Good Sam

This feel-good story of mysterious fortunes and unexpected romance is now a Netflix feature film.

When Los Angeles TV news reporter Kate Bradley is assigned to cover a story about ten people who have each found $100,000 in cash on their front porch she sets out to find the identity of 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.

Praise for Good Sam

“Meserve’s narrative has… a dry wit and well-conceived dialogue throughout. Kate’s relatable qualities of self-reliance tinged with vulnerability drive this gratifying mystery-romance about finding the good guys—and knowing when to recognize them.”
—Publishers Weekly
“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
Good Sam had everything from suspense to drama. And the heartfelt ending had me smiling for days.”
—First for Women Magazine
“Who is Good Sam? That is the question that will keep readers guessing. With a delightful premise and enough twists and 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 Book Reviews
“If you are a Nicholas Sparks or Richard Paul Evans fan, I’m betting you will like author Meserve’s book Good Sam. Uplifting, heart wrenching, and a two-hankie read, this story is a winner.”
—Cheryl Stout, Amazon Vine Voice and Top 1000 reviewer
“Breaking News: this new author has managed to write a compelling mystery/love story with no dead bodies to be found. Bravo! Hollywood take note—author Dete Meserve takes us into a world not often explored, and writes fluidly, always leaving the reader wanting to turn the page (or Kindle, next!). Hot stuff!”
—Author and former Fox reporter Barbara Schroeder

A Note from Dete

Many years ago, my friend and KNBC News reporter, Laurel Erickson, invited me to spend a day with her “riding along,” as she covered the news for NBC4 in Los Angeles. What started as a routine day covering a story about water use on a golf course quickly became a breaking news story when an elderly man plowed his car through a busy farmer’s market in Santa Monica, killing ten and injuring sixty-three others. Laurel quickly went into action, covering the chaotic scene and putting me to work finding witnesses who would talk with her. Watching Laurel, calm and assured as she covered this tragic event, provided great inspiration for the character of reporter Kate Bradley.

Real-life hero Larry Collins, a battalion chief and leader of the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Urban Search and Rescue Task Force, provided another crucial model for the character of Eric Hayes. Larry’s heroic rescue of a building inspector trapped in a sixty-foot-deep vertical shaft—an act that earned him the distinguished Medal of Valor—became the blueprint for one of the rescue scenes in Good Sam. Other rescue scenarios drew from additional rescues Larry had undertaken. His unassuming heroism and remarkable ability to view extraordinary acts as simply doing his job inspired Eric Hayes’s character in the novel.

Good Sam (now a Netflix Original Film) isn’t a typical mystery where we’re seeking a killer, kidnapper, or other criminal. Instead, Good Sam is a mystery in which we’re seeking someone who’s doing astonishing good—leaving $100,000 cash on strangers’ doorsteps. As interest in Good Sam sweeps across the country, reporter Kate Bradley finds the elusive Good Sam and her exclusive interview with him thrusts her into the national spotlight. But Good Sam is not all he claims to be, and even as his message captivates viewers, Kate wonders if the real Good Sam is still out there. When she finds him—in a place she never expected—she unravels the powerful and unexpected reason behind his mysterious cash gifts.