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Joe Gunther #13
The Sniper's Wife
The harrowing call comes from the NYPD. Willy's ex-wife, Mary, has been found dead in her Lower East Side apartment and Willy is asked to identify the body. Torn from his beloved Vermont, Willy returns to the city of his hard-drinking youth with misgivings that deepen when he sees Mary's sad corpse on a gurney. Because of a fresh puncture mark in her arm, the police think she overdosed. Yet Willy has doubts. Driven by loss and guilt, he searches deeper and deeper into his past, to a long-ago Vietnam where he was a merciless loner known as the Sniper. Soon Willy will answer for his old sins...and live up to his chilling nickname.
312 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
September 15, 2021
At last, we get to know Willy Kunkle, the sardonic and shadowy detective whose role in Joe Gunther's squad has been gradually increasing throughout the series. Kunkle's streetwise methods, which often succeed where police orthodoxy fails, don't always stand up to close inspection. We get increasing hints of Kunkle's complex past and personality in previous novels, but "The Sniper's Wife" takes us all the way into his tortured past and tormented brain. It's a fascinating journey, more satisfying than the crimes and punishments that send this brilliant but flawed man spiralling ever deeper into his own mind.
January 8, 2022
Not one of the series best because Willie Kunkle is a difficult character to like. It's difficult to understand what Sammi sees in him and it's difficult to understand why Gunther puts up with him. In this story, though, his bullheaded ways win out. A slight wrinkle in the Gunther series.
September 16, 2015
Not bad. I didn't realize this was part of a series until I had it home andand well into the first half of the book.
April 13, 2022
Since it is impossible to read Archer Mayor's books in order (the first ones are simply not available, except in expensive first editions), I'm skipping around. This second try is (apparently) atypical in that none of it takes place in Vermont. Instead, it follows Willy Kunkle, a physically and emotionally scarred policeman who is one of the series' main characters, to New York following the death of Kunkle's ex-wife.
Mayor is not as at home in New York as he is in Vermont, and the characters are somewhat choppier accordingly. The "good NYPD cop" felt a little too good, and too easygoing, to be true. But the story is compelling, and the resolution reasonably satisfying. The exploration of Willy Kunkle's history would probably be more powerful if I had read the book at a different point in my trajectory through this series; and nonetheless it's compelling.
Mayor is not as at home in New York as he is in Vermont, and the characters are somewhat choppier accordingly. The "good NYPD cop" felt a little too good, and too easygoing, to be true. But the story is compelling, and the resolution reasonably satisfying. The exploration of Willy Kunkle's history would probably be more powerful if I had read the book at a different point in my trajectory through this series; and nonetheless it's compelling.
July 29, 2022
#13 in series
Willie Kunkle is an exhausting man to have for a friend, a co-worker and a lover. Suffering PTSD from childhood through V.N. as a sniper, he's impossibly complicated and intriguing, but some are drawn to him in spite of their common sense. After hints of all this in other novels, this one tells the story of his early life and the reasons for his personality and relationships. Not that he'll ever change all that much -- the past never dies -- but we watch as he shows glimpses of his softer side that he slowly discovers after proving Mary was murdered, not a suicide case.
The story begins with his having to go to NYC to I.D. his former wife in the morgue.
We're also treated to interesting historical tidbits not every tourist goes to see in NY.
Willie Kunkle is an exhausting man to have for a friend, a co-worker and a lover. Suffering PTSD from childhood through V.N. as a sniper, he's impossibly complicated and intriguing, but some are drawn to him in spite of their common sense. After hints of all this in other novels, this one tells the story of his early life and the reasons for his personality and relationships. Not that he'll ever change all that much -- the past never dies -- but we watch as he shows glimpses of his softer side that he slowly discovers after proving Mary was murdered, not a suicide case.
The story begins with his having to go to NYC to I.D. his former wife in the morgue.
We're also treated to interesting historical tidbits not every tourist goes to see in NY.
August 14, 2024
I like Willie Kunkel as a side character. I did not like him as a main character. It was similar to Harlan Cohen’s ‘Win’. I couldn’t take a whole book of Win.
Gimme Joe Gunther and Myron Bolitar.
Gimme Joe Gunther and Myron Bolitar.
August 19, 2014
This book was just okay. It is a rather pedestrian effort. Willy Kunkle is a Vietnam vet who is now a cop for the newly formed Vermont Bureau of Investigation. He has a paralyzed left arm and heaps and heaps of unresolved anger and guilt. When his ex-wife is found dead from a heroin overdose in New York, Willy goes to identify the body and becomes convinced that her death was no accident nor was it suicide. He is too reckless and yet suffers no consequences for his law breaking, jurisdiction ignoring, and general ill tempered investigating. I found him rather unlikeable which made it hard to root for him even as an anti-hero.
November 23, 2016
Willy Kunkle is not Joe Gunther so while I enjoyed Joe's book where he investigated the case of Gail's sexual attack, this installment dealing with the death of Kunkle's ex-wife was a dead bore. I didn't bother to finish it.
I might have if the narrator was Tom Taylorson. This was by Christopher Graybill. I will buy the one narrated by Taylorson once it's released on Audible. I emailed Blackstone Audio and they said they are planning to re-release the author's booklist with Taylorson narrating them.
I might have if the narrator was Tom Taylorson. This was by Christopher Graybill. I will buy the one narrated by Taylorson once it's released on Audible. I emailed Blackstone Audio and they said they are planning to re-release the author's booklist with Taylorson narrating them.
April 14, 2023
Willy’s story
This is a different view of the Archer Mayor series of Joe Gunther - it is a great series, but I have always like Willy. His character has had serious growth over the years, and some of the most heart warming. I liked getting his back story in gritty NYC - which is some prep for where the series has ended up. I reread this book - 10 years on, and it held up well. I’d rather read VT based books, but borders don’t really exist for much of the crime world. Very enjoyable read.
This is a different view of the Archer Mayor series of Joe Gunther - it is a great series, but I have always like Willy. His character has had serious growth over the years, and some of the most heart warming. I liked getting his back story in gritty NYC - which is some prep for where the series has ended up. I reread this book - 10 years on, and it held up well. I’d rather read VT based books, but borders don’t really exist for much of the crime world. Very enjoyable read.
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February 8, 2023I kept you wondering what was going on and what was coming next. Never sure who was behind it all.
I liked the way Willy was analyzing his own life.
I would recommend it to all who like mysteries.
I can't think of any part I didn't like.
I liked the way Willy was analyzing his own life.
I would recommend it to all who like mysteries.
I can't think of any part I didn't like.
February 16, 2023
One of the best in the Series, especially because much of the plot takes place in New York City and shows the author’s knowledge of the NYC neighborhoods and the toxic environment there. I give it 4-½ Stars.
February 20, 2022
This book was just a hard no for me. The story was super lackluster. I didn't care for Willie Kunkle, and what I thought might end up being a good mystery turned into a snooze-fest. I think I only continued with it because of the narrator. I've never read anything by Archer Mayor, and I'm not sure if I will again.
March 21, 2019
I picked this book for the title. Did not realize it was a series book. I need to go back and start at the beginning. This was a quick read.
September 11, 2015
ROAD TRIP
This is the thirteenth entry in the Joe Gunther series. Gunther is a little beyond middle aged police chief in Brattleboro, Vermont and in the later books the chief of the fictional Vermont Bureau of Investigation. Just like Joe, this is a very solid series - police procedurals with a little mystery and a little action. Joe is surrounded by a well developed supporting cast in both his professional and personal life. Consistency - without becoming stale or repetitive - is the key with these books. The author has stayed true to form while adding new characters, settings and dynamics and I've yet to be disappointed after I've picked up a Joe Gunther book. The evolution/growth of Joe's position - city chief to state chief - is a perfect example of this. Realizing that Gunther & Team could only investigate a finite number of mysteries in Brattleboro the author simply expanded his universe with Joe's promotion without missing a step.
The Sniper's Wife is another step in expanding the series as Willy Kunkle - one of Joe's subordinates - is the central character. Willy is a Vietnam Vet who carries all that "literary" label's stereotypical baggage - sullen, cynical, bitter, quick to anger and a loner. When he gets word that his ex-wife has been found dead in a Brooklyn apartment, the victim of an apparent suicide/overdose, Willy simply gets in his car and heads south to the Big Apple. After identifying her body Willy begins investigating on his own finding clues that suggest his ex was murdered while running afoul of the local authorities. Enter Joe Gunther and part of the team to save Willy and the day.
This all may not sound too original - and it's not - but the author is able to carry this off in an engaging - and mostly believable - manner. Although not the best book in the series, The Sniper's Wife is still a good read. If you're new to the series I wouldn't start here, pick one of the earlier books. If you're a fan I think you'll enjoy the change of venue.
This is the thirteenth entry in the Joe Gunther series. Gunther is a little beyond middle aged police chief in Brattleboro, Vermont and in the later books the chief of the fictional Vermont Bureau of Investigation. Just like Joe, this is a very solid series - police procedurals with a little mystery and a little action. Joe is surrounded by a well developed supporting cast in both his professional and personal life. Consistency - without becoming stale or repetitive - is the key with these books. The author has stayed true to form while adding new characters, settings and dynamics and I've yet to be disappointed after I've picked up a Joe Gunther book. The evolution/growth of Joe's position - city chief to state chief - is a perfect example of this. Realizing that Gunther & Team could only investigate a finite number of mysteries in Brattleboro the author simply expanded his universe with Joe's promotion without missing a step.
The Sniper's Wife is another step in expanding the series as Willy Kunkle - one of Joe's subordinates - is the central character. Willy is a Vietnam Vet who carries all that "literary" label's stereotypical baggage - sullen, cynical, bitter, quick to anger and a loner. When he gets word that his ex-wife has been found dead in a Brooklyn apartment, the victim of an apparent suicide/overdose, Willy simply gets in his car and heads south to the Big Apple. After identifying her body Willy begins investigating on his own finding clues that suggest his ex was murdered while running afoul of the local authorities. Enter Joe Gunther and part of the team to save Willy and the day.
This all may not sound too original - and it's not - but the author is able to carry this off in an engaging - and mostly believable - manner. Although not the best book in the series, The Sniper's Wife is still a good read. If you're new to the series I wouldn't start here, pick one of the earlier books. If you're a fan I think you'll enjoy the change of venue.
June 13, 2013
Giving your main character flaws is an essential part of writing fiction. Making him so unlovable that the reader can barely stomach the pages on which he appears is a trick of an entirely different order -- one that requires remarkable skill to pull off. We don't have to root for the main character; we don't have to agree with every decision or action; we don't even have to like him or her. But we do have to be interested.
Alas, Willie Kunkle, the cop at the heart of THE SNIPER'S WIFE, is unlikable to the point of being boring. He spends inordinate amounts of energy pushing away people close to him -- which includes us, the readers. I hated him, and not the kind of hate that keeps me reading.
The plot here was just enough to keep me in it to the finish, sort of the way I'll finish an episode of CSI I don't care about if I get 10 or 15 minutes in -- just the compulsion to see how things turn out.
My other complaint about this book is that the prose is choked with unnecessary adjectives and adverbs. Opening the book to a random page, I find characters smiling softly and suggesting gently; the same pages also reveal a hopeful expression, a newfound hobby, and a voice rich with frustration and importance. And the word "slightly"? Oh, man. It seems to appear on every page.
And Mayor never met a line of dialogue he couldn't over-explain:
"Ogden chose his phrasing carefully."
"... he said vaguely..."
"Willy proceeded carefully."
"Willy kept it short and honest."
"... he said, trying to sound purely professional."
... and so on. It's more than slightly painful, the reviewer noted, trying to sound snarky and clever but coming up slightly short of both.
So, yeah, this one was a disappointment.
Alas, Willie Kunkle, the cop at the heart of THE SNIPER'S WIFE, is unlikable to the point of being boring. He spends inordinate amounts of energy pushing away people close to him -- which includes us, the readers. I hated him, and not the kind of hate that keeps me reading.
The plot here was just enough to keep me in it to the finish, sort of the way I'll finish an episode of CSI I don't care about if I get 10 or 15 minutes in -- just the compulsion to see how things turn out.
My other complaint about this book is that the prose is choked with unnecessary adjectives and adverbs. Opening the book to a random page, I find characters smiling softly and suggesting gently; the same pages also reveal a hopeful expression, a newfound hobby, and a voice rich with frustration and importance. And the word "slightly"? Oh, man. It seems to appear on every page.
And Mayor never met a line of dialogue he couldn't over-explain:
"Ogden chose his phrasing carefully."
"... he said vaguely..."
"Willy proceeded carefully."
"Willy kept it short and honest."
"... he said, trying to sound purely professional."
... and so on. It's more than slightly painful, the reviewer noted, trying to sound snarky and clever but coming up slightly short of both.
So, yeah, this one was a disappointment.
December 27, 2021
This is my first foray in to Archer Mayor's tales of Joe Guenther and his team from the Vermont Bureau of Investigation. Starting well past the first installment is always dicey and picking up this one proved the point. Reading an earlier novel will show if stylistically this novel is the same or if it is a departure in writing as well as location.
Willy Kunkle, a difficult person but competent detective, returns to New York City to identify the body of his ex-wife Mary. What ensues is an extended character study of Willy as he reintegrates himself into his old life and haunts while trying to determine if she died from an overdose or was murdered - of course it was the latter.
The descriptions of NYC are extensive and in my view overdone. The writing is effusive, with virtually every noun given an adjective. The sentences are overlong and the printing in the edition 2007 edition from AM Press is off in many places with two syllable words split in two, like "be fore" and "al most" enough to be distracting. The police work is described in a believable manner, and though some of the action stretches the imagination the climax is sufficiently tense and satisfying.
Willy Kunkle, a difficult person but competent detective, returns to New York City to identify the body of his ex-wife Mary. What ensues is an extended character study of Willy as he reintegrates himself into his old life and haunts while trying to determine if she died from an overdose or was murdered - of course it was the latter.
The descriptions of NYC are extensive and in my view overdone. The writing is effusive, with virtually every noun given an adjective. The sentences are overlong and the printing in the edition 2007 edition from AM Press is off in many places with two syllable words split in two, like "be fore" and "al most" enough to be distracting. The police work is described in a believable manner, and though some of the action stretches the imagination the climax is sufficiently tense and satisfying.
January 22, 2018
Having read the earlier books in the Joe Gunther series, this was a departure from the others. The first dozen were told from Gunther's perspective, but The Sniper's Wife deals with one of his trusted detectives, Willy Kunkel, who is investigating the apparent overdose death of his ex wife in New York City. Kunkel is one the best characters in the series in my opinion, a Vietnam veteran who lost the use of his arm in an on the job shooting, climbed out of a bout with the bottle and doesn't care who he offends with his attitude but gets results. He is also started a romance with a fellow detective, Sammie Martens, who is trying and partially succeeding in breaking through his tough exterior. This book alternates between the NYPD investigation of the clues that Kunkel turns up aided by Gunther and Martens and Willy heading off on his own on a one man wrecking crew to avenge the woman he loved and hurt. If you like police shows and mysteries, I highly recommend this edition of the series.
July 7, 2022
This Joe Gunther mystery featured Willy Kunkle’s backstory where his ex-wife Mary’s death opened the door to many ugly facets of Willy’s history, both at home and in Vietnam. Willy is damaged, but not beyond repair as he found himself sleuthing after viewing Mary’s body. Originally deemed a suicide or overdose, Willy does not believe it. In his inimical fashion, he goes into overdrive detective mode on his old beat., driven by his inner demons and a need to make amends for past transgressions.
Joe Gunther and Sammie Martens act as his foil. Between the three, they set the Brooklyn detective squad spinning. The story has plenty of action and suspense. This series is great fun.
Joe Gunther and Sammie Martens act as his foil. Between the three, they set the Brooklyn detective squad spinning. The story has plenty of action and suspense. This series is great fun.
July 10, 2021
I cannot put down these books. I eat lunch and head off to read. I go to bed early to read. I love the characters in the series and in this book Willy heads to NYC when his ex-wife dies. Joe and Sammie follow. Excitement ensues. I hate writing these "reviews" because I am a reader not a writer but I want to express my joy and admiration, I loved the locations and the ending. Archer Mayor wraps up the story with such style.
February 19, 2018
Interesting entry in the series. Mayor relocates the story to NYC and focuses on one of the recurring characters. He works hard on developing Willy's back story and exploring his underlying emotional distress. The underlying mystery and investigation gets a little convoluted and coincidental for my tastes, but kudos for advancing the character devlopment.
October 24, 2017
This is a well written book, but I abandoned it at 50% read. I never did really get into the characters. When they were searching a New York apartment with guns, I just decided I didn't care for it. Will try the next book in the series, which is usually set in Vermont.
March 30, 2019
Good book but I hate the main character he reminds me of teenage girl In a continuous tantrum. This is very similar to a Harry Bosch novel. But NY instead of LA. Good story just the main character is an Ass!
January 12, 2020
I really enjoy reading books that are part of a series. I had the audio version and have to say the voice for Joe Gunther was a little weird. This was an ok story, but not one of my favorites in the series, but I will continue on eventually.
August 5, 2018
The series is decent but this plot was really far fetched. Additionally, there was opportunity to give greater insight in to Kunkle’s character but it was only given surface treatment.
February 22, 2023
A little tedious.
December 13, 2024
This novel focuses on Detective Willy Kunkle who works for Joe Gunther in the Vermont Bureau of Investigation. A phone call from a New York City police station sends Willy hurrying to the Big Apple to identify the remains of his ex-wife Mary who supposedly died from an overdose of heroin. Willy doubts that this is the reason for Mary's death and is determined to find out the truth. He delves into her past, as well as his own, and realizes that this is a case of murder and not suicide. Willy is a bit of a firecracker ready to explode on his best days and Mary's death has pushed him to his limit. Fearing for Willy's safety, Lt. Joe Gunther and Detective Sammie Martens follow Willy to New York. Working with the local police, Joe learns that Willy has been cutting it close on the legal side but he has uncovered a large network of crime of which the NYPD was unaware. If Willy can survive the darkness he has fallen into he will have avenged Mary and helped capture dangerous criminals.
It was interesting to find these well-known characters from the series in a completely different setting and to have the story follow a different perspective than normal. I enjoyed it very much and look forward to the next book.
It was interesting to find these well-known characters from the series in a completely different setting and to have the story follow a different perspective than normal. I enjoyed it very much and look forward to the next book.
October 13, 2025
#13in 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.
This mystery primarily features Gunther's long time very problematic and very caustic detective Willy Kunkle with Gunther coming in later and more as a back up. So we learn much of his background and becomes a more well developed character.
Opens with Willy receiving a call from a New York detective informing him that his ex wife has died in a suspected drug overdose. This takes Willy to New York City where he was born and grew up, then service in Vietnam as a sniper, then a policeman in the city before relocating to Vermont. He suspects this isn't the case and tarts investigating on his own which eventually brings Gunther there as Willy is AWOL from the Vermont force he is on and Gunther is covering for him.
This mystery primarily features Gunther's long time very problematic and very caustic detective Willy Kunkle with Gunther coming in later and more as a back up. So we learn much of his background and becomes a more well developed character.
Opens with Willy receiving a call from a New York detective informing him that his ex wife has died in a suspected drug overdose. This takes Willy to New York City where he was born and grew up, then service in Vietnam as a sniper, then a policeman in the city before relocating to Vermont. He suspects this isn't the case and tarts investigating on his own which eventually brings Gunther there as Willy is AWOL from the Vermont force he is on and Gunther is covering for him.
February 27, 2021
The first hundred pages of this book are tough going because they are focused on Willy Kunkle, a bitter and angry series character best taken in small doses, and because they take place (as does almost the whole book) in New York. (Don’t get me wrong, I ❤️ New York, but this series is set in Vermont.)
When Joe Gunther and Sammie Martens get into the picture for good, things start to look up. Still, it takes a long time for the full extent of the crimes involved to be revealed, and that’s too bad, because they’re more interesting than the whodunnit that occupies 75% of the novel. And we never get a full explanation of the nature of the dead woman’s involvement in the dirty deeds.
I’ve given it three stars because I like the series, I like Mayor’s writing, and spending time with Joe & Co. is better than wasting time on books of lesser quality. But I’ll sure be glad to get back to Vermont and see less of Kunkle in the next book.
When Joe Gunther and Sammie Martens get into the picture for good, things start to look up. Still, it takes a long time for the full extent of the crimes involved to be revealed, and that’s too bad, because they’re more interesting than the whodunnit that occupies 75% of the novel. And we never get a full explanation of the nature of the dead woman’s involvement in the dirty deeds.
I’ve given it three stars because I like the series, I like Mayor’s writing, and spending time with Joe & Co. is better than wasting time on books of lesser quality. But I’ll sure be glad to get back to Vermont and see less of Kunkle in the next book.
December 26, 2018
Over the years I've read 20 of Archer Mayor's "Joe Gunther" novels, more or less in order. For a long time I skipped this one, as it lacks two of my favorite elements in the series: the Vermont setting and Joe Gunther as the central character. "The Sniper's Wife" takes place in New York City and focuses on Willy Kunkle. As a supporting character, barely under control Kunkle makes a diverting foil to straight shooter Gunther. Elevated to being a main character, I found Kunkle's demons less interesting. The title refers to Kunkle's time in Vietnam, yet that background is only superficially analyzed. The plot, concerning the murder of Kunkle's ex-wife, was serviceable but not particularly engaging, at least to me. I would have preferred the novel to start during Kunkle's service in Vietnam, then to jump to the crime. I recommend most of the other "Gunther" novels.
April 24, 2023
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.
After a bit of a break, I am back to reading the Joe Gunther series of crime/detective thrillers. This is the first one that I'm rating above 3 stars. This one focuses on Willy Kunkle, the guy Joe Gunther refuses to give up on. Willie, now a special agent with the Vermont Bureau of Investigation, is asked to identify a body believed to be his ex-wife who was found dead of a drug overdose in her New York apartment. Willie, full of guilt for his actions with respect to her from when he was drinking, suspects she was murdered and sets out to find who is responsible. He, of course, does it in Willie fashion. Sammy and Joe end up involved as well. This is the first of the books in the series to be written in 3rd rather than 1st person and is better as a result.
After a bit of a break, I am back to reading the Joe Gunther series of crime/detective thrillers. This is the first one that I'm rating above 3 stars. This one focuses on Willy Kunkle, the guy Joe Gunther refuses to give up on. Willie, now a special agent with the Vermont Bureau of Investigation, is asked to identify a body believed to be his ex-wife who was found dead of a drug overdose in her New York apartment. Willie, full of guilt for his actions with respect to her from when he was drinking, suspects she was murdered and sets out to find who is responsible. He, of course, does it in Willie fashion. Sammy and Joe end up involved as well. This is the first of the books in the series to be written in 3rd rather than 1st person and is better as a result.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews