The Dark Root

I've said this before but it's worth repeating: Mayor is a fine writer and I've enjoyed all his books from the first to the latest. If you like police mysteries you'll find he is a craftsman of the first order. If you just like a good story and a well crafted plot, you can't go wrong with Archer. But be advised: The first of his books you read won't be the last! In this tale, Archer goes north of the border to expand Joe Gunther's search for answers to what was behind a terrifying home invasion in Brattleboro. Go 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.

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.

I've read all of the Joe Gunther mysteries except for Occam's Razor and The Skeleton's Knee. This one if my favorite. It is the most tense and fastest paced out of the bunch. It is also very eerie in that we don't know or see the criminals except when they strike at one part of the state or the other. We only hear sketchy details about the criminal's lives as Joe's squadron does their research and deduction. The criminals in this case are Asian gang kingpins. Since we don't see them at work, we are spared stereotypes or other such gaffes. Instead, we get to sense the frustration that goes into investigating highly mobile, nationally networked, very sub-rosa criminals. Despite all the investigations, the story moves very fast. My only complaint is the ending is not satisfactory - it's almost comic bookish given the dose of reality throughout the story.

So detailed and accurate that it places you into the story. This was not your usual murder mystery but rather a real life drama as a cop would live it. It is well written, keeps your attention and doesn't give you a sense of being fictitious. Coming from Vermont is is all too real given the descriptive images of the towns and villages the detective works through. A very good book worth reading.