Right off the bat I knew I was going to at least like this
tale – after all who doesn’t like clones? Written by one of my favorite indie authors,
Jim Bernheimer, Prime Suspects – a Clone Detective Mystery exceeded even my very high expectations.
The story opens when homicide detective David Bagini awakens
on a strange world in a hospital. Gradually he realizes he is a clone. Having no memories of why his Prime (Dave #1)
entered into a clone contract, he wants answers. Told in the first person, we follow Dave as
he has a very rude awakening when he realizes that despite his memories, he is
a clone. To make matters worse, he finds he is the 42nd clone in Bagini
line. Then, he meets Daves 16 and 29, and things get both interesting and
hilarious.
It turns out is his Prime has been murdered and Bagini
Forty-Two is now in charge of the investigation. Despite having a head full of the
memories of cases and police procedures, this is actually Dave42’s first real
case.
Dave 42 soon learns the only reason he was created is because
all the clues point at one of his 41 fellow clones having done the murder, and
they needed one viable clone that they knew without a shadow of a doubt couldn’t
possibly have done the murder.
This is bad, because all 41 Daves already know all his
tricks and know exactly how he thinks, better than he does. Dave 42 will have
to think up something they would not expect.
This is a gritty, grown-up tale about gritty grown-up people.
It is a uniquely told tale of murder, mayhem, and misbehaving which had me
hooked from page one. Of course, battling clones of himself provides ample
opportunity for circular reasoning and much of the introspection Bernheimer’s
heroes are famous for. I loved the dark,
at times sleazy characters and situations which populate this tale.
All in all, I give this book a full 5 stars for providing me
with one of the best reads of this fall!
I liked it so well, I bought book one of his Dead Eye series. I can't wait to get started!
