Presumption of Guilt: A Joe Gunther Novel

Joe Gunther #27

by Archer Mayor

A forty-year-old skeleton is found encased in a concrete slab at a recently decommissioned nuclear energy site. It becomes a case for the Vermont Bureau of Investigation (VBI) and its leader, Joe Gunther, since they have the resources and the ability to investigate an old, very cold, missing persons case that has now been reclassified as murder. The victim was Hank Mitchell, and Gunther must chase down old rumors and speculations--who benefited from his death and the disappearance of his body? And was his death somehow tied to New York City mafia money being laundered through the construction project?

But what seems the coldest of cold cases roars back to life when one of the central figures in this mystery is shot to death, right after speaking with Gunther. And when a young police officer--the son of VBI investigator Lester Spinney--is kidnapped, is that meant to be a warning to the VBI team to drop the case?

After all these many years, the truth behind the murder still has to the power to kill, and it's up to Gunther and his team to capture the living and finally put the dead to rest.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Procedural, Adult Fiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published September 27, 2016

About the author

Over 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.

Reviews

[James Thane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another solid entry in Archer Mayor's series featuring Joe Gunther, the head of the Vermont Bureau of Investigation. Twenty-seven books into the series, the formula and the cast of characters are very well set, but the formula remains strong and the characters are still uniformly interesting, even though by now, long-time readers of the series know these people almost as well as members of their own families.

As the story opens, a Vermont nuclear power plant is being decommissioned forty years after its construction in the mid-1970s. Workers are jackhammering the concrete floor of a warehouse that was part of the complex when they discover a skeleton encased in the concrete. It's readily apparent that the victim was murdered and the job of investigating the death naturally falls to the VBI.

Gunther and his team are able to identify the body fairly quickly as that of Hank Mitchell, one of the principal figures in a roofing company that was working on the nuclear site. There were problems in Mitchell's marriage, and his family and friends had long assumed that he had simply abandoned his old life and moved on to greener pastures. They are shocked to discover that he has been dead all this time.

Gunther and the other investigators begin digging back into Mitchell's life in an effort to discover who might have wanted him dead, but then this old, cold case heats up dramatically when someone who had been close to Mitchell is murdered days after the discovery of the skeleton. It quickly becomes apparent that the discovery of Mitchell's body has set off a chain reaction of events and has brought back to the surface secrets that many people thought had been buried with Mitchell forty years earlier. The only question now is whether Joe Gunther can contain the fallout and get to the bottom of this long-simmering mystery.

I've long been a fan of this series and enjoyed this entry a lot. I assume that it will appeal to lots of others who have been following the series, but I would strongly advise anyone interested and new to the series to start at the beginning with Open Season. Part of the joy of following this series is watching the evolution of the characters, and beginning with this book would be the wrong move in that respect.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This latest Joe Gunther book brings the return of Tag Man, a character from a previous book. He slips into houses at night, not to steal valuables, but usually just information. And now, he's training his daughter.

Meanwhile, Joe and his crew are investigating a 40 year old cold case. As always, Mayor has written a very solid police procedural. In addition to a solid plot, his characters almost seem real flesh and blood. The setting of Vermont is also so well drawn that it always seems like a character in its own right. And the writing is great. Like this quote- “what we're stuck with here are a bunch of shifty geriatrics and a bucketful of questions.”

Willy is his typical self, totally paranoid and seeing connections where the rest of the team don't. And also typical Willie, he feels totally comfortable going outside of what would be considered legal procedure.

The ending was a little more disjointed than most Gunther books. So more like a 3.5 than a 4 or 5.

The downside of having read the latest Joe Gunther book is knowing I'll have to wait almost an entire year for the next.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joe Gunther seems like an old friend by now. Mayor delivers as usual.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another visit to the folks across the river in Brattleboro for another case with Joe Gunther and the crew of the VBI. When the nuclear plant was decommissioned and cleanup started, an unused warehouse was taken down and when the concrete floor was being broken up a skeleton was uncovered. When the VBI was called in the first order of business was to determine who the victim was and then to try to put together a years old life. This became critical when it was determined that the victim was murdered. Family and friends are interviewed which seems to have shaken someone up, because a couple of murders ensue and Joe and crew discover they have opened up "rats" nest of old crime and attempted coverups. Always interesting and good reading these tales of out neighbors to the west down Rt. 9. Enjoy.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joe Gunther and his team at the Vermont Bureau of Investigation are called into an obviously cold case when a skeleton is discovered in the concrete at at nuclear power plant. This particular slab of concrete was poured 40 years ago and Joe's team quickly finds a old missing person's case for Hank Mitchell. Interviewing family and friends, Joe's team uncovers that everyone thought Hank had simply skipped out and no one suspected he had been killed, except for the person who killed him. And it's their job to track the killer down, even 40 years later and even though a whole new can of worms is opened leading to more deaths.

I like to explore new authors that the local library puts in the mystery section and this is the first by Mayor but 27th in his series. After finishing this book, I realize I don't have a good feel for the character of Joe Gunther so I've obviously missed a lot by starting with #27. I did enjoy the parts of the book where one of Joe's teammates works with a confidential informant who stealthily breaks into homes to seek information. That perked my interest.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never heard of or tried a book written by Archer Mayor before, yet this is the 27th of a series featuring Joe Gunther. Well written, engaging criminal investigation that had my interest start to finish. Vermont I like, but have not had the chance to spend real time there...just driving through and appreciating the scenery. I lived on the East Coast for a decade and enjoyed my adventures in New England. This investigative exercise performed by a committed team was pretty darn gritty compared to the usual police procedural. In particular, the acts performed by a father/daughter team were at times gruesome, but then they were battling a strong criminal element mob related. As the train engineer driving me back to the suburbs screeched the brakes at each stop it kept me on alert, wondering when the passengers would be thrown out of our seats. It added to my enjoyment of the book! This series dates back to 1988 and is still going strong.

Library Loan

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Presumption of Guilt was the first Archer Mayor story I have read. A skeleton is discovered at the forlorn site of an abandoned nuclear power plant during work to remove the concrete foundation of a warehouse. Vermont Bureau of Investigation agents Joe Gunther & team are called in to investigate. The VBI determines that the skeletal remains belong to a man who disappeared 40 years prior. I felt that the characters of VBI agent Willy & the two thieves, eccentric Dan & his daughter were done best. After reading my first story in the Joe Gunther series I didn't feel like I knew Joe too well. The story focused on the investigation except for Joe's personal relationship with the coroner Beverly. I would read another novel by Archer Mayor.

[Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very solid and engaging police procedural.

This is number 27 in this fine "regional" (Vermont) series and Archer Mayor has continued to develop his team of characters and offer intriguing cases.

[Chris Conley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy spending time with Joe Gunther and his VBI team. I have read all of the books in this series and have found it fun to see how the characters have changed and continue to grow.

[Tina Panik · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a character in this book-- the daughter of a mob boss! This addition to the Gunther series hits all the correct crime notes, with the added thrill of my being a character!

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a body is found encased in the cement of a building on a nuclear power plant being decommissioned and deconstructed, Joe Gunther and his VBI investigatory team are called in.

When it is determined that the body is that of a man and that he was murdered, the team (including Willy Kunkle, Lester Spinney and Sammie Martens) are tasked with tracking down a 40 year mystery. Hank Mitchell disappeared from his family's life and everyone affected from the wife and kids to business partners and friends assumed he'd walked out to start a new life.

The revelation of his death rocks everyone back on their heels, but it soon seemingly claims another victim as an old business partner turns up dead as well. But why was Hank Mitchell killed 40 years ago and what does unearthing his body unleash so as to lead to the second death?

The list of suspects is long but as Gunther and the team work to eliminate suspects, they end up finding more questions than answers. The return of a previously seen character (from the book Tag Man) ends up unintentionally causing more problems, particulary for Willy.

Things take a more sinister turn when the son of Lester Spinney is kidnapped. Now everyone has to figure out if it was a warning shot across their bow from whomever is behind Mitchell's murder or something entirely unrelated.

I continue to enjoy the delicate balancing act that Archer Mayor deftly handles each time out. He casts each procedural case side by side with the more personal aspects of the characters lives. While diligently investigating the murders, there's time for Joe's new relationship, Willy and Sammie's continued lives together and Lester's domestic bliss of a life as well. These interludes heighten the story, not detract and gives a much more satisfying overall tale for the readers to absorb. Whether you've been with the series from the beginning or came in somewhere along the way, you quickly find yourselves immersed in the small town type ways of life in Vermont as a whole and with these characters in particular.

And given Mayor's real world experience with various aspects of the jobs (death investigator, detective, firefighter/EMT) that populate his series, there is an authentic feeling to the descriptions within the storytelling that you might not always get from others.

Assumption may, as the saying goes, lead to making an ass out of both you and me, but in the case of the Joe Gunther series, assuming that you will always be entertained in both expected and unexpected ways is not such an outlandish idea.

Presumption of Guilt is yet another beautifully told tale by an author whose work should be seen as must reads for anyone who calls themselves a fan of the mystery/thriller genre.

[LJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Sentence: Tony Farnum waited until he saw Barry’s face in the driver’s-side mirror before motioning him to back up, looking over his shoulder to make sure the concrete mixer’s rear wheels didn’t hit the staked wooden form bordering the pour site.

The Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant has been decommissioned and parts, including a large concrete slab, are being dismantled. Works comes to a halt when a skeleton from 40 years ago is found within the concrete. First they need to identify him, then Joe Gunther and the Vermont Bureau of Investigation team need to find his killer. Are we talking the Mafia and money laundering, or something more personal?

Mayor’s dialogue is always real—“How’d we get the call?” he asked. “Through the state police. …” Joe nodded. “Okay. Given how that plant’s been a publicity shit-magnet since before it was plugged in, you better call the state’s attorney while I let our esteemed director know at HQ.”

Introducing us to the investigative team is essentially done in one, very effective and efficient paragraph. However, we not only know the investigators, but get to know their families and partners as well. There is even a romance aspect. Although it is an adult, sexual relationship, it’s behind closed doors so no one’s sensibilities are disturbed.

It is also not very often a police procedural includes a likable, very well spoken, crook. Plus, we’re given insight into the operation of different sheriff’s departments.

The plot is very much a police procedural; a matter of brainstorming followed by chasing down leads with the occasional injection of suspense and excitement. It’s an investigation with a lot of possibilities and twists.

“Presumption of Guilt” isn’t a single-man, hot-shot cop story, but a really solid police procedural with an excellent ensemble of characters, and a very good, solid plot that leaves you guessing all the way to the end.

PRESUMPTION OF GUILT: A JOE GUNTHER NOVEL (Pol Proc-Joe Gunther-Vermont-Contemp) – VG+
Mayor, Archer – 27th in series
Minotaur Books – Sept 2016

[Rob1109 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read many books by Archer Mayor. One stood out as great, one disappointed a little, and the rest were in the good category. No, not great. No, not something that will send your pulse skyrocketing. No, not one that will change your life.

But really, that’s okay with me.

There are some authors out there—Robert Crais, Dean Koontz, Jeffrey Deaver—who are, in my opinion, hit or miss. With Archer Mayor you know exactly what you’re going to get: likeable characters you can relate to, realistic dialogue, no unnecessary scenes that serve no purpose other than to fill pages and a little history about Vermont. In my opinion, Mr. Mayor is not up there with the greats like Connelly or Box.

But again, that’s fine.

Life may be a box of chocolates in that you never know what you’re going to get. But with Joe Gunther and company you know exactly what you’re going to get.

And that’s okay with me.

[Richard Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another successful outing by Archer Mayor.

A skeleton is found entombed in the concrete floor of building at a decommissioned nuclear plant in Vermont. When the skeleton is identified as a man who disappeared in the early 1970's and the VBI start looking into his death odd things start to happen that suggest that whatever caused the death of Hank way back when didn't disappear when he did.

An interestingly eccentric character from an earlier book resurfaces in this one. I had forgotten about Dan Kravitz the thief who breaks into peoples house as much for the thrill as the loot. This time his teenage daughter is with him learning the trade.

This was book #7 on our 2016 Read-alouds list.

February 16, 2024: Just finished reading this book aloud again — to Maggee and Lutrecia this time. They both gave it a four star rating, but I am sticking with the 2017 score. This was book #5 on our 2024 Read-alouds With Lutrecia List and book #8 on our own 2024 Read-alouds List.

[Mickey Hoffman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of the characters are very interesting and the plot held me until about 3/4 of the way into the book. By the end I really had lost interest. Perhaps this is because a few of the characters were hardly fleshed out but played a big role at the end. Very disappointing after the other two books in the series that I liked very much.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Review to follow

[January · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started at this book in the series, #27. Felt like I was missing much of the past character development to really appreciate the relationships of the key characters.

[Dave Moyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 27th in the Joe Gunther series. It is familiar, comfortable and enjoyable, if not great.

[Lionel Berthoux · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is so bad I don't even want to waste too much of my time writing a super-detailed review of it. Let me just list a couple things:
- The title does not have any kind of connection with what happens in the book.
- You will constantly ask yourself, "wait, why are they doing this? Why aren't they doing that, which makes so much more sense?"
- Two of the enigmas are not solved in the end (who burned the car? why was the cop's son abducted, and by who exactly?)
- This is the kind of book in which there is a bad guy getting a hold of people he wants to kill, and instead of killing them as intended, he decides to wait needlessly for long hours so that the good guys will eventually charge and kill him instead.
- There is a mystery building for about 2/3 of the book. And then, suddenly, the whole thing is explained in 2 pages in the most non-dramatic fashion you could imagine: a conversation between two of the bad guys. Yup: you actually discover part of the truth way before the cops do.

I realize that there are many prior books in this collection, and perhaps some of them are good. But I had never heard of this author before, and for sure I never want to read another thing from him in the future.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a solid entry into the series. I like the characters, and I especially like the way Willy Kunkle has finally found a way to let some softness into his life through Sammie and his daughter. I also like the way the characters have been able to face some devastating challenges and lived through them, scars and all. I also enjoy the series because it's set not far from where I live, and although I don't live in Brattleboro, I recognize it. This book revolves around the discovery of a skeleton buried in the concrete floor of a warehouse that's being torn down at the now-shut Yankee nuclear plant. This discovery sets off a chain of events dating back 30 years to when the plant was built. One of Willy's informants is central to uncovering information that leads to the murderer. This book has less graphic violence in it than some of the others, which was also pleasant. Good story!

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I force myself to read at least TWO "serious" books before I let myself do another mystery. Otherwise.... So, when my two serious books were done, I grabbed the latest Joe Gunther mystery by Vermont's preeminent mystery writer, Archer Mayor, and settled in. It's another good tale, with lots of "place" for the Vermont reader - this one set in the remains of Vermont's failed nuclear plant. The plot is "Who planted the body in the cement below a building on the grounds?" If you haven't read a Joe Gunther yet, don't start with this one. Go back, and read some of the earlier works and work your way forward.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, in a good mystery, the path to resolution is never straight. The author keeps the reader guessing. This certainly applies to Archer Mayor's latest book. In addition to the mystery and its resolution, I enjoyed the inclusion of personal elements of the lives of the familiar characters. After all, it has been over many years and many books that I have come to know and admire Joe Gunther and his crew. So many changes have happened in their lives. I suspect that there is more to come. Archer Mayor isn't finished with them yet (I hope!).

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book I have read in the series and I really enjoyed it. While it may have been 27 books in, the author did a great job of introducing all the characters making it easy to jump in and have no confusion on the readers part. The audio is well done and the characters as well as the mystery are intriguing. I especially like Joe's team and their families and look forward to reading/listening to more of their adventures in the future.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joe Gunther and his team from the Vermont Bureau of Investigation are
called In to help when a body was found at a nuclear plant in Vernon.
This body has been missing for 40 years. The cold case becomes more
Interesting when a central figure in the mystery is shot to death. This was
A well written fast murder with a convincing cast. I enjoyed this story with
A terrific plot and logical and believable occurances from this rural town.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read all of this series' books in order, so I don't know why the number "#27" (!) jumped out at me. Wow! That's a lot of books! I totally give Archer Mayor credit for keeping this reliable series both alive and fresh. The characters are interesting, he writes well - just a nice solid mystery series with VT as background. The theme of parents and sons/daughters in this book in particular adds further food for thought.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is always with pleasure when I get to pick up the next book in this series. I consistently find real characters in these stories with real tools for policing. Mayor is reliably referring to changes in social media and how it affects life as we know it. His stories are relevant. Flat out? I love Joe Gunther. And Willy with his wee one. "...my kid thinks I'm the bees knees. The rest of you...."

I know I'm reading a great story when I pick up one of Mayor's books.

[Dale Lehman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joe Gunther and his team are called in to investigate a body discovered buried in concrete at a decommissioned nuclear power plant, and soon find that the 40-year-old crime has reached across the decades to stir up fresh trouble in their Vermont community. Mayor once again weaves a good story with interesting characters.

[Miriam · Rating 1 out of 5]

it must be me. i hated this book! i didn't like the characters; i thought the premise, while originally engaging, was stretched way past its limits of credibility. thankfully, it was a library book, so i just took it back when i finished.

[Vontel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable Joe Gunther mystery. Complex book with recurring and developing characters on the law-enforcement side. Interesting take on organized crime at a lower level than the mafia. Entertaining and captivating.

[Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This seems to be the first entry in this long-running series I've read. Unfortunately I found it mediocre, with nothing much to grab me and make me want to look up previous volumes. The writing was uninvolving, and the plot just interesting enough that I read to the end, but no more.