The Archer Mayor books in order are led by the Joe Gunther mysteries, a long-running series of Vermont police procedurals. Joe begins as a lieutenant and chief detective with the Brattleboro Police Department before moving into the fictional Vermont Bureau of Investigation, where he works with a recurring team of investigators.
This guide includes the complete Joe Gunther novel sequence, the two verified Joe Gunther short stories, Archer Mayor’s two history books, and his verified anthology contribution. The novel list follows publication order.
Jump to:
- Joe Gunther Series
- Archer Mayor Nonfiction Books
- Archer Mayor Anthology Contributions
- About Archer Mayor
Joe Gunther Series
The series follows Joe Gunther through criminal investigations across Vermont. Joe’s quiet integrity and patient investigative style remain central as his career expands beyond Brattleboro, while Vermont’s communities, landscape, and local politics shape the cases around him.
Each novel centers on a separate investigation, so the main mystery can usually stand on its own. I still recommend reading the Joe Gunther books in publication order because Joe’s career, relationships, and recurring team develop across the series. I’d start with Open Season for the full progression.
- Open Season (1988)
- Borderlines (1990)
- Scent of Evil (1992)
- The Skeleton’s Knee (1993)
- Fruits of the Poisonous Tree (1994)
- The Dark Root (1995)
- The Ragman’s Memory (1996)
- Bellows Falls (1997)
- The Disposable Man (1998)
- Occam’s Razor (1999)
- The Marble Mask (2000)
- Tucker Peak (2001)
- The Sniper’s Wife (2002)
- Gatekeeper (2003)
- The Surrogate Thief (2004)
- St. Albans Fire (2005)
- The Second Mouse (2006)
- Chat (2007)
- The Catch (2008)
- The Price of Malice (2009)
- Red Herring (2010)
- Tag Man (2011)
- Paradise City (2012)
- Three Can Keep a Secret (2013)
- Proof Positive (2014)
- The Company She Kept (2015)
- Presumption of Guilt (2016)
- Trace (2017)
- Bury the Lead (2018)
- Bomber’s Moon (2019)
- The Orphan’s Guilt (2020)
- Marked Man (2021)
- Fall Guy (2022)
Fall Guy is the 33rd published Joe Gunther novel. After its publication, Mayor announced that he was taking an open-ended break from the series. No 34th Joe Gunther novel has an officially confirmed title or publication date.
Joe Gunther Short Stories
Archer Mayor has also written two verified Joe Gunther short stories. Snow Blind was published between Tag Man and Paradise City, so I’d read it there. Crosscut was published between Bury the Lead and Bomber’s Moon, but it is a prequel about Sammie Martens becoming a police officer and first meeting Joe Gunther and Willie Kunkle. I prefer to keep it in publication order rather than move it to the beginning.
- Snow Blind (2012) (Short Story)
- Crosscut (2019) (Short Story)
Archer Mayor Nonfiction Books
Outside the Joe Gunther series, Mayor wrote two books on American history. Southern Timberman traces William Buchanan’s timber businesses across the border region of Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas from the early 1880s through 1979. Huron Mountain Club, written with Murray Dodge, covers the private Michigan club’s first century.
- Southern Timberman: The Legacy of William Buchanan (1988)
- Huron Mountain Club: The First Hundred Years (1988) (with Murray Dodge)
Archer Mayor Anthology Contributions
One verified Archer Mayor anthology contribution is the short story “Instinct.”
- “Instinct” (2001) (Short Story) (found in The Mysterious Press Anniversary Anthology: Celebrating 25 Years)
About Archer Mayor
Archer Mayor is best known for the Vermont-based Joe Gunther police procedurals. He was raised in the United States, Canada, and France before making Vermont his home.
Mayor’s work history includes law enforcement, emergency medical services, firefighting, death investigation, newspaper writing and editing, historical research, photography, and medical illustration. That field experience gives the Joe Gunther books their strong attention to investigative procedure, emergency response, and the working relationships between Vermont agencies.
Most of Mayor’s fiction follows Joe Gunther and his recurring colleagues, but his bibliography also includes short fiction, articles, and two books on American history.
Looking for similar books in order?
If you want more mystery authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Mystery Books in Order index.
One thought on “Archer Mayor Books in Order: Complete Joe Gunther Series”
Great guide! I’ve been meaning to start reading Archer Mayor’s series, and this list will be super helpful. I appreciate the detailed order and summaries for each book. Can’t wait to dive in!