The Murder of Fatty Fuller

I really enjoyed this book. I believe it is one of the better mysteries I have read lately. I was able to figure out the "who done it" but it was a lot of fun watching all the pieces come together. I will be reading some of the authors other books!

This book is a really good read.
Despite its serious topic it made me feel nostalgic and warm.... it has a similar vibe as old classics such as To kill a mocking bird and The colour purple - it really is that good.
Comes highly recommended, an easy rating of 4.5 stars ⭐️

Despite some lengthy and repetitive sections, this is very well written, and serious material about power in a small town and an evil cop who taints all around him, including his family. Not for the faint v hearted but when TH, who hated his father, left home years ago he never came back but does now cwhen sister commits suicide. The second stream in the story is that a new order of honest cops are coming on board and an old murder needs solving.. the wrong guy was convicted and now c he's c dying. It's not cheerful but there are good moments and the ethical dilemmas will make you think. Excellent

Milton, Illinois. About fifteen years ago. The case was over almost as soon as it began. A local man was convicted of the murder of a teenage boy with Down syndrome named Freddie "Fatty" Fuller and sent to prison. Open and shut. Case closed. Justice served.

"If you ask people what the biggest crime to ever occur in Milton was they will tell you it was the murder of Fatty Fuller."

But that's not true. At least not in the way that people think. Because it was all a lie. Besides the cover-up of Fatty Fuller's murder there were bigger crimes going on. Dark, unspeakable crimes. And now it's all beginning to come out.

This starts out with a pretty standard premise; after a tragedy in the family the black sheep son returns home after years of estrangement. He confronts his stern overbearing father, the former Chief of Police, who is now crippled by a stroke.

The longer the son remains the more questions he has and the deeper he digs into the past. This is when the plot starts to come alive. The son slowly unravels a hidden conspiracy and learns things that he may not really want to know.

The Murder of Fatty Fuller has some strong language and dark themes. Nothing too graphic or explicit but it could offend more sensitive readers.

I would recommend this to readers who enjoy crime stories that skew closer to noir. It's good.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

***Thanks to NetGalley, Black Rose Writing, and author John Sturgeon for providing me with a free digital copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I do not know what made me pick this book up originally, but it was a satisfying read. I use the word satisfying loosely, given the content and the revelations in the book. The turns the story takes are not for the faint of heart, and I advise caution in venturing into the town of Milton if you are uncomfortable with reprehensible behaviour.
I usually lean towards happier books, but in this case, I am glad I stuck with the story because it was well done. The story starts straightforwardly enough with the background of the town of Milton and the men in charge. The evils of power are the running theme throughout the book.
At the centre of it all, we have the Brown family, the four kids brought up by Milton's most powerful man. The 'boys' left their hometown as soon as they could while the sisters stayed back. Everything starts when the most 'normal' of the four does something unexpected. The brothers come back to town, and once there, start to question things they took for granted. In the beginning, it is just people talking, but cracks begin to show in the facade, and each probe reveals something entirely unsettling for the people with a conscience.
After a point, any regular reader of this genre can figure out certain parts of the ending (maybe the whole). Despite this, and because it is a quick read, it still makes for a little troublesome but overall good book.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.