Genre: Novel
Grade: A
Notable People: Archer Mayor
Title: Proof Positive
Review –In the interest of full disclosure, most of you know that I consider Archer to be a friend (though he may consider me to be more of a benign stalker)- so I could be biased, but I thought this was great read. For my money, it may be his best in the series to date, which is up to 22 or 23 (years and books). I told him via e-mail recently that I read the opening and felt like it was in the great Dash Hammett /James M. Cain/ Film Noir tradition. It did not disappoint after that. Joe Gunther and his crew take on a far reaching mystery that has Vietnam, crooked US senators, Philly hit men, kidnapping, house invasions and the secrets of an eccentric hoarder. What’s not to like? There has been some interesting expansion of characters and relationships within the series as well. Archer seems to get better all the time at story line and character development…and if you like sense of place (read VERMONT) he can’t be beat. Jennifer did feel the need to write him and ask him if there would be conclusion to the end of the book, so she was a little unfulfilled, but I did not share that need (and I’m not telling the answer). Long may Joe and Archer run.