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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
I really enjoyed the writing of this story. What I didn't enjoy, the fact that everyone gave zero f***s that a black man was setup. And the way that the word n***** was just all over the place. I mean... it felt distracting and unnecessary because he essentially was a throwaway character.
Great intro to a new police procedural series. Good plot and pacing. The ending was not predictable. The main character, Joe Gunther, is likeable and believable. Will definitely be following this series!
This book was a lot better than I expected. I really enjoyed it and will definitely be reading more of the series and looking for other books by Archer Mayor.
Joe Gunther is a police detective that is called to a crime scene where an elderly woman had blasted an intruder with a shotgun. She explained that she had been getting threatening calls and messages left in her house. She called the police but they didn't help. Finally, the man killed her cat in a gruesome way and said the same was going to happen to her. She got her dead husband's old shotgun and was ready when her backdoor opened. After the police investigated the body and discovered his identity the old woman was shocked. She knew the man from when they were on the same Jury. Later, more crimes kept happening where someone from the same jury was set up to look like they did the crime and there was suddenly a lot of reports of a man in a ski mask causing trouble and always connected with that old case. Joe Gunther noticed the trend and started to look into the case where a woman was murdered and a black man had been found guilty of the crime even though he insisted he was innocent. It looked like and open and shut case but when Joe started to look into it himself he realized it was too perfect. When he started questioning the people involved he found a lot of things the police missed or didn't look into. It was starting to look like the police locked up the wrong guy because they were in a hurry to close the case. Gunther soon learned though, that the man in the ski mask wasn't doing this for the innocent man who was locked up. He was after revenge. He wanted the cops to find the real killer.
Joe Gunther is a police detective that is called to a crime scene where an elderly woman had blasted an intruder with a shotgun. She explained that she had been getting threatening calls and messages left in her house. She called the police but they didn't help. Finally, the man killed her cat in a gruesome way and said the same was going to happen to her. She got her dead husband's old shotgun and was ready when her backdoor opened. After the police investigated the body and discovered his identity the old woman was shocked. She knew the man from when they were on the same Jury. Later, more crimes kept happening where someone from the same jury was set up to look like they did the crime and there was suddenly a lot of reports of a man in a ski mask causing trouble and always connected with that old case. Joe Gunther noticed the trend and started to look into the case where a woman was murdered and a black man had been found guilty of the crime even though he insisted he was innocent. It looked like and open and shut case but when Joe started to look into it himself he realized it was too perfect. When he started questioning the people involved he found a lot of things the police missed or didn't look into. It was starting to look like the police locked up the wrong guy because they were in a hurry to close the case. Gunther soon learned though, that the man in the ski mask wasn't doing this for the innocent man who was locked up. He was after revenge. He wanted the cops to find the real killer.
dark
mysterious
tense
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:
No
Open Season is a reasonably good first book in a series. The Joe Gunther character is likable, the writing was technically very good, and there were plenty of twists for a police procedural mystery. The plotting was also well planned and the Vermont setting was an interesting piece of the mix. Open Season felt a little dense and did not grab my attention in the way many of my favorite writers in this genre like Connelly, Sandford, and Crais. I can see the promise in the series and am highly likely to check out book 2. 3.5 stars.
Interesting police procedure. Dialogue a bit too long.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Great all the way through. Lacklustre ending with threads left hanging. Quality writing and good characters though so will probably try the next in the series.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
What I Liked:
-Standard police procedure seemed realistic and well done.
-Joe is a delightful, complex character.
-The mystery holds your attention.
Who Should Read It:
-Crime novel fans who don’t mind a series.
-Readers who like detectives who sink their teeth into a case.
For Full Review (including what I didn’t love): https://youtu.be/qALNpWwvkZg (40:29)
-Standard police procedure seemed realistic and well done.
-Joe is a delightful, complex character.
-The mystery holds your attention.
Who Should Read It:
-Crime novel fans who don’t mind a series.
-Readers who like detectives who sink their teeth into a case.
For Full Review (including what I didn’t love): https://youtu.be/qALNpWwvkZg (40:29)
Pretty fun and engrossing book, although I had no trouble dropping it at a moments notice.