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Joe Gunther #15
The Surrogate Thief
Shamefacedly hiding the rookie inexperience that rendered a homicide case from the beginning of his career unsolvable, Joe Gunther discovers the case's murder weapon and begins tracking a killer who possesses a nature more brutal than anticipated.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2004
176 people are currently reading
451 people want to read
About the author
Archer Mayor
45 books736 followersOver the years, Archer Mayor has been photographer, teacher, historian, scholarly editor, feature writer, travel writer, lab technician, political advance man, medical illustrator, newspaper writer, history researcher, publications consultant, constable, and EMT/firefighter. He is also half Argentine, speaks two languages, and has lived in several countries on two continents.
All of which makes makes him restless, curious, unemployable, or all three. Whatever he is, it’s clearly not cured, since he’s currently a novelist, a death investigator for Vermont’s medical examiner, and a police officer.
Archer has been producing the Joe Gunther novels since 1988, some of which have made the “ten best” or “most notable” lists of the Los Angeles and the New York Times. In 2004 Mayor received the New England Booksellers Association book award for fiction.
Intriguing plots, complex characters, and a vivid landscape are the foundation of Archer Mayor's award-winning New England thrillers.
All of which makes makes him restless, curious, unemployable, or all three. Whatever he is, it’s clearly not cured, since he’s currently a novelist, a death investigator for Vermont’s medical examiner, and a police officer.
Archer has been producing the Joe Gunther novels since 1988, some of which have made the “ten best” or “most notable” lists of the Los Angeles and the New York Times. In 2004 Mayor received the New England Booksellers Association book award for fiction.
Intriguing plots, complex characters, and a vivid landscape are the foundation of Archer Mayor's award-winning New England thrillers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
September 18, 2021
Good read, keeps one on edge of chair. Archer Mayor did it again! Fine writing. Certainly recommend this book to all mystery fans
September 3, 2018
I haven't read any of the Joe Gunther series in over a year. I think the last one (Gatekeeper) was not a favorite. This one has brought me back into the fold. Great book with a very old twist. I don't think I'll be waiting a year to read the next in the series!
December 11, 2009
Oh so much promise! Yet oh so disappointing! Here's why. We never meet the bad guy! The premise of this novel in Mayor's Joe Gunther series is that elements of a modern crime dredge up a 30-year old case for Gunther. He and his team then solve an old cold case as well as handle current crimes related to that cold case.
As the solution unfolds, the reader finds out who's responsible for the old crime. We "meet" this criminal in only a single scene in which the bad guy says nothing. Mayor, in fact, does not develop this bad guy's character at all beyond a surface physical description. This gives the case's resolution a horrible sense of boredom. The reader is not invested in either the original case (since it's all told through Gunther's recollections) or the modern-day ramifications. The novel is thus a bit unfocused and aimless.
Having read some of the Mayor's Gunther novels that come after this one, I see how the author used this novel to set up later ones. By itself, however, it is weak and not a good representation of the author's work.
As the solution unfolds, the reader finds out who's responsible for the old crime. We "meet" this criminal in only a single scene in which the bad guy says nothing. Mayor, in fact, does not develop this bad guy's character at all beyond a surface physical description. This gives the case's resolution a horrible sense of boredom. The reader is not invested in either the original case (since it's all told through Gunther's recollections) or the modern-day ramifications. The novel is thus a bit unfocused and aimless.
Having read some of the Mayor's Gunther novels that come after this one, I see how the author used this novel to set up later ones. By itself, however, it is weak and not a good representation of the author's work.
December 8, 2023
Another strong story in the Joe Gunther series set in Vermont, with a violent domestic argument case throwing up a gun matching an unsolved case from 32 years earlier, a case which resonates with Gunther as his wife was dying from aggressive breast cancer at that time.
February 27, 2024
not my fav of the Gunther series, but still worth the read!
i love how Mayor incorporates personal lives into his characters, but its rarely the focal point, nor does it slow down the pace of the story.
i love how Mayor incorporates personal lives into his characters, but its rarely the focal point, nor does it slow down the pace of the story.
May 30, 2022
Oh how I love Joe Gunther! This is a LONG series and I love the way Archer Mayor spins a tale. Tom Taylorson is the perfect narrator for these. Every book is unique but has a lot of the same cast. The way the mystery unfolds is done so well and there is a host of people involved making it hard to predict. Love love love them all!
April 27, 2023
3.75, rounding up to a 4. While the story moved at a good clip, it was missing the feelings and heart of the characters. This one goes back 32 years to an open cold case of Joe’s. As the first 12 books were in first person from Joe’s POV,(and I’m glad the author shifted to third person and from other character’s perspectives) the trip down memory lane felt unnecessary. Why would we need to essentially exhume his first wife‘a corpse otherwise? As a reader, I got the point about how tragic her death was and how it made Joe a bit crusty.
Joe’s decision to essentially live as a monk until Gail...obviously his love for his dead wife was deep. Either that, or we’re to believe Joe thought he couldn’t catch anyone else’s attention? I’m not sure that’s something that the average male really believes of himself.
Joe’s a good guy. Like many of us, he can’t see himself as others do. This is another reason why the shift to third person works for the series, even though I already thought Joe was a good dude, it’s nice to have it confirmed. 😉
I’ve noticed some shifting in relationships from the last book to this one. Sammie feeling divided between Willy and the other guy (and she does deserve someone that’s kind to her, so I’m hoping Willy will let down the walls and show his heart somewhat). The pulling away by Gail since her rape. Then again, Joe may love Gail, but I think Joe doesn’t love her like he did his wife or like she may love him. To me, their relationship always felt more like a convenience to each of them. It just didn’t really make me worry about Gail winding up dead or them breaking up. I don’t wish ill on their situation. I just don’t really feel it. It never really convinced me. Sammie & Willy? Makes sense. They’re constantly at each other’s throats before book 10. Willy seeing Sammie as someone he could lose is what they needed to kick that whole party into gear. It makes sense
In a way, I hope that Gail fades out or decides she’s a lesbian or becomes a nun. Something other than being Joe’s proof he doesn’t need Viagra. (Just saying...she’s his sometimes bedmate, not much more, tbh.)
Here’s hoping. My double disclaimer is below as relates to some of the scary dudes I’ve met before.
*see disclaimer before you flame me on the sub-sub-sub human thing that follows...I probably don’t mean YOU (if that’s what you’re thinking, tender reader), so slow your roll, sparky. If you DO think I’m calling you out...you’re wrong. I’m thinking of more than one person and those are the ones that couldn’t find me and probably couldn’t read this...assuming they could read.
Even the most sub-sub-sub average men I’ve ever met sure believe they’re God’s gift to women. Why would Joe think he’s not a good catch? If he was grieving, ai guess it wouldn’t matter. **disclaimer is below**
(**Now, when I describe the delusional types of men above, I’m being very kind In my phrasing above. These are the ones who smell like feet and sour laundry left too long in the washer. They’re more closely related to the troll under the bridge in Three Billy Goats Gruff. They’re not smart, clever, charming, attractive or otherwise given any real redeeming qualities - like a job, any physical attributes that women would appreciate, a personality, hygiene, manners, courage, ambition, a soul, etc. Seriously, bottom of the barrel here.)
First read 9/30/2020. Second read 4/27/2023. Same thoughts.
Joe’s decision to essentially live as a monk until Gail...obviously his love for his dead wife was deep. Either that, or we’re to believe Joe thought he couldn’t catch anyone else’s attention? I’m not sure that’s something that the average male really believes of himself.
Joe’s a good guy. Like many of us, he can’t see himself as others do. This is another reason why the shift to third person works for the series, even though I already thought Joe was a good dude, it’s nice to have it confirmed. 😉
I’ve noticed some shifting in relationships from the last book to this one. Sammie feeling divided between Willy and the other guy (and she does deserve someone that’s kind to her, so I’m hoping Willy will let down the walls and show his heart somewhat). The pulling away by Gail since her rape. Then again, Joe may love Gail, but I think Joe doesn’t love her like he did his wife or like she may love him. To me, their relationship always felt more like a convenience to each of them. It just didn’t really make me worry about Gail winding up dead or them breaking up. I don’t wish ill on their situation. I just don’t really feel it. It never really convinced me. Sammie & Willy? Makes sense. They’re constantly at each other’s throats before book 10. Willy seeing Sammie as someone he could lose is what they needed to kick that whole party into gear. It makes sense
In a way, I hope that Gail fades out or decides she’s a lesbian or becomes a nun. Something other than being Joe’s proof he doesn’t need Viagra. (Just saying...she’s his sometimes bedmate, not much more, tbh.)
Here’s hoping. My double disclaimer is below as relates to some of the scary dudes I’ve met before.
*see disclaimer before you flame me on the sub-sub-sub human thing that follows...I probably don’t mean YOU (if that’s what you’re thinking, tender reader), so slow your roll, sparky. If you DO think I’m calling you out...you’re wrong. I’m thinking of more than one person and those are the ones that couldn’t find me and probably couldn’t read this...assuming they could read.
Even the most sub-sub-sub average men I’ve ever met sure believe they’re God’s gift to women. Why would Joe think he’s not a good catch? If he was grieving, ai guess it wouldn’t matter. **disclaimer is below**
(**Now, when I describe the delusional types of men above, I’m being very kind In my phrasing above. These are the ones who smell like feet and sour laundry left too long in the washer. They’re more closely related to the troll under the bridge in Three Billy Goats Gruff. They’re not smart, clever, charming, attractive or otherwise given any real redeeming qualities - like a job, any physical attributes that women would appreciate, a personality, hygiene, manners, courage, ambition, a soul, etc. Seriously, bottom of the barrel here.)
First read 9/30/2020. Second read 4/27/2023. Same thoughts.
March 15, 2023
I picked this book up more or less at random from among the Archer Mayor books on offer at the Public Library to read as part of my Bump Memorial Library research. (I have been rereading sample books from a number of mystery writers whose series we/I have enjoyed in the past — and, in some cases, am still enjoying — to decide whether I should include a "delegate" copy from the series in the BML.)
Glancing at the liner notes, I thought that I had missed this Joe Gunther outing, but — no — we had read it a long time ago...
This was the one where Joe is working a cold case (a robbery in which the store owner is assualted and dies of his injuries) that he had first worked as a new officer on the Brattleboro police force. At that time, his wife was dying of cancer and revisiting the case brings up all kind of difficult emotions. Gail is running for the senate, and we see the hand writing on the wall for their relationship. And Joe meets a bartender (in Glouchester, Mass when he is trying to track down a man that they suspected of having committed the original crime) who (SPOILER ALERT) will eventually fill the relationship void.
We both decided that Archer Mayor did make the cut and that we should, indeed, include a "delegate" Joe Gunter novel in the library. Mayor has a new book, PROOF POSITIVE, coming out this fall, and I have pre-ordered it from amazon with the idea that it could be the representative Gunther. (Maybe not, though... it sounds like this one is set largely in Philadelphia, so the signature Vermont setting will be missing...)
February 28, 2023: I finished reading this book for a third time, this time aloud to Maggee and Lutrecia. It stood the test of time. This was book #12 on our 2023 Read-alouds List and book #10 on our 2023 Read-alouds With Lutrecia List.
Glancing at the liner notes, I thought that I had missed this Joe Gunther outing, but — no — we had read it a long time ago...
This was the one where Joe is working a cold case (a robbery in which the store owner is assualted and dies of his injuries) that he had first worked as a new officer on the Brattleboro police force. At that time, his wife was dying of cancer and revisiting the case brings up all kind of difficult emotions. Gail is running for the senate, and we see the hand writing on the wall for their relationship. And Joe meets a bartender (in Glouchester, Mass when he is trying to track down a man that they suspected of having committed the original crime) who (SPOILER ALERT) will eventually fill the relationship void.
We both decided that Archer Mayor did make the cut and that we should, indeed, include a "delegate" Joe Gunter novel in the library. Mayor has a new book, PROOF POSITIVE, coming out this fall, and I have pre-ordered it from amazon with the idea that it could be the representative Gunther. (Maybe not, though... it sounds like this one is set largely in Philadelphia, so the signature Vermont setting will be missing...)
February 28, 2023: I finished reading this book for a third time, this time aloud to Maggee and Lutrecia. It stood the test of time. This was book #12 on our 2023 Read-alouds List and book #10 on our 2023 Read-alouds With Lutrecia List.
March 6, 2014
This is the 15th adventure of Joe Gunther - a "middle-aged" Vermont police detective. The Gunther books are straightforward police procedurals with a strong supporting cast; Joe a very likeable protagonist. When a domestic dispute turns deadly, our hero finds himself dealing with a 32-year old cold case when the current weapon is traced back to a robbery/murder Joe didn't solve early in his career. This trip down memory lane is a painful one for our hero as the original case coincided with the death of his wife - a topic alluded to in earlier volumes, but which is now front and center in The Surrogate Thief - as is Joe - the books immediately preceding this one in the series focusing on Joe's "partners".
As is to be expected from this author/series, the cases and sleuthing are top notch, and the reader learns a little more about Joe and what makes him "tick"- not only his past and the loss of his wife - but also his current personal/romantic situation. While piecing together the current-day crime puzzle and resolving past issues/crimes, his current "lady-friend" - a recurring character we readers have come to know very well - is running for public office, upsetting Joe's, if not tranquil, very comfortable current day to day existence.
For the most part these multiple threads of the story line are balanced very well. My only complaint is that at times Joe's need - his obsession - to solve the "old" case comes across as a bit heavy-handed; the author inserting himself frequently explaining Joe's motivation. We know Joe well enough by this point, and what drives him.
Otherwise The Surrogate Thief is a very good addition to a very good series.
As is to be expected from this author/series, the cases and sleuthing are top notch, and the reader learns a little more about Joe and what makes him "tick"- not only his past and the loss of his wife - but also his current personal/romantic situation. While piecing together the current-day crime puzzle and resolving past issues/crimes, his current "lady-friend" - a recurring character we readers have come to know very well - is running for public office, upsetting Joe's, if not tranquil, very comfortable current day to day existence.
For the most part these multiple threads of the story line are balanced very well. My only complaint is that at times Joe's need - his obsession - to solve the "old" case comes across as a bit heavy-handed; the author inserting himself frequently explaining Joe's motivation. We know Joe well enough by this point, and what drives him.
Otherwise The Surrogate Thief is a very good addition to a very good series.
July 7, 2018
A terrific mystery that moves right along, this is another novel in the Joe Gunther series. Gunther has moved from chief of detectives of the Brattleboro, Vermont, police department to second in command of the newly established Vermont Bureau of Investigation. The VBI is handed a case that began thirty years ago, when Gunther was starting out as a detective, when a gun used in a current murder turns out to be connected to the earlier crime. The case brings back painful memories for Joe, whose wife was dying of cancer at the time of the murder case that he never solved. Gunther enlists his team of VBI detectives, Sammie Martens, Willy Kunkel and Lester Spinney, to crack the cold case and the trail leads them to someone who is killing people connected to the earlier crime. To complicate matters, Joe's girlfriend Gail is running for a state Senate seat that strains their relationship. Since the series has switched from Gunther's first person, it has able to expand the scope to include the other investigators and their storylines. Kunkel, as usual, has some of the best lines in the book with his sarcastic wit. There is also a great subplot involving Joe and a bartender he meets while investigating a lead in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The scenes between them are touching and give a great insight into Joe's character. I live in the area that this series takes place and I like how the author goes out of his way to describe actual places in his books, adding an element of local flavor. The characters and the story make this another great entry in this series.
September 15, 2011
Archer Mayor is a Vermont author I hadn't read until now. Brattleboro--Yeah! It was fun reading references to places I've been in the state. I like that the main character, Joe Gunther, is just an ordinary guy AND a very good detective. The plot wasn't heart-thumpingly thrilling, but it was still engaging. I'm going to check out more in this series.
August 18, 2008
A fun read. I don't read many mystery books, but this was a fine one. My hero is the constable from Putney.
October 20, 2025
When investigating the murder of a local man, Detective Joe Gunther is shocked to learn that the gun is the same one that was used over 30 years ago in a robbery/homicide in Joe's hometown of Brattleboro, Vermont. At that time Joe was a young police officer dealing with the impending death of his wife from breast cancer. He believes he might not have given the decades old investigation his best efforts and is now determined to reopen the case and find the killer. As Joe inches ever closer to the answer several more murders are committed to try and cover up the original crime. Meanwhile, Joe's girlfriend Gail is deep into her State Senate campaign and when Joe finds a connection between the murders and Gail's opponent the pressure to solve the case is impossible to ignore.
Once again I enjoyed another book in the Joe Gunther series. I really do like Joe and it was refreshing to see him finally show some anger in this one. He is usually fairly laid-back and quiet but the emotions of the past and present of this story pushed him over the edge a bit. The setting of rural Vermont is such a joy as well.
Once again I enjoyed another book in the Joe Gunther series. I really do like Joe and it was refreshing to see him finally show some anger in this one. He is usually fairly laid-back and quiet but the emotions of the past and present of this story pushed him over the edge a bit. The setting of rural Vermont is such a joy as well.
November 2, 2025
#15 in the Vermont police 50 something year old lieutenant joe Gunther mystery series. This a very good police procedural series showing the nitty gritty day-to-day investigating work to solve a mystery. Former Brattleboro, Vermont, cop, Joe is now the #2 man of the new Vermont Bureau of Investigation (VBI), a joint task force charged with statewide responsibility for major crimes and now works collaboratively with the various other police units in the state to aid in their investigations.
A domestic violence incident in which the gun a woman kills her ex-husband with turns out to be the missing weapon from a 32 year old unsolved robbery and death of owner case that Detective Joe Gunther handled. Brings back a lot haunting memories for Joe as he was also dealing with his wife slow death from cancer at the same time. The finding of the gun results in Joe's reopening of the investigation triggering a lot of emotions along with new murders that appear to be connected.
A domestic violence incident in which the gun a woman kills her ex-husband with turns out to be the missing weapon from a 32 year old unsolved robbery and death of owner case that Detective Joe Gunther handled. Brings back a lot haunting memories for Joe as he was also dealing with his wife slow death from cancer at the same time. The finding of the gun results in Joe's reopening of the investigation triggering a lot of emotions along with new murders that appear to be connected.
July 18, 2021
I am reading Archer Mayor novels almost all the time and can't put them down. This is so well plotted, featuring a 30+ year old crime and Joe's personal history. I am reading a library book and finding notes and underlining from a previous reader I wish I knew. (More time travel.) I am not a good reviewer but an enthusiastic one. This book will pull you in and you will give up regular pursuits to finish it. Or maybe I wan't in the mood for the treadmill?
Great series. I was online with Malice Domestic and then reading this when not watching cozy authors. What a contrast! This is not a muffin and kitten book.
Great series. I was online with Malice Domestic and then reading this when not watching cozy authors. What a contrast! This is not a muffin and kitten book.
June 9, 2022
As Joe Gunther revisits a thirty-year-old cold case, he must struggle with memories and emotions it raises that he never fully dealt with at the time. The case affects his personal and professional relationships as he works out why he is obsessed and distressed. The author's style and skills as a writer and a story teller have been well honed over the series. Of particular note is the very realistic handling of the relationship between Joe and his long-term lover Gail. The identity of the perpetrator, though it fit the plot, seemed part of a separate agenda and too similar to a previous installment.
May 12, 2018
A gun that was used in a previous crime resurfaces and Joe becomes quite determined to solve not only the new crime but to readdress an old one. A man was badly beaten and later died while Joe was struggling with his wife's terminal illness and ultimate death. The man's widow haunted him to solve the crime but he was unable to. Now she is dead, but he has the new clue that he needs to go back and make it right, even if he is the only one who remembers it.
August 9, 2019
Joe Gunther mysteries, set in Vermont tend to deliver exciting interesting stories. For some reason, however, I seem to be listening to them in random order so I am never quite sure where Gail, Joe's lady-friend is in her career. This one is fairly contemporary but the mystery goes way back to when Joe's wife was dying and he was a young cop. Moral of the story: eventually, everything catches up with you.
November 16, 2022
A cold case awakens old police/domestic wounds for Joe. A little too much relationship/personal drama in this one as the unsolved case implausibly connects with Gail’s political career. Also, as before, if the bad guy(s) would just sit tight and not kill people the police had just interviewed it would be very hard to make a case - especially after 30 years.
And I assume this is a typo: it’s a .357 handgun, not .375.
And I assume this is a typo: it’s a .357 handgun, not .375.
November 23, 2018
I am becoming more and more of a fan of Mayor's, Joe Gunther series. Joe plods along but always gets his man or woman, so ok, a few people get killed on the way, because neither Joe nor the reader can figure the mystery out more quickly. Hell I LOVE JOE AND THE GANG, ESPECIALLY THE dour Willie Kunkle.
May 20, 2021
By far the best book in the series so far. There are far fewer characters in the book and thus a better opportunity to explore their personalities in greater detail. Joe Gunther doesn't get shot, maimed or have any other physical disability heaped upon him but rather he investigates a cold case. The story centers around Joe and the result is pure entertainment.
December 2, 2024
I stopped listening to this series awhile ago because it was getting mundane, the same ol' same ol'.
Apparently Mayor thought so too, because this one was enlivened. We learn that avuncular Joe was a bad cop in his youth, and had an old story to come back on him.
Suddenly what was old is new again, and though it was written in 2008, it has some remarkable similarities to today's recent events.
Apparently Mayor thought so too, because this one was enlivened. We learn that avuncular Joe was a bad cop in his youth, and had an old story to come back on him.
Suddenly what was old is new again, and though it was written in 2008, it has some remarkable similarities to today's recent events.
May 30, 2025
2.5 rounded up.
I haven’t read others in this series; perhaps I would have enjoyed it more had I done so.
This was a long, complex, investigation that spanned years. A new murder linked back to an old, unsolved case. The process was long and complicated. The murderer made only a brief appearance in the plot and I found that didn’t help my engagement in the outcome.
I haven’t read others in this series; perhaps I would have enjoyed it more had I done so.
This was a long, complex, investigation that spanned years. A new murder linked back to an old, unsolved case. The process was long and complicated. The murderer made only a brief appearance in the plot and I found that didn’t help my engagement in the outcome.
January 7, 2017
This book tells us more about Joe's past and the reasons for his emotional tangles, and it's a solid police procedural at the same time. The only quibble I have with it is that once again, Mayor kills off too many characters. He's got to find different ways of moving a plot along.
July 22, 2018
If you like police procedure mysteries, you will like this book. The book puts together a 30 year old cold case (one of his earliest cases) with a new case. Not much I can say without spoiling it for you, so all I will do is say ead it yourself.
October 14, 2018
An old unsolved case that has haunted Joe Gunther for his entire career comes back to life and ends up intertwining itself into Joe's present life as well. Mayor uses this story to expand the back story on his main character as well. A good entry in the series!
October 29, 2019
Interesting story - pulp fiction. Joe is drug back to a cold case from many years before when a gun surfaces that is tied to the old case. I like police procedurals and I like the recurring characters in this series but this book just didn’t do it for me.
February 25, 2020
I really like this character, Joe Gunther. He is steadfast and humble in his work. He makes the victim comfortable, and he makes guilty pay for their crimes. It wasn’t until almost the end where the title got its place and that was good. It summed up the story very well.
November 1, 2022
I thought the book was pretty good, but the audio narrator I think he did a really terrible job and the way he portrayed some of the characters. really made them sound slow and stupid and like they had no mental capacity. That's really unfortunate how a bad narrator can ruin a book.
September 15, 2023
A good series but this book was on the melancholy side.
A good series but this book was on the melancholy side. Al in all a good plot - a little bit slow moving but everything was tied up neatly in the end.
A good series but this book was on the melancholy side. Al in all a good plot - a little bit slow moving but everything was tied up neatly in the end.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews