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Joe Gunther #30
Bomber's Moon
The murder of a small-time drug dealer snowballs into the most complex case ever faced by Joe Gunther and his VBI team.
It is said a bright and clear bomber's moon is the best asset to finding one's target. But beware what you wish for: What you can see at night can also see you. Often with dire consequences.
Bomber's Moon is Archer Mayor's latest entry in the Joe Gunther series and it may just be his best yet.
Two young women form the heart of this tale. One, an investigative reporter, the other a private investigator. Uneasy allies from completely different walks of life, they work together--around and sometimes against Joe Gunther and his VBI cops--in an attempt to connect the murders of a small town drug dealer, a smart, engaging, fatally flawed thief, and the tangled, political, increasingly dark goings on at a prestigious prep school.
While Gunther and the VBI set about solving the two murders, Sally Kravitz and Rachel Reiling combine their talents and resources to go where the police cannot, from working undercover at Thorndike Academy, to having clandestine meetings with criminals for their insider's knowledge of Vermont's unexpectedly illicit underbelly.
But there is a third element at work. A malevolent force, the common link in all this death and chaos, is hard at work sowing mayhem to protect its ancient, vicious, very dark roots.
It is said a bright and clear bomber's moon is the best asset to finding one's target. But beware what you wish for: What you can see at night can also see you. Often with dire consequences.
Bomber's Moon is Archer Mayor's latest entry in the Joe Gunther series and it may just be his best yet.
Two young women form the heart of this tale. One, an investigative reporter, the other a private investigator. Uneasy allies from completely different walks of life, they work together--around and sometimes against Joe Gunther and his VBI cops--in an attempt to connect the murders of a small town drug dealer, a smart, engaging, fatally flawed thief, and the tangled, political, increasingly dark goings on at a prestigious prep school.
While Gunther and the VBI set about solving the two murders, Sally Kravitz and Rachel Reiling combine their talents and resources to go where the police cannot, from working undercover at Thorndike Academy, to having clandestine meetings with criminals for their insider's knowledge of Vermont's unexpectedly illicit underbelly.
But there is a third element at work. A malevolent force, the common link in all this death and chaos, is hard at work sowing mayhem to protect its ancient, vicious, very dark roots.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published September 24, 2019
246 people are currently reading
1755 people want to read
About the author
Archer Mayor
43 books734 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 137 reviews
August 31, 2019
The Joe Gunther series has always been a favorite of mine. Joe and his colleagues are like old friends. I enjoyed that we’re seeing a younger generation appearing, like the Tag Man’s daughter, Sally, now a PI, and Rachel, Beverly's daughter, who’s now an investigative reporter. In fact, these two women have a bigger role in the story than some of Joe’s team.
This is a series best read in order to be able to understand the sometimes complicated relationships.
Despite this book being #30, the series still has a freshness to it. The characters are complex and fully formed. The stories are always multi-faceted and intriguing. It wasn’t so much a question of whodunit for me as why and how will Joe and company put it all together. This is a great series for those that like straight forward police procedural.
My thanks to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.
This is a series best read in order to be able to understand the sometimes complicated relationships.
Despite this book being #30, the series still has a freshness to it. The characters are complex and fully formed. The stories are always multi-faceted and intriguing. It wasn’t so much a question of whodunit for me as why and how will Joe and company put it all together. This is a great series for those that like straight forward police procedural.
My thanks to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.
August 14, 2020
In 1988, Archer Mayor introduced Joe Gunther, a detective on the Brattleboro, Vermont P.D, in Open Season a regional mystery from which would grow a series that now runs to thirty books. It was an excellent, tightly plotted mystery with a great sense of place, and it also introduced several of the core characters who would accompany Gunther through the series. As the years and the books progressed, readers got to know rural Vermont and the cast of characters extremely well.
Thirty-one years down the road, Gunther returns in Bomber’s Moon, the thirtieth book in the series, which, at least in my view, is not nearly as good as most of the earlier ones. Gunther is now the leader of the Vermont Bureau of Investigation, with responsibilities far beyond those of his earlier days. His role is now more of a supervisory one, and he spends much less time actually investigating crimes himself. The book opens with the seemingly routine murder of a low-level drug dealer and then mushrooms into a series of different stories that proceed along their own individual paths until they finally come together in what is, to be charitable, a climax that I found impossible to believe.
Particularly in the more recent books, Mayor has expanded the cast of characters and he has brought some of the new and younger characters into this book at the expense of Gunther and the original cast. In particular, in this book we have a young female reporter who is the daughter of the woman to whom Gunther is currently attached. We have a budding female P.I. whose father figured prominently in a couple of earlier books. We also have an artistic thief who is suddenly on the verge of a major score.
Each of these characters has their own story arc and ultimately, the book is so convoluted that even the subplots have subplots. Gunther serves as the ringmaster and makes an occasional appearance; most of the other usual cast members have very small roles. The action shifts from one character and one story to another, often within a chapter, and reading the book is like sitting in front of the television, flipping back and forth among four or five channels and trying somehow to keep abreast of the plots of each of the stories.
In the end, I’m sorry to say, I just didn’t care what was happening in this book and couldn’t buy into hardly any of the plot. I wound up skimming the last third of the book just to finish it, which was really disappointing. I’ve been a huge fan of this series from the very beginning, but it seems to me that it’s largely lost touch with its roots. I can only hope that it finds its way home soon. 2.5 stars rounded up to three, just for old time’s sake.
Thirty-one years down the road, Gunther returns in Bomber’s Moon, the thirtieth book in the series, which, at least in my view, is not nearly as good as most of the earlier ones. Gunther is now the leader of the Vermont Bureau of Investigation, with responsibilities far beyond those of his earlier days. His role is now more of a supervisory one, and he spends much less time actually investigating crimes himself. The book opens with the seemingly routine murder of a low-level drug dealer and then mushrooms into a series of different stories that proceed along their own individual paths until they finally come together in what is, to be charitable, a climax that I found impossible to believe.
Particularly in the more recent books, Mayor has expanded the cast of characters and he has brought some of the new and younger characters into this book at the expense of Gunther and the original cast. In particular, in this book we have a young female reporter who is the daughter of the woman to whom Gunther is currently attached. We have a budding female P.I. whose father figured prominently in a couple of earlier books. We also have an artistic thief who is suddenly on the verge of a major score.
Each of these characters has their own story arc and ultimately, the book is so convoluted that even the subplots have subplots. Gunther serves as the ringmaster and makes an occasional appearance; most of the other usual cast members have very small roles. The action shifts from one character and one story to another, often within a chapter, and reading the book is like sitting in front of the television, flipping back and forth among four or five channels and trying somehow to keep abreast of the plots of each of the stories.
In the end, I’m sorry to say, I just didn’t care what was happening in this book and couldn’t buy into hardly any of the plot. I wound up skimming the last third of the book just to finish it, which was really disappointing. I’ve been a huge fan of this series from the very beginning, but it seems to me that it’s largely lost touch with its roots. I can only hope that it finds its way home soon. 2.5 stars rounded up to three, just for old time’s sake.
June 26, 2019
5 stars
Lyall Johnson is stabbed to death inside his apartment. Local police suspect his best friend Brandon of the murder. He claims he stopped by and found Lyall dead and got scared and ran. After interviewing him, along with Joe Gunther head of the VBI (Vermont Bureau of Investigation), the police decide that he doesn't look good for the murder.
Meanwhile, Alex Robin Hale is a very smart thief who just might think that he is more clever than he really is. He is plotting something to do with the Thorndike Academy, an elite private prep school with extremely wealthy backers. He believes it will be a very big score. But then the unexpected happens.
At the same time Rachel Reiling who is a reporter and Sally Kravitz, a private investigator, team up to also investigate the murders. They can do things and go places that the police can't. This may cause some tension and bad feelings between the women and the cops.
The plot of this book becomes more convoluted as the pages fly by. The history of Thorndike Academy turns out to be far more important than any of the characters dreamed.
This is a very good entry in the Joe Gunther series. I have avidly followed Joe's career and exploits for years. Mr. Mayor always pens brilliant tales, full of action and excitement. This book is a very fine example of a police procedural. I like Joe. I appreciated his relationship with the pathologist girlfriend. (Who happens to be Rachel's mother.) Joe is level-headed, fair and very kind. I like the rest of the team, too, especially Willie and Sam. They are such a unique pair – and they make it work very well. I was so entranced with the story that I read the book in one day. It was said that this may be Mr. Mayor's best novel to date. It may just be.
I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for forwarding to me a copy of this absolutely great book for me to read, enjoy ans review.
Lyall Johnson is stabbed to death inside his apartment. Local police suspect his best friend Brandon of the murder. He claims he stopped by and found Lyall dead and got scared and ran. After interviewing him, along with Joe Gunther head of the VBI (Vermont Bureau of Investigation), the police decide that he doesn't look good for the murder.
Meanwhile, Alex Robin Hale is a very smart thief who just might think that he is more clever than he really is. He is plotting something to do with the Thorndike Academy, an elite private prep school with extremely wealthy backers. He believes it will be a very big score. But then the unexpected happens.
At the same time Rachel Reiling who is a reporter and Sally Kravitz, a private investigator, team up to also investigate the murders. They can do things and go places that the police can't. This may cause some tension and bad feelings between the women and the cops.
The plot of this book becomes more convoluted as the pages fly by. The history of Thorndike Academy turns out to be far more important than any of the characters dreamed.
This is a very good entry in the Joe Gunther series. I have avidly followed Joe's career and exploits for years. Mr. Mayor always pens brilliant tales, full of action and excitement. This book is a very fine example of a police procedural. I like Joe. I appreciated his relationship with the pathologist girlfriend. (Who happens to be Rachel's mother.) Joe is level-headed, fair and very kind. I like the rest of the team, too, especially Willie and Sam. They are such a unique pair – and they make it work very well. I was so entranced with the story that I read the book in one day. It was said that this may be Mr. Mayor's best novel to date. It may just be.
I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for forwarding to me a copy of this absolutely great book for me to read, enjoy ans review.
October 8, 2021
I'm always so excited when the next Joe Gunter book appears on my Kindle and so sad when I reach the end even though I've had an almost sleepless night. I simply cannot put the book down until I've finished. By now all of the characters are friends I haven't heard from in a while. In each book I see their jobs and lives have progressed. The whodunit plots are always new, fresh and I never figure them out in the early chapters and mostly at the very end. This collection of books is one of the best ever series out there. I wish Mr. Mayor could write even faster! Fabulous author!
August 26, 2019
This is number 30 of the Joe Gunther series. Though I haven’t read any of the previous works, I think it can be read as a standalone. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as I’d hoped. (I read this book while I was sick, which may have affected my view of the story. So keep that in mind.)
The highlight of the book was the relationship between Rachel, a new investigative reporter, and Sally, a private investigator with an unusual upbringing. Neither woman trusts easily. Both have been deeply wounded, yet desire to be helpful and are willing to take risks when necessary.
Throughout the book, it’s obvious that both need a friend. A thief who plot ingenious crimes brings the women together. It’s great to see them team up and hunt for answers. From a prep school storage vault to a library’s archive to the front seat of Sally’s old Subaru, the women are key to solving the crimes.
Sally’s been a loner for most of her life. But the lives of the other characters are tangled up with each other. Rachel and Joe Gunther have respect for one another’s professions and are willing to help each other out: him, by giving her first dibs on breaking news, and her, by giving him any relevant information her investigation yields.
That’s not all: Gunther is dating/semi-living-with Rachel’s divorced mother, Beverly, the state’s medical examiner. Two of Gunther’s coworkers, Sam and Willie, are romantic partners, and Sam respects Beverly enough to ask her advice on her daughter’s schooling. The tangling of lives is inevitable in a small town setting and mimics real life. (It also subtly points to a theme in the central crime.)
Multiple crimes happen. Burglary. Murder. Drugs. At points, it’s difficult to see how any of them might be related. (But this is fiction, so they have to be related, right?) Mayor weaves a tangled web of deceit, theft, sex, and murder; multiple people with different motivations are at work. It’s not until closer to the end that we see which strands come together and which are extraneous to the story.
Some of the crimes hit hot button topics, such as the MeToo movement and cybersecurity.
Another interesting (and fun) aspect of the book are the allusions to fiction. At several points, someone (usually Sally) mentions the differences between fictional investigations and real-life investigations:
1. Drivers don’t quickly pick out the cars tailing them. People are oblivious to the world.
2. The NSA isn’t all-knowing. Humans mess things up too much.
3. Action doesn’t always happen at the “ideal” moment when setting, timing, and plot line up best for dramatic purposes. Simply because it’s late night, snowing, and someone just stepped out of a bar, doesn’t mean that character will be robbed, kidnapped, or otherwise witness violence.
These thoughts simultaneously position this story on the side of reality, while drawing attention to its fictional nature. My inner English major geeks out about these sorts of things.
The downside? For me, it was Gunther and his team. It took me a long time to warm up to Gunther, though I eventually did. It wasn’t that I disliked any of the other team members or found their characterization lacking. I just never quite rooted for them, either. Long time series readers might feel differently.
I found Sally and Rachel to be far more interesting. I wonder if Mayor invested so much effort into writing their relationship and developing both characters that his usual cast (Gunther, Sam, etc.) took a hit as a result. Just a thought.
Overall, though, this was a good book. While it didn’t make me a fan of the series, it was a good mystery.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's/Minotaur for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The highlight of the book was the relationship between Rachel, a new investigative reporter, and Sally, a private investigator with an unusual upbringing. Neither woman trusts easily. Both have been deeply wounded, yet desire to be helpful and are willing to take risks when necessary.
Throughout the book, it’s obvious that both need a friend. A thief who plot ingenious crimes brings the women together. It’s great to see them team up and hunt for answers. From a prep school storage vault to a library’s archive to the front seat of Sally’s old Subaru, the women are key to solving the crimes.
Sally’s been a loner for most of her life. But the lives of the other characters are tangled up with each other. Rachel and Joe Gunther have respect for one another’s professions and are willing to help each other out: him, by giving her first dibs on breaking news, and her, by giving him any relevant information her investigation yields.
That’s not all: Gunther is dating/semi-living-with Rachel’s divorced mother, Beverly, the state’s medical examiner. Two of Gunther’s coworkers, Sam and Willie, are romantic partners, and Sam respects Beverly enough to ask her advice on her daughter’s schooling. The tangling of lives is inevitable in a small town setting and mimics real life. (It also subtly points to a theme in the central crime.)
Multiple crimes happen. Burglary. Murder. Drugs. At points, it’s difficult to see how any of them might be related. (But this is fiction, so they have to be related, right?) Mayor weaves a tangled web of deceit, theft, sex, and murder; multiple people with different motivations are at work. It’s not until closer to the end that we see which strands come together and which are extraneous to the story.
Some of the crimes hit hot button topics, such as the MeToo movement and cybersecurity.
Another interesting (and fun) aspect of the book are the allusions to fiction. At several points, someone (usually Sally) mentions the differences between fictional investigations and real-life investigations:
1. Drivers don’t quickly pick out the cars tailing them. People are oblivious to the world.
2. The NSA isn’t all-knowing. Humans mess things up too much.
3. Action doesn’t always happen at the “ideal” moment when setting, timing, and plot line up best for dramatic purposes. Simply because it’s late night, snowing, and someone just stepped out of a bar, doesn’t mean that character will be robbed, kidnapped, or otherwise witness violence.
These thoughts simultaneously position this story on the side of reality, while drawing attention to its fictional nature. My inner English major geeks out about these sorts of things.
The downside? For me, it was Gunther and his team. It took me a long time to warm up to Gunther, though I eventually did. It wasn’t that I disliked any of the other team members or found their characterization lacking. I just never quite rooted for them, either. Long time series readers might feel differently.
I found Sally and Rachel to be far more interesting. I wonder if Mayor invested so much effort into writing their relationship and developing both characters that his usual cast (Gunther, Sam, etc.) took a hit as a result. Just a thought.
Overall, though, this was a good book. While it didn’t make me a fan of the series, it was a good mystery.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's/Minotaur for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 17, 2021
This one was part of the Audible Plus catalog so I thought I 'd try it since I'm always looking for a new detective series. This being the 30th book in the series was probably not the best place to start with this series seeing as it's quite clear we're already supposed to know the various characters and their backstories. Since I didn't know those things it slightly hurt my enjoyment. However, with these mystery/detective books you mostly here for the case and the investigation, and in that regard I was pretty happy. I liked how all the disparate pieces connected in a way that made sense, but I wasn't able to guess. I'm not completely sold on this series, but I'll probably check out a few more.
September 28, 2019
I was very impressed when I saw there are (now) 30 books in this series. That has to speak pretty plainly about how the author has been able to keep the stories and characters alive and viable. I have read the first two books in the series so I was interested in watching the leap-frog over all the intervening books to see where everybody stands in this most recent offering. Joe Gunter is not the main focus of this book so that's either something that is just beginning to happen or it has been going on for a while now. The two main characters are a newspaper photographer/writer and a private investigator. These two young women begin to form a friendship as well as a working relationship as they work on the fringes of a murder being investigated by Joe Gunter's team.
I was impressed once again by the dynamic chain of ideas Archer Mayor demonstrates while working out the different plotting aspects of the community involved in this set of seemingly unrelated circumstances. Watching him slowly connect the murder of a drug dealer with other parts of this small town of Bellows Falls, Vermont and environs was truly a treat. I like the way Sally Kravitz conducts her PI business with morals and integrity and how the same can be said for Rachel Reiling going about her job of working for the local newspaper. It is so nice to discover an author who writes characters you can like and want to read about. But don't trust him when it comes to his plots. No, those are twisty and turn in every direction except where you thought they were going. This was another enjoyable read and I think I'm truly hooked.
I was impressed once again by the dynamic chain of ideas Archer Mayor demonstrates while working out the different plotting aspects of the community involved in this set of seemingly unrelated circumstances. Watching him slowly connect the murder of a drug dealer with other parts of this small town of Bellows Falls, Vermont and environs was truly a treat. I like the way Sally Kravitz conducts her PI business with morals and integrity and how the same can be said for Rachel Reiling going about her job of working for the local newspaper. It is so nice to discover an author who writes characters you can like and want to read about. But don't trust him when it comes to his plots. No, those are twisty and turn in every direction except where you thought they were going. This was another enjoyable read and I think I'm truly hooked.
November 13, 2019
Sad to say, this just isn't as good as many of the earlier works in the series--understandable, since this is number 30. The prose seemed stilted, the plot formulaic, and the ending predictable. However, it did make me want to revisit some of the earlier episodes because I love Vermont and Joe Gunther.
November 5, 2019
Bomber's Moon is the 30th book in Archer Mayor's Joe Gunther series about a murder of a small-time drug dealer which snowballs into a complex case for VBI.
There is no clear definition of the term ‘bomber’s moon.’ It was the title of a WWII propaganda film in 1943 and later as the title of a teleplay that the late, great Rod Serling wrote for Playhouse 90 in 1958. For the purpose of the latest Joe Gunther novel from Archer Mayor, it infers that folks use the term to describe a bright, clear moon that is helpful while you are hunting for something or someone.
Whatever meaning you choose to assign to this novel is the reader’s choice. I look at this as a privilege to be enjoying the thirtieth novel in one of the longest-running and most satisfying crime/thriller series on the market. Bomber’s Moon brings us once again to the Green Mountains of Vermont where it is cold most of the year and near-arctic conditions for the core winter months. It is in this landscape where Joe Gunther and his team from the VBI (Vermont Bureau of Investigation) operate.
Bomber’s Moon is strongly influenced by small-time but very clever crooks. One of them is Dan Kravitz, who passed his unique skill-set down to his daughter, Sally. Fortunately for her, being on the wrong side of the law and constantly on the run did not sound like a promising future. She turned her skills into a new career as a Private Investigator. At barely thirty-years-old, Sally may have finally hit on a case that will surpass the usual tailing of unfaithful spouse jobs she typically gets.
Read Ray Palen's full review on our blog!
There is no clear definition of the term ‘bomber’s moon.’ It was the title of a WWII propaganda film in 1943 and later as the title of a teleplay that the late, great Rod Serling wrote for Playhouse 90 in 1958. For the purpose of the latest Joe Gunther novel from Archer Mayor, it infers that folks use the term to describe a bright, clear moon that is helpful while you are hunting for something or someone.
Whatever meaning you choose to assign to this novel is the reader’s choice. I look at this as a privilege to be enjoying the thirtieth novel in one of the longest-running and most satisfying crime/thriller series on the market. Bomber’s Moon brings us once again to the Green Mountains of Vermont where it is cold most of the year and near-arctic conditions for the core winter months. It is in this landscape where Joe Gunther and his team from the VBI (Vermont Bureau of Investigation) operate.
Bomber’s Moon is strongly influenced by small-time but very clever crooks. One of them is Dan Kravitz, who passed his unique skill-set down to his daughter, Sally. Fortunately for her, being on the wrong side of the law and constantly on the run did not sound like a promising future. She turned her skills into a new career as a Private Investigator. At barely thirty-years-old, Sally may have finally hit on a case that will surpass the usual tailing of unfaithful spouse jobs she typically gets.
Read Ray Palen's full review on our blog!
January 10, 2020
May be 3.5. Good as usual for Mayor, But not as good as others.
Read
November 7, 2019“Bomber’s Moon” by Archer Mayor is part of the Joe Gunther series. Mayor quickly brings both old and readers up to date on the characters in a few sentences. Readers, both regular readers and ones new to the series, know who people are, what they have been doing, and immediately become immersed in their lives.
The story spotlights Brattleboro, Vermont, the state’s seventh-largest community and a self-described haven for transplanted tree-hugging trust-funders, a town which back in 2008, voted to have the police force arrest the president and vice president of the United States.
The main players in addition to Joe Gunther, Vermont Bureau of Investigation; include Sally Kravitz, private investigator; Alex B Robbin Hale, professional thief; and Rachael Reiling, reporter for the Brattleboro Reformer; and all are described in such detail that readers know them well -- their backgrounds, connections to the past, scruples, talents, and philosophies of life. Descriptions are colorful and poetic.
The plot develops in a spontaneous and informal narrative; readers see and hear everything as events unfold. Conversations are casual and friendly. Mayor realistically portrays life in small towns where people know each other, lives intersect, and criminals hide in plain sight. Secondary stories are folded seamlessly into the main storyline.
Geography contributes to the realism, and readers can use Google maps to view the Brattleboro train station parking or the city of Windsor and even take a virtual stroll down Arch Street, observe the graffiti covered buildings, and watch the road turn to gravel by the railroad tracks. Even the title “Bomber’s Moon” is linked to the natural features of the area when on cloudless nights the moon combines with fallen snow to lend a pale blue boldness to the night; the term being a carryover from WW II, before night vision, as pilots relied on the moon to provide illumination for targets in the monochromatic targets of enemy territory.
“Bomber’s Moon” is beautifully written and enthralling to read. Mayor spins a solid and compelling story with plenty of suspense. I was given a review copy of “Bomber’s Moon” by Archer Mayor, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books. I have enjoyed every book in the series, and “Bomber’s Moon” is yet another example of Mayor’s story-telling expertise. New readers will want to go back and read the series from the start, and regular readers will anxiously await the next installment.
The story spotlights Brattleboro, Vermont, the state’s seventh-largest community and a self-described haven for transplanted tree-hugging trust-funders, a town which back in 2008, voted to have the police force arrest the president and vice president of the United States.
The main players in addition to Joe Gunther, Vermont Bureau of Investigation; include Sally Kravitz, private investigator; Alex B Robbin Hale, professional thief; and Rachael Reiling, reporter for the Brattleboro Reformer; and all are described in such detail that readers know them well -- their backgrounds, connections to the past, scruples, talents, and philosophies of life. Descriptions are colorful and poetic.
The plot develops in a spontaneous and informal narrative; readers see and hear everything as events unfold. Conversations are casual and friendly. Mayor realistically portrays life in small towns where people know each other, lives intersect, and criminals hide in plain sight. Secondary stories are folded seamlessly into the main storyline.
Geography contributes to the realism, and readers can use Google maps to view the Brattleboro train station parking or the city of Windsor and even take a virtual stroll down Arch Street, observe the graffiti covered buildings, and watch the road turn to gravel by the railroad tracks. Even the title “Bomber’s Moon” is linked to the natural features of the area when on cloudless nights the moon combines with fallen snow to lend a pale blue boldness to the night; the term being a carryover from WW II, before night vision, as pilots relied on the moon to provide illumination for targets in the monochromatic targets of enemy territory.
“Bomber’s Moon” is beautifully written and enthralling to read. Mayor spins a solid and compelling story with plenty of suspense. I was given a review copy of “Bomber’s Moon” by Archer Mayor, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books. I have enjoyed every book in the series, and “Bomber’s Moon” is yet another example of Mayor’s story-telling expertise. New readers will want to go back and read the series from the start, and regular readers will anxiously await the next installment.
September 16, 2019
I really love this series and the authors great language. The way he descibes things it's like he has been there and he has. I want to visit Vermont when I read this bookseries even though acording to the books there is crime. I love the way we follow the characters evolution through these 30 books.
I must thank #Edelweis and #MinotaurBooks for letting me read this. Strong recommendations to everyone.
I must thank #Edelweis and #MinotaurBooks for letting me read this. Strong recommendations to everyone.
January 1, 2020
The plot was convoluted and unrealistic, but the worst part was that I didn’t like a couple of the main characters. Joe Gunther and crew were secondary to the two newer characters, Rachel and Sally. Yet, these two characters are not established enough to carry a book on their own, and I just plain do not like them.
May 16, 2023
Not my favorite in the series but will keep you guessing.
Original review 11/13/2020. Gave it 4 stars. Second read 5/15/2023. Raising my rating to 5 stars because of what I didn’t catch the first time. This one was awesome.
Original review 11/13/2020. Gave it 4 stars. Second read 5/15/2023. Raising my rating to 5 stars because of what I didn’t catch the first time. This one was awesome.
November 8, 2019
First Sentence: It was cold, dark, and slightly breezy, causing a few dry snowflakes to scurry the length of Sally Kravitz's windshield.
PI Sally Kravitz works within the law, as opposed to her father, a thief known as "Tag Man." Rachel Reiling is a reporter working at the Brattleboro Reformer, hoping for her first big story. Now, thanks to Joe Gunther, head of the Vermont Burau of Investigation, the two women are working together to connect two murders to a prestigious prep school.
While this is a new entry in the Vermont Bureau of Investigation/Joe Gunther series, Mayor provides a good sense of each of his characters beginning with a nicely done introduction of Joe, but also a strong sense of place as well. It's refreshing to have two female characters take a significant role. Also enjoyable is that they are not members of the police and, although they are quite different from one another, they find a way to work well together.
One may find oneself smiling at how well the plotting is done. Interesting 3D crime scene technology brings the story into today's technology. However, there are times where the scene would change that reminded me of the classic two-note indicator on the old police show "Dragnet" and made the story feel a bit disjointed.
There are lighter moments—"Idle chat in Vermont was always punctuated by discussions of mud season, mosquito plagues, heat waves, dry spells, snowstorms, black ice, and countless other attributes of a muscular, quirky seasonal parade of weather-related iconography." Mayor does treat one to a lovely use of language—"Biased as he was against other people's learning curves, obdurateness, or rank stupidity, he distrusted his own predisposition to dismiss people prematurely."
The book is a delightfully intricate Venn diagram of circles neatly intersecting circles. It's not manipulative, but one becomes more intrigued as the pattern emerges. The characters are interesting especially as not everyone is as they seem, and a new friendship evolves which one hopes to see continue.
"Bomber's Moon" is a very good book, brilliantly plotted. Even the ending was a perfect reflection of the characters.
BOMBER'S MOON (PolProc-Joe Gunther-Vermont-Contemp) - VG
Mayor, Archer – 30th in series
Minotaur Books – Sept 2019
PI Sally Kravitz works within the law, as opposed to her father, a thief known as "Tag Man." Rachel Reiling is a reporter working at the Brattleboro Reformer, hoping for her first big story. Now, thanks to Joe Gunther, head of the Vermont Burau of Investigation, the two women are working together to connect two murders to a prestigious prep school.
While this is a new entry in the Vermont Bureau of Investigation/Joe Gunther series, Mayor provides a good sense of each of his characters beginning with a nicely done introduction of Joe, but also a strong sense of place as well. It's refreshing to have two female characters take a significant role. Also enjoyable is that they are not members of the police and, although they are quite different from one another, they find a way to work well together.
One may find oneself smiling at how well the plotting is done. Interesting 3D crime scene technology brings the story into today's technology. However, there are times where the scene would change that reminded me of the classic two-note indicator on the old police show "Dragnet" and made the story feel a bit disjointed.
There are lighter moments—"Idle chat in Vermont was always punctuated by discussions of mud season, mosquito plagues, heat waves, dry spells, snowstorms, black ice, and countless other attributes of a muscular, quirky seasonal parade of weather-related iconography." Mayor does treat one to a lovely use of language—"Biased as he was against other people's learning curves, obdurateness, or rank stupidity, he distrusted his own predisposition to dismiss people prematurely."
The book is a delightfully intricate Venn diagram of circles neatly intersecting circles. It's not manipulative, but one becomes more intrigued as the pattern emerges. The characters are interesting especially as not everyone is as they seem, and a new friendship evolves which one hopes to see continue.
"Bomber's Moon" is a very good book, brilliantly plotted. Even the ending was a perfect reflection of the characters.
BOMBER'S MOON (PolProc-Joe Gunther-Vermont-Contemp) - VG
Mayor, Archer – 30th in series
Minotaur Books – Sept 2019
September 22, 2019
OMG. How did I get to be this age never having read any of the Joe Gunther books by Archer Mayor? This is the thirtieth book in the series, for pete’s sake! I have really been missing out, and if you have never read any of them, so have you. This excellent book no doubt lives up to its predecessors, something I am going to verify as soon as possible.
Joe Gunther is the head of the VBI, the Vermont Bureau of Investigation. He and his team step in to help local police agencies with tough cases, as well as dealing with their own difficult cases. In this case, a man has been killed in a small Vermont city and the VBI is called in. There is another thread going on at the same time; a clever thief is operating in Vermont and comes to the attention of the VBI. I don’t like spoilers so I won’t say any more about the plot, except to say that it is convoluted and keeps the reader’s interest.
One of the great pleasures of a long-running series is familiarity with the characters. The secondary characters here are well-drawn and clearly defined. For those of us who have not read any of the preceding books there are enough explanations to understand their relationships and what is going on, but not so much that it is overdone. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting them and am looking forward to a further acquaintance.
“Bomber’s Moon” is a very good book, which I enjoyed very much. The chief pleasure was watching Joe and his team figure out what was going on, and deal with it. Mayor’s prose is lovely and clear, with no wasted words. I highly recommend this book, even while I am facepalming myself for coming into this series so late.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions are my own.
Joe Gunther is the head of the VBI, the Vermont Bureau of Investigation. He and his team step in to help local police agencies with tough cases, as well as dealing with their own difficult cases. In this case, a man has been killed in a small Vermont city and the VBI is called in. There is another thread going on at the same time; a clever thief is operating in Vermont and comes to the attention of the VBI. I don’t like spoilers so I won’t say any more about the plot, except to say that it is convoluted and keeps the reader’s interest.
One of the great pleasures of a long-running series is familiarity with the characters. The secondary characters here are well-drawn and clearly defined. For those of us who have not read any of the preceding books there are enough explanations to understand their relationships and what is going on, but not so much that it is overdone. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting them and am looking forward to a further acquaintance.
“Bomber’s Moon” is a very good book, which I enjoyed very much. The chief pleasure was watching Joe and his team figure out what was going on, and deal with it. Mayor’s prose is lovely and clear, with no wasted words. I highly recommend this book, even while I am facepalming myself for coming into this series so late.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions are my own.
October 10, 2019
#30 in the Joe Gunther series. This 2019 series entry by author Archer Mayor is, as always, imbued with the atmosphere of Vermont. This entry is narrated from multiple points of view; in addition to the four members of Joe's team, there is investigative reporter Rachel Reiling, who has become a recurring character since her debut in Proof Positive (2014), and Private Detective Sally Kravitz, the daughter of Dan Kravitz, the Tag Man (2011). All bring their separate talents to bear in solving pieces of the puzzle that comes together in a dazzling finish. A very satisfying read.
Two young women form the heart of this tale. One, an investigative reporter, the other a private investigator. Uneasy allies from completely different walks of life, they work together―around and sometimes against Joe Gunther and his VBI cops―in an attempt to connect the murders of a small town drug dealer, a smart, engaging, fatally flawed thief, and the tangled, political, increasingly dark goings on at a prestigious prep school. While Gunther and the VBI set about solving the two murders, Sally Kravitz and Rachel Reiling combine their talents and resources to go where the police cannot, from working undercover at Thorndike Academy, to having clandestine meetings with criminals for their insider’s knowledge of Vermont’s unexpectedly illicit underbelly.
Two young women form the heart of this tale. One, an investigative reporter, the other a private investigator. Uneasy allies from completely different walks of life, they work together―around and sometimes against Joe Gunther and his VBI cops―in an attempt to connect the murders of a small town drug dealer, a smart, engaging, fatally flawed thief, and the tangled, political, increasingly dark goings on at a prestigious prep school. While Gunther and the VBI set about solving the two murders, Sally Kravitz and Rachel Reiling combine their talents and resources to go where the police cannot, from working undercover at Thorndike Academy, to having clandestine meetings with criminals for their insider’s knowledge of Vermont’s unexpectedly illicit underbelly.
November 1, 2019
This was a very enjoyable book with an engrossing plot and quirky characters. It was a pleasure to read a book with those qualities, where the author doesn't feel it necessary to drop the f-bomb on every page. This was not my first book by Archer Mayor, and it definitely won't be my last.
November 18, 2020
Joe Gunther and his VBI team inherited a murder from the local police in Bellows Falls. It involved drugs, seemed oddly planned and oddly spontaneous. Witnesses were misleading or eliminated. And then there is the unrelated case of Alex Hale, burglar extraordinaire, who stumbled onto a find that put him in the river after being shot in the head. Rachel Reiling, photographer and reporter for the Reasoner and Sally Kravitz, private eye, start pulling on various strings that leads to multiple murders being solved and an innocent man being spared harm. An interesting setup marred in part by a semi-rushed ending. But still a solid entry in the series.
November 11, 2019
This is a solid addition to the Joe Gunther series. It seems a while since the last book and I easily fell into this new mystery. I wouldn’t say this is his strongest storyline. it felt like a rather abrupt ending. I would have enjoyed a bit more at the end of the story. Overall a solid procedural.
September 30, 2019
Very well written with very involved plotting. Good story, well told. I expect that from Archer Mayor and he delivers, always. But this one is stellar. Thanks. I love page 245 especially, with it's description of Willy's sniper activities and his thought processes.
Now.....
If the publisher is reading this, please make the print darker! I read books, I buy books, not e-books. I like large print because the contrast -- print on paper -- is greater. I read in bed, wear glasses, and rely on a lamp. This is the first book where I have noticed that the print was too dim. I am not getting a Kindle to change the contrast. I buy books.
This was printed in Canada so you can't blame the Chinese.
Now.....
If the publisher is reading this, please make the print darker! I read books, I buy books, not e-books. I like large print because the contrast -- print on paper -- is greater. I read in bed, wear glasses, and rely on a lamp. This is the first book where I have noticed that the print was too dim. I am not getting a Kindle to change the contrast. I buy books.
This was printed in Canada so you can't blame the Chinese.
December 1, 2019
Tried and true, Joe and team are back trying to solve the simultaneous mysteries around the murder of a drug dealer and the murder of a clever thief, this time bizarrely all rolled up with a fictional local prep school (that has somehow never before figured in 29 previous Joe Gunther books). On the plus side, much of the investigative leg work is done not by Joe and team but by Sally Kravitz and Rachel Reiling, the daughters of other series luminaries, and it's nice to see some fresh heroes. But there are a lot of stretches in this one to wrap everything up neatly (and quickly). Always like to catch up with the characters but this one was just ok.
July 10, 2020
A delightful series with the lead character smart, compassionate, but not too tech savvy. I can relate to that.
Read
October 24, 2019Thanks to Minotaur for the free copy in exchange for my honest review
My introduction to the Joe Gunther series was last year, with book #29. I didn’t have too many difficulties keeping up with everything and everyone, so I ready to continue into the series with book #30! BOMBER’S MOON was another solid police procedural. I do think that it would be beneficial to read some of the previous books in the series to fully understand the dynamics and relationships, BUT it isn’t necessary. You’ll still be able to follow along with the mystery with no issue.
We focus less on Joe Gunther and his colleagues, and more on two young women that are working together to solve a case. A private investigator and an investigative journalist team up to solve a murder as Gunther and his team are trying to solve the same case. The relationship between Sally and Rachel is great – they created an unlikely pairing but they grew stronger together as they became entangled with a prestigious prep school and their dark secrets.
Overall, a solid police procedural that brought us new characters to the series. If you’re a long-time fan of the Joe Gunther series, then you’ll enjoy this breath of fresh air the author brings. I can’t wait to see where the next book brings us and if we get more of these newly introduced characters.
My introduction to the Joe Gunther series was last year, with book #29. I didn’t have too many difficulties keeping up with everything and everyone, so I ready to continue into the series with book #30! BOMBER’S MOON was another solid police procedural. I do think that it would be beneficial to read some of the previous books in the series to fully understand the dynamics and relationships, BUT it isn’t necessary. You’ll still be able to follow along with the mystery with no issue.
We focus less on Joe Gunther and his colleagues, and more on two young women that are working together to solve a case. A private investigator and an investigative journalist team up to solve a murder as Gunther and his team are trying to solve the same case. The relationship between Sally and Rachel is great – they created an unlikely pairing but they grew stronger together as they became entangled with a prestigious prep school and their dark secrets.
Overall, a solid police procedural that brought us new characters to the series. If you’re a long-time fan of the Joe Gunther series, then you’ll enjoy this breath of fresh air the author brings. I can’t wait to see where the next book brings us and if we get more of these newly introduced characters.
July 30, 2019
I've read the entire series, and this is the best one yet. As usual, it begins with several seemingly different things happening, and gradually, they all get tied together.
First we meet Alex, who seeing a couple getting on the train in Winsor after parking a very expensive car, comes back later at night to break into the car. Then, instead of driving off in the car, he steals the registration and a garage door opener from the glove compartment. Then, he finds the house, uses the garage opener to go in, and steals all the electronics. He really hits pay dirt when he breaks into the computer! Another time, he steals a woman's pocket book in the market, pretends to be someone at the market who has found her pocket book, robs the house while she drives back to the market and uses her phone to get the bank password from her husband.
Then, back in Brattleboro, a small time drug trafficker is knifed in his apartment. Later, an old man who spends his time looking out his window with binoculars dies. Meanwhile, Rachel, Beverly Hillstrom's daughter, is now working for the Brattleboro Informer, and Katz, her boss is ready to support her writing special articles. He tells her to see Sally Kravitz. Although they are both wary at first, PI Sally and Rachel soon hit it off, and work together. Although Gunther and his crew are doing their part in solving three murders, funny activities at a prestigious prep school, as well as debunking a character assassination, the real stars of this mystery are Rachel and Sally.
First we meet Alex, who seeing a couple getting on the train in Winsor after parking a very expensive car, comes back later at night to break into the car. Then, instead of driving off in the car, he steals the registration and a garage door opener from the glove compartment. Then, he finds the house, uses the garage opener to go in, and steals all the electronics. He really hits pay dirt when he breaks into the computer! Another time, he steals a woman's pocket book in the market, pretends to be someone at the market who has found her pocket book, robs the house while she drives back to the market and uses her phone to get the bank password from her husband.
Then, back in Brattleboro, a small time drug trafficker is knifed in his apartment. Later, an old man who spends his time looking out his window with binoculars dies. Meanwhile, Rachel, Beverly Hillstrom's daughter, is now working for the Brattleboro Informer, and Katz, her boss is ready to support her writing special articles. He tells her to see Sally Kravitz. Although they are both wary at first, PI Sally and Rachel soon hit it off, and work together. Although Gunther and his crew are doing their part in solving three murders, funny activities at a prestigious prep school, as well as debunking a character assassination, the real stars of this mystery are Rachel and Sally.
October 4, 2019
I very much like the Joe Gunther series by Archer Mayor. Each book spins a good yarn, the characters progress throughout the series, so you have the main plot and a number of longer-term plots involving the characters in the series. You sort of become a member of the family; you're comfortable with the characters and their strengths and quirks.
The author has a way of making his books gritty, and includes a lot of Vermont lore. The author comes from Brattleboro, VT, and that's where much of the action takes place. Since Brattleboro is just over the border from where I live, and I am somewhat familiar with that city, that appeals, too.
This particular book in the series is, at the time of writing, brand new. I think my request for it from our local library was the first. It expands on the set of characters, adding, in particular, Sally and Rachel to the mix. Good, strong characters, both, and I fully expect to see more of them in future books in the series. I thought the plots were good. Actually several plots, but all to eventually coalesce into one -- I don't think that's too much of a spoiler, because the reader pretty much knows that they will; too many clues) My only comment is that the book seems to come to a very abrupt end.
Recommended, as usual, with a Joe Gunther novel!
The author has a way of making his books gritty, and includes a lot of Vermont lore. The author comes from Brattleboro, VT, and that's where much of the action takes place. Since Brattleboro is just over the border from where I live, and I am somewhat familiar with that city, that appeals, too.
This particular book in the series is, at the time of writing, brand new. I think my request for it from our local library was the first. It expands on the set of characters, adding, in particular, Sally and Rachel to the mix. Good, strong characters, both, and I fully expect to see more of them in future books in the series. I thought the plots were good. Actually several plots, but all to eventually coalesce into one -- I don't think that's too much of a spoiler, because the reader pretty much knows that they will; too many clues) My only comment is that the book seems to come to a very abrupt end.
Recommended, as usual, with a Joe Gunther novel!
December 7, 2019
Another great book by Archer Mayor. I like how the story of Joe and his colleagues has progressed. Bringing back elements from old books and how the new generation are now coming in to the mix.
November 8, 2019
The thirtieth novel in a very good series by Archer Mayor, Bomber’s Moon: A Joe Gunther Novel, opens in the winter time in Vermont. There is a man who is very good at his job. Unfortunately for some folks, Alex Hale’s being good at his job means their stuff gets stolen. For a certain someone, that theft will cause the potential of a secret going back decades to be exposed and that can’t be allowed.
Joe Gunther and his team in the Vermont Bureau of Investigation, the VBI, are about to have their own case in Bellow Falls. The murder case of Lyall Johnson seems pretty straight forward on the face of it a guy named Brandon Leggatt knifed him over drugs and fled the scene. A fight between low life criminals that have very long rap sheets going back many years covering a wide ranging list of petty crimes indicates that things led to their always inevitable conclusion. Joe Gunther has been doing this job for a lot of years and he si sure from the start that something more is at work.
At the same time, Sally Kravitz, private investigator, is hired for an infiltration and surveillance job. Something is rotten at Thorndike Academy. What exactly is wrong is vague and nothing more than a nagging suspicion that her employer has at this point. One of those deals when you know something is off, but you just can’t quite put your finger on it. He wants confirmation. She soon needs some help and enlists Rachel Railing, a reporter, who is moving into the investigation side of things.
The above explanation not only greatly simplifies the various situations, it also barely scratches the surface of this latest very complicated novel in the series. Things escalate quickly on all these fronts and more in this highly entertaining mystery. Long time readers very familiar with these characters and their evolving situations will find much to like in this latest installment. All the usual suspects are back and the only real question is how well they play together with their often differing and clashing agendas.
Bomber’s Moon: A Joe Gunther Novel is another mighty good read in a series full of them. Sure you could start here and it would work, but what is the fun in that? Go to the beginning and start with Open Season.
Bomber’s Moon: A Joe Gunther Novel
Archer Mayor
https://archermayor.com/
Minotaur Books (St. Martin’s Publishing Group)
https://www.minotaurbooks.com
September 2019
ISBN# 978-1-250-11330-6
Hardback (also available in audio and digital formats)
324 Pages (311 pages actual story)
Material came from the Mountain Creek Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2019
Joe Gunther and his team in the Vermont Bureau of Investigation, the VBI, are about to have their own case in Bellow Falls. The murder case of Lyall Johnson seems pretty straight forward on the face of it a guy named Brandon Leggatt knifed him over drugs and fled the scene. A fight between low life criminals that have very long rap sheets going back many years covering a wide ranging list of petty crimes indicates that things led to their always inevitable conclusion. Joe Gunther has been doing this job for a lot of years and he si sure from the start that something more is at work.
At the same time, Sally Kravitz, private investigator, is hired for an infiltration and surveillance job. Something is rotten at Thorndike Academy. What exactly is wrong is vague and nothing more than a nagging suspicion that her employer has at this point. One of those deals when you know something is off, but you just can’t quite put your finger on it. He wants confirmation. She soon needs some help and enlists Rachel Railing, a reporter, who is moving into the investigation side of things.
The above explanation not only greatly simplifies the various situations, it also barely scratches the surface of this latest very complicated novel in the series. Things escalate quickly on all these fronts and more in this highly entertaining mystery. Long time readers very familiar with these characters and their evolving situations will find much to like in this latest installment. All the usual suspects are back and the only real question is how well they play together with their often differing and clashing agendas.
Bomber’s Moon: A Joe Gunther Novel is another mighty good read in a series full of them. Sure you could start here and it would work, but what is the fun in that? Go to the beginning and start with Open Season.
Bomber’s Moon: A Joe Gunther Novel
Archer Mayor
https://archermayor.com/
Minotaur Books (St. Martin’s Publishing Group)
https://www.minotaurbooks.com
September 2019
ISBN# 978-1-250-11330-6
Hardback (also available in audio and digital formats)
324 Pages (311 pages actual story)
Material came from the Mountain Creek Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2019
February 3, 2020
The differences between book smart and street smart (and their accompanying pros and cons) are eventually brought to light in the new Joe Gunther novel by Archer Mayor.
In Bomber's Moon, the story starts out focused on Rachel Reiling, the daughter of Joe's girlfriend Beverly. She's a newbie reporter for a newspaper who's tasked by her boss to look for stories to investigate...the "hard news" that used to be the hallmark of journalism.
To get her started, he sends her to meet private eye Sally Kravitz in order to give Rachel the basics of how to do an actual investigation. Longtime readers will remember Sally from the book "Tag Man" and the return here of both her and in a far smaller role, her father Dan is a welcome touch.
Of the various story threads running in the book, readers also meet Alex Hale, a small-time thief who engages in a more creative type of thievery than simple smash-and-grab.
At first I thought the book was moving a bit slow, but I should've known things would pay off down the line. When a body turns up, Rachel ends up running into Joe Gunther and his team as they work the story from different sides of their professional divide.
But as each party digs deeper into the victim's life it soon becomes clear that their death is tied less to their small-time aspirations and more to a prestigious prep school in the area. Joe and his team (Willy, Sammi and Lester) start tying things to the school via a drug connection while Sally and Rachel work their angles, leading them to a potential scandal that could bring down not just the school but a number of powerful people tied to the place as well.
The writing for 'Bomber's Moon' is again top notch. Since there isn't a lot of gunplay or over the top action sequences, there is a more meditative feel to each investigative step the characters take. It's a step-by-step building of the blocks that will hopefully lead to the truth and unmasking of a killer and their motives.
It is a testament to the author's talent that as I turned the pages, I never found myself wanting for a more explosive confrontation. Instead, I was content to tag along with Joe and his cohorts as well as both Rachel and Sally to see where each clue (whether they panned out or not) would take them on the road to justice.
And the last line of the book is perfectly suited to illustrate the ever-present and seemingly ever growing divide between the haves (book smart, so to speak) and the have-nots (street smart, somewhat) that exists not only in the fictional world of Joe Gunther but our real world too.
In Bomber's Moon, the story starts out focused on Rachel Reiling, the daughter of Joe's girlfriend Beverly. She's a newbie reporter for a newspaper who's tasked by her boss to look for stories to investigate...the "hard news" that used to be the hallmark of journalism.
To get her started, he sends her to meet private eye Sally Kravitz in order to give Rachel the basics of how to do an actual investigation. Longtime readers will remember Sally from the book "Tag Man" and the return here of both her and in a far smaller role, her father Dan is a welcome touch.
Of the various story threads running in the book, readers also meet Alex Hale, a small-time thief who engages in a more creative type of thievery than simple smash-and-grab.
At first I thought the book was moving a bit slow, but I should've known things would pay off down the line. When a body turns up, Rachel ends up running into Joe Gunther and his team as they work the story from different sides of their professional divide.
But as each party digs deeper into the victim's life it soon becomes clear that their death is tied less to their small-time aspirations and more to a prestigious prep school in the area. Joe and his team (Willy, Sammi and Lester) start tying things to the school via a drug connection while Sally and Rachel work their angles, leading them to a potential scandal that could bring down not just the school but a number of powerful people tied to the place as well.
The writing for 'Bomber's Moon' is again top notch. Since there isn't a lot of gunplay or over the top action sequences, there is a more meditative feel to each investigative step the characters take. It's a step-by-step building of the blocks that will hopefully lead to the truth and unmasking of a killer and their motives.
It is a testament to the author's talent that as I turned the pages, I never found myself wanting for a more explosive confrontation. Instead, I was content to tag along with Joe and his cohorts as well as both Rachel and Sally to see where each clue (whether they panned out or not) would take them on the road to justice.
And the last line of the book is perfectly suited to illustrate the ever-present and seemingly ever growing divide between the haves (book smart, so to speak) and the have-nots (street smart, somewhat) that exists not only in the fictional world of Joe Gunther but our real world too.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews