This is a difficult review to write. I am a big fan of Archer Mayor. The first 2 novels of his I’d read, “Red Herring” and ‘3 Can Keep a Secret,” hooked me big time. I was shocked that Mr. Mayor is not up there with the more well-known authors of the world like Baldacci, Connelly, Patterson, etc…You can always count on Mr. Mayor to provide excellent novels that are police procedurals. I always think of his books as Ed McBain for a new generation.After reading more of his novels—and just finishing ‘The Dark Root’---I now understand why he’s not up there in the top echelon. I’ve now read 9 novels by Mr. Mayor. Some were excellent. Some were okay. But 3 of the 9 left me feeling flat. Without a doubt, I’d say ‘The Dark Root’ is the weakest novel I’ve read by Mr. Mayor. As always, the story is well-written. I love the characters and connect with them. To me, that’s a big deal. I like to read about characters I can feel something for. And how can you not love Joe Gunther? And Willy? And Sammie? Willy did not serve an integral part in this novel but Joe obviously did as did Sammie and Les Spinney. I also feel that Mr. Mayor is one of the best at writing dialogue. However, I found ‘The Dark Root’ a HUGE letdown. The book just never pulled me in. Other reviews backed up my claim so I’m glad I’m not the only one who felt this way. The story is revolved around Asian gangs trying to get a foothold in Vermont. It seemed, however, that the author threw in every possible scenario he could: money laundering, illegal immigrants, smuggling of aliens, rape, murder and drive-by shootings. Another problem I had was the overabundance of characters. Simply put, there were far too many people to keep track of. Also—and I know this will sound bad—but since the book focused on Asians, many of the names were alike and made it impossible to keep track of, especially when some went by aliases. By the last 75 pages or so, I was just going through the motions of finishing this book and was utterly confused what was going on and who was who. Also, there was a chase scene toward the end which should have been exciting: car chase through the woods, down alleys, through a train station, etc…Yet, it was boring to read. I still enjoy Mr. Mayor’s writing style and characters. But The Dark Root was very lacking. This book really deserves a 2 but I’m giving it 3 stars simply because I like the authors and the characters.
1995, #6 Lt. Joe Gunther, Brattleboro, VT; police procedural. Joe goes big-time crime-solving here, as he sets up a Task Force to stop a couple of Asian gangs from bloodying up Brattleboro. Starting with a home invasion, this beautifully convoluted tale of loyalty and death moves quickly and takes him, and us, quite far, both physically and emotionally. While the writing is excellent, this, at times, almost became just another macho thriller (lots of guys with lots of guns). The particular appeal of Joe Gunther for me is his locale - how he works in that particular place that is Brattleboro, the down-home man. Seeing him “go national” was interesting, but IMO, emotionally limiting. Mayor wisely kept much of the action local, along with some of the best (and most painful) scenes, and the net result was a very strong story about people and a place I enjoy visiting. I hope that if Mayor decides to take Joe out of the local police force he has the wisdom and talent to make me care as much about Joe and the new people in his life as he has done for the locals.
What do You think about The Dark Root (2012)?
This is the third Joe Gunther book which I have read. We have been helping daughter Susan with the Fourth of July book sale at the Hinesburg town hall, and that is where I first came upon this author, who writes with a Vermont setting, mostly in Brattleboro. Joe is an interesting character, this time dealing with other law enforcement agencies, including the Mounties, in Canada. The problem is crime among Asian criminal factions--murder, rape, drugs, and smuggling people across borders, to name a few. Things often get violent. One doesn't like to think of this sort of thing going on in New England, but the facts remain. It is a good read.
—Marti
#6 in the Joe Gunther series. This series breathes police procedural and Vermont. There are loads of police procedural but offhand I can't think of another series I read that takes place in Vermont (and none in NH).Joe Gunther is trying to solve a recent rash of Asian on Asian crimes in town. He finds links to a Vermont pipeline from Montreal to Boston and to a vendetta going back years to a CA connection. Joe gets temporarily deputized as a deputy US Marshal to work on an anti-Asian crime task force. He and Gail are now living together.
—Ed
