2008 Book 50: The Disposable Man

Book #:	50
Book Title:	The Disposable Man
Author:	Archer Mayor
Publisher:	Mysterious Press
Pub. Date:	1998
Pages:	294
Started:	May 28, 2008
Finished:	May 30, 2008
Time to Read:	3 Days
Back Cover / Inside Flap:	"The man lies facedown in a deserted soapstone quarry, strangled to death by a piano wire. His face, frozen and purple, is still recognizably Slavic, and all the labels have been cut from his clothing. Gunther smells a mob hit, but he's up against a wall. He's got an abandoned rental car with a bloodstained carpet. He's got a dead man someone's tossed in a pond with no identifiers except foreign dental work and faded, cryptic tattoos. The obvious question begging to be answered: What is a guy like this doing in a place like Brattleboro, Vermont? Gunther puts feelers out everywhere, but to no avail. There are no local ties to the dead man and no reports of strange sounds, sightings, or missing persons. So why are both the CIA and the FBI suddenly sniffing around the corpse with the tattoos? The CIA reluctantly confirms that he was an old Russkie they've been watching for years, and they invite Gunther to D.C. to help put the case to bed. But Gunther smells "disinformation"...if the murder is no big deal, why is the CIA keeping the Brattleboro Police as well as the FBI in the dark? Why is the Agency soon urging him to drop his end of the investigation? And why, the night before he's to meet his CIA contact, is Gunther savagely attacked by a presumed mugger with a knife? Searching for the truth draws Gunther into a paranoid twilight battle zone where the blood of cold war stalwarts runs dangerously hot over old disputes. Ruthlessly manipulated by unseen forces, Gunther will be pitted here against the legal system he has always fought to uphold...and before he knows it, fighting to the end for freedom, vindication, and life itself."
Stars:	***
Review:	This is just simply a fun book. Three parts mystery, one part intrigue, two parts absurd comedy...it's got it all! Joe Gunther is a fun, lovable character, and the reader can't help be outraged on his behalf as he seems to be stymied at every step of his investigation. I wanted to climb into the book myself and start kicking butt at one point! The plot is interesting and colorful and the pace is right on. If I had one complaint about this book it's that I had a hard time keeping characters straight at times...there's a lot of 'em. Other than that, a fun read. Enjoy!

If you have read or are planning to read this book, please make sure to stop back by and leave me a comment to let me know your own thoughts!

From my library to yours,

Tiffany