The Orphan's Guilt proves Archer Mayor hasn't lost his touch. If anything, the 31st entry in his "Joe Gunther" series is the most enthralling yet. The latest adventure is both masterfully nuanced and poignant. It serves to remind us that one of the strengths of this series is the supporting cast. They're like old friends at this point and Mayor excels at utilizing all of them. Their efforts to solve a decades old crime (and deal with the modern day ones connected to it) are laudable. This is one well-established series which remains fresh today. I couldn't put it down. You won't either. Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press.

The Orphan's Guilt is the latest in the Joe Gunther series set in Vermont. The man who sets the entire plot of the book into motion, John Rust, is pulled over for a DWI the night his brother, long-ill, died. Then John vanishes while Gunther and his team weave through past actions and present crimes.

This was definitely not my favorite in the series, though it was interesting and always fun to see what characters are up to now. It was challenging for me to follow what was going on in some parts, and I'm not sure if it was because of the past/present storyline or the introduction of so many characters.

Overall, I'm glad I read it to keep up with the series, but it's not one I'd read again.

This is a great addition to the Joe Gunther series. It takes place mostly in Brattleboro Vermont. John Rust is pulled over for drunk driving by Trooper Tyler Brennan. This was not John's first DUI, but this time he had been mourning the death that day of his very handicapped younger brother, Peter, for whom he had had the sole care for past ten years. John's mother overdosed about 26 years previously, and his father disappeared on John's 18th birthday. His lawyer, Scott Jezek hires Sally Kravitz to investigate the arrest and try to find something to prevent John from going to jail.

Joe Gunther and the VBI are called in when Sally gets some information which implies Peter's condition was not from his birth, and that the injury 28 years previously may have been caused by child abuse. Meanwhile, Rachel had been contacted by the funeral house to do a newspaper article about John and his longtime care for his brother. There are now three groups investigation John Rust, and his family. Gunther quickly finds out that the Rusts' parents and the people they hung out with were all pretty unsavory.

Gunther and his VBI detectives have their work cut out trying to go back 28 years to find witnesses and figure out what happened. Meanwhile, Sally and Rachel begin working together, but put themselves into a very dangerous situation. When John's father is found is found dead, shortly after the VBI located him, they lose the main witness, and John also disappears. They gradually figure where John's money came from and what happened 28 years ago.

There is plenty of action and suspense, the plot is clever, and the book is very readable. You do not need to have read the previous 30 books (although I have!), but if you haven't, you should go back and get them.

288 pages

5 stars

A very drunk John Rust is stopped one evening by a trooper who takes pity on him. John is very polite and when back at the station house agrees to the trooper's questions. The cop is then called away on an emergency and John is left for four hours. His attorney Scott Jezek is contacted later and sets out to make a case for John's dismissal of charges. He contacts friend and private investigator Sally Kravitz to look into John's life and see if there are mitigating circumstances.

Well, for one his developmentally disabled twenty-eight year old brother Peter had just died earlier that day. John took meticulous care of Peter. When questions arise how Peter got that way, suspicions are aroused. When the midwife reports that Peter was completely normal at birth, Jezek reports to VBI Chief Joe Gunther that a murder has taken place.

The investigation begins. The father Daryl Hicks left the family when John was eighteen. John became Peter's sole caretaker. The boys' mother died some years earlier of a drug overdose. Daryl becomes the prime suspect in Peter's murder. But, where is he?

This book details the intricate search for the truth about Peter's injury. There are many, many people to interview. Apparently not all was normal happy families with John and Peter's parents.
Aside from the drugs mom was involved with, there were several heists and other illegal doings. And where did John get the money for Peter's care?

The whole gang, including Willy, Sam, Beverly and the others get involved in the search for the killer. Much is happening in this book. There are several lines of inquiry to follow, and follow them Joe's team does. More murders occur. When Sally and reporter Rachel Reiling join Joe's team, the action picks up frantically.

This book is excellent. Mr. Mayor's writing is wonderful. His descriptions are vivid and colorful. The dialogue is perfect – especially Willy. He's a treat! I like Joe and Beverly's relationship. It is so easygoing. I have read all of Joe Gunther's adventures now and I don't know where Mr. Mayor keeps getting his great ideas for stories. I avidly await the next in this series!

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for forwarding to me a copy of this remarkable book for me to read, enjoy and review.

Latest in a long-running Vermont series in which a man who cared for an invalid brother gets stopped for drunk driving the night the brother died, then disappears; before long the investigators are wondering if the disability that killed the brother was actually a case of murder, long delayed. This was not my favorite in the series, though it does keep readers up to date on the lives and relationships of the series characters.

The Orphan's Guilt is the most recent installment in the Joe Gunther series, which was unbeknownst to me when I started reading this novel. Although this book can be read as a standalone, there were too many established players to keep track of and thus, led to some confusion on my part. However, the varied players made for an engaging read.

The plot starts with a routine traffic violation for a possible DUI. Subsequently, the traffic stop balloons into a full blown investigation into an alleged homicide dating back twenty plus years ago. As you follow the investigations you are provided clues on motives, suspects, and forensic evidence. There are really no surprises, twists, or turns in this novel. The outcomes and ending are predictable in my opinion.

The Orphan's Guilts is a decent read. I rated it 3.5 stars rounded up -- I liked it.

Disclosure: I received a digital ARC from Minotaur/St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. The review herein is my own and contains my honest and unbiased thoughts and opinions. This review will crosspost to Goodreads and Twitter. Upon publication, this review will be posted to retail/subscriber outlets such as Amazon, Barnes&Noble, as well as Scribd.

A mystery that weaves its way from present and leads to past actions in order to solve. I am not sure why but I found this book a challenging read. Perhaps because I was unfamiliar with the series and characters ( of which there were many). I kept with it because I wanted to know how it unfolded.

Another wonderful entry in this series. As always, I enjoyed this novel with a Joe Gunther and an ever-expanding group of supporting characters.

This book takes place in quiet Vermont following the death of a severely disabled young man which serves as a catalyst for mayhem and murder in this quiet corner of America. . Working with the VBI and others, a years old plot is unraveled. Gunther and his crew are able to gather evidence and solve these increasingly complex events.

I like this series, but I’m not sure a new reader will enjoy reading this without prior familiarity with this series.

Thank you Netgalley for this really interesting read.