Book Review: Bought the Farm by Sean Patrick Little (2023)
Synopsis: Chicago private investigators Aberford "Abe" Allard and C. S. "Duff" Duffy are asked by retired Waukesha, WI sheriff Buddy Olson to look into the deaths of Olson's long-time friends Art and Michelle Laskey. The deaths have been ruled a murder-suicide by the local authorities with Michelle as the person pulling the trigger. However, it doesn't take the ultra-observant Duff to determine the police are likely wrong, a determination that ultimately puts the two detectives in a dangerous situation that may require them to use their guns for the first time.
Review: I checked Bought the Farm out from my local library last week and finally finished reading it last night. I chose the book because I've enjoyed other Abe & Duff mysteries in the past but, while that was still true about this book, it did leave me with some mixed feelings.
The primary attraction to these books, for me at least, are Abe & Duff themselves and this book didn't disappoint in that regard. The continue to be intriguing characters, especially Abe who, in addition to his detective work, still has quite a bit going on in his family life as well, including the shock of accidentally meeting a woman who is dating and planning to sleep with his ex-wife. Duff meanwhile remains a character that is both brilliant and sociably unapproachable (though still clearly showing a soft spot for Abe that results in him taking some extra risks with his life).
This was arguably one of the more dangerous cases the detectives have been involved with and there were times when it seemed like one or both might get killed. I also found I liked the twist involving Duff's gun that was admittedly kind of clever, especially since he complained about carrying it.
Another thing I liked was the fact the mystery is both set in Wisconsin and in part of Wisconsin I'm reasonably familiar with. This helped make some of the story elements more relatable.
Unfortunately, when it came to the mystery itself, I thought it was a bit lacking, especially when compared to other cases the pair have investigated. There aren't any big surprises. Once Duff determines the authorities were wrong, it wasn't overly difficult for them to piece the rest of the case together and figure out the Laskey's were killed by the drug dealers they were working for. There wasn't even any real doubt about who was helping them.
This, in turn, triggered a big pet peeve of mine when it comes to mysteries - the case only happened because of ineptness on the part of the authorities who investigated it in the first place. While I could understand some logic in a rush to judgment because of a cleverly staged crime scene, missing the expensive items the couple owned, the sketchy bank statements and wounds that were clearly made by two different weapons are things that only make sense if the investigators are purposely trying to cover something up and that proved not to be the case.
In fact, I think the thing this mystery missed most was a surprise betrayal. I would have loved to have seen one (or even both) of the two main helpers, Olson or Sheriff's Deputy Shelby Ree turn out to be the person who pulled the trigger. It would have added a little extra something that would have made the book more memorable.
Final Opinion: I thought it was well-written, especially the main characters. However, while the investigation was interesting because of the danger the detectives were ultimately facing, the mystery itself could have used a bit more mystery and I didn't enjoy this book as much as the ones preceding it as a result.
My Grade: B
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Book Review: Where Art Thou by Sean Patrick Little (2022)
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