The tony ski town of Tucker Peak, Vermont is experiencing a rash of condo burglaries. Normally this wouldn't be a case for Joe Gunther and the newly-formed VBI, but when high-profile people have their high-value possessions stolen, names get dropped and strings get pulled. Turns out it's just as well they called in Joe, since once they begin investigating the case suddenly develops a body count. Between drug-dealing, burglary, financial shenanigans, ecoterrorism, sabotage and murder, there's something deathly serious going on behind the resort's pristine veneer.
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.
Archor Mayor has based a series of law enforcement dramas in Vermont. Joe Gunther, the central character, has moved from the Brattleboro Police department, to a developing (some would say struggling) new agency, the Vermont Bureau of Investigation (VBI). Starting with a stolen watch (which hardly seemed a major case), Gunther and team moved on to bigger problems, focusing on activities at Tucker Peak, a mythical ski resort in Vermont. From the description of the location, for those of you who know Vermont, or people who get a map, look at Ludlow and you will find Okemo Resort, and I think you will find the site that Mayor was thinking about when he wrote the book.
Mayor's advisers in the ski industry would not agree to have their names listed in the book, as that might tarnish the real ski economy in Vermont. Corruption is not anything that goes well with economic development. So, Joe Gunther and Archer Mayor both had to step lightly when it came to investigating resort operations.
As has been typical in Gunther books, this one has some serious action at the ski resort - I will leave it at that so as not the spoil the story.
I have read Mayor's first eleven books (all on Kindle), and this is one is in the top third. You will find Sammie, Willie, Gail and some of the rest of the former characters at the Brattleboro PD. I would recommend this book.
Another good entry in the Joe Gunther series. Joe and Sammie go undercover at a ski resort to investigate a string of high dollar burglaries. The case quickly turns to murder and Joe has his hands full. Well done. Recommended.
We just finished slogging through Mayor’s 12th (of 30) Vermont-based detective Joe Gunther mystery / police procedural. Like several of the previous ten we had read in order, it was mostly boring – its unengaging plot lacked suspense and few characters about which to care. Middle-aged Joe is just terrible in the action scenes, always smacking of incredulity. Although he is now a member of the Vermont Bureau of Investigation (VBI), a new fledgling police force set above the state police, he still gets overly involved in all kinds of petty matters. His tiresome monogamous relationship with long-time girlfriend Gail is still a roller coaster ride, which now stands at little more than friends with benefits.
The lukewarm plot is about some crimes at a ski resort (“Tucker Peak”) that has many financial and other problems distracting the storyline. An early robbery of an expensive “timepiece” (that’s a “watch” to us proletariats), soon followed by a connected murder, gets Joe’s team involved, including the two former colleagues he dragged along to the VBI from his former town PD. They soon go undercover in jobs at the resort, in a silly attempt to understand what is happening – but little more of interest happens until the last 20 pages of the book!
At this point, we’re not at all sure that these tales are really worth pursuing.
I enjoy how Archer Mayor writes, he keeps the story line going and keeps me interested. Tucker Peak is a good book, I love when he adds history to his story line.
This is about the 4th Joe Gunther police procedural mystery I've read so far and this one was quite a perfect, entertaining story. Tucker Peak is the 15th book in the series written by author Archer Mayor. The series is set in Vermont and at this point Gunther is lead investigator of a small team of the newly formed Vermont Bureau of Investigation.
This story involves break-ins at the Tucker Peak ski resort and grows to include destructive activity at the resort (possibly perpetrated by environmentalist protesters) and ultimately to murder(s) and other activities. Gunther and his team work with local police, both working undercover and following other standard police practices, to try and find out what the heck is going on.
As I said, it's quite a perfect story. Gunther and his group are great characters, empathetic, smart, dedicated and great investigators. We get into their personalities just enough to draw you in to the story. The investigation follows a neat process, gathering evidence, interrogations, done in a manner that seems logical but also very interesting. There is also sufficient action and the story is so well-paced that it's a real page turner. And the various ongoing cases are also interesting and satisfyingly solved to let you close the book at the end with a pleased sigh and then go try and find another book in this excellent series. I know I haven't delved into the case too much but I don't want to ruin an excellent story for you to discover on your own. (5.0 stars)
Traveling by book to one of my favorite winter places: Vermont for skiing ... even though Archer Mayor’s description is not necessarily as enticing since he describes a darker underside to the resort industry ... looking forward to returning after vaccines ! The book revolves around a string of burglaries at a Condo at the Tucker Peak ski resort and turns into everything from drug dealing to murder. In this book, Archer Mayor describes a third-rate ski resort with its rundown maintenance and its struggle to survive vividly... Vermont and Vermonters are described so vividly that it does feel like going back to Vermont.
"Cat's out of the bag. You nail this bastard or I'll make you sorry you didn't."
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>
I have been slowly reading my way through this series, written by a local author i know personally, and i have to say, the books keep getting better! Mayor always writes about issues that are/were timely (in this case, the beginning of the "demise of the ski industry" anxiety), and his mysteries unfold in a way that keeps you guessing, but always make sense.
Looking forward to finding out what Joe Gunther get into next!
Tucker Peak was great! Started out with a very expensive stolen watch, soon its murder and more murder. We see Gunther and Sam go undercover here which was a fun addition to the story. Like seeing the ongoing character development that takes place from book to book, keeps me really connected with them and the series in general.
Archer Mayor series of Brattleboro, Vermont police officer Joe Gunther is absolutely marvelous. The story builds from the first page and keeps me interested to the end. Gunther is a smart and experienced officer that puzzles through an investigation piece by piece. Interesting setting for a mystery, a ski lodge and surrounding guest community. A burglary at the resort starts the investigation that leads to corporate CEO and CFO robbing money in the midst of sabatage, robbery and environmental protests due to the Tucker Peak resort and plans for expansion. A great read as are the other books in the series.
Reminds me of Harry Bosch novels by Michael Connelly. Joe Gunther is every bit as smart, knows the town and state and the people, criminals and ordinary citizens.
One cannot get the chill out of their bones as they read this book about crimes at a popular Vermont ski resort. Joe Gunther is somewhat reluctant to take on the case but eventually it grows into a major crime involving many different people. Mayor skis his way through the narrative and gives us a side of Gunther and the VBI that we have not seen before. A good read but on a cold winter day it will only reinforce your desire to see springtime.
PROTAGONIST: Lieut. Joe Gunther SETTING: Vermont SERIES: #12 of 25 RATING: 3.75 WHY: There's been a string of burglaries in the Tucker Peak ski resort area. The resort itself is under siege by a group of environmentalists, and the financial picture is bleak. VBI (Vermont Bureau of Investigation steps in to help the local authorities. Joe and colleague Sammie go undercover at the resort. I thought this was overkill based on the alleged crimes. As always, Mayor does a great job with setting, character and dialogue. The plot was a bit weak.
Good entry in the series. Condo burglary investigation at a ski resort turns into something bigger. No surprise - Gunther does get hurt! Mayor continues to develop the characters and their relationships which keeps the series interesting.
Like the series and it’s main character and his team. Plots are always well thought out. No cliffhangers, graphics (sex or language), well narrated by Tom Taylorson. Recommended.
Rate 4.5 because ALL Mayor novels are excellent reading for crime-solving lovers. I should rate them 5. Always surprising twists and turns.
JOE GUNTHER is compassionate, sensible and likable. It’s often presumed cops are conservative and environmentalists liberal, so we have one of each “political party” in Joe and GALE ZIGMAN as life partners. A successful balance for them and for readers.
The Vermont Bureau of Investigation will have the most challenging crimes, which annoys several local and state police, FBI and BCI who are restricted more closely to their local regions. VBI is set up to be statewide and, at Joe’s insistence, must be “invited” by local police -- assuring them VBI will take no credit for crimes solved -- in order to avoid conflicts and animosities. (Not sure if VBI is fictional?) Joe has uncanny knack for side-stepping bureaucratic political (and personality) BS with diplomacy and common sense. He gets the job done and is respected by all.
Joe is "invited" (reluctantly) by another rural small-town Sheriff, “SNUFFY” DANIEL DAWSON in nearby Tucker Peak, to solve mysterious burglaries. Unlike Joe, Snuffy is a political animal, so things will get interesting fast. The recent victim of a $30,000 burglary is the pompous Wm Manning from NY with a ski-in/ski-out condo, who threatened to call the governor to demand VBI. Coincidentally,(or not?), the “tree huggers” are threatening to close the ski resort that wants to expand, investing big bucks—Go big or go broke. This town depends on ski tourists and investors from all over the state and the country.
Joe’s new VBI team is made up of his most trusted people from their days as “just local Brattleboro cops”: WILLY KUNKLE, SAMMIE MARTINS, LESTER SPINNEY, and RON KLESCZEWSKI, but will continue to grow with successes.
Joe quickly establishes the thief and murder suspect has disappeared, leaving behind his dead girlfriend. Sammie and Joe will go undercover as part of Tucker Peak crowd to learn who might know more about the burglaries — The other VBI members will continue with the routine investigations of the burglaries and murder. Ron will relay news updates between the two sides.
Going undercover at the ski resort, Sammie’s aka is GRETA NOVAK… Joe’s is MAX LAMBERT . MARTY GAGNON is suspect for murder of girlfriend and burglary involvement $30,000 ring, etc. McNALLY, CEO, SKI RESORT. Clever at diffusing TPL disruptions. ROGER BETTS, is respected older Environmentalist, discourages violence and destruction that keep occurring - embarrassed with it for sake of their official mission tactics.
A tense action scene on a ski slope highlights Joe’s/MAX’s bravery, common sense, unexpected abilities, modesty and integrity. Also, his common sense and quick-thinking and problem-solving. Outstanding people skills, diplomatic. A number of tense incidents.
Author has outstanding talent for lack of hyperbole and unnecessary space-filling. (I lack that talent!, but I’m not an author.) I also find it a treat to have witty characters for comedy relief in intense situations.
Lt. Joe Gunther and his Vermont Bureau of Investigation has been contacted by an overworked local sheriff who suspects and inside job in a series of burglaries surrounding the Tucker Peak Ski Resort. Joe decides to help as he and a female officer go undercover at the resort. What they find is that there is much more than theft going on at the resort. The head of the burglary ring has disappeared and his contact at the resort is running for his life. The contact's girlfriend is murdered and it is obvious that someone dangerous is trying to find all involved. Meanwhile, an environmental activist group has targeted Tucker Peak for using the town's reservoir to pump water into snow-making machines. Several acts of vandalism occur, easily blamed on the activists, but it's possible someone on the inside of Tucker Peak's staff is the cause. Gunther is shocked at just how much crime he finds beneath the pristine mountain resort and he could possibly pay for his discoveries with his life.
Another great installment in the Joe Gunther series. I love the setting of Vermont and the dedication of Joe's character. I'm so glad that I have many more in this series to read.
#12 in the Vermont police 50 something year old lieutenant joe Gunther mystery series. This a very good police procedural series showing the nitty gritty day-to-day investigating work to solve a mystery. Former Brattleboro, Vermont, cop, Joe is now the #2 man of the new Vermont Bureau of Investigation (VBI), a joint task force charged with statewide responsibility for major crimes and now works collaboratively with the various other police units in the state to aid in their investigations.
An overworked sheriff and a string of condo burglaries at a luxurious ski resort have Joe Gunther and the newly-minted Vermont Bureau of Investigation digging deep for clues, but it doesn't take long for Joe to find it doesn't take long for Joe to find the most likely thief missing and his girlfriend dead. Complications mount, from drug dealing to environmental terrorism, attempted murder and issues with the resort company resulting in Joe and his team go undercover to infiltrate the closed company society.
Joe Gunther and his team are a year into the newly formed Vermont Bureau of Investigation when they are handed a case of burglaries at a local ski resort by the county sheriff. In this installment, we get less of a look at the underside of life in the Green Mountain State than usual as the focus is on the shifting economic basis to tourism and recreation.
As always, the novel is strong on setting with a sufficiently complex plotline and supported by just enough characterization to satisfy long-time fans and pique the interest of new readers. Some passages merited closer editing as in the first few chapters there were several noticeably awkward sentences, missing words, and confusion on who was speaking due to careless punctuation and paragraph breaks. Other than those quibbles, the author's style shows mastery of his craft and of the genre.
My first and most likely my only Joe Gunther novel. I listened to this as an audio book and I don't really know why I'm not feeling the novel. This is number 12 of a series so don't know if it is the characters are losing their zing or if this is one of the best ones. Joe Gunther is a nice guy (policeman) but the writing seems stilted and forced. I read a lot of mysteries so I know what I like and this didn't hold my attention and I found myself not following the story. Not a bad story just not my cup of tea.
#12 in the series. This one is more like a 3.5 rating. Takes place in Vermont and the author always makes Vermont quite like a character. Having lived in the state, I like the memory. The mystery is interesting and the writing clear and rich. The author does a very good job of infusing the mystery with details of the characters' lives. I look forward to the rest of the series. It is nice to know there are more.
I like these books. Joe is really settling into this new job at the Vermont Bureau of Investigations. He made a couple of bone head moves in this book which are better left to a much younger man but nothing that made me want to stop reading. I like that Willie and Sammy are continuing as a couple. Their relationship is moving at a slow pace but that's believable when you consider Willie's attitude.
Good story with believable characters and a different twist on the usual financial caper. Joe Gunther didn't go into the hospital this book which was a pleasant change, but he did get hurt. I have read the first 12 books and Joe has gotten hurt or worse in all of them. I am hoping by the time I reach the end, Mayor will have written a few book where he doesn't have to resort to such amateurish tactics to create suspense.
I discovered that the vast majority of this series was available for free to read to Audible members and immediately added nos. 2-11 to my library and went on a Joe Gunther splurge. Reading them back to back reveals some weaknesses. Joe Gunther makes a lot of rather dumb decisions. He has more lives than a cat. But the series provides entertainment, especially when walking and bike riding. I won't be writing reviews for each book at this time.
It is hot in Florida where I'm reading Archer Mayor. Tucker Peak is a ski resort on the rocks and I'm enjoying the cold while I can. Joe Gunther keeps getting shot at, knocked down, bit by a big dog, and comes back for more. Driving in snow does not slow him down. Sammie develops a blond disguise and Willy is jealous. Strong characters, many female, make this my favorite series.
Joe and Sammy go undercover at the ski resort where local green people do things to undermine the place. There is also some drug activity, and at the end a big embezzling scheme between the CFO and CEOs. VBI was born in the last book and continues on. Willy and Sammie are good as are Joe and Gail.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Skulduggery in a ski resort as Gunther adapts to his new role with the VBI. A bit too ramshackle a plot as one thing leads to another with a kind of out of nowhere development at the end. Also I don’t think a lot of the police work bears scrutiny, from the undercover operation (and how did Joe and Sam get hired so fast?)to the coke bust to using the cleaning woman for evidence.
Set in a ski resort community called Tucker Peak. The VBI is called by the local sheriff to investigate a series of burglaries, but sabotage, drug dealing and murder end up in the mix.
Sam undercover again. Joe suffering a bit from EBS (Energizer Bunny Syndrome). An enjoyable read-aloud.
This was book #4 on our 2023 Read-alouds List and book #3 on our 2023 Read-alouds With Lutrecia List.
Joe and team are back in their second case with the VBI, this time at a fictional VT ski resort, where a theft leads to murder. Even a mention to Bennington Police helping during the final scene. Fast paced and exciting to follow, especially with a reconnection from Gail and perhaps a deepening of Sammie and Willy's relationship. Excellent read.