The Surrogate Thief (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author) "Dispatch to 0-30." Officer Paul Kinney unhooked his radio mike and answered, "0-30..." (more)
Key Phrases: surrogate thief, Archer Mayor, Pete Shea, Joe Gunther (more...)

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. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (October 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446616605
• ISBN-13: 978-0446616607
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #195,986 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 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 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

5 of 5 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:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vermont cop solves a cold case with personal baggage, July 25, 2005

By	Lynn Harnett (Marathon, FL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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

A domestic call gone bad deals Vermont's Bureau of Investigation agent Joe Gunther a second chance from the past. The gun involved in the domestic turns out to be one used in the unsolved fatal pistol whipping of a shopkeeper 30 years earlier. Gunther's young wife had been dying of cancer at the time and he's always felt he dropped the ball.

This new evidence allows him to reopen the case and Gunther's painstaking, canny sleuthing is a pleasure to follow as he pursues each lead into the past and around New England. Not that this is any quiet cozy. Not once witnesses begin turning up dead faster than Gunther can track them down. On the personal side, his longtime love, Gail, is running for state senator and Gunther dislikes everything about the political arena and its effect on her. Well-plotted and character driven, this thoughtful series keeps getting better.

- Portsmouth Herald