Open Season

The Joe Gunther Mysteries, Book 1

By: Archer Mayor

Narrated by: Tom Taylorson

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.

©2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc. (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Good Detective Novel - Engaging Read

I stumbled upon this author via Audible recommendation.
I was thrilled to be introduced to Joe!
I've blown thru 4 books so far.
I'm a huge Harry Bosch, Lucus Davenport, and Alex Cross fan.
Now, I am also a huge Joe fan!

Got the whole series

Fell in love with this series. Downloaded them all. The first ones are dated - no cell phones, etc. - but it doesn’t matter. You’ll love Joe and even come to enjoy Willy. Mr Taylorson is wonderful. A 10 in my book. A few were narrated by others....not nearly as good - one was a 2 on a scale of 10 and the other was an 8.

Great book

Finished this one in 2 days, it has many twists and turns and keeps you guessing throughout, on to Book 2 now.

A very good story, not the easiest to follow.

Almost as if the writer forced an effort to be too cute; that created some difficulty in keeping up with where the plot was going. Maybe an effort to demonstrate how intelligent the author is—an obvious conclusion. Not just a straight forward crime thriller. That said, it is a terrific story.

What do all of these people have in common?

It took a while for me to get into this story, I was actually about to quit listening. Then it started to get interesting. With a man hunt under way to find the real killer of a part time pregnant call girl that happened many years. Was the right man in jail for her murder or has he been set up? What does her father the General have to do with everything that is going on in this small town? Will Lt. Joe Gunther figure it out or will the bodies keep falling? Follow Joe and the Brattleboro police department on this journey to uncover the truth and protect those who they talk to.

not bad

Well, a lot of this series is free in the plus catalog, and that matters. This first in the series was a decent read but to be honest I don't think I would use a credit to buy the next one. But I might listen to it free. The story and narrator are both decent but not great. closer to 4 stars than 3, but not quite 4 stars.

interesting and creative

Believable three dimensional people,in an interesting and creative story.I am definitely going to get more books in this series.

What Was I Waiting For?

When an author is as prolific as this one, and has produced a long running series featuring a single central character for as long as Joe Gunther's mysteries, I have to wonder why I waited so long to dive into the pool. So many books, so little time, is my only viable excuse here.

This novel lived up to every expectation I had. The Joe Gunther character is a lot of fun: he's part hard-boiled detective, part rebel, and completely engaging. His relationship with the town's mayor adds a nice touch to his personality. But it's the entire package that makes him so much fun.

This story involves a previous case already brought to trial, with the killer sitting behind bars. Not the usual way to start a police procedural. But I have a feeling none of the Joe Gunther stories are going to fall into the "usual" range. As this small town begins to have bodies stacking up and bizarre occurrences keeping the police hopping, it will take a cop like Joe to put these puzzle pieces together.

This was a great read, with very well done narration. Joe (and Archer Mayor) have me hooked.

Great Book!

The book was written well with lots of excitement and mystery. Thoroughly enjoyed the book and the performance.

Joe is awesome

Not many mysteries are first person all the way through and it is lovely. Lt Joe Gunther is Chief of Detectives and could easily stay in his office and direct others, but he cannot sit still! And never gives up, ala Harry Bosch, until he gets his man. His thought processes are great and he has no issue with changing direction when he gets new information or insight.
Tom Taylorson IS Joe.