Scent of Evil

Rating:
Summary: A Master Artist With Words
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Another winner in the Joe Gunther series
Review: Archer Mayor is one of America's best kept secrets. His Joe Gunther series receives top reviews from publications across the nation and Scent of Evil maintains the fast-paced, high quality reputation we've come to expect from Mayor's mysteries.

Rating:
Summary: A complex, satisfying mystery
Review: Charlie Jardine is found buried in a shallow grave, right in the middle of Brattleboro. It comes to light that Jardine, a young stockbroker had a penchant for drugs and sex and he was even carrying on an affair with one of the Brattleboro cop's wives. However, as Gunther gets more deeply into the case he's frustrated by the killer seemingly being able to out-think him no matter what move he makes. Did the Brattleboro cop kill Jardine in a fit of jealousy? If he did, who killed the Brattleboro cop?

Good, convoluted plot. Mayor once again delivers with a well thought out mystery that leaves you guessing right until the end. This mystery has plenty of sub-plots and red herrings and I doubt you'll guess the killer's identity before Mr. Mayor wants you to. All in all another good entry into the Gunther series and I recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Archer Mayor Does It Again
Review: Having just read about half the series in about a week, I can honestly say that Scent of Evil is one of my favorites so far. While it was one of the longer books in the series, I still read it as quickley as the others. My favorite part of the story was the fact that Joe Gunther task was to investigate a murder where one of his fellow police officers was the prime suspect. That fact made the book not only very interesting, but much more personal as well. And I think the ending of the book was the best I've read so far. I'm from Brattleboro, and while the murder rate in Mayor's novels is much higher than in real life, he still manages to portray Bratt very well.

Rating:
Summary: Another winner in the Joe Gunther series
Review: Joe Gunther of the Brattleboro, VT police force finds himself involved in a complex case involving multiple murders and drugs. There are also subplots concerning cover-ups, Joe's relationship with his significant other, and city politics. By the time the case is resolved, long after I ceased to care one way or the other, the author has written over 400 pages of uneven prose, punctuated, to be fair, by occasional dramatic episodes. However, there are way too many comments from Gunther about the complexity of the case, the political danger of the police proceeding as they do, and Gunther's hope that with just one more clue, the case will be solved. So get on with it already! This book needed to be edited down to about two-thirds of its published length. Compare this to tighter writing by Andrew Garve or Ed McBain and you will really notice the difference.

Rating:
Summary: An unedited overwritten police procedural
Review: Joe Gunther of the Brattleboro, VT police force finds himself involved in a complex case involving multiple murders and drugs. There are also subplots concerning cover-ups, Joe's relationship with his significant other, and city politics. By the time the case is resolved, long after I ceased to care one way or the other, the author has written over 400 pages of uneven prose, punctuated, to be fair, by occasional dramatic episodes. However, there are way too many comments from Gunther about the complexity of the case, the political danger of the police proceeding as they do, and Gunther's hope that with just one more clue, the case will be solved. So get on with it already! This book needed to be edited down to about two-thirds of its published length. Compare this to tighter writing by Andrew Garve or Ed McBain and you will really notice the difference.