Review: Presumption of Guilt: A Joe Gunther Novel by Archer Mayor

40 years ago, Hank Mitchell vanished while having some marriage trouble. His wife Sharon loved him, as did his kids. They all believed he had just had enough, packed his bags, and left town.

Instead, all this time, he was part of the floor of a warehouse at the Vermont Yankee Nuclear power plant. The years have passed and now the plant is decommissioned. As the nuclear core sits unused and slowly cooling, the sire five miles south of Brattleboro, Vermont is gradually changing as old structures and equipment are removed. One of those structures is an old warehouse where the concrete pad, the floor, was broken up slowly by way of jackhammer wielded by Nelson Smith. Once he saw the skeletal hand, he had a good idea to stop and call it in. That hand would ultimately lead to the remains of Hank Mitchell.

Joe Gunther and his team at the Vermont Bureau of Investigations take over what had been a cold missing person case as it is clearly a murder. A murder where many of those involved at the time in Hank Mitchell’s life are deceased. Some are still present to be interviewed through there really isn’t much to go on. Until the inevitable happens and someone begins to try to cover up the mess.

While billed as the latest Joe Gunter novel as they have for some time, “Presumption of Guilt” is really about the team. They are a family at work and a family at home. As one expects in this very good series, the read shifts through the various members of the team displaying them at home at home and at work. This same technique is used for the bad guys as well as everyone in between. While Joe and his team work the case, their actions cause ripples that are dealt with by those other characters outside of law enforcement. In turn, their actions cause ripples back for the team. This effect continues throughout the book as the team gradually solves the 40 year old murder case.

Presumption of Guilt: A Joe Gunther Novel is the latest in a long series of books that began with Open Season. 27 books later, this read is as entertaining as ever and well worth your time. 

Presumption of Guilt: A Joe Gunther Novel

Archer Mayor

http://www.archermayor.com

Minotaur Books (St. Martin’s Publishing Group)

http://www.minotaurbooks.com

September 2016

ISBN# 978-1-250-06468-4

Hardback (eBook format also available)

305 Pages

$25.99

Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano Public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2016