DUCK DUCK GATOR

A Brooklyn editor finds himself immersed in the lives of reality TV stars in this comic thriller.

Tony Battaglia makes his living editing reality TV shows. But his best friend and co-worker, Murph, scores him a gig in Louisiana. This time, it’s in front of the cameras for Gator Guys, a series whose star, “Lonnie Junior” Lalonde, was recently in a fatal accident. The editor has just undergone a much-needed heart transplant and, Murph informs him, Lonnie Junior’s heart is now in Tony. In Louisiana, Tony introduces himself as the show’s new leading guy to Lonnie Junior’s family; his girlfriend, Chelsea Granger; and his friend and co-star Mitch “Fudgeround” Arcenaux. And though Tony’s new heart is meant to stay secret until later, he feels obligated to tell each one about it. But there’s even more shocking news: Upon reviewing footage from the morning of Lonnie Junior’s death, Tony sees an unknown figure and consequently suspects murder. Early evidence suggests the killer is Travis Richardson, who stars in a rival show, Mallard Men, with his devoutly religious family. He certainly has a motive, as his girlfriend, Brit Borders, had once been Lonnie Junior’s lover. But Tony and Fudgeround seem convinced that the murderer is someone else and keep close eyes on the Richardsons as well as Brit. Meanwhile, the killer is trying to avoid detection, which may entail pinning the homicide on another person—and committing an additional murder or two in the process.

Wheaton’s tale frequently relies on humor. Tony, for example, gets a lesson from Lonnie Senior on boating in the swamp, as he knows nothing about hunting gators. Tony’s paranoia, which leads him to believe Lonnie Senior has plans to kill him and dump his body in the swamp, is quite funny, especially once the protagonist is on the verge of hyperventilating. There are nevertheless sincere moments that create likable characters. Tony is respectful with Lonnie Junior’s friends and family since he’s worried how they’ll react to hearing about the transplant. He also bonds with Lonnie Senior, Chelsea, and Fudgeround in various ways. Even Lonnie Senior’s dog, Cocoa, warms up to Tony. Other characters are despicable, though this does make it harder to pinpoint the culprit. While the killer’s identity is more or less revealed well before the end, it’s still a treat to watch Tony and Fudgeround investigate, as they’re tenacious despite their apparent lack of experience as sleuths. Comedy again plays a part, namely an argument between the two and Chelsea, who sees no reason to dismiss the evidence against Travis, that’s vigorous and entertaining. The author writes in a no-nonsense style which is typically droll, such as the revelation that someone smells “like gym socks and body odor.” But these blunt descriptions also ignite the senses: “It wasn’t the suffocating heat and humidity Tony’d experienced when he first arrived in Louisiana, but a different breed of damp. Louisiana needed a taxonomy of wet like Eskimos had for snow.”

An often witty whodunit with heartfelt characters.