I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Two brothers are hired to find a cache of deadly radioactive Agent Orange before it can be used in a drone attack on Los Angeles in author Patrick Canning’s “For Your Benefit”.

The Synopsis

Teddy Lint is the kindest private investigator on the planet, committed to seeing the best in everyone he meets. The detective agency he runs out of a Los Angeles strip mall with his brother Ralph has seen a strange case or two before, but never anything like this.

A man claiming to work for the CIA hires the Lints to find a shipping container of radioactive Agent Orange that vanished over fifty years ago. He insists someone is planning on using an army of drones to drench L.A. with the deadly chemicals before the week is out.

The Lint Brothers enter a maze of bizarre suspects, from nefarious ad executives, to anarchistic Boy Scouts, to a toga-clad militia fighting for exclusive rule by women. The propaganda-obsessed society that seems to be running the world is probably worth looking into as well.

The power of empathy collides with the dangers of disinformation as Teddy fights to save the people he loves. Our beloved detective doesn’t give up easily, but any Angelenos with an aversion to death by herbicide might want to dust off that umbrella, just in case . . .

The Review

What an exhilarating and fun read! The blend of mystery, intrigue, suspense, and humor melds together effortlessly from the first page. Immediately, readers are struck by the shocking appearance of a beloved celebrity who appears in the offices of the two brothers at the behest of this mystery CIA agent. The journey only gets stranger and more compelling, with each twist and turn in the story drawing the reader in more and more.

The imagery the author uses in this book really helps give the novel a pulp, almost noir-style cinematic feel, as if blending old black-and-white films with more grungy, 70s-era vibes. The story taps into the international mystery elements perfectly while also giving some hilarious and witty exchanges between the brothers and the cast of characters to offer a necessary and over-the-top plot to get lost in.

The Verdict

With the atmosphere of a Dick Tracey meets Quentin Tarantino film and a cast of characters to rival Dean Koontz’s Odd Thomas series, the novel “For Your Benefit” by Patrick Canning is a must-read mystery and suspense novel. The attention to detail, the humor, and the heart that went into the book and the development of these characters made this a remarkable story that readers will come back to time and time again. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

About the Author

PATRICK CANNING is the author of For Your Benefit (2024), Cryptonalia (2021), Hawthorn Woods (2020), The Colonel and the Bee (2018), and Cryptofauna (2018).

His work often blends genres, combining elements of humor, adventure, fantasy, and mystery into stories with imaginative settings, quirky characters, and typos.

Patrick lives in Chicago with his Australian Shepherd, Hank. When he isn’t writing, he enjoys walks on the lakefront, being excited/worrying about AI, and eating his bodyweight in potatoes.

www.patrickcanningbooks.com