Status
Available
Call number
Series
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Publication
New York : Mysterious Press, 1994, ©1988.
Description
Lt. Joe Gunther of the Brattleboro, Vermont, police force has a serious problem: in a community where a decade could pass without a single murder, the body count is suddenly mounting. Innocent citizens are being killed - and others set up - seemingly orchestrated by a mysterious ski-masked man. Signs suggest that a three-year-old murder trial might lie at the heart of things, but it's a case that many in the department would prefer remained closed. A man of quiet integrity, Lt. Gunther knows that he must pursue the case to its conclusion, wherever it leads.
User reviews
LibraryThing member jnwelch
Open Season by Archer Mayor, the first in a mystery series, is set in Brattleboro, Vermont and features police Lieutenant Joe Gunther. An elderly woman apparently has shot dead a man accosting her at home. He had been harassing her and had threatened to attack her that night. But it quickly becomes
This is a solid police procedural. There are some flaws, e.g. Joe doesn't check on the uninvolved jurors even though they may be in danger, and overall it may be too low key for some tastes. But the latter seems to fit with the Vermont locale. The series now has 24 books and a dedicated fan base. While not a barn-burner, I found this one an entertaining diversion, and Joe an appealing character. I'll be trying another one to see how the author develops the story. Three stars.
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more complicated, as Joe learns that the man may have been set up, and that both killer and victim served together on a jury that convicted a janitor of murder. Other jurors may be in danger, and corners may have been cut in securing the conviction. But re-examining the case would put Joe in conflict with his peers, who don't want their actions questioned. A mysterious person they call "Ski Mask" may be behind what happens, with an undisclosed agenda.This is a solid police procedural. There are some flaws, e.g. Joe doesn't check on the uninvolved jurors even though they may be in danger, and overall it may be too low key for some tastes. But the latter seems to fit with the Vermont locale. The series now has 24 books and a dedicated fan base. While not a barn-burner, I found this one an entertaining diversion, and Joe an appealing character. I'll be trying another one to see how the author develops the story. Three stars.
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LibraryThing member JimBrewington
A good one. Easy to follow with many characters. Solved in the last paragraph.
LibraryThing member jamespurcell
Great start for a very good series. Interesting characters, complex but feasible plot sustains interest until the end. Which ending requires a second coda to wrap things up.
LibraryThing member leslie.98
I both read the Kindle ebook and listened to the Whispersync audiobook of this first book in the Joe Gunther series. This police procedural was a bit grittier than my normal mystery reading but I liked Gunther and the Vermont setting. I will be reading more from this series!
LibraryThing member Olivermagnus
This is the first in a series featuring Joe Gunther, a police lieutenant in Brattleboro, Vermont. The storyline in Open Season is interesting and well written. The details kept the flow of the book going and built up the plot right to the end.
The book begins when someone wearing a ski mask is
Some of the character dialogue could get confusing as there were multiple characters in the storyline at that time and sometimes it wasn't clear who was doing the talking. The story was a bit slow at the beginning. But the characters are realistic and the description of Vermont made it sound very beautiful. Like many first in a series books this one has potential and I'll try another Joe Gunther book when I get a chance.
The book begins when someone wearing a ski mask is
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setting up crimes using jurors from a case in which a black janitor is accused and found guilty of the murder of a young woman living in the building he maintains. Soon it appears that the janitor was also set up and the Brattleboro police department appears complicit in a rushed investigation. The janitor is now in the Vermont state prison where he is the victim of racist acts by inmates.Some of the character dialogue could get confusing as there were multiple characters in the storyline at that time and sometimes it wasn't clear who was doing the talking. The story was a bit slow at the beginning. But the characters are realistic and the description of Vermont made it sound very beautiful. Like many first in a series books this one has potential and I'll try another Joe Gunther book when I get a chance.
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LibraryThing member Carol420
Lt. Joe Gunther is a Korean War Vet and 18 year veteran of the Brattleboro police department. Joe's wife (of eight years) died twelve years ago and he lives quietly by himself. Brattleboro is a quiet New England town where not much happens from year to year and murders less frequently than that.
This is the first in the series about Joe Guther. It was written in 1988 so there are no cell phones when needed, and the forensic part is now out of date because it does not refer to DNA evidence - they are still comparing blood types. I liked the main character and how he went about solving the crime. The ending was good but sudden.
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When a man looking for his dog is shotgunned by an old woman, a stolen car with a sawed off shotgun is found in a man's driveway, and a young woman is sexually assaulted Joe finds a disturbing pattern of familiarity. They all served on the same capital murder jury three years ago.This is the first in the series about Joe Guther. It was written in 1988 so there are no cell phones when needed, and the forensic part is now out of date because it does not refer to DNA evidence - they are still comparing blood types. I liked the main character and how he went about solving the crime. The ending was good but sudden.
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LibraryThing member bm2ng
Slow at first so I was surprised when it gripped me and pulled me in. Very good, now, I'll read the rest of these. I liked it a lot.
LibraryThing member leslie.98
I both read the Kindle ebook and listened to the Whispersync audiobook of this first book in the Joe Gunther series. This police procedural was a bit grittier than my normal mystery reading but I liked Gunther and the Vermont setting. I will be reading more from this series!
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
1988-09-09
Physical description
320 p.; 4.25 inches
ISBN
0446404144 / 9780446404143
Local notes
OCLC = 540