VBI (Vermont Bureau of Investigation) head Joe Gunther and his team are called in to investigate a series of violent deaths that appear unrelated until telltale clues reveal a linkage between them and that all of the deaths are, in fact, murders. However, apart from a single drop of unexplained blood left at each crime scene, there are no obvious connections between the victims or the cases. The police are faced with more questions than answers including what do the mysterious deposits of blood mean, coming as they do from three additional unknown people. In their search for the elusive truth, the VBI must plumb the depths of every suspect’s past, every victim’s most intimate details, and examine each piece of evidence down to the smallest detail—an examination which includes a trip to the Brookhaven National Lab on Long Island and an exploration of cutting edge forensic technology.
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
A single drop of unexplained blood at each of three murder scenes perplexes Joe Gunther in Mayor's engrossing 21st novel to feature the Vermont Bureau of Investigation police detective (after 2009's The Price of Malice). The three victims--two middle-aged women and a young man who had a bright future--led apparently unblemished lives in rural Vermont. Gunther and his team take a detour to the Brookhaven National Lab on Long Island for lessons in cutting-edge forensics. Meanwhile, the gubernatorial race of Gail Zigman, Gunther's former girlfriend, spotlights the politics surrounding how the VBI was established and affects his current relationship with bar owner Lyn Silva. As usual, Mayor skillfully combines a gripping police procedural with a view of smalltown life balanced by bits of humor applied at just the right time. The suspense builds toward an ending that reveals a surprising motive and a chillingly realistic villain. Author tour.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* In Vermont, there are 10 to 12 murders per year. Most are ordinary crimes with obvious suspects: spouses or family members. But when three bodies turn up, and investigation shows them to be murders disguised as something else, Joe Gunther’s Vermont Bureau of Investigation is under the figurative gun to find a clever serial killer. The victims seem sober, stolid Vermonters, but each body displays a single drop of blood, and the blood isn’t the victims’—or the killer’s. Gunther turns to cutting-edge science unavailable to forensics investigators, but the solution must come from old-fashioned police work. This is the twenty-first Joe Gunther novel. Faithful fans have aged along with the shrewd and decent Gunther, and his team of detectives has passed from being inexperienced youths to seasoned investigators. Gunther has learned to laugh at Detective Willy Kunkel’s enduring misanthropies even as he parries the demands of state politicians and aggressive journalists. Readers have been schooled in the state’s societal changes over the last two-plus decades, and they’ve come to love Mayor’s elegant tributes to Vermont’s weather extremes and beauty. If this sounds like a valediction to one of the best police procedural series going, it’s because Red Herring ends with Gunther pondering retirement. Mayor’s faithful following will simply have to hope he returns. --Thomas Gaughan
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More About the Author
Archer Mayor is the author of the highly acclaimed, Vermont-based series featuring detective Joe Gunther, which the Chicago Tribune describes as "the best police procedurals being written in America." He is also the 2004 winner of the New England Independent Booksellers Association Award for Best Fiction--the first time a writer of crime literature has been so honored.
Before turning his hand to fiction, Mayor wrote history books, the most notable of which concerned the lumber and oil business in Louisiana from the 1870s to the 1970s. This book was published by the University of Georgia Press back in 1988 and very well received; it has been republished as a trade paperback in 2009.
Mayor--who was brought up in the US, Canada and France--was variously employed as a scholarly editor, a researcher for TIME-LIFE Books, a political advance-man, a theater photographer, a newspaper writer/editor, a lab technician for Paris-Match Magazine in Paris, France, and a medical illustrator. In addition to writing novels and occasional articles, Mayor gives talks and workshops all around the country, including the Bread Loaf Young Writers conference in Middlebury, Vermont, and the Colby College seminar on forensic sciences in Waterville, Maine. In addition, Archer is a death investigator for Vermont's Chief Medical Examiner, a Deputy Sheriff for Windham County, VT, an investigator for the Windham County State's Attorney's office, the publisher of his own backlist, a travel writer for AAA, and he travels the Northeast giving speeches and conducting workshops. He also has 25 years experience as a volunteer firefighter/EMT.
Mayor's critically-acclaimed series of police novels features Lt. Joe Gunther of the Brattleboro, Vermont police department. The books, which have been appearing about once a year since 1988, have been published in five languages (if you count British,) and routinely gather high praise from such sources as the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the New Yorker, and many others, often appearing on their "ten best" yearly lists.
Whereas many writers base their books on only interviews and scholarly research, Mayor's novels are based on actual experience in the field. The result adds a depth, detail and veracity to his characters and their tribulations that has led the New York Times to call him "the boss man on procedures".
Before turning his hand to fiction, Mayor wrote history books, the most notable of which concerned the lumber and oil business in Louisiana from the 1870s to the 1970s. This book was published by the University of Georgia Press back in 1988 and very well received; it has been republished as a trade paperback in 2009.
Mayor--who was brought up in the US, Canada and France--was variously employed as a scholarly editor, a researcher for TIME-LIFE Books, a political advance-man, a theater photographer, a newspaper writer/editor, a lab technician for Paris-Match Magazine in Paris, France, and a medical illustrator. In addition to writing novels and occasional articles, Mayor gives talks and workshops all around the country, including the Bread Loaf Young Writers conference in Middlebury, Vermont, and the Colby College seminar on forensic sciences in Waterville, Maine. In addition, Archer is a death investigator for Vermont's Chief Medical Examiner, a Deputy Sheriff for Windham County, VT, an investigator for the Windham County State's Attorney's office, the publisher of his own backlist, a travel writer for AAA, and he travels the Northeast giving speeches and conducting workshops. He also has 25 years experience as a volunteer firefighter/EMT.
Mayor's critically-acclaimed series of police novels features Lt. Joe Gunther of the Brattleboro, Vermont police department. The books, which have been appearing about once a year since 1988, have been published in five languages (if you count British,) and routinely gather high praise from such sources as the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the New Yorker, and many others, often appearing on their "ten best" yearly lists.
Whereas many writers base their books on only interviews and scholarly research, Mayor's novels are based on actual experience in the field. The result adds a depth, detail and veracity to his characters and their tribulations that has led the New York Times to call him "the boss man on procedures".
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely No Peeking!,
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This review is from: Red Herring: A Joe Gunther Novel (Joe Gunther Mysteries) (Hardcover)
Don't even think of taking a peek to the back of Red Herring. You'll be cheating yourself if you don't read every page in order. Not only is this Archer Mayor at his best, this is absolutely the best of the hundreds of mystery novels I have read in recent years.There is more than one shocking end to this story. The last page has a surprise unrelated to the events surrounding the crimes. It is, however, related to people Mayor fans know very well. Just after you learn the dramatic climax to the tale, Mayor lays this one on you.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great characters, strong sense of place, unpredictable mystery - love Mayor!,
By
This review is from: Red Herring: A Joe Gunther Novel (Joe Gunther Mysteries) (Hardcover)
First Sentence: Doreen Ferenc slipped her nightgown over her head and let it fall the length of her body and gently settle onto her shoulders.Joe Gunther and the VBI (Vermont Bureau of Investigation) are dealing with three very unusual cases; an apparent rape and death, an apparent suicide and an apparent fatal car accident. Each death was a murder. There doesn't seem to be any connection between the three victims except for a drop of still-liquid blood left on or near each victim. With help from advanced scientific analysis, a link between the victims is found, but no one knew how personal the case would become. A new Archer Mayor book always jumps toward the top of my to-be-read pile and always justifies it's having so done. In other words, Mayor writes really good books. There are a couple things in particular that always impress me; his sense of place and his ability to convey the characters. Those may not seem as important to some as the plot, but to me, they are essential as they add richness and veracity to the story. Mayor's wonderful descriptions set the scene, such as in the first sentence of this book, and take you to the location of the story, "...missed in with the snow-covered tree branches overhead were broad swatches of bright green leaves--a beautiful and rare New England postcard." Characters aren't described so much by physical description, although some is provided, but by their characters..."Willy, also a combat vet, although carrying more baggage than most..." The motive behind the plot of "Red Herring" is one I would never have guessed and it definitely kept me turning the pages. I was disappointed by a couple coincidences and some of the scientific information, while fascinating, did slow down the story a bit, but at no point did I consider skimming or stopping. I had to see where the story was going, how they were going to find the killer and learn the motive. The thing, for which I was not fully prepared, was the ending. What can I tell you? This is Mayor's 21st Gunther book. As long as he keeps writing them, I'll keep reading and recommending them. May there be many more books to come. RED HERRING (Pol Proc-Joe Gunther-Vermont-Cont)- G+ Mayor, Archer - 21st in series Minotaur Books, ©2010, US Hardcover - ISBN: 9780312381936
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
best yet,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Red Herring: A Joe Gunther Novel (Joe Gunther Mysteries) (Hardcover)
This is Archer Mayor's best book yet. His research into the cutting edge of scientific lab developments and their contribution in expanding the usefulness of crime scene evidence is fascinating. The personalities are well drawn and in wide variety. It is beautifully written, concise, powerful and often poetic. But what really stands out is the emotional impact. You can feel the peace, joy and meaning of people's successful daily lives and then the swift crushing impact of sudden loss which the crime of murder creates. It is a worthwhile read on many levels. I also think it is unforgettable.
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