Proof Positive by Archer Mayor, a Mysterious Review.

Review: After a hoarder dies in an apparent accident at his home, Vermont Bureau of Investigation head Joe Gunther is called in when his cousin, Beverly Hillstrom, a medical examiner, becomes suspicious of how he was killed, in Proof Positive, the 25th mystery in this series by Archer Mayor.

Ben Kendall had returned from the Vietnam War a nearly broken man. Badly injured and in a coma when he reached stateside, he spent a long time trying to recover from the visions of what he had witnessed there. Suffering from PTSD, he secluded himself in his Vermont farm house, collecting almost anything and storing it almost anywhere. Included in his hoard were old pictures and news-reels he had taken in Vietnam. He had allowed his cousin Beverly's daughter Rachel to see some of his material, and agreed to loan her some for an art project she was putting on at a local museum. But he insisted on complete anonymity. Rachel's project was a success, and even featured in the New York Times. But shortly thereafter he was dead, trapped when a pile of his "stuff" collapsed on him. The police close the case as an accidental death, but Beverly isn't so certain. Calling in a favor, Joe agrees to investigate his death a little further. But it isn't long before his team starts getting death threats, and they start to uncover brutally tortured bodies that may be related to Ben Kendall's death. Clearly someone is going to extremes to keep something quiet. But who … and what?

This latest mystery in this long-running series has a satisfyingly complex storyline, with multiple plot twists and turns that are impossible to predict. The characters are engaging and well developed, and their actions credible. The ending will likely come as a complete surprise to readers. Proof Positive is a strong entry in this series, maybe not among the very best, but right up there.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Proof Positive.

Acknowledgment: Minotaur Books provided a copy of Proof Positive for this review.

Three Can Keep a Secret
Minotaur Books (Hardcover), October 2013
ISBN-13: 9781250026132; ISBN-10: 125002613X

The Company She Kept
Minotaur Books (Hardcover), September 2015
ISBN-13: 9781250064677; ISBN-10: 1250064678

Proof Positive

A Joe Gunther Mystery by Archer Mayor