Bellows Falls

A richly detailed edge-of-your-seat thriller. It made me want to revisit familiar Vermont haunts and do some new exploring, too.

The whole thing begins simply enough. Joe Gunther is asked to help the police chief of nearby Bellows Falls investigate a sexual harrassment complaint against one of his officers by Jan Bouch. However Gunther quickly realizes that there is more to the whole thing than simple sexual harrassment when he meets Jan's con-man husband, Norm. Does Norm really run drugs as the Bellows Falls police believe and is he behind the disappearance of known drug seller Jasper Morgan?As with all of Mr. Mayor's books the plot seems simple to begin with but as Joe Gunther peels away layer after layer we finally realize just how convoluted the whole thing is. I'm always amazed at how Mr. Mayor is able to tie it all up neatly at the end, but he does. And it always makes sense when he's finished. As always Mr. Mayor's characters are dead on. And he really seems to know what makes a small police department tick. All of the Joe Gunther books are just flat-out entertaining. These stand head-and-shoulders above much of the garbage that passes for mysteries these days. I recommend all of Mr. Mayor's books highly.

This, the 7th in the series is as entertaining as the first. The author has a winner in his main and secondary characters. If you like mysteries, you'll read 'em all in a hurry and wait for the next one.

Great if you like a well spun yarn with facinating characters who deal with real life problems. Great to read a book set in places you can find on the map, and recognize if you have ever been in Bellows Falls.

Emile Latour, the police chief of Bellows Falls, Vermont asks for assistance from the police department of nearby Brattleboro. Lieutenant Joe Gunther of Brattleboro is loaned to Latour to investigate a claim of sexual harassment against one of the local officers, Brian Padgett. The accusation against Brian was brought forward by Jan Bouch, the spouse of a local drug king, Norm, who has never been charged with trafficking. Joe begins to investigate and soon thinks the local cop may be guilty of the sexual harassment charge, but wonders why Norm would file anything that brings attention to him with the police. Joe digs deeper into the case and starts to uncover a larger conspiracy orchestrated by Norm. This knowledge places Joe in danger and helps him understand why a punk like Jasper Morgan would flee rather than be interviewed by Joe. If Joe is not careful, he could easily be the next victim. Like the seven Joe Gunther novels that preceded BELLOWS FALLS, this book is a great mystery due to its wonderful characters (ranging from the good and decent Joe to the amoral Norm) and the seedier side of the Green Mountain State. The story line is fast-paced and exciting as the mystery well written. Archer Mayor remains one of the top mystery writers on the market today. Harriet Klausner