Doug McCool, a Vietnam vet now working as a process server in San Francisco, gets his dreamed-of chance at playing PI.

McCool is handed a hot one: he's supposed to serve a Federal Order to Show Cause to an elusive Mr. Gunter, the plaintiff being the government of Iran. But a run-in with another citizen puts Doug temporarily out of action. When the op who takes Doug's place is murdered, Doug makes the career jump from process server to PI in an effort to keep his own ass out of the proverbial sling.

Join him on a wild romp through San Francisco in the Swinging Seventies, with a cast of far out characters, guns, sex, drugs and, of course, too many spies.

REVIEWS

"Set in the summer of 1973, Miles Archer's convoluted tale of conspiracy, betrayal and sudden death skillfully depicts the atmosphere and events of that tumultuous decade. His hero, Doug McCool, is a Vietnam vet coping with the pain of a war injury, the emotional devastation of post-traumatic stress and an uncertainty about who he wants to be and what to do with the rest of his life. The book has more than enough action, mystery and interesting characters to keep you reading on into the night, whether you're old enough to remember the 70's or not. Mr. Archer's keen eye and apparently eidetic memory bring those bygone days back to life with all the color and confusion that characterized them, yet he does so with a clear understanding of their complexities as well."
--Elizabeth Burton, Blue Iris Journal

"Also, if you like good hard boiled detective stories with a spy thriller twist, read or own... Miles Archer's Too Many Spies Spoil The Case His hero Doug, is a mild mannered process server, or is he. Flawed and human, Doug, sets out to serve papers for a client and finds himself in the middle of a case that involves, Middle East terrorists, Israeli Mossad, and the CIA. Each time you think you have it solved our Author throws in another twist and more suspense."
--Char Lyons, A Mystery Fanatic

"Sort of the literary equivalent of TNT's Movies For Guys Who Like Movies, TOO MANY SPIES SPOIL THE CASE has the recommended dosage of male fantasy elements: gorgeous, hot-to-trot stenographers, gun runners, gun battles, fast cars, sleek boats, secret agents...hell, there's even a Pirate King.

But a couple of things (besides the Pirate King, that is) should help this first Doug McCool book stand out from the rest of the crime fic littering beach blankets this summer; the first being the quirky cast of Doug's cohorts, in particular his gay ex-army buddy Rick, and Barbara, his Girl Friday (and pretty much any other day ol' Doug's got it going on). Archer manipulates his characters with affectionate ruthlessness, and he's got an ear for natural, unforced dialog (where there is any), as well as an easy narrative style.

The real strength of this series, however, lies in the potential of half-Irish, half-Jewish Doug McCool himself. Though Doug has seen military service (in the Philip Marlowe tradition), he's still a kid. He wants to be a PI when he grows up. He likes girls and boats and driving fast and drinking too much. Boys just want to have fun, and though this boy has been around the block, he's still enough of a romantic and an idealist to make him interesting.

Archer sets his series in the 70's (Yikes! Does that count as a historical novel nowdays?), a time of cultural and social change that has yet to be fully explored in crime fiction. The many references to socio-political milestones are amusing or poignant as the mood may take you. Though lighter-hearted than Robert Crais or James Lee Burke, Archer falls squarely in the hard-boiled tradition."
--DL Browne, Wicked Company

"Miles Archer has mastered the technique of character development. He describes each player with clarity and forthrightness. Archer is also adept at writing clever dialogue, spinning in a sarcastic, dry humor that really allows the reader to identify with his protagonist.

Written in first person narrative, Archer takes his audience inside the mind of Doug McCool. He unleashes Doug's thoughts and emotions by showing not telling, an essential ingredient in good writing. Archer weaves in historical events from the 1970s, astutely guiding his reader through the timeline of events. While the protagonist is involved in some pretty shading dealings, he redeems himself in the end, making Doug a very likable character indeed."
--Kathy Kehrli, Inscriptions Magazine