Customer Reviews

Open Season (Joe Gunther Mysteries)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Archer Mayor's first Joe Gunther mystery was Open Season. It is indicative of the Gunther novels both in its strengths and (unfortunately) in its weaknesses.

Open Season (and the Gunther novels in particular) are strong in many respects. Mayor can craft an intricate plot that is difficult to unravel. Another great aspect of the Gunther novels is their New England setting; Mayor is one of those writers who makes the setting vivid and realistic.

There are also a few drawbacks to Open Season that Mayor never managed to correct as he continued with the Gunther series. Mayor's characters are weaker than his plots. Unlike his settings, the characters never strike me as wholly real; to be fair, the characters are not one dimensional, but they never entirely come alive, either. Mayor's novels also have a strong undercurrent of political correctness. This is a real problem for a mystery novelist; once you know Mayor's viewpoint, some aspects of his novels become very predictable.

In the end, I would recommend Open Season to those who want to read a mystery with a vivid New England setting. While I would not say that Open Season qualifies as "literary junk food," I would say that it is best for those readers who want simple escapism.

This is the first in the series about Joe Guther, a police lieutenant in Brattleboro, Vermont. The story does very well in portraying life in Vermont and the politics in a small city in which everyone has to answer to someone.

The character development is well done and the love interest aspect is satisfying. There are a plenty of subplots, maybe too many, but the overall story is inventive without being too complicated. However the various successful developments of solving the mystery do seem to be very conveniently available.

The solution is more of following the dots than putting the pieces of the puzzle together to get the big picture, the way most police solve crimes.

Better than the average crime novel but if you read 1-3 a week, you might have trouble remembering much about the book 2 weeks after finishing it.

All of Archer Mayor's books have a gripping story line. Although the stories are first class, the pictures drawn with words as the story unfolds are the best that I have ever encountered. The magnificent metaphors can create, in less than one sentence, images that may take other authors pages. Although each book is independent in and of itself, I enjoy reading the stories in sequence. There is a steady progression in character development and interpersonal relationships as we go from story to story.

If you are a mystery fan, I am sure that you will enjoy the entire series as much as I have. If you are a student taking a course in creative writing, I don't think that you will find a better word artist than Archer Mayor.

I like Archer Mayor, I really do. But sometimes he requires a great deal more patience than I possess. Noone presents Vermont with the same sort of clarity that Mayor does. And he does have a good sense of character. But in this novel he goes on at too great a length to get the job done that he sets out to do. The final 50 pages seem like 500 and it gets too easy to confuse characters and locale in the final chase sequence. This is a dark mystery and not for someone looking for light reading. In Joe Gunther, Mayor has created a fine and likeable hero. But the many subplots abounding in this one are just too much to take.

I read this book because one of the characters is modeled after someone I know. Although the part pertaining to that person spans a few pages, I am glad I read the story. Obviously, it takes a stretch of the imagination to make Vermont that exciting, but it is credible and enjoyable. I have read all of Ridley Pearson, Patricia Cornwell, John Sandford, and several others. I will now begin the task of completing Mayor's series. His research is thorough, and it is easy to visualize the story as you read along.

I enjoy a good mystery novel. That being said, this wasn't really what I'd call a "good mystery novel."

I downloaded it because of the price point, and I am always looking to expand the list of authors whose works I enjoy.

This novel, and I have not read his others, began well enough. The main character is a cop in New England. A man was sent to jail 3 years previously for a crime he always said he did not commit. Now, years later, circumstances are beginning to unfold which might, just might, mean that the wrong man was put away.

It starts with members of the jury being hunted down one by one. Whether killed outright or violated in some other fashion, the only common denominator is that they all served on the jury.

While the cops are running around trying to keep their investigation under wraps so as not to bring a media circus down upon their heads, this "Ski Mask" character is running amok.

Eventually you find out the identity of the man in the ski mask and his interest in reopening the case.

However, there are far too many "red herrings" along the way, and Ski Mask's ability to be at JUST exactly the right place at the right time to threaten, maim, or kill the next witness is a bit too pat. So what if he is ex-military? They are human, not God. This character is drawn to be omnipresent.

I did finish the thing, and felt a bit cheated by the end. To my mind, I would have preferred an ending that wrapped things up better. I felt as though much of the body count was for shock value and Ski Mask's underlying "reason" for his course of action is a few years too late in the making.

Also, after all of this, the man who was wrongfully convicted and jailed 3 years prior is rather forgotten about. Other than a reference that he was QUIETLY being "processed out", there is nothing more to his story. Seems to me that if the author spent so much time killing folks off for having botched the preliminary investigation, justice should have been served in the end, not gone out with a whimper.

And then there's the subject of language. Ok, I am not a "prude" but I really do not think that reading the "f" word time and again makes anything better, whether it be a novel or a movie. It seems like the author is saying, "Oh well, I can't think of anything to write, so I'll just fill in with a number of expletives and be done with it."

If you're looking for something to read because it's free, then download it. If you want a good, well-written story whose ending is as well put-together as its beginning and middle, then pass. And definitely if you don't like a lot of profanity, especially of the more "colorful" variety, then definitely pass on this one.

The bookstore on the main drag in Brattleboro was filled with "The Sniper's Wife" tempting me to grab a vacation read to fill the empty moments. An early morning encounter while grabbing coffee and a breakfast nosh turned that trip from the usual yawn to a quest for Joe Gunther. The badge and accompanying VSP screamed business, but the face was unmistakably the man on the dust jacket-in the flesh. Sniper's wife became a marathon read and the chase was on. I now have a shelf in the bookcase reserved for Archer Mayor. "Open Season" joined far out of chronological order, but my mind easily put it into its proper place in the timeline.

The relationship which brought me to Brattleboro and so many familiar haunts Mayor beautifully depicts has long since died, but Joe Gunther and his crew take me back with every page. The subplots only add to the enjoyment for me and I find comfort in having plenty to keep my mind working at full speed ahead. That is one of the most endearing qualities of Mayor and I can't wait to see what's next, having devoured Tag Man the moment it came in my door.

A truly good mystery makes a topsy-turvy world survivable and I thank my lucky stars for that chance encounter and where it has lead me.

Archer Mayor has created one of the most memorable police procedural series ever. A bonus is that its a regional series as well... set in Vermont, in Brattleboro. If you have traveled or lived in Vermont its like taking a trip there. If you haven't been to Vermont? You'll want to go. I'd recommend at least starting with #1, Open Season,and perhaps the next one or two in the series... Chances are you will want to devour the whole series. After more than twenty years as a series the characters and writing gets better and better; no fatique or lack of inventiveness in this series. My most favorite police procedural/mystery series. My opinion? Better than Parker,James Lee Burke, Randy Wayne White, C.J. Box...but enough about others! Try Joe Gunther. Chances are you'll get hooked too. Ted.

This was definitely the best freebie mystery read to-date on my Kindle. I enjoyed this book so much, I will definitely be downloading more of Mayor's work (and will gladly pay now that I know what a great writer he is). From the opening scene, I was hooked by this intriguing tale. The action is fast-paced and most of the plot was believable. The author has captured New England in the winter beautifully, which added to my enjoyment. Definitely worth the download. This deserves 4.5 stars, if I could give it that.

I had never heard of this author before, but thanks to the kindle freebies, I have discovered a new favorite! The mystery was engrossing, and the author handles the scenes so well that I felt like I was in a frozen New England (quite a feat considering it's been unseasonably warm even for the South this winter!). Joe Gunther is a very appealing main character, if you enjoy Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels and the Harry Bosch mysteries, I think you'll enjoy this one.