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CHAT
by Archer Mayor
Grand Central Publishing, October 2007
336 pages
$24.99
ISBN: 0446582581


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

Joe Gunther is currently investigating the murder of an unidentified man. He is called away from this investigation by a family emergency. His mother and his brother were severely injured in a car crash and he needs to go back to his hometown. There, unable to sit in a hospital room doing nothing, Joe begins asking questions about the crash.

While Joe’s brother, Leo, frequently tinkers on cars, he has never worked on the family car. Also, road conditions were typical for the time of year and there were no obstacles found on the road. The local police seem confident that this accident was truly an accident, but Joe has his doubts.

He discovers that the owner of the garage in which the car was serviced has a grudge against him. With the help of Deputy Sheriff Rob Barrows, Joe works to discover the truth regarding the accident and prevent any future acts of revenge from occurring.

Meanwhile the investigation back in Brattleboro becomes more complicated as another body is discovered. This body is discovered in a seedy hotel so the circumstances are somewhat different. In this case, the man checked into the motel for a one-night stand so the detectives are able to identify the victim much faster.

With the assistance of his team at the Vermont Bureau of Investigation, Joe finds himself hunting down chat rooms featuring underage girls and the predators that frequent said sites. He needs to split his time between his family and this investigation, but Joe is able to make strides in both cases. With a little luck and a lot of help from fellow officers, Joe will be able to solve both crimes; providing closure to all involved.

All of the Archer Mayor books rely on relationships to move the story along, to make connections betweens situations and characters as well as to demonstrate the connections between the police and society both legal and illegal. CHAT is no exception. Joe Gunther is able to rely on his fellow officers to aid in his unofficial investigation even though he does not personally know those involved. His reputation and his experiences with mutual associates allow locals to trust Joe and assist him with his endeavors.

I was disappointed with the previous Joe Gunther book, THE SECOND MOUSE (published in 2006). The storyline was not strongly developed nor did the action move smoothly. For this reason I was somewhat hesitant to read CHAT. Luckily CHAT is a much stronger book than its predecessor. The plot is tighter and the characters better developed. It is true that there are still slower moments in the book, yet the action moved more smoothly and evenly. Overall, CHAT is an entertaining read as it recaptures some of the characteristics that appeared in Archer Mayor’s earlier books.

Reviewed by Sarah Dudley, November 2007

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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