Chat by Archer Mayor

I got Chat a few months ago, probably the last time I made a run to Borders. I've been wanting to read it, but have been trying to get to books that have been sitting on the shelves for far longer than Chat. I ended up grabbing it after a few other books weren't able to grab my attention, but in the end I didn't fall in love with Chat. I give it a C.

Back cover:
News travels fast in the small state of Vermont, so a mysterios homicide in the rustic town of Brattleboro quickly draws the attention of both the local police and the Vermont Bureau of Investigation. But before Special Agent Joe Gunther can look into the matter, he receives shocking news: his mother and his brother have been seriously injured in a suspicious car accident. Concerned that somebody may be trying to kill his family, Gunther has trouble focusing on the murder case- until a second unidentified body surfaces. His investigation of the deaths soon leads him into the modern, urbane world of online chat rooms where older men prey upon young girls. Now finding himself on dangerously unfamiliar ground, Gunther must use all his cunning to stop a serial killer... and save the people closest to his heart...

Eh... this book just didn't resonate with me. First of all, this book is part of a series and one that I have never read any of the previous books in. I don't think it made a huge impact on the story line, but I feel like I missed out on a lot of the character development, so that put me at somewhat of a disadvantage. Secondly, I thought Joe did little to no investigating. He had his squad investigating the murders and some other investigators looking into the accident of his family. I am not sure what Joe does in this book, other than describing Vermont and all of its small cities and towns. Vermont is just as a big of a character in this story as Joe is, though Mr. Mayor does a wonderful job of allowing the reader to picture the landscapes and surrounding areas. I also thought that there were very few clues that allowed the reader to discover who the bad guy was and there were so many people investigating the case that it was hard to keep track of. I think Mr. Mayor had a fantastic idea and the book probably could have been better if he had focused on case over the other.

Up next is a library book by a Norwegian author whom I've heard a lot about. I am half Norwegian and have visited Norway when I was younger, so I am looking forward to reading a book set there. I have been meaning to broaden my reading locations, so I figured this would be a perfect fit. I hope everyone had a great weekend and Happy Reading!