Genre: Book
Grade: B+
Notable People: Archer Mayor
Title: Bury the Lead
Review: In the 28th book in the extraordinarily long -running Joe Gunther series (28 years- since Archer produces a book each year….every October), Archer takes some major turns with his loyal cast of characters. As always, the books are wonderful representations of a wide swath of Vermont life. Archer’s sense of place remains amongst the very best in modern fiction. His long consistent group of characters that support and conflict with Joe around the fictional Vermont Bureau of Investigation (VBI) continue to be complex and engaging…..especially the legendary Willy Kunkle and the now love-interest Dr. Beverly Hillstrom, the state medical examiner. And, Arche is a talented and thoughtful write, using the mystery genre to also reflect on much of the human condition. Despite all those qualities, I thought this his weakest book in some time. The plot meandered back and forth, hardly believable in places and got wrapped up in a too neat bow at the end. I was disappointed in this offering, but still would not have missed it for the great characters and sense of place- my grade is elevated by those factors.