Open Season

Lt. Joe Gunther is a Korean War Vet and 18 year veteran of the Brattleboro police department. Joe's wife (of eight years) died twelve years ago and he lives quietly by himself. Brattleboro is a quiet New England town where not much happens from year to year and murders less frequently than that. When a man looking for his dog is shotgunned by an old woman, a stolen car with a sawed off shotgun is found in a man's driveway, and a young woman is sexually assaulted Joe finds a disturbing pattern of familiarity. They all served on the same capital murder jury three years ago.

This is the first in the series about Joe Guther. It was written in 1988 so there are no cell phones when needed, and the forensic part is now out of date because it show more does not refer to DNA evidence - they are still comparing blood types. I liked the main character and how he went about solving the crime. The ending was good but sudden. show less

When members of a jury that served on a murder case about three years previously in Brattlesboro, Vermont are threatened and even killed, Lt. Joe Gunther informally reopens the case. It's not long before he and others are in danger as well. Who is the mysterious person behind the "ski mask"? Was the person brought to trial for the old murder case framed? It's up to Joe to find out before he meets the same fate as others. While I enjoyed this first installment, I really didn't like some aspects of the case, primarily because some parts were out of my comfort/toleration zone. If I read additional installments, I will want to make sure that those elements are not present in future installments.

This author is another find for me this year. Open Season scores on all major points - the protagonist is interesting and likeable, the plot is gripping, and the descriptions of the winter-time Vermont are vivid. What I did not like were the few vital questions that are left unanswered, and the villain's omniscience which is inexplicable. However, I had a good time with Mayor's storytelling and hope that the future books in this long series have the said issues taken care of, as I am planning to read more of this series.

Open Season by Archer Mayor, the first in a mystery series, is set in Brattleboro, Vermont and features police Lieutenant Joe Gunther. An elderly woman apparently has shot dead a man accosting her at home. He had been harassing her and had threatened to attack her that night. But it quickly becomes more complicated, as Joe learns that the man may have been set up, and that both killer and victim served together on a jury that convicted a janitor of murder. Other jurors may be in danger, and corners may have been cut in securing the conviction. But re-examining the case would put Joe in conflict with his peers, who don't want their actions questioned. A mysterious person they call "Ski Mask" may be behind what happens, with an show more undisclosed agenda.

This is a solid police procedural. There are some flaws, e.g. Joe doesn't check on the uninvolved jurors even though they may be in danger, and overall it may be too low key for some tastes. But the latter seems to fit with the Vermont locale. The series now has 24 books and a dedicated fan base. While not a barn-burner, I found this one an entertaining diversion, and Joe an appealing character. I'll be trying another one to see how the author develops the story. Three stars. show less

While visiting Vermont, stopped at a book store and found a shelf full of one author, a local Vermont author writing crime fiction. Had to try one out. It was pretty good. And as it's the first book in the series, I expect they'll just get better.

Joe Gunther is a police officer in Brattleboro Vt. And he got hauled out of bed in the wee hours to check out a crime scene with a dead body. Looks cut and dried after talking with the old lady who shot the intruder of her house, but things quickly become more difficult. It also appears to be related to a case that was closed several years previously.

To me the whole book kept feeling like it was a Canadian crime fiction, I don't know why, maybe Canada has a strong influence on the area, or the show more author. Anyway I enjoyed the book, felt the writing was solid and do plan to read more of his books in the future. show less

This is the first in a series featuring Joe Gunther, a police lieutenant in Brattleboro, Vermont. The storyline in Open Season is interesting and well written. The details kept the flow of the book going and built up the plot right to the end.

The book begins when someone wearing a ski mask is setting up crimes using jurors from a case in which a black janitor is accused and found guilty of the murder of a young woman living in the building he maintains. Soon it appears that the janitor was also set up and the Brattleboro police department appears complicit in a rushed investigation. The janitor is now in the Vermont state prison where he is the victim of racist acts by inmates.

Some of the character dialogue could get confusing as there show more were multiple characters in the storyline at that time and sometimes it wasn't clear who was doing the talking. The story was a bit slow at the beginning. But the characters are realistic and the description of Vermont made it sound very beautiful. Like many first in a series books this one has potential and I'll try another Joe Gunther book when I get a chance. show less

Great start for a very good series. Interesting characters, complex but feasible plot sustains interest until the end. Which ending requires a second coda to wrap things up.