Archer Mayor

The first Archer Mayor I picked up was 'Open Season' (1988). This was
his first Joe Gunther mystery. I was fairly impressed with it, and I
had one other in my stack, 'Dark Root' (1995). I went ahead and
ordered a bunch more before I got into 'Dark Root,' but then as I did,
I began to bog down in the trivia of police procedures. 'Dark Root'
is about the invasion of an Asian gang into the Vermont area (where
all of the Gunther stories are set), and I had visions of a Mickey
Rourke 'Year of the Dragon' type story, which it is not. I finally
finished 'Dark Root' and picked up 'The Disposable Man' from my new
stack, which I have just begun reading.

For those who like realism in police procedurals, Mayor's books may be
just the thing. I'd much rather read a fantastic mystery that keeps
me involved in the story rather than in the details of people's
personal lives, special problems and side issues. Somehow, Max Allan
Collins' books always kept me intrigued even though they were dealing
with accounts of real crimes and people's lives. But they were always
pretty focused on the main issues.
--
Howard Duck

Howard Duck wrote:
 > The first Archer Mayor I picked up was 'Open Season' (1988). This was
 > his first Joe Gunther mystery. I was fairly impressed with it, and I
 > had one other in my stack, 'Dark Root' (1995). I went ahead and
 > ordered a bunch more before I got into 'Dark Root,' but then as I did,
 > I began to bog down in the trivia of police procedures. 'Dark Root'
 > is about the invasion of an Asian gang into the Vermont area (where
 > all of the Gunther stories are set), and I had visions of a Mickey
 > Rourke 'Year of the Dragon' type story, which it is not. I finally
 > finished 'Dark Root' and picked up 'The Disposable Man' from my new
 > stack, which I have just begun reading.
 >
 > For those who like realism in police procedurals, Mayor's books may be
 > just the thing. I'd much rather read a fantastic mystery that keeps
 > me involved in the story rather than in the details of people's
 > personal lives, special problems and side issues. Somehow, Max Allan
 > Collins' books always kept me intrigued even though they were dealing
 > with accounts of real crimes and people's lives. But they were always
 > pretty focused on the main issues.

The only Joe Gunther I recall reading was one in which the protagonist's
girlfriend--Gail?--was raped. I found it irritating and didn't look further.
--
Janet

Dear Artemesia! Poetry's a Snare:/Bedlam has many Mansions:have a
care:/ Your Muse diverts you, makes the Reader sad:/ You think your
self inspir'd; He thinks you mad.


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