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Joe Gunther #14
Gatekeeper
A known drug dealer is found hanging from a railroad trestle in Rutland, the daughter of a political bigwig is dead of an overdose in the man’s apartment, and a young woman (Gail Zigman’s niece) is shot while trying to rob a convenience store for drug money. Heroin is hitting Vermont in unprecedented quantities. Vermont Bureau of Investigation special agent Joe Gunther (and Zigman’s long time partner) is called upon by the governor to put his agency’s talents to work staunching this flood. Unfortunately for Joe, headstrong colleague Sammie Martens takes the initiative and goes undercover in Holyoke Massachusetts before a more organized operation can be put in place. Does Joe pull her out, or take advantage of this lucky but very risky break? Is Sammie fully prepared for what she’s about to encounter? Meanwhile, Gail Zigman, stunned by her niece’s plight, heads off on her own to discover what led to this tragedy, and Lester Spinney — another of Joe’s co-workers — finds that the scourge of drugs may have hit inside his own family, forcing him to put his job in jeopardy. Taking place in Holyoke and Brattleboro, Springfield, and Rutland, Vermont, Gatekeeper forces Joe Gunther to choose between possibly saving the lives of countless potential victims, and those of the friends he cherishes.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2003
129 people are currently reading
385 people want to read
About the author
Archer Mayor
43 books730 followersOver the years, Archer Mayor has been photographer, teacher, historian, scholarly editor, feature writer, travel writer, lab technician, political advance man, medical illustrator, newspaper writer, history researcher, publications consultant, constable, and EMT/firefighter. He is also half Argentine, speaks two languages, and has lived in several countries on two continents.
All of which makes makes him restless, curious, unemployable, or all three. Whatever he is, it’s clearly not cured, since he’s currently a novelist, a death investigator for Vermont’s medical examiner, and a police officer.
Archer has been producing the Joe Gunther novels since 1988, some of which have made the “ten best” or “most notable” lists of the Los Angeles and the New York Times. In 2004 Mayor received the New England Booksellers Association book award for fiction.
Intriguing plots, complex characters, and a vivid landscape are the foundation of Archer Mayor's award-winning New England thrillers.
All of which makes makes him restless, curious, unemployable, or all three. Whatever he is, it’s clearly not cured, since he’s currently a novelist, a death investigator for Vermont’s medical examiner, and a police officer.
Archer has been producing the Joe Gunther novels since 1988, some of which have made the “ten best” or “most notable” lists of the Los Angeles and the New York Times. In 2004 Mayor received the New England Booksellers Association book award for fiction.
Intriguing plots, complex characters, and a vivid landscape are the foundation of Archer Mayor's award-winning New England thrillers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
September 17, 2021
I have been working my way through the whole Joe Gunther series. This book was every bit as enjoyable as the previous books.
February 18, 2022
I really enjoy the Joe Gunther series, but this one is seriously damaged by a very disappointing ending. Sammie goes undercover to catch some drug dealers. However, the story piddles out at the climax. I wonder if Mayor had a deadline to meet.
November 18, 2016
My least favorite in the Joe Gunther series. Not a bad story, but it seems like Mayor got tired of writing. Everything was going along fine…and then it just stops with a lot of stuff left hanging. Maybe that'll get tied up in the next one. IF you're reading the series you should probably read this one, but if you're not, don't start with this one. You'll never read another and they are usually a great read.
February 5, 2023
One of the best regional series going.
April 6, 2023
Gatekeeper, the 14th Joe Gunther novel by Archer Mayor was OK but nothing special. I wasn't much interested in any of the characters and there was much less of Joe Gunther than I was expecting. The main character was actually Sammie Martens, a detective who charged into the investigation recklessly and wasn't someone I'd admire or particularly want to read about. And for a story as mediocre as this one was it had a particularly unsatisfying ending.
After reading many reviews here in GR after I finished I found many who thought this was by far the worst of the Gunther novels. I would have started at the beginning of the series but this was the earliest one I could find. I may take a chance on another one but certainly not for quite a while.
After reading many reviews here in GR after I finished I found many who thought this was by far the worst of the Gunther novels. I would have started at the beginning of the series but this was the earliest one I could find. I may take a chance on another one but certainly not for quite a while.
August 5, 2022
Always a good read, Joe Gunther, Vermont Bureau of Investigation. This published 2003.
VBI is fictional. His office and home are in rural Brattleboro. Now the rural areas are becoming as bad as the cities with the drug problems. The people he loves most are involved so that he has to struggle during the investigation. His significant other, GALE, has an addicted niece in a coma (LAURIE) that threatens to change their close relationship.
Everyone gets involved when a known drug dealer is hung from a train trestle as a signal someone new is taking over turf. It’s the drug death of the governor’s major fund-raiser ’s granddaughter that inspires him to start his re-election campaign with crackdown on drugs statewide. He gets a special task force set up and relentlessly pushes them.
Det. SAMMIE (like a daughter to Joe) will go undercover playing her former Greta Novak act (with ski instructor she met in last escapade, BILL DANCER) to discover who the main drug dealers are that are planning a “formal” take over of drug trade in VT with JOHNNY RIVERA. They’ll call her “Gatekeeper” to keep her identity safe. She has the most interesting role to play… the most dangerous. MANUEL, her liaison to the primary man taking over VT, is giving her 2nd thoughts about where she is in life.
Det. SPINNEY will confront his son’s secret temptation to join the drug-using kids.
ARNIE is regretting owning a convenience/gas store with the frequent robberies from more druggies, being threatened each time with weapons with which he doesn’t argue. In spite of his non-violent attitude, he buys a gun and still lives in fear. He’s a law-abiding citizen who does everything “right” by the law, so where is the reward for being a model citizen, community supporter, and hard worker—a responsible family man?
Joe has very high-maintenance team and family life. He's a "regular Joe" (not, he's special) - impossible not to like.
VBI is fictional. His office and home are in rural Brattleboro. Now the rural areas are becoming as bad as the cities with the drug problems. The people he loves most are involved so that he has to struggle during the investigation. His significant other, GALE, has an addicted niece in a coma (LAURIE) that threatens to change their close relationship.
Everyone gets involved when a known drug dealer is hung from a train trestle as a signal someone new is taking over turf. It’s the drug death of the governor’s major fund-raiser ’s granddaughter that inspires him to start his re-election campaign with crackdown on drugs statewide. He gets a special task force set up and relentlessly pushes them.
Det. SAMMIE (like a daughter to Joe) will go undercover playing her former Greta Novak act (with ski instructor she met in last escapade, BILL DANCER) to discover who the main drug dealers are that are planning a “formal” take over of drug trade in VT with JOHNNY RIVERA. They’ll call her “Gatekeeper” to keep her identity safe. She has the most interesting role to play… the most dangerous. MANUEL, her liaison to the primary man taking over VT, is giving her 2nd thoughts about where she is in life.
Det. SPINNEY will confront his son’s secret temptation to join the drug-using kids.
ARNIE is regretting owning a convenience/gas store with the frequent robberies from more druggies, being threatened each time with weapons with which he doesn’t argue. In spite of his non-violent attitude, he buys a gun and still lives in fear. He’s a law-abiding citizen who does everything “right” by the law, so where is the reward for being a model citizen, community supporter, and hard worker—a responsible family man?
Joe has very high-maintenance team and family life. He's a "regular Joe" (not, he's special) - impossible not to like.
March 13, 2021
This was fairly good until the end, which I thought was a letdown. I have two major problems with the plot, though: The drug trade is a brutal business, so be prepared for a rougher read than in many of Mayor's novels.
January 26, 2019
This was my first Archer Mayor book. Mostly appealing because the author lives in southern Vermont, and bases his crime stories there, where I also live. Great fun to hear about drug dealers and car chases through Brattleboro. The book kept me going, for sure. But not so satisfied in the end. A few interesting characters, but thin plot, unsatisfying. I may have to read the next one, though, to see where it picks up!
April 28, 2021
I have read all the previous Joe Gunther books and liked every one better than this one. I really didn't like book focus being on Sammie Martens. After getting used to that, I just didn't enjoy the story much either. Drugs are an old subject and were old when this book was written. It didn't add anything to my knowledge and didn't keep me interested enough in the story.
January 17, 2016
Good story.
Drugs, how they're being distributed and sold in beautiful small town in Vermont. Very believable story, undercover operations to find the killer and distributors. One families fight to keep their children away from it all.
Drugs, how they're being distributed and sold in beautiful small town in Vermont. Very believable story, undercover operations to find the killer and distributors. One families fight to keep their children away from it all.
April 26, 2018
Not the strongest entry in the series in my opinion. The behavior of several of the key characters is out of line with what we've seen from them so far. The undercover story line just didn't work for me.
July 19, 2018
I did not like this book as well as the other Joe Gunther series I have read. I like having at least something ending up good, but everything was ambiguous from the stat to the end. But it was worth reading if only to follow an undercover agent from start to finish.
October 1, 2018
Mayor has written several Joe G. books. Of the ones I've read this was not my favorite. The beginning
almost encouraged me to quit - it drug on and on. Finally he got to the story which as great.
The ending didn't seem complete and the plot didn't include much of Joe.
almost encouraged me to quit - it drug on and on. Finally he got to the story which as great.
The ending didn't seem complete and the plot didn't include much of Joe.
November 30, 2019
Not sure if it was the new style of presentation or the subject matter, but this one did not thrill me as much as past Joe Gunther tales.
April 6, 2018
Having come to know the characters after reading all the previous novels in this seties, I enjoyed Gatekeeper, another in the Joe Gunther series. Having moved on from being a Brattleboro detective to heading the newly established Vermont Bureau of Investigation, Gunther is finding her has to walk a high wire between the other Vermont police agencies and politicians. The previous book dealt with the personal life of one of his detectives, Willy Kunkel, who investigated the murder of his ex wife in New York City. This book mostly deals with Gunther's other chief investigator, Sammie Martens, who has just started a relationship with Kunkel. Martens takes it upon herself to go undercover to infiltrate a heroin ring that has had set its sights from expanding from Massachusetts into Vermont. There are other subplots, such as Gunther's significant other, Gail, dealing with the fallout of her niece being shot while committing a robbery to get drugs, and another VBI investigator, Lester Spinney, who fears his teenage son is getting mixed up with the wrong crowd.
To be honest I simply love Martens and her attitude of throwing caution to the wind is refreshing. It's also fascinating to see her seduced by the dark side of undercover work, seeing a part of herself that could have been if circumstances were different. This novel in the series is pretty straightforward but Martens really makes it shine. Martens gives the book it's four stars.
To be honest I simply love Martens and her attitude of throwing caution to the wind is refreshing. It's also fascinating to see her seduced by the dark side of undercover work, seeing a part of herself that could have been if circumstances were different. This novel in the series is pretty straightforward but Martens really makes it shine. Martens gives the book it's four stars.
November 20, 2025
Archer Mayor examines heroin in Vermont: the means of transmission and the effects on social order. Series regular detective Joe Gunther, now head of the Vermont Bureau of Investigation, has discovered a route from Holyoke, Massachusetts to Rutland, Vermont that he is determined to close, as the “gatekeeper” of the book’s title.
While Gunther provides the overview (and deals with political pressure), Mayor tells the story through different characters. A female officer goes undercover on her own initiative and finds that her experience has hardly prepared her, the most compelling subplot of Gatekeeper. A woman close to Gunther, feeling guilty over neglecting an addicted niece in a coma, shelters another addicted young woman. A police officer worries about his son’s experimenting with drugs and bends the law following the boy. A convenience store owner shoots the niece in her inept attempt at robbery, his story serving as introduction and epilogue.
The drug dealers do not get their point of view except for brief passages, but Mayor attempts to make them more than just villains, particularly in the character of Manuel, who likes comic books and cooks with flair.
Mayor tries to present various perspectives on Vermont’s heroin problem and deliberately leaves much unresolved, an effective approach, but I felt he needed to write more to accomplish all of his goals for the book.
While Gunther provides the overview (and deals with political pressure), Mayor tells the story through different characters. A female officer goes undercover on her own initiative and finds that her experience has hardly prepared her, the most compelling subplot of Gatekeeper. A woman close to Gunther, feeling guilty over neglecting an addicted niece in a coma, shelters another addicted young woman. A police officer worries about his son’s experimenting with drugs and bends the law following the boy. A convenience store owner shoots the niece in her inept attempt at robbery, his story serving as introduction and epilogue.
The drug dealers do not get their point of view except for brief passages, but Mayor attempts to make them more than just villains, particularly in the character of Manuel, who likes comic books and cooks with flair.
Mayor tries to present various perspectives on Vermont’s heroin problem and deliberately leaves much unresolved, an effective approach, but I felt he needed to write more to accomplish all of his goals for the book.
March 23, 2022
AM's book about the burgeoning drug trade in VT. Sammie becomes skier Greta again to get into the drug organization.
known drug dealer is found hanging from a railroad trestle in Rutland, the daughter of a political bigwig is dead of an overdose in the man’s apartment, and a young woman (Gail Zigman’s niece) is shot while trying to rob a convenience store for drug money. Heroin is hitting Vermont in unprecedented quantities. Vermont Bureau of Investigation special agent Joe Gunther (and Zigman’s long time partner) is called upon by the governor to put his agency’s talents to work staunching this flood. Unfortunately for Joe, headstrong colleague Sammie Martens takes the initiative and goes undercover in Holyoke Massachusetts before a more organized operation can be put in place. Does Joe pull her out, or take advantage of this lucky but very risky break? Is Sammie fully prepared for what she’s about to encounter? Meanwhile, Gail Zigman, stunned by her niece’s plight, heads off on her own to discover what led to this tragedy, and Lester Spinney — another of Joe’s co-workers — finds that the scourge of drugs may have hit inside his own family, forcing him to put his job in jeopardy. Taking place in Holyoke and Brattleboro, Sprin
known drug dealer is found hanging from a railroad trestle in Rutland, the daughter of a political bigwig is dead of an overdose in the man’s apartment, and a young woman (Gail Zigman’s niece) is shot while trying to rob a convenience store for drug money. Heroin is hitting Vermont in unprecedented quantities. Vermont Bureau of Investigation special agent Joe Gunther (and Zigman’s long time partner) is called upon by the governor to put his agency’s talents to work staunching this flood. Unfortunately for Joe, headstrong colleague Sammie Martens takes the initiative and goes undercover in Holyoke Massachusetts before a more organized operation can be put in place. Does Joe pull her out, or take advantage of this lucky but very risky break? Is Sammie fully prepared for what she’s about to encounter? Meanwhile, Gail Zigman, stunned by her niece’s plight, heads off on her own to discover what led to this tragedy, and Lester Spinney — another of Joe’s co-workers — finds that the scourge of drugs may have hit inside his own family, forcing him to put his job in jeopardy. Taking place in Holyoke and Brattleboro, Sprin
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2018
I have read dozens in this series and this is maybe my least favorite. The story line involves increasing amounts of heroin appearing in Vermont, but the characters seem shallow. We've met them all before, and feel like we know them pretty well, but the plot is a patchwork of under-developed sub-plots, such as the family crisis of Lester, involving his son's dabbling with druggie friends. It isn't really resolved and by the end of the book. Similarly, the sub-plot involving Gunther's on and off girlfriend Gail, with a drug related robbery and wounding, is a series of 'headlines' with little real development, including Gail's thinly veiled 'threat' to run for some unspecified office. The main story of Sammie's undercover work is very complicated with a lot of twists and turns, but overall, not all that compelling. Finally, as mentioned by some other reviewers, the book ends rather abruptly, as though Mayor reached a page limit or just got tired of writing. Overall, I was disappointed since I thoroughly enjoyed most of the rest of the series. If you've read the others, you could safely skip this one, and if you haven't, don't make this the first Joe Gunther you read.
November 2, 2025
#14 in the Vermont police 50 something year old lieutenant joe Gunther mystery series. This a very good police procedural series showing the nitty gritty day-to-day investigating work to solve a mystery. Former Brattleboro, Vermont, cop, Joe is now the #2 man of the new Vermont Bureau of Investigation (VBI), a joint task force charged with statewide responsibility for major crimes and now works collaboratively with the various other police units in the state to aid in their investigations.
The Vermont governor vows to stop the flow of drugs into the state when in the course of a week a young heroin addict is gunned down while trying to rob a convenience store, a narcotics dealer is found hanging from a bridge, and the granddaughter of a political bigwig who is a major supporter of the governor dies of an overdose. This brings Joe and his team into dealing with the situation. However, as in the previous novel, the main character is not Joe but team member Sammie Martens, who initiates an undercover investigation on her own to discover who the main drug dealers are that are planning a “formal” take over of drug trade in Vermont
The Vermont governor vows to stop the flow of drugs into the state when in the course of a week a young heroin addict is gunned down while trying to rob a convenience store, a narcotics dealer is found hanging from a bridge, and the granddaughter of a political bigwig who is a major supporter of the governor dies of an overdose. This brings Joe and his team into dealing with the situation. However, as in the previous novel, the main character is not Joe but team member Sammie Martens, who initiates an undercover investigation on her own to discover who the main drug dealers are that are planning a “formal” take over of drug trade in Vermont
October 15, 2025
Joe Gunther, a member of the Vermont Bureau of Investigation, is part of a multi-agency task force to try to stem the flow of drugs into their state. The group has taken on the nickname of 'Gatekeeper'. One of Joe's young agents, Sammie Martens, has decided to take matters into her own hands and go deep undercover with a drug gang. Joe is reluctant to allow Sammie to place herself in the situation but she is already in too deep to stop her. Using the name Greta, Sammie approaches a dealer, offering to help him get a toehold in Vermont. Greta and a man named Manuel, a forced partnership by the gang, begin making contact with users in Rutland offering drugs and sometimes even a piece of the leadership role. The buyers are also undercover police or CIs who help with Greta's legitimacy. However, something just does not seem right to Sammie and she is about to find out just how dangerous her situation has become.
This has been one of my favorite series for years now. I enjoy the characters very much and love the setting.
This has been one of my favorite series for years now. I enjoy the characters very much and love the setting.
August 22, 2025
In spite of the natural beauty of Vermont - lakes, mountains, trees, farmland, meadows, and even climate - Archer Mayor's tales of Detective Joe Guenther focus on the darkness pervading human nature. They are hardly Chamber of Commerce fare.
Gatekeeper is no exception.
A tale of drug trafficking, murder, and undercover police work mixed with family problems, post-traumatic stress, and incidentally two murders, the narrative starts strong but runs out of steam well before the climax. The primary message seems the war on drugs, focused on the supply, sale, and use, has failed because equal effort hasn't been applied to why drug use is endemic. Cogent arguments densely overwritten, the novel fails to satisfy.
Gatekeeper is no exception.
A tale of drug trafficking, murder, and undercover police work mixed with family problems, post-traumatic stress, and incidentally two murders, the narrative starts strong but runs out of steam well before the climax. The primary message seems the war on drugs, focused on the supply, sale, and use, has failed because equal effort hasn't been applied to why drug use is endemic. Cogent arguments densely overwritten, the novel fails to satisfy.
April 16, 2019
Archer Mayor's Joe Gunther series is very good, this one is no exception, it started slow, but I got more into it towards the middle of the book, drugs don't really interest me. But the story line was good, so good that I was worried that Sammy would not make it out of the mess she got herself into. It is good to have stories about drug trafficking, it makes you stop and think about the world around you. If you like the Joe Gunther series you will like the Gatekeeper.
June 28, 2022
Just like every book in this series, I loved this book. Sammie is the focus in this one as she goes undercover to try and take down an interstate drug ring. She gets in over her head and even developes some feelings for one of the men she is tasked to take down. It goes sideways and is almost the end of her. We see her and Willy still moving forward with their relationship as well. I just love the Joe Gunther series.
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November 26, 2022Sammie goes undercover and immerses herself into being Greta, a woman with a plan and the guts to make it happen. Interspersed with Sammie's adventures are Gail's struggles to come to terms with her life, politics, and the drug trade in Vermont. This was a really engrossing novel until the end. I'm still wondering what message Mayor was trying to convey by creating such a resolution to Sammie's part of the story.
April 24, 2023
3.5 rounded down to 3 stars.
This entry in the series focuses on Sammie going undercover in connection with an attempt to shut down a major drug supply to Vermont. Sammie uses the identity she cooked up a couple of books ago when she and Joe went undercover at a ski resort. There are two side stories, one involving Gail (Joe's friend) and one another of the other VBI agents, both concerning drug use from different angles.
This entry in the series focuses on Sammie going undercover in connection with an attempt to shut down a major drug supply to Vermont. Sammie uses the identity she cooked up a couple of books ago when she and Joe went undercover at a ski resort. There are two side stories, one involving Gail (Joe's friend) and one another of the other VBI agents, both concerning drug use from different angles.
May 12, 2018
Joe is upset about heroin coming into his state, Vermont, and this is way back in the 1990's, so the book foretells of a future where we are all worried about heroin coming into our states. He wasn't wrong about that. He puts a cop undercover in an effort to better understand who is bringing it in and how they are doing it. Good solid murder mystery.
July 12, 2021
I listened to the audiobook and loved the audiobook and the book. Great story and well played. Scary. My husband and I are thinking of moving back to New England and I probably should stop reading this wonderful series. Too much crime! Too many drugs. If you can get the audiobook, listen. Five stars.
January 18, 2023
It was OK, I gave it a three, I would’ve liked to have seen a little more of Joe Gunther an action. I thought the undercover female police officer was a bit over done, but that’s about it. I would recommend that you give it a read. This is my first Joe Gunther book so maybe the others are more focused on him and not so much on everything else.
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September 12, 2023DNF Got to page 26--it was way too grim for my current mood. I'm also less attracted to the stories now that Gunther has moved out of his previous position in town.
I didn't rate it because I assume it's well written as all Mayor's books are and that it becomes interesting as it goes along and probably deserves better than the one-star review I'd give it at this point.
I didn't rate it because I assume it's well written as all Mayor's books are and that it becomes interesting as it goes along and probably deserves better than the one-star review I'd give it at this point.
October 10, 2017
Good read about police procedures. Interesting insights to drug issues in Vermont, and how drug use among teens affects families. Very detailed. No hot sex, nor high body count, nor cursing typically found in crime novels
Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews