Trace: A Joe Gunther Novel

Bestseller Mayor’s outstanding 28th Joe Gunther novel (after 2016’s Presumption of Guilt) takes the field force commander of the Vermont Bureau of Investigation almost completely out of the picture while spotlighting the work of three subordinates in three separate cases. First, VBI agent Lester Spinney reexamines a closed case, in which a state trooper and motorist killed each other in a shoot-out, after a forensic scientist uncovers a disturbing anomaly in the evidence. Second, a Windsor policeman calls in cop Willy Kunkle after a girl discovers three bloodstained teeth on a stretch of railroad tracks. Third, Samantha Martens, who lives with Willy and their child, investigates the murder of Gunther’s romantic partner’s daughter’s roommate. Mayor keeps the suspense high as he showcases each of his detectives’ special talents—Spinney’s patience and doggedness, Kunkle’s unorthodox but effective rule-bending, and Martens’s bravery and resourcefulness—in this welcome addition to the long-running series. Agent: Molly Friedrich, Friedrich Agency. (Sept.)