Good Sam

By: Dete Meserve

Narrated by: Laurel Schroeder

Length: 6 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

This feel great story of mysterious fortunes and unexpected romance is now a Netflix feature film!

After years covering murders, disasters, and tragedy for Los Angeles TV news, Kate Bradley knows that violence and cruelty are everywhere and that good is hard to find.

When she is assigned to cover a story about ten people who have each found $100,000 in cash on their front porch, Kate is intrigued by the anonymous Good Samaritan, dubbed Good Sam, who is behind it all. As interest in the extraordinary gifts sweeps across the country, Kate finds the elusive Good Sam and her exclusive interview with him thrusts her into the national spotlight. Even as his message captivates viewers and wins ratings, Kate suspects he may not be all he claims to be and that the real Good Sam is still out there.

Searching for answers, Kate unravels the powerful and unexpected reason behind the mysterious cash gifts and the true identity of Good Sam becomes the biggest surprise story of her career, turning her personal and professional life upside down.

©2014 Dete Meserve (P)2015 Dete Meserve

Critic reviews

"If you are a Nicholas Sparks or Richard Paul Evans fan, I'm betting you will like author Meserve's new book Good Sam. Uplifting, heart wrenching and a two hankie read, this story is a winner." (Cheryl Stout, Amazon Top Reviewer)

"In her debut novel, Meserve writes a fast-paced mystery/romance that's well grounded in the nitty-gritty details of local TV news...a solid feel-good romance sparked with mystery." ( Kirkus Reviews)

"Who is Good Sam? That is the question that will keep readers guessing. With a delightful premise and enough twists and turns to keep things interesting, Good Sam is a good read. Everything about this book is just sweet, especially firefighter Eric. Handsome and heroic, he will make you want to call 911." ( Romantic Times)

Wonderful message!

What did you love best about Good Sam?

The beautiful message about sharing. Everything in the news today is about what is wrong with our society and this was such a refreshing and wonderful idea about helping others and not expecting anything in return.

What about Laurel Schroeder’s performance did you like?

She had a very professional delivery that was easy to listen too.

Any additional comments?

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. Since I like very clean audio books I asked before I took it if it might contain any language or sex scenes. I was told no. Although there wasn't much that was offensive, there was some language and a sex scene that I thought the book would have been better off without. It has such a wonderful message that I felt was overshadowed by this, which is why I gave it a four instead of a five.

Good Story, GREAT NARRATION!

This is what I call a comfort read, with a twist. I really enjoyed this book. The slight mystery going on put this book into a whole new genre for me. It wasn't just a romance but a great reminder that there are good people in this world. Kate is a great character, she is tough, strong and honest, exactly what a women should be (IMHO). The romance is very light. I think this was more about loss, deceit and strength than it was romance. It really makes my heart smile when the characters in a book get it right without all the drama, just because they are good people and know how people should be.

The narration on this audiobook was fabulous! This was my 1st Laurel Schroeder but we not be my last. I think she captured Kate perfectly and did a great job on the male characters, so good I really never thought about the narrator being a female when she was reading for the males and I usually do. I'm very picky about female to male and vice versa!

If you like a book that drags you in from page one and leaves your heart a little lighter, this is a book for you!!

Perfectly good listen!

Great syntax, narrative, & well told! Unique, plausible, meaningful, has a tinge of humor, above par fiction.

Good Read! Who is Good Sam?

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes I would recommend this audiobook to a friend. I think it is the kind of book that everyone would enjoy the read.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the way this story is written and you do not really know until the end who is Good Sam.

Have you listened to any of Laurel Schroeder’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This book is well written, has lots of dialogue which I like yet lets you know what the main character is thinking. Great story line and great listen.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, and I did listen to it all in one sitting only stopping once for dinner. A good read.

Any additional comments?

This audiobook was provided by the author/narrator/publisher free of charge in exchange for an unbiased review.

The Gifts of a Mere Man

Would you listen to Good Sam again? Why?

It was a good story, I did rewind it a few times to stay on point.

What other book might you compare Good Sam to and why?

I think I never read anyting like this novel before, probably because it was a little far fetched...like the movie Play it Forward.

What does Laurel Schroeder bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Imagination

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No , not really I was glad for Eric that he found his true love.

Any additional comments?

The book was a very intresting audio to listen to, I did enjoy the mystery of finding Good Sam. Although I feel Frank should have given, Eric's brothers wife 5,000 dollars for the college fund and it was never mentioned again. I believe his brother meant take care of them as take care of his family?

Author Blogger, Narrator & Writer DeAnn DeVille

Book Made For Hallmark TV Movie - Feel Good

Kate is working her way up in the Los Angeles TV news arena. She is no longer covering puff pieces but getting into the really gritty, hard news. However, one day her editor pulls her off a particularly gruesome report to work on, what she considers, a puff piece about someone leaving money all around the area without a note and in complete anonymity.

Kate bites the bullet and jumps in. This good Samaritan or 'Good Sam' is more than anyone gives him/her credit.

Kate quickly has suspicions as to whom this good Samaritan maybe. However, when she meets him for an exclusive interview she is still a bit unsettled. Is he who he says he is or is another person really the one who should get the credit?

Kate is taken on, or more accurately, chases every lead until she can be certain that what she is writing is the truth.

The story was a bit predictable but that's not a bad thing. Sometimes it is nice to listen to something positive and feels good.

The performance was good and a pleasure to listen to. She was able to capture the spirit of the book, in my opinion.

Notes: Nothing to warn you about.
Stars: 4 in each category


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Well told tale with lots of interesting insight into TV journalism

This story is quite good except for the cliché of opposing suitors, one heroic and good, the other manipulative and venal. Also, 2 unpleasant characters “flick a bit of lint” off designer menswear. Where was the editor on that trope?? The mild bellyaching by the heroine was also unnecessary and reduced many moments in the story to soap opera status. Still, I read it all the way through, and admit I mostly enjoyed it.

Good Sam

I loved the story! The development of the characters, and the story were both insightful, and captivating!

A Good Lighthearted Story With Great Narration!

This is what I call a comfort read, with a twist. I really enjoyed this book. The slight mystery going on put this book into a whole new genre for me. It wasn't just a romance but a great reminder that there are good people in this world. Kate is a great character, she is tough, strong and honest, exactly what a women should be (IMHO). The romance is very light. I think this was more about loss, deceit and strength than it was romance. It really makes my heart smile when the characters in a book get it right without all the drama, just because they are good people and know how people should be.

The narration on this audiobook was fabulous! This was my 1st Laurel Schroeder but we not be my last. I think she captured Kate perfectly and did a great job on the male characters, so good I really never thought about the narrator being a female when she was reading for the males and I usually do. I'm very picky about female to male and vice versa!

If you like a book that drags you in from page one and leaves your heart a little lighter, this is a book for you!!

An excellent book that is superbly narrated!

Any additional comments?

Good Sam by Dete Meserve is a wonderful story that words cannot adequately describe. It's a feel good romantic mystery with a very satisfying ending. While I was listening to the Audible version narrated by Laurel Schroeder I kept thinking this book would make a great movie. As I write this review, I just saw that Good Sam is in production as a feature film and I couldn't be happier!

The story focuses on Kate Bradley who lives in LA and works as a TV news crime beat reporter. She is the daughter of a US Senator who is getting significant pressure from her father to move to Washington, DC to cover the political scene. One morning Kate is assigned to cover a human interest story about a few people who were each given $100,000 in cash by an anonymous donor. Soon after Kate interviews two of the recipients who were both in dire financial straights, she names the mysterious donator the "Good Samaritan" or "Good Sam" for short. Within a few hours the story makes national news and before Kate can uncover the identity of the mysterious donor, the number of $100,000 donations has grown to ten and dozens of people are claiming responsibility, including an ex-boyfriend of hers. The rest of the story is Kate figuring out the true identity of Good Sam and the motivation behind each of the specific donations.

Laurel Schroeder's narration was excellent. She differentiated between male and female voices and changed the tempo in the performance when warranted. I was totally engrossed into the story imagining different characters speaking. I also felt that her portrayal of the true Good Sam was "swoon-worthy." In summary, an excellent book that is superbly narrated!