Welcome Back to Hercules: A Review of Cheat by David Benjamin

Title: Cheat

Author: David Benjamin

Publisher: Last Kid Books

ISBN & Price: 9798987614488, $18.64

Buy book here.

Cheat by David Benjamin welcomes readers with open arms, and perhaps a sidearm for good measure, back into the escapades of big-city detective turned small-town cop Jim Otis. In the same vein as other Jim Otis installments, Cheat is a crime novel that fully leans into comedy and chaos, following the detective on a fresh mystery with familiar characters and twists readers may or may not see coming.

The story opens with Otis begrudgingly pulling over his somewhat friend, somewhat menace to Hercules, Tommy Meineke, as he speeds recklessly through town. The interaction highlights Otis’s soft spot for Tommy and his reluctance to get him into trouble, as well as reveals his collective relationship with the people of Hercules, Wisconsin. Otis reflects that he is “still getting used to the sort of relationships that seemed peculiar to small-town folks” (p. 10). It’s apparent that there’s a stark contrast between policing in a small-town, where you know everyone’s name and business, and his previous work in Chicago, where one perpetrator blends into the next. 

Jim and his fiancée, Carol Demeter, go to a diner together and see in the paper that one of Carol’s students, Heather Sundergard, is the first Campanella Scholarship winner from Hercules. Carol is baffled by the news, remarking that she had been convinced the girl wasn’t bright enough to win. In classic Otis fashion, this sparks a hunch, which he describes as “a species of déjà vu, a blurry memory that came into his head, lasting barely seconds… a memory that never happened.” This hunch takes a darker turn when the school board accuses Carol of helping Heather cheat on her test.

Otis jumps into action to clear the name of his soon-to-be bride and get to the bottom of the mysterious test fraud. He and Carol conduct reconnaissance at the local bar, where they hear the story of Heather’s parents. Her mother, Marge, had tried to take away the keys from her husband, Darrell, a local drunk, to prevent him from driving home intoxicated. In retaliation, he beat her, accidentally slamming the door on her hair and dragging her behind the car as he drove off. Miraculously, her hair ripped out of her scalp, saving her life. Darrell served 18 months, and Marge filed for divorce.

The unusual backstory of Heather’s family only strengthens Otis’s suspicion that something fishy is going on. As his investigation intensifies, a series of bizarre events unfolds: McAllister, one of the test masters, accuses Carol of being his lover and convincing him to cheat; Josie Dobbs is rumored to have been involved with a professor whose death was ruled a suicide; a mom group erupts into chaos, swinging handbags and guns at Otis; and a bee hive swarms and attacks Heather. Even though the pieces don’t quite fit together, Otis begins to see a pattern… Josie is once again more deeply entangled than anyone expected, and much of the mayhem in the town seems to circle back to Hercules High. As he notes, “Everything in this fucking village revolves around Hercules High. If the town didn’t have a high school, nothing would happen here” (p. 114).

Throughout all the madness, Otis remains grounded in the details, using them to guide his hunches. In this installment, readers get a clear sense of his protective nature, as he watches his fiancée struggle with the false accusations and the depression they cause—and does everything in his power to get to the bottom of the mystery. This story highlights themes of inherited behavior, as readers watch characters either imitate past patterns or struggle to escape them. There is also a clear parallel drawn between personal and professional responsibility, as Otis walks the fine line between ethics and protecting his loved ones. Benjamin masterfully juggles a whirlwind of seemingly unrelated events, guiding readers to learn how everything falls into place.

While the details can be dizzying and occasionally hard to keep up with, it feels intentional on Benjamin’s part, as he crafts a wild ride for the reader from start to finish.  In Cheat, Hercules nearly becomes a character in itself, with its over-the-top stories, wild exaggerations, and strange townspeople. This story will leave readers laughing, scratching their heads, and wondering what kind of town Hercules really is.

Review by Britain Powers.