Reviews

Gatekeeper by Archer Mayor

knottyrambler's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

dennisfischman's review against another edition

3.0

This book puts Sammie Martens at the center instead of Joe Gunther (as a previous book, [b:The Sniper's Wife|103825|The Sniper's Wife (Joe Gunther #13)|Archer Mayor|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1389555299s/103825.jpg|100109], did with Willy Kunkle. It's a welcome new perspective. Because she's undercover for a lot of the book, however, you don't learn as much about her as you might expect. The other main female character in the series, Gail Zigman, is going through even more changes in her life, and Joe is struggling to keep up. Nothing is resolved, so this feels like a transitional book in the series.

I enjoyed Archer Mayor's usual deft sketches of places and the people who inhabit them. I did not enjoy but understood the hopeless conservatism that Joe and Gail sometimes express about making life better for people with addictions. It's hard to work with that population day in and day out and keep your own hope high. I admire the people who are able to do it.

tnsbandgeek's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

stevem0214's review against another edition

2.0

My least favorite in the Joe Gunther series. Not a bad story, but it seems like Mayor got tired of writing. Everything was going along fine…and then it just stops with a lot of stuff left hanging. Maybe that'll get tied up in the next one. IF you're reading the series you should probably read this one, but if you're not, don't start with this one. You'll never read another and they are usually a great read.

mareich's review against another edition

3.0

I have read dozens in this series and this is maybe my least favorite. The story line involves increasing amounts of heroin appearing in Vermont, but the characters seem shallow. We've met them all before, and feel like we know them pretty well, but the plot is a patchwork of under-developed sub-plots, such as the family crisis of Lester, involving his son's dabbling with druggie friends. It isn't really resolved and by the end of the book. Similarly, the sub-plot involving Gunther's on and off girlfriend Gail, with a drug related robbery and wounding, is a series of 'headlines' with little real development, including Gail's thinly veiled 'threat' to run for some unspecified office. The main story of Sammie's undercover work is very complicated with a lot of twists and turns, but overall, not all that compelling. Finally, as mentioned by some other reviewers, the book ends rather abruptly, as though Mayor reached a page limit or just got tired of writing. Overall, I was disappointed since I thoroughly enjoyed most of the rest of the series. If you've read the others, you could safely skip this one, and if you haven't, don't make this the first Joe Gunther you read.