TRACE

4 stars out of 5

Where in the world is Joe Gunther? This is, as I understand it, the 28th book in the series featuring the commander of the Vermont Bureau of Investigation. Admittedly, it's my first, and although I'll say it stands alone quite well, I had to wonder what happened to the star of the show. In fact, until at least the 60% mark, his limited appearances are for the most part by phone or video meeting; he's off to a private hospital to stay with his ailing mother to give his brother, Leo, a care-giving break. He does return to the fold toward the end, but even then, he isn't a major player.

Of course, maybe that's the norm for these books; but his absence really surprised me. And because I really liked what little I saw of him (he's got a cat named Gilbert, for gosh sake), I would have enjoyed getting to know him better. All the other police-related characters, in fact, are exceptionally well developed (and for the record, also very likable). 

Do not assume, though, that the story suffers in any other way. Actually, there are three story lines (more on that later), and each is intriguing enough to have made a short book in and of itself. There are quite a few characters to keep straight - no doubt they'd be familiar to readers of prior books - but once I got used to who's who, I was fully invested and wished I'd been able to keep reading straight through to the end (of course, life intervened, including the knuckle-biting finish to this year's "America's Got Talent" TV show in which the best contestant, IMHO, really did win, so it took me three days to finish).

Three cases land in the VBI's lap just as Gunther takes his leave, leaving investigator Sammie Martens to run the department. She personally handles the murder of a young woman, who just came to town and is rooming with the daughter of Beverly Hillstrom, the state medical examiner and Gunther's main squeeze. It looks to be a professional hit, and it's clear the woman had run and was trying to hide. But from what and whom?

Another colleage, Willy Kunkle, is puzzled when a child brings in three bloody teeth found at the edge of a local railroad track. Known as a bit of a department misfit (he's also Sammie's live-in companion with whom he shares a young daughter), he sinks his own teeth into the situation and finds a burned-out piece of electronics equipment at the site that in turn leads to the suspicion of sabotage involving U.S. military equipment.

Last but hardly least, colleague Lester Spinney is approached about an old traffic-stop case in which a state trooper and another man were believed to have killed each other. It's a closed case, but by a quirk of fate, it's been discovered that the motorist's fingerprints apparently were planted on the gun he used to kill the officer. Clearly, most everyone involved in the original case - including the police - aren't thrilled to have it reopened, but Spinney is convinced that the evidence was tainted and is determined to find out what really happened no matter where or on whom the chips fall.

Bit by bit, the investigative processes are revealed as each chapter offers highlights of each case. By the end, everything is resolved (no, I'm not going to explain further), and the department pretty much returns to normal operation. All's right with their world and they're ready for the next book (as am I, albeit with the hope I'll see more of Gunther). For now, I'll just recommend this book and say thanks very much to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Trace by Archer Mayor (Minotaur Books, September 2017); 326 pp.