by Archer Mayor
Part of Joe Gunther, book 18
First published 2007
An unidentified corpse turns up in Brattleboro, Vermont, drawing both local police and the Vermont Bureau of Investigation to the scene. Joe Gunther prepares to work the murder case when urgent news from home derails his plans. Someone has threatened his mother and brother with violence. Gunther must leave the Brattleboro investigation to his team while he races to protect his family. He contacts police officers across the state who know him only through reputation. His colleagues back in Brattleboro pursue a killer with no clear connection to the victim. The case leads them into online chat rooms where people create false identities and form deceptive relationships. Vermont operates like a close community where everyone knows everyone, but secrets still lurk beneath the surface. Trust becomes uncertain when danger escalates. Gunther discovers he faces criminals more dangerous than any he has encountered before. He must stop them to save the people who matter most to him.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Brattleboro, Vermont
336 pages · Hardcover · Grand Central Publishing