Open Season

Lt. Joe Gunther is a Korean War Vet and 18year 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. So begins Archer Mayor's first book in this series about murder and mayhem in rural Vermont. Mayor does a good job at filling out his characters so that they seem like real people, with real jobs and real problems. The late 1980's was a tough time in this region and Mayor does a good job at giving it the right melodramatic flare (or sputter). The story itself is a great tangle of circumstances that lead to a credible ending without the use of any cheap tricks or side characters who come out of nowhere to produce the antagonist.

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.

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 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.

I read this book for a class in school and thought it was an incredible book. It made me want to keep reading to find out what happened. The chase at the end does not seem confusing and is quite enjoyable. Detail this great makes for a wonderful book, and Open Season is just that: a wonderful book. This book would be great for any mystery lover, and will be a great addition to your collection.