This is the third book in Archer Mayor’s series about Joe Gunther, a detective in Brattleboro, Vermont. Happily, these books pretty much stand on their own so far. You can pick up this book and not be lost. What little background you need to follow the story is provided. Since I read the last one so long ago, that was a good thing. It was first published in 1991, so it’s a bit of a throwback when it comes to police procedure. Cell phones were still rare, and using a computer meant a clunky desktop model, not the ability to instantly find information in your pocket.

The body of a local up-and-coming financier, Charlie Jardine, is found in a shallow grave inside the city. Looking at the man’s background, it appears he dabbled in drugs and might have been involved in something illicit financially. As Joe digs further into Jardine’s past, he finds out that the victim had been having a long-standing affair with the wife of a fellow police officer. This officer happened to be seen at the crime scene earlier that night. When questioned, John Woll states he had a call there and didn’t see anything.

What follows is a great police procedural and mystery as Joe tries to solve the murder. The bodies begin to pile up as Jardine is just the first victim. Is there some major drug trafficking going on in town that has so far escaped police notice? Or is there something far more sinister involving avenging the past going on?

I enjoyed Scent of Evil quite a bit. Mayor gets it right in describing people who live their whole lives in and around the place they grew up in, a rural New England town. It’s not really provincial; more like being stuck and taking what life hands them than taking a chance trying to do better elsewhere. People like Charlie Jardine and John Woll have been competing in a sense since high school, trying to be the big fish in the small pond. John Woll has had some success, although his marriage has suffered, and it all comes crashing down here.

The way Joe unravels the clues and follows the path they set him on is interesting. There are lots of red herrings surrounding the crime. I had a feeling that one character was more than he was made out to be, and in the end, I was right, although I didn’t really figure it all out until it was revealed. Mayor kept me guessing all the way through as the story turned depressingly tragic at times.

Joe also undergoes a bit of a metamorphosis in the book. He’s had a casual relationship with Gail, who is one of the town’s selectmen. There’s been the occasional conflict there at times, but it comes to a head as there are accusations that Joe and his boss were trying to protect Woll as they investigated. In reality, they were just trying to be sure of the facts before they tore his life apart, but small-town gossip sets things in motion out of their control. This strains the relationship with Gail and has Joe reflecting on his choices when it comes to her.

Tom Taylorson is the narrator of the audiobook and does a good job with it. He’s clear and easy to follow, without going crazy trying to be the different characters. I tend to like those narrators better than the ones who try to become the characters with annoying voices. He doesn’t add or detract from the story; he’s just reading it.

If you enjoy this type of police procedural, I think you’ll like Scent of Evil. It’s in the style of an investigation where there’s a wide range of possibilities that are slowly investigated and narrowed down. It had a very authentic feel to it, coming from someone who lives in a rural New England town where the police department isn’t regarded as competent by the residents. It’s also a bit of a throwback to a time when we didn’t have computers in our pockets or a way to instantly contact just about anyone we wanted. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

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