The Disposable Man

The Joe Gunther Mysteries, Book 9

By: Archer Mayor

Narrated by: Tom Taylorson

Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's Summary

When a local quarry yields a garroted body with bad dental work and toes tattooed in Cyrillic, Joe Gunther figures it's a Russian Mafia killing, rare as that might be in Vermont. But it's so very...tidy. So very...professional. Then the CIA calls, inviting Gunther down to Washington for some friendly "assistance" with his case. Suddenly he's caught up in a shadowy game of cross and double-cross - manipulated by cynical, cold warriors who don't seem to have gotten the memo - and Gunther soon realizes that he's a pawn both sides are willing to sacrifice.

©2013 Archer Mayor (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

My least favorite Gunther book.

This is the only Mayor book that I disliked. I found the plot implausible and confusing.

The CIA

When a plot requires the supernatural, I feel that the author ran out of good ideas. I don't feel so strongly, but I do think less of the author of a detective-style murder mystery, particularly one set in northern New England, if his plot requires the Central Intelligence Agency. It's not that I dislike the CIA. In fact I have read and enjoyed *many* spy stories, be they fiction, nonfiction, or an uncertain blend of the two; but in my mind the spy/espionage genre is distinct from the detective/murder-mystery genre, and mixing them does not work. A reader needs one mindset when he/she reads a detective/murder-mystery story, and a quite different mindset he/she reads a spy story.

Crazy

A totally unbelievable story but great good fun to listen to very enjoyable would recommend.

Another Good One

Another great Gunther story with a very interesting twist. After this one, Joe deserves a trip to the Virgin Islands for some R&R.

Intriguing

Always amazed at the stories Mayor comes up with for a small town detective in a rural state. Taylorson is a great reader and switches characters without a hitch

Not A Great Story and ......

Story really was weak for me. I've liked the other books in this series but this one fell flat for me. I like the reader but he mispronounced the word "brooch" and it drove me crazy since I can't see the book it can be spelled broach or brooch but it's pronounced the same. It's not pronounced "brewch" and I wondered why they didn't catch it and for some reason it just irritated me. Hope the next book is better because this went off the rails for me.

hmmm

I love the whole series I think he's a wonderful author the characters are so believable the narrator is a genius this particular novel is a bit too far-fetched I didn't believe that this really could happen

Not worth the time

Improbable story. Two long. Something more appropriate for a Cold War story of thirty years ago

disappointed

The plot line was way too absurd this time. The narrator kept pronouncing broach as brutch.

Best book since Open Season

First, thank you for using the word “erstwhile”only one time in this book. Even though it was 22 years ago since it was written I appreciate it.

This novel had a great plot with three good subplots. The characters were all real, vibrant, and believable. It’s illustrated the sad fact how many life decisions decades ago can still come back and snag our lives and cause great hardship. It also portrayed the significance of our system and how an innocent man can so easily be swallowed up for doing nothing wrong at all and have few ways out of the morass.

Very satisfying

Who would have thought so much could happen in a small, sleepy, Vermont town. This book had a lot of references to dates but it still didn’t make it seem “dated” which I prefer rather than being blatantly set in a particular period.
Oh, and “brewch” I assume it means brooch! (I don’t know how it’s spelt in the book, actually I’m being unkind, I think Americans call them broach sometimes!) But I still can’t see how that is pronounced “brewch “. Yes, I need to get out more.