Listen free for 30 days

  • The Dark Root

  • The Joe Gunther Mysteries, Book 6
  • Written by: Archer Mayor
  • Narrated by: Tom Taylorson
  • Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (29 ratings)

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Dark Root cover art

The Dark Root

Written by: Archer Mayor
Narrated by: Tom Taylorson
Try for $0.00

$14.95 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $30.67

Buy Now for $30.67

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

A brutal home invasion shocks Brattleboro's small Asian community, but no one is talking. Undeterred, Joe Gunther digs deeper and discovers a cross-border smuggling route carrying drugs, contraband, and illegal aliens into and out of Canada. Operating below the radar for years, competition between underworld rivals is bringing it into the light with deadly consequences.

International jurisdiction is a complicated matter, and in the pursuit of justice, Gunther will have to collaborate with the FBI, the Border Patrol, and the Mounties.

©2013 Archer Mayor (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

What listeners say about The Dark Root

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    20
  • 4 Stars
    7
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    22
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    16
  • 4 Stars
    7
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

This one made me smile quite a lot

I quite enjoyed this one, but as a Montrealer, I might’ve been biased. I laughed at a lot of the mentions of Montreal and some of the pronounciations.
The story was different enough from the earlier books to make me want to keep going…that and the narrator’s voice

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Good

Nice try on pronouncing the French street but good story overall. Enjoyed the performance… missed hearing Gail

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Cliché-Laden But 'More Than Decent'

Archer Mayor tries his hand at writing crimes in the Asian community - and disappointingly adheres to some stereotypical conventions (secretive/reluctant victims; tattooed 'Tong' & 'Triad' tropes; gang-rape to shut up witnesses; etc) - but he's pretty good at it. The plot progresses nicely through a twisty-turny case that proposes multiple plausible motivations and takes on international flavors.
Less fortunately, Joe Gunther's personal involvement proceeds from conducting a routine stop for speeding.. through investigating a home invasion.. to machine-gunnings, bombings, and multiple gruesome murders (what - exactly - is Gunther's role in the Battleboro PD? I mean, is he a traffic cop? A homicide detective? Vice? All of the above? If the town is so small that individual police officers are responsible for *everything*, this sweeping Big-City case is hilariously implausible for Gunther's fictional home base). At times, it's awfully hard to suspend disbelief and just enjoy the crime-tale.

Thankfully, reader Tom Taylorson makes the immersion easier with a spot-on performance. His French-Canadian pronunciations are occasionally chuckleworthy, but he avoids the temptation to try Asian accents (an incredibly judicious decision) - and his diction, timbre, cadence, and tone are characteristically unsurpassed (Mr Taylorson was a brilliant choice to read the 'Gunther' series of novels on Blackstone Audio's part).

Altogether, 'The Dark Root' is a creditable addition to Mayor's Mystery-Thriller catalog. Provided you can adjust to the timeframe (this story takes place 30 years ago.. but only occasionally feels dated), the book merits a solid 7.5 stars out of 10.
If you can likewise - as I did - get it as part of the 'Plus' initiative.. you should absolutely do so. If they ask for a Credit, however, other books in the series are far better.

[Incidentally: Lieutenant Gunther is essentially guaranteed to get shot at/stabbed/run off the road in each investigation - often twice - and this one is no different.. someone should invent a drinking game]

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!