finally finding it, Sam's anxiously calls Harry. His calls repeatedly go unanswered. Eventually Harry answers his phone.

What Sam has to tell Harry about possibly locating the Hawaii bomb is a "100 watt bulb" in Harry's "10 watt flow of bad tips". Unfortunately, Harry’s Homeland Security doesn’t have any free resources in Hawaii to follow up Harry’s tip. So Homeland Security instantly contracts with Sam Prichard, Private Investigator.

Yes, this may challenge your ability to suspend disbelief, but remember you're trying to entertain yourself with a fictional mystery thriller, so just go with it and enjoy the excitement.

Sam and Indie's honeymoon becomes more national security emergency work than love's heavenly bliss.

I don’t think I’ve spoiled the story more than Goodreads has already disclosed, at this point, but I can say, you’ll want to dive into this book for the twists and turns that are to come. The natural joy of reading a good mystery thriller that threatens delayed bedtimes is usually worth the dreaded wake up alarms to come.

I like the ‘feel’ of David Archer’s writing. He manages to inject humor, love, and enough reality that, as a reader, you easily suspend disbelief. David Archer has a unique writing skill that provides intense interest and excitement in his stories while not making you feel like you just drank a triple espresso with a Red Bull chaser.

I've struggled to express this about David Archer's writing. Still, I remain uncertain if I'm getting it right, but if you understand what I mean after reading a few "Sam Prichard" novels, I'd like to know if I'm getting this across properly.

I do have an objection about Goodreads blurbs that I may have mentioned before…

Goodreads blurb reads “blah, blah, blah” then Goodreads hit’s the selling point with,
“See why people are calling it "the next Jack Reacher" yourself by scrolling up and downloading your copy today!"


I disagree. No.... Yes.... Yes, you can really enjoy this book. Sam Prichard novels are good family mystery thrillers. But comparing them to Lee Child's “Jack Reacher” is some-what like reading George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones and saying it is like reading Terry Goodkinds’s Wizard’s First Rule.

You can enjoy Lee Childs’s Jack Reacher books and David Archer’s Sam Prichard books both. They are, however, quite different reading experiences.

As for my other comparison: Terry Goodkinds’s Sword of Truth series concludes with "Warheart". George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series has odds that highly speculate against George R. R. Martin ever finishing the Game of Thrones series BOOKS.

Don't get me started on the great author Dean Koontz compared to, yawn, the popular Stephen King.

Read 1/4/19, Reviewed 1/6/19


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