by Archer Mayor
Part of Joe Gunther, book 9
First published 2013
A quarry worker pulls a strangled corpse from the water in Vermont. The body bears Cyrillic toe tattoos and poor dental work. Detective Joe Gunther suspects Russian organized crime, though such violence rarely touches his quiet state. The killing appears too clean, too expertly executed. Then the CIA contacts Gunther. They request his presence in Washington for what they call friendly cooperation on his investigation. Gunther travels south and discovers he has entered a maze of deception. Cold War operatives still play their old games, manipulating events from the shadows. These cynical agents treat people as expendable resources. Gunther realizes both sides view him as a useful pawn. They will sacrifice him without hesitation to advance their schemes. He must navigate competing loyalties and hidden agendas while seeking justice for the dead man. The detective finds himself trapped between ruthless players who never accepted that their war had ended.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective, espionage, political-thriller
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water, hidden-agenda
Setting: Vermont, Washington
Period: Cold War
338 pages · Kindle Edition · MarchMedia LLC
Content warnings: violence