The Surrogate Thief (Joe Gunther Mysteries) [Kindle Edition]

Archer Mayor (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Mayor delivers the strongest entry yet in his Joe Gunther series (after 2003's Gatekeeper) with this complex mystery tied to Gunther's personal life. Thirty-two years earlier, with his wife dying of cancer, a distracted Gunther allowed the investigation of a shopkeeper's murder to go cold. A new crime may be tied to it when a woman shoots her ex-husband with a gun the cops trace to the decades-old unsolved killing. Although it isn't Gunther's case now, he determines to find the link between the past and present crimes, in order to understand his younger self and the unresolved traumas of his early marriage and career. Gunther is an intuitive detective, and it's a treat to follow him as he analyzes subtle clues and teases leads from the unwilling or unwitting. He also must examine his relationship with his longtime lover, Gail Zigman, who's running for the state senate, when he discovers her opponent is backed by a suspect. A Vermont assistant medical examiner, Mayor delights in shedding new light on old evidence using modern forensic techniques that help Gunther solve this labyrinthine case. This is the prolific Mayor's most accomplished book—a character-driven novel that's enhanced by graceful prose and a compelling narrative.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Bookmarks Magazine

Set in Brattleboro, Vermont, The Surrogate Thief explores yet another facet of the life of Joe Gunther, head of the Vermont Bureau of Investigation. An unassuming, character-driven police procedural, the book asks difficult questions about how one deals with past demons when justice lies in the balance. If you’re looking for a procedural full of serial killers, this isn’t it. It’s Vermont, after all, and Joe’s a compassionate and introspective guy—perhaps too much so. A few critics complained about the procedural’s oozing pathos; do we need to know every sad detail of Joe’s emotional life? Yet The Surrogate Thief once again reveals Mayor’s deep understanding of human emotion and intuition—important qualities, after all, for a detective.

Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc.

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 437 KB
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (July 31, 2007)
• Sold by: Hachette Book Group
• Language: English
• ASIN: B001E7IE1A
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #23,825 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

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".

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great police procedural, October 7, 2004

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Surrogate Thief (Joe Gunther Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Thirty-two years ago in Brattlesboro, Vermont, rookie police detective watches his beloved wife Ellen slowly dies from cancer. Her lingering ailment negatively impacted his work as evinced by the robbery turned murder of storekeeper Klaus Oberfeldt in which evidence pointed to petty thief Pete Shea; Joe Gunther gave it a half hearted effort, to catch the fleeing Pete, but failed. The case went cold.

In the present a domestic issue turns ugly when a wife shoots her former husband. Though obviously a local matter, the case comes to Joe's attention because the gun used is the same one that killed Klaus. Always feeling that he failed to do his job because of the distraction, Joe, using his leverage as the chief of the Vermont Bureau of Investigation, begins an investigation. When he begins he is unaware that the two cases will make him reexamine his past tragedy and the impact it has had on him since including how he relates to his longtime lover, Gail Zigman as she runs for political office.

THE SURROGATE THIEF is the best tale in this highly regarded police procedural series. Besides a terrific investigation into two crimes three decades apart, the novel provides a deep look at the demons haunting the hero dating back to Ellen's slow death. Fans of Joe will appreciate the insight into Ellen especially her last days and how that still disturbs him. Readers who enjoy an upfront and personal police investigation tale with a powerful gaze at what has motivated the lead investigator to excel over the years will want to read Archer Mayor's latest thriller.

Harriet Klausner

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars surrogate thief, November 3, 2004

By 

Brad F. Stender "Brad F. Stender -PI" (Fairfield, Ct.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Surrogate Thief (Joe Gunther Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Mr. mayor has done it again. He is a master in this genre. He has earned his due to be included in the upper tier of writers such as : Parker,both MacDonalds, Cornwell, and Chandler and Doyle .

Mr. Mayor has captured Vermont and its people. Not only that but has noticed the different Vermonters in different areas of Vermont and that their thinking and speech are unique to their part of the state.

I am a private investigator and deal in his world and can vouch for its truthfulness.There are many writers who just dont know and make fools of themselves with what they write.
Read his entire out put from hios Gunther series.


Brad Stender.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended., April 9, 2005

By 

L. J. Roberts (Oakland, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Surrogate Thief (Joe Gunther Mysteries) (Hardcover)

More introspective then previous books, you finally get to know Joe and understand the character in more depth. It's also a very good procedural as Joe is able to investigate an old crime using new technologies. Mayor is an excellent writer whose books are always a pleasure to read. Highly recommended.