Book Review: The Single Twin by Sean Patrick Little (2019)
Synopsis: Long-time friends Aberforth Willard Allard and C.S. Duffy, or as they preferred to be called, Abe and Duff, are a pair of average-looking, socially awkward geniuses who run a barely surviving private investigation service and often solve cases (without credit) for the Chicago Police Department in a matter of minutes. They are offered $50,000 with the promise of another $50,000 by former CIA operative Mindy Jefferson, who has been searching for a long-lost twin brother, now feels her life is in danger as a result and wants the pair to continue her investigation if she were to go missing or in hiding. Abe and Duffy accept the case and soon find themselves embroiled in a 35-year-long coverup involving a United States Senator that could get them both killed.
Review: I came across another book by Sean Patrick Little a few weeks ago that looked interesting but since it was part of the larger Abe & Duff Mystery series, I decided I should first read the first book in the series, The Single Twin, to get acquainted with the main characters and an overall feel of what to expect. I checked it out from the local library and finished reading it this morning. So far, so good.
Full disclosure, I had some doubts when I started reading this. I'm much more of a locked room murder mystery fan and tend to get a bit bored if it's not a book that saves the who, why and how until the very end. Plus, I've found the first book in any mystery series tends to be one of the worst because the author needs to devote quite a bit of time introducing the main characters and providing enough exposition to make a case about why their detective (or, in this case, detectives) is unique from the millions of other fictional literary detectives.
This is why I was genuinely surprised when I enjoyed this book as much as I did.
Abe and Duff are intriguing characters. They clearly have genius minds and keen observation skills but there's also quite a bit about them that is off-putting. They talk a lot, and not always about appropriate topics. Duff's mental health issues make him unfocused to the point his deductions seem like something you'd expect from a conspiracy nut, especially when he has no evidence. There are also plenty of times when they just seem like they are in over their heads. All of this makes the reader wonder what they will say or do next.
I also spend a great deal of time just trying to figure out the dynamic between the two as I read. At first, it seemed a bit like a Sherlock Holmes/Dr. Watson situation, with Duff being Holmes and Abe being either his sidekick or his handler. However, as the book progressed, I could see Abe's ability to further the case with his own expertise as well.
As far as the main plot goes, as I mentioned before, it wasn't quite the style of mystery I normally enjoy but I'll still give it a passing grade. There wasn't anything about it I would describe as having a lot of surprise twists and I've read enough murder mysteries to know if a book takes the time to point out a homeless woman and makes multiple references to a government official, both are probably going to be important to the plot at some point.
That said, it was a solid enough story for a book that ultimately was trying to sell its two main characters and convince the reader they should read the other books that follow. I do feel the book succeeded in that.
Final Opinion: Abe and Duff do take a little getting used to, but the pair make the book worth reading. While it may or may not be the next one on my reading list, I did enjoy this enough to give the next book a try as well.
My Grade: A
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Here are some reviews of other murder mysteries:
Book Review: Death of a Nag by M. C. Beaton (1995)
Book Review: The Yellow Room Conspiracy by Peter Dickinson (1995)
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