The Grave Man

Sam Prichard #1

by David Archer

Sam Prichard was a cop, and a good one, until the bullets took out the joint of his right hip. Now he's trying to learn to live without being a cop, and getting to know his neighbors, learning to walk again and even ride a motorcycle. Life is bearable, barely, but then he gets asked to find a missing child, and the lure of getting back into some kind of police work is too much for him to resist. When he teams up with computer whiz Indiana Perkins, he suddenly becomes one of the best investigators he's ever even known.

Now, he's found the missing child, but it's thrown him right into the middle of something that may be a drug war--or could be a chance to stop the next 911! There's no way out for Sam, so he's in for the ride of his life, but when the girl he's becoming fond of is suddenly drawn into the line of fire with her own little daughter, Sam is ready to forget all the rules and do whatever is necessary to win the day.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Ebooks, Mystery Thriller, Detective

204 pages, Paperback

First published August 26, 2015

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

David Archer was born and raised in Bakersfield, California. He is a fiction author and novelist, writing in the mysteries and thrillers genre. His approach to writing is to hit deep, keep you entertained, and leave you wanting MORE with every turn of the page. He writes mysteries, thrillers, and suspense novels, all of which are primed to get your heart pumping.

Reviews

[Kat (Books are Comfort Food) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5, rounded to 4 stars.

This is a good, quick read and once I got past the opening chapters the book moved quickly. As a first installment to a series with a total of 11 books, I liked it enough that I will go on to book 2nat some point.

Sam is a cop, injured in a drug bust and his police career is over. He decides to become a PI so he can use his police skills on a smaller scale. His first assignment is to find a missing girl and that case morphs into something else. There are some interesting twists. There’s the start of a romance and a,though I don’t normally like romance and crime, this was rather sweet, albeit fast. Sam needs help with his computer skills and finds a MIT programmer, Indie, who needs a job. Indie and her daughter are sweet and added to he likable characters in the book.

Overall this is a good mystery/crime book which seems to have a lot of fans, good reviews and plenty of action.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

My dad is in his 80's and a couple of years ago I gave him my old kindle, it's perfect for him since he can adjust the print so he can read it.
Every time I come across a free book I think he'll like I send it to his kindle and he's fairly easy to please but only once before has he made me promise to write a review which is harder than you'd think because he doesn't give me a lot to work with.
He wants people know how good it is, apparently it's one of the best books he's ever read and he reads a lot.
I asked him for more information, could he tell me a little about the book to put in my review but he said and I quote "they'll find out when they read it."
What made it so good?
Apparently it's a brilliant story, no rubbish like a lot of books these days and a great main character, Sam Pritchard.
He now wants me to download any other Sam Prichard books.

[Jim A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every now and again it's good to read a 'hokey' book. This one meets that definition as far as I'm concerned. One character says grace before meals. There was no gratuitous sex or violence and I don't remember there being any swearing by any of the characters. Sort of different and pleasant in an action thriller genre novel.

The storyline is nothing special. Cop is medically retired and then decides to go the PI route. Nothing new there. Along the way he teams up with a single mom who happens to be homeless. She also happens to be a computer hacker. Sam, the PI, has plenty of room in his house and the hacker and her daughter move in to the spare rooms.

Sam starts out looking for a neighbor's grand daughter. The story then morphs into looking at drug dealers and then goes off in another direction entirely.

The beginning of a series, so the reader pretty much knows how everything is going to end. Fast read and a pleasant change from the normal action novel.

Extra star for no swearing or gratuitous sex.

[Kathi Defranc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ex-Cop Turns P.I. To Find A Missing Girl

An excellent quick read where we are introduced to Sam Prichard, a cop who is hurt in a raid and tries to fill his day at home. Neighbors become friends, each swapping their expertise for what another may need. A woman Sam hasn't seen before stops by, telling him her granddaughter is missing, and asking if he could help. Sam starts to say no, then changes his mind and says he will do what he can..And this starts an exciting mystery, involving some high level drug dealers and packages, a computer savvy young lady who answers Sam's post for help and her little daughter.
Quick paced and very interesting, the characters we meet are delightful, some scary and un-likeable, and some just doing their jobs. There are light moments that meld into tough scenes, as Sam finds a different story to follow from everyone he comes upon.
I really enjoyed reading this,unable to look away as I sped through the pages! I am definitely interested in continuing to read these ' Sam Prichard' stories, he is a fascinating man to get to know!

[Rob · Rating 1 out of 5]

A more apt quote for the cover would be "Ned Flanders tries to write a hip action book for his children."

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fast paced action thriller.
But for me the investigation process was just too easy. A few strokes on a computer keyboard and bingo and the font of all knowledge revealed the answer. Bad guys who had gone to great length to disappear were tracked down within seconds. No one is safe from Sam Prichard.
I also found the love element a bit too twee; both parties were just so nice and understanding about making the first move, to the point where no one moved at all.

For all that it was an entertaining read and I feel sure as the author hones his talents the books will improve.

Not a bad read. 3/5 stars.

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disabled Ex-Denver PD Detective Sam Pritchard is a very tough, smart and resourceful "Boy Scout". Drawn into helping a friend of a neighbor find her missing and presumed kidnapped granddaughter, he subsequently teams up with a beautiful young hacker who moves in with him in exchange for helping him resolve the case. Sam Pritchard is not your usual 21st century crime fiction protagonist though. He's a throw back to those traditional values enhanced good guys who occasionally represent a welcome change from those "me too" serial killer / terrorists hunters I read these days. Good action, characters and a twist ending made this an entertaining read.

[Andrea M · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the character initially but then the story just got silly. Secret agents, undercover, ready-made family... the only mystery was how could a half-crippled ex-cop and a very old ex-military kill about half a dozen contracted soldiers.

[Scott A. Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just a little corny. What makes these books good is that they are unbelievable, this one was like that but also just plain silly. Still, there is potential here and I flew through it and had some fun. I’ll read the next one to see how it goes.

[J V Woods · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy reading

Easy reading; just one day but not really inspiring. No clues as to why the title is The Grave Man. Maybe once I have read a couple more Sam Prichard books perhaps he will grow on me...

[Will Decker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't usually read other reviews before reading a story, but I did this time and was really surprised by some of the comments. I actually liked the repertoire between the characters and didn't find it hokey at all. I was able to relate to the '69 Vette, as I owned one identical to the one in the story. I especially liked the potential for romance between the hero and heroine in the story. If anything, the plot might be a little tongue in cheek for some-small time drug dealers to secret agents? At least the pace was quick enough to keep you from thinking about it too long or hard... All in all, an enjoyable read. I will read more by this author so long as Indie and Sam are trying to become an item.

[Jo-Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This physiological thriller had me flipping the pages trying to find out what was going to happen next!

After Sam got shot on the job in a police shootout, his career was over. He had no idea what he was going to do now. That is until an elderly neighbor asked him to find her missing granddaughter. Her father had taken her for the weekend but didn't bring her back. Sam said he'd try to find the child, but no promises.

Once Sam learned that the child's father, Allen Rice, was trying to move up in the drug dealing world he hired Indie, a computer whiz to help him track Rice. This story gets more thrilling as it moves along. Once Sam finds the girl and returns her, Rice's boss hires him to find Rice. Apparently, Rice has a very valuable product that has to be returned. Sam finds Rice but learns he didn't have the whole story before. Now Rice's boss - who actually is a bad guy - is after both of them.

I really liked this incredible story. It was so well written that even with all the twists and turns in the story I easily followed it. Not only was the story riveting but the characters were good too. Sam was a great PI. Even though it was his first case he had so much experience as a cop that he knew how to find the information he needed. So we've got a tough, seasoned cop/PI who was also very kind and caring when it came to Indie and her 4-year-old daughter, Kenzie. Indie was the absolute best computer hacker I've ever seen. She was a wonderful mother who did just about anything to provide for her daughter.

The only thing I had any kind of a problem with was that I felt there was too big of an age difference between Indie and Sam for them to have a romance. I liked this book so much that I'll definitely be reading more in this series.

[Lady Fembo · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a page Turner!!!

I read this book in one day! That's how good it was. After detective Sam's marriage fell apart because he was working long hours, he had an accident at work and was forced to take early retirement. One day a woman who's granddaughter has gone missing turned up on his doorstep and his life turned upside-down.

[Richard Guerrero · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good fun read. A good start to the series. Very simple but nice. My first book from this author.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the book with Sam Pritchard as it's protagonist started off very strongly. However, looking a "A Grave Man" in it's conclusion author David Archer fumbled about half way through. Sam 39, a Denver cop for ten years is badly hurt in a police shootout. With his police career finished and out on disability retirement, Sam needs a focus for the rest of his life. Luckily for Sam many neighbors come to his house and help him with chores as he's recovering. Being divorced for many years, and no kids he's in a big house all alone. One day he gets a visit from an elderly neighbor from down the block. It seems her grand daughter is missing, and her no account father has taken her someplace. Sam is happy he can finally do something useful. He hires Indiana "Indie" Perkins to be his computer geek. Perkins is homeless and has a young daughter MacKenzie, 4. Sam moves Indie and Kenzie into his house so he can be detective on the case. The missing little girl, Cassie age 12, has been used as collateral by her father Allen Rice. Rice is trying to move up in the world of drug dealing. The bad guys are keeping his daughter in safekeeping until Rice proves he can complete a mission on time and without fail. Sam manages to track the missing girl to a very wealthy warehouse operator Gene Ingersoll. The bad guys deliver Rice's daughter back to Sam's house shortly thereafter. The big guys in the ring want to pay Sam to track down Rice and bring their "product" back safely. Sam tracks Rice to some hole in the wall town in Arkansas fairly quickly. Before Sam realizes it , the bad guys are now in pursuit of him and Rice. The race back to Denver is on. But the bad guys capture and hold Indie and Kenzie to assure Sam doesn't do any funny business. This is about where the story goes awry. The bad guys work for Homeland Security, and the other bad guys are a rogue group out to use the "product" for evil purposes. I have to admit from here until the end it was kind of fuzzy who was to be trusted and who were really the bad guys. The story did not have enough meat on the bone to support the story line. Also, the story just abruptly ended. I'm guessing it becomes a series and continues on that way. Not sure book was even 200 pages. The first 55 %- 60 % I enjoyed the story. Beyond that I must have been sitting in my chair with an odd look on my face. My only comment upon completed the book was, really ? . Giving this one a generous three out of a possible five stars. (2.5 stars actually fits better). I'd have to say I wouldn't go on to a second book based on how this one turned out. But hey, check it out. Maybe you'll like it more than I did. "A Grave Man" Is a quick unsatisfying bite.

[Trish R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

No sex, no swearing, but still a good read..


I was a little concerned about this book because of words that were a little too religious for me, used again and again. But I let it go because it was right after Sam had awoken from being shot. But then, Sam, Indie and Kenzie prayed before they ate, and I became worried again. The religious stuff stopped soon thereafter. Mr. Archer’s mystery/thriller/suspense books are a little tame for me. But that won’t stop me from trying another Sam Prichard book. But NOT until AFTER I read a couple of books with real life swearing and a little romance.

For the story part of the book? It was good. I did read Code Name: Camelot (Noah Wolf #1) by this author and THIS was much better. Sam was shot and had to take a medical retirement and soon became a PI. He’s first asked to find a 12 year old girl, which leads to a vial of some pretty nasty stuff. It was very interesting when Indie, his computer hacker, told him of how Herman, a computer program she wrote, worked. It didn’t make a bit of sense to me but it sounded good, like it could work. It sounded like a real hacker came up with the wording, LOL..

Then there was figuring out who the bad guy was, who should be trusted, Ingersoll or Winslow?

The firefight that happened in the safe house was pretty good. The good guy and Sam really took care of business.

The 2 or 3 lusty thoughts Sam had about Indie were something written for a 13 year old, so no worries there. I think one quick kiss was all there was. There were a couple of the less offensive swearwords, and they were only used a time or two. If you’re looking for something hot and steamy and with some real-life swearwords just keep looking, you won’t find anything like that here.

As to the narrator: Fabulous! Every single person, male and female alike, had their own voices. Mikael Naramore actually laughed out loud when the story called for it. He whispered, muttered, yelled, everything a narrator should do, he did.

[Henriette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sam Pritchard is a cop who gets wounded during a drug bust and therefore can no longer work. While he rests at home, an old lady approaches him to find her missing granddaughter. Her father works for the drug gang that ended with a permanent limp for Sam. The only way to get to them is through a homepage. So Sam hires a hacker through Craiglist and soon has twenty years old Libbie and her four-year-old, Kenzie, living with him as well. A perfect setup for an investigative duo.

The first half of the book set up the characters. It felt like a mixture between a cop thriller and a cozie. Almost naive at times as nothing bad ever happens, and Sam never has money troubles. I found that refreshing and enjoyed it.

However, halfway through, the story takes a turn towards international espionage. While I still enjoyed the writing's naivete, the story started to strain credulity too much for my liking. I couldn't get through this part fast enough.

Overall not an experience I'm going to repeat.

[Jack Dancer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book not knowing anything about the author, except that he lives in California like me. I read it to get a feel for other indie thrillers out there, my competition you might say. My takeaway was that there's a lot of room for good books. This one was written at such an elementary level that it drove me crazy to get through it. But then again I can't stand James Patterson's writing either for the same reason.

One indication about how much I liked this book is that I just went back to see what I've read over the last month to catch up my bookshelf and when I ran across this one I couldn't even remember it. Then, when I flipped through a few pages, I still couldn't recall anything about it. So there you go.

Sorry, but honesty prevails.

p.s. The book cover says, "The Next Jack Reacher." I've read all the Jack Reacher books and this one ain't even close.

[Chanel · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF
I actually made it through to the halfway point when I got tired of all the exclamation marks. The MC is never described but it's insinuated that he is good looking. Even though he's forced to retire from a job he enjoyed he never complained or lamented his fate. Sam was too upbeat. I'd rather have a depressed hero than a happy hero.

[Linda]

Most enjoyable

Read it in a couple days. Held my interest. I liked the character descriptions. Very well written. I'd like to read more by this author.

[Robert · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was looking for a mystery series that would be a lighter read to let my mind dance around the plot but found this very painful to read. The plot and setting have potential but I had to quit reading about a fourth of the way through because of the lack of authenticity. Everything about the story felt “forced" rather than free-flowing, as if the author really just wanted to crank out a book. Like a bad Hollywood movie, where the punches can be heard for miles and the firearms make all kinds of crinkly noises, this book has inaccuracies that left me very frustrated. It felt like the author watched a bunch of those bad movies and thought they could instantly command the same level of mediocrity, but to no avail...

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

Simplistic and dull. Very dated as well

[Sherry Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kept me interested

Read this on my lunch hours great mystery can’t wait to try few more in this series hoping for a free download

[Orlok · Rating 2 out of 5]

Anothe DNF (sigh). Advertised as the next Jack Reacher. Anything less like Reacher (or Lee Child) would be hard to imagine.

[Paul Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

PI chases drug dealers with a nice mix thrown in. Good for an afternoon read as it was only 200 ish pages.

[Rachel Brinksman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good solid read with a nice twist!

Sam and Indie are endearing and charming. A wholesome exploration into a dark world. Would have scored higher but feel the end was a bit abrupt. I will however be buying book #2 in the series . Definitely worth a visit 😁

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detective Samuel “Sam” Prichard (Denver PD, retired US Army), Detective Danny “Dan” Jacobs (Denver PD), & Agent Carlson (DEA boss), were at the AT& T Building about to make a drug bust.
Shots were exchange.
Sam was in the hospital shot in the acetabulum.
Dr. Schmidt was giving him both the good/bad news about the injury.
He had to retire from the Denver PD.

Months later Sam was done with the emotional support group & physical therapy.
He still had to use a cane though.
Sandy Ward told Sam her Cassie Rice (12, granddaughter) was missing, & could he find her.
Indiana “Indie” Marie Perkins (f, MIT, IT degree, computer whiz) was going to go to work for Sam.
Indie & her daughter Kenzie Mackenzie were moving into PI Sam’s house & she would work out of there.
Indie found out Allen Rice (Cassie’s dad, drug dealer) was using Facebook & drugspot.org to sell drugs.

His buyers were: Jason Burgess, John Merrell, Steve Wilson, Connie Miller & 16 others.
Sam spoke with Levi Stein (Wal-Mart) about Allen Rice’s missing daughter Cassie.
A certain Mr. E.I. sent James a letter with a special request.

What did Mr. Harold Winslow (US Navy Seals, CIA contractor) want to meet with Sam about?

Sam didn’t like Kansas huh, guess where I live?

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written physiological thriller book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great detective mystery movie, or better yet a mini TV series. To be continued. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free Thomas & Mercer; Amazon Digital Services LLC; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Marti · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strange book. Sam gets injured as a policeman so he is out on disability. He meets a nice woman with a cute daughter--and then things become very weird.

[Marty Fried · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got the audiobook version of this, and it was pretty well done. It's a good story for that format, as it's simple, not too many characters, and no problems with the reported bad editing, so I wasn't distracted by that. It took me only a day to read, kind of like a short story. It was an enjoyable, feel-good story, but lacked depth. It sounded good from the description, and I will probably try at least one more in the series (the first two Kindle versions are free).

From the description, it compared the protagonist, Sam Prichard, to Jack Reacher. I could see some similarities in some fairly superficial ways, but Reacher seems edgier to me, and if you've read his books, he's really not that edgy. But I suppose Reacher may be a bit too edgy for some, always seeming to want to get in a fight to prove how tough he is. Sam Prichard is more the opposite, it seems. But they both like to help others, and they do what they believe is right.

[Tulay · Rating 3 out of 5]

You'll be smiling at the end, maybe.

Sam finished restoring his 1969 corvette, nothing more to fix in his big empty house. After being shot on the job has good retirement package from the police department. Sitting around and wondering what to do with his life. Grandmother of the missing girl is at his door, asking for help. This starts a new adventure, meets a young, educated and very clever mother of four years old girl. Indie Perkins is hacker, just what Sam needs to find the little girl. Mystery and new chapter in his life starts with feel good ending, maybe he's hoping too much!