I found the book very interesting and informative since I grew up in Brattleboro. I treasure the book since my father was one of the co-authors (Richard H. Wellman)

After reading this collection of classic Vermont humor and laughing 'til it hurt, I pursued the author and married him! We're both still laughing.

Read the book - the laughing part will work. The marriage part's been taken care of, however.

Joe Gunther needs to escape from Brattleboro. The pressures of his job and his deteriorating relationship with his girl friend have become too much so he takes a temporary assignment in Gannet, Vermont. Gannet is where he spent many happy summers while growing up and he hopes the atmosphere will help him get back on track. However, a mysterious fire that leaves five dead, a strange cult, a missing young woman, and a murder blamed on his boyhood friend Rennie, all place Gunther right back in the hot seat as he tries to unravel who killed who.

As in all Gunther novels the police work is believable and the characterization is strong. Gunther is not a fiery detective but he is methodical and eventually puts all the pieces together. I didn't feel that this novel was as strong as "The Skeleton's Knee" or "Fruits of the Poisonous Tree" but it is still a good read for mystery lovers.

All of Archer Mayor's books have a gripping story line. Although the stories are first class, the pictures drawn with words as the story unfolds are the best that I have ever encountered. The magnificent metaphors can create, in less than one sentence, images that may take other authors pages.

Although each book is independent in and of itself, I enjoy reading the stories in sequence. There is a steady progression in character development and interpersonal relationships as we go from story to story.

If you are a mystery fan, I am sure that you will enjoy the entire series as much as I have. If you are a student taking a course in creative writing, I don't think that you will find a better word artist than Archer Mayor.

As a frequent visitor of Brattleboro Vermont, I can tell you that Mr. Mayor knows the town and it's surrounding area like no one else. However, the real reason this novel and all his subsequent works are so gripping is because of his excellent characterization and ability to build suspense. All his characters are well drawn, but his protagonist, Joe Gunther is so real, that I have trouble believing he is fictional. A great read for all who appreciate realism in a mystery.

First, let me say that Mr. Mayor certainly knows police procedure. I don't know if his background is in law enforcement or not (mine is not) but the whole thing sounds very convincing to me. The story concerns Lt. Joe Gunther of the Brattleboro Vt. police department and his attempts to unravel the murder of Benny Travers, one of Brattleboro's less savory citizens. All the signs begin to point to an Asian gang invasion of Brattleboro and the surrounding communities and Mr. Mayor leads us convincingly through the process that Lt. Gunther takes to solve the murder.

Mr. Mayor is a good writer and his sense of place is very strong, however I found the writing very un-emotional. It almost seems as if you're reading a police report rather than a fictional mystery. There is also a large cast of characters and it's sometimes hard to keep them straight. Especially since many of the characters in this book or oriental with both their given names and their anglicized names used interchangeably.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, with some reservations. If you like police procedure this book is excellent. I don't think Mr. Mayor takes any liberties at all with reality when he describes what Lt. Gunther has to go through to not only conduct his investigation but to appease the beauracracy in his own department. So it's a very realistic book. However, if you like a more slam-bang approach (which I admit, I do) you may find this book just a tad tedious.

All of Archer Mayor's books have a gripping story line. Although the stories are first class, the pictures drawn with words as the story unfolds are the best that I have ever encountered. The magnificent metaphors can create, in less than one sentence, images that may take other authors pages. Although each book is independent in and of itself, I enjoy reading the stories in sequence. There is a steady progression in character development and interpersonal relationships as we go from story to story.

If you are a mystery fan, I am sure that you will enjoy the entire series as much as I have. If you are a student taking a course in creative writing, I don't think that you will find a better word artist than Archer Mayor.

As a former prosecutor who has read many mysteries over the years I look for more than just an entertaining read these days. Authenticity and character development are very important. Joe Gunther's persona is so well developed that you can understand his actions--he doesn't jump out of character to suit the plot line. This novel (and Mayor's others) are carefully researched with a strong sense of place. Moreover, Mayor shares some keen insights about law enforcement that show a rare understanding of its compexities.

Archer Mayor is to be praised for his precise clarity. To make the average reader understand that a search warrant improperly executed makes everything found (up to and including murder weapons), null, void and inadmissible as evidence is a difficult concept, yet Mr. Mayor succeeds. His writing is so realistic; we are as disappointed as the police.

Brattleboro VT police detective Joe Gunther's very special lady friend of fifteen years (Joe is nothing if not a careful man), Gail is brutally raped over a three-hour period not long after Joe has left her house. Joe is enraged, guilt-stricken, and stunned. Gail is shattered, but fortunately is being taken care of by her highly experienced women's group. Though Gail can barely speak, she indicates she wants Joe in charge of the case. The majority of his fellow policemen and all of his superiors try to discourage him from attempting this dual role as clear-eyed, impartial cop and Gail's distraught comforter.

After some brilliant police work, a clear trail leads to a thoroughly despicable scumbag who has all the right credentials. A search of his house solidifies his guilt. An aborted arrest attempt leaves Joe in a coma after suffering abdominal stab wounds from the suspected man. To add to this unfortunate turn of events, it is found the warrant was improperly served and the assailant cannot be tried for the rape. (A silver lining, of course, is that he CAN be tried for attempted murder.) After Joe staggers back on duty, it begins to look as if the rapist must be someone else. Joe is further knocked about, bounced on his head, and shot, but justice is eventually served.

The book is very tightly and skillfully written. I had a few qualms about Joe and Gail. They were so lofty in their sentiments, understanding and goals, they seemed to me to belong on pedestals in the park rather than ordinary (if superior) people. I was as dubious as everyone else in Brattleboro about the propriety of Joe taking the lead in the investigation. Think a lot less mayhem would have ensued with Joe being left on the bench. Then there were Joe's remarkable recuperative abilities. I couldn't help but wince every time he tore his stitches out anew while grappling with the bad guys.

This is one hard-boiled mystery that I admire the craft more than the probability. Grade: B-

Detective Joe Gunther's girl friend has been raped. All clues point to convicted rapist Bob Vogel and Gunther leads the police in hunting Vogel down. But Gunther is almost killed by Vogel, and as Gunther recupurates from the near-fatal stabbing he takes a closer look at the evidence and begins to have doubts. Could it be that they've got the wrong man behind bars and the real rapist is still out there ready to strike again?

Like all of Mayor's Gunther novels the police work is believable as are the characters. The dialog is well done and Mr. Mayor has a way of grounding us in place in Brattelboro Vermont and shows us how a small town really works. If you like a good mystery and especially police procedurals this whole series is good with this book perhaps the pick of the litter.

All of Archer Mayor's books have a gripping story line. Although the stories are first class, the pictures drawn with words as the story unfolds are the best that I have ever encountered. The magnificent metaphors can create, in less than one sentence, images that may take other authors pages. Although each book is independent in and of itself, I enjoy reading the stories in sequence. There is a steady progression in character development and interpersonal relationships as we go from story to story.

If you are a mystery fan, I am sure that you will enjoy the entire series as much as I have. If you are a student taking a course in creative writing, I don't think that you will find a better word artist than Archer Mayor.

I really like Mayor's books, however, after the first three where the plot was built around someone being framed, I was beginning to lose interest. No one is framed in this one, and the action moves right along. It gets a little confusing at the end, but overall , a good read.

I HAD NEVER READ THIS AUTHOR BEFORE. THIS BOOK IS NOT ONE TO BE PUT DOWN. THE STORY WAS CLEAR, THOUGH TWISTING, CHARACTERS VERY ALIVE. I HAVE READ MYSTERIES FOR 30 YEARS NOW AND DID NOT FIGURE THIS ONE OUT--I HAD TO READ THE ENDING!

All of Archer Mayor's books have a gripping story line. Although the stories are first class, the pictures drawn with words as the story unfolds are the best that I have ever encountered. The magnificent metaphors can create, in less than one sentence, images that may take other authors pages. Although each book is independent in and of itself, I enjoy reading the stories in sequence. There is a steady progression in character development and interpersonal relationships as we go from story to story.

If you are a mystery fan, I am sure that you will enjoy the entire series as much as I have. If you are a student taking a course in creative writing, I don't think that you will find a better word artist than Archer Mayor.

This is the first in the series about Joe Guther, a police lieutenant in Brattleboro, Vermont. The story does very well in portraying life in Vermont and the politics in a small city in which everyone has to answer to someone.

The character development is well done and the love interest aspect is satisfying. There are a plenty of subplots, maybe too many, but the overall story is inventive without being too complicated. However the various successful developments of solving the mystery do seem to be very conveniently available.

The solution is more of following the dots than putting the pieces of the puzzle together to get the big picture, the way most police solve crimes.

Better than the average crime novel but if you read 1-3 a week, you might have trouble remembering much about the book 2 weeks after finishing it.

I read this book because one of the characters is modeled after someone I know. Although the part pertaining to that person spans a few pages, I am glad I read the story. Obviously, it takes a stretch of the imagination to make Vermont that exciting, but it is credible and enjoyable. I have read all of Ridley Pearson, Patricia Cornwell, John Sandford, and several others. I will now begin the task of completing Mayor's series. His research is thorough, and it is easy to visualize the story as you read along.

All of Archer Mayor's books have a gripping story line. Although the stories are first class, the pictures drawn with words as the story unfolds are the best that I have ever encountered. The magnificent metaphors can create, in less than one sentence, images that may take other authors pages. Although each book is independent in and of itself, I enjoy reading the stories in sequence. There is a steady progression in character development and interpersonal relationships as we go from story to story.

If you are a mystery fan, I am sure that you will enjoy the entire series as much as I have. If you are a student taking a course in creative writing, I don't think that you will find a better word artist than Archer Mayor.

Call it bookman's snobbery, but it seems like far more novels are published in hardcover than deserve the honor. The cardboard bindings, generous type and colorful wrapping gives the feeling that what you hold in your hand is a work of lasting value. It's saying this is not just a paperback story whose pages age into brittleness as fast as you turn them.

Archer Mayor's series about Vermont detective Joe Gunther well deserve the hardcover treatment. His seventh book, "The Ragman's Memory" is a richly crafted tale that begins with the discovery of a hank of human hair in a bird's nest, and grows into a web of interrelated murders driven by greed, insanity and pride.

It's also a book whose plot should not be summarized further. Even reading the jacket copy would spoil the fun of watching Gunther -- competent and bland but surrounded by a great supporting cast -- start with a small girl's wonderment at the hank of human flesh she found, and follow that thread as it grows and turns tangled and convoluted. It's a mandlebrot of a story. The closer Gunther and the rest of the Brattleboro police force look, the more details appear, the list of suspects grow, and the implications and dangers of what they find increase.

Mayor tells his tale with carefully chosen words that economically reveals its details without padding. His writing is focused and sometimes intimate at unexpected moments, whether spotting a detective with an unusual method of passing the time at stakeouts, or creeping into the mind of a World War II veteran unable to leave the Battle of the Bulge.

Acting as the amphitheater for this morality play is Vermont, a state of rugged, sometimes heartbreaking beauty, mashed against the reality of industrial towns that have outlived their usefulness but which survive on sheer inertia. It's a landscape as compelling as Chandler's Los Angeles or Hillerman's New Mexico, and Mayor's skill renders the Green Mountain State with sympathy and beauty.

It all begins when a young girl brings a bird's nest for Lt. Joe Gunther to look at. The nest has strands of human hair plaited throughout. Not too unusual however there are patches of scalp still attached to the hair which leads Gunther to believe there's been a homicide. Other seemingly unrelated deaths occur. Strange deaths such as a potential witness to the first homicide dying of rabies. Or a much-disliked older woman being strangled in her nursing-home bed. Are they all related, Gunther wonders, and if so, how.

I've enjoyed all of Mr. Mayor's Gunther novels and this was no exception. His plots are convoluted but they all tie together neatly at the end. His characters are very believeable and his ability to place you in snowy Vermont is exceptional. He'll keep you guessing until the end. In a market flooded with mediocre mysteries the Joe Gunther novels stand out. I'd recommend this one and any of the others too.

All of Archer Mayor's books have a gripping story line. Although the stories are first class, the pictures drawn with words as the story unfolds are the best that I have ever encountered. The magnificent metaphors can create, in less than one sentence, images that may take other authors pages. Although each book is independent in and of itself, I enjoy reading the stories in sequence. There is a steady progression in character development and interpersonal relationships as we go from story to story.

If you are a mystery fan, I am sure that you will enjoy the entire series as much as I have. If you are a student taking a course in creative writing, I don't think that you will find a better word artist than Archer Mayor.

The plot line of the book sounds suspiciously like the plot of Richard Russo's Straight Man. Just an observation.

A dead body is found on the railroad tracks, its head and hands crushed by the locomotive. A young prostitute is found murdered in her home in the poor section of town, her head almost severed from her body. Two seemingly unrelated crimes and yet a powerful Vermont legislator's name keeps popping up whereever Joe Gunther looks. And as Gunther and the Brattleboro police department dig further, more and more suspects and theories emerge. But who's the real killer? And how does this all tie to a toxic dumping scam.

Once again Mr. Mayor writes a good, solid small-town police procedural. The characters are all well drawn and they interest you. Mr. Mayor knows his procedure and it all rings true. I've remarked in past reviews of this series that perhaps Brattleboro is too small a venue for so many crimes and Mr. Mayor seems to agree. Joe Gunther will be joining the new Vermont Bureau of Investigation for his next novel. It should open up a great many more possibilities. Anyway, this is a fine book like most of the Joe Gunther novels and I recommend it.

For those interested in police procedural work and how small town law enforcement operates,along with the politics involved, there is no better series. Rich in geographical detail; I like to keep a roadmap of the North Eastern states beside me as I trace Joe Gunther's travels around the area, invetigating and running down clues,in this case strange killings linked to hazardous waste. This is the tenth entry in the series and each book builds upon it's predecessors. In order to fully understand Joe and Gail's relationship in this book, one should go back to "Fruits of the Poisonous Tree" and go on from there. Or better still, start at the beginning "Open Season" and read the whole series in order of publication.

Joe Gunther has a mystery on his hands. Who is the body found face-down in the quarry with all the labels cut out of his clothing. The dead man looks vaguely slavic and he has some cyrillic characters tattooed on his toes, but that's it. As Gunther tries different avenues he finds that suddenly the CIA wants to talk to him about the murder. And when he goes to Washington he's attacked by a knife-weilding assassin. But the final straw is when he's suspended for allegedly stealing a diamond brooch missing from a jewelry store robbery. Joe is convinced that he's been set-up to take him off the case and he goes after the Russian mob on his own.

Mr. Mayor is a good writer. His characters and dialog have always struck me as being believable. However I think he's finding that having his protagonist work in the small town of Brattleboro Vermont is becoming a bit too constraining. In this mystery we've got the CIA and the Russian mob. We've got ex-Russian spies fighting for their lives and we've got a mob shootout that almost costs Gunther his life. Perhaps a bit too much to believe for Brattleboro. Not that the mystery itself is bad. I still think that Mayor's novels are many times better than a lot of the junk that passes for mysteries these days. I just think that this particular book doesn't quite measure up to his earlier works.

I had enjoyed several Mayor novels prior to this one: a sensitive and humble hero, nicely shaded supporting characters, multidimensional villains, complicated but carefully developed plotting. And framed by a lovingly drawn Vermont background.

But I guess Archer decided he wants Arnold to someday play Joe Gunther on the silver screen because this one leaves all of the above behind. Instead we have an ever-widening and increasingly unbelievable web of FBI, CIA, Russian operatives and a hail of bullets.

I think the reader from Maryland asks the right question: Did Archer Mayor really write this book?

Say it isn't so, Archer.

Archer Mayor is a good plot crafter. He sets up crimes bereft of any clue except one - and that one clue leads to many more. In this outing, there are ambitious city politicians, CIA spooks, and Russian mafia of all things. If Mayor was heavy handed or trite, he would have these evil forces pulling every impossible dirty trick from a comic book you could imagine. Thankfully, he shows restraint. The writing and dialogue is lean, the story moves quickly (sometimes too quickly) and there is a cliffhanger type of ending. One thing that would change my review to five stars is this: I don't feel a payoff from the climactic endings. All the events leading up to the finale are satisfactory.

Not to readers - you will get the most satisfaction from these books if you read them in sequence. You will get to know the characters and understand their motivations and personalities.