Copyright 2021 by David Benjamin. Published by Last Kid Books, Madison WI.
This is the second in Benjamin’s series of Jim Otis detective stories. In this one Otis gets drawn into a series of hate crimes in tiny Hercules WI which start as vandalism but escalate into bank robbery and attempted murder. He is no longer police chief, having lost his reelection campaign to Lenny Snell, scoutmaster. But Snell quickly proves that he has no clue how to handle this escalating crime wave, so the sheriff enlists Otis’ assistance as “consultant.”
This book has a huge cast of characters, many reappearing from the first book in the series, Jailbait. It is a broad mix of local townfolk, local, state and federal law enforcement and family and friends of Otis’. Otis’ daughter, Natalie, figures prominently in the plot as it evolves. Clues are uncovered which point the finger at Norman Klinghofer, local recluse. But Otis finds that hard to believe as Norman has never offended anyone prior to these crimes. Because of Snell’s incompetence, it is left to Otis to figure out who the real culprit is, before the feds storm Norman’s fortress home.
The plot is solid, though not terribly complex. But I found the characters to be very interesting. They are fully formed and I could picture each in my mind. A few surprises added to the fun.
7 out of 10.