(Subdue) Occam's Razor by Archer Mayor - 4 stars

[Ellen]

The bucolic town of Brattleboro, Vermont, is rocked by the finding of a body on the railroad tracks that has been mutilated by a passing train. Although the man is believed to be a homeless person, Police Lt. Joe Gunther feels there is much more to the story. During the same time period, a young woman and her infant are found dead in her freezing apartment: the woman had been stabbed repeatedly and the child died from exposure. Gunther believes that somehow the two incidents are related and so begins an investigation that encompasses many known criminals from the area with a sidestep into state politics as well. Following the trail of illegal dumping of hazardous materials, the body on the tracks showed signs of acidic burns on its face and torso. Evidence continuously points to a local politician who had been trying to pass a bill in Vermont's Congress to abolish all police units and unite them in one large investigation department. Gunther feels he is being led to this man's doorstep but cannot believe he is actually involved. Someone is working very hard to implicate a probable innocent man.

This is the 10th book in the series featuring Joe Gunther and I have enjoyed them all so far. Although this one was a bit heavy on the politics, the mystery was a good one.