The second in the Joe Gunther mystery series, this one was a signed copy from my local public library. Again I’ll say that I have been pleasantly surprised that these local mystery/thrillers really hold their own in a large and competitive genre. This one concerns a mysterious cultish community in a small town in Northern Vermont, a fire that gets out of hand and a lot of local/flatlander animosity. Joe Gunther is in town on a leave of absence from his Brattleboro job and funds himself in the thick of things in a town that has changed a lot since he used to spend summers there. Our hero is also going through some bad relationship juju and puts himself in a situation where he could potentially make some lousy choices. Good reading, local flavor.