Book Review: The Big Boat to Bye-Bye by Ellis Weiner (Pete Ingalls, PI #2)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Pete and an intriguing mystery

Cons: Some humor doesn’t work; a bit too much philosophizing 

The Bottom Line:

Blackmailing puppets

Pete is searching for villains

Different but it works

Blackmail and Murder in the World of Puppets

I have some books that have been in my condo for a long time unread. In the case of The Big Boat to Bye-Bye, it’s been decades. I got the book autographed when it came out in 2005, and I never quite got around to reading it. But I decided now was the time to fix that. 

This book is a little different. And it has none of the set up in it you’d need to fully appreciate the character. It’s the second book featuring Pete Ingalls, a PI of sorts. In reality, he’s a man who had an obsession with classic noir movies. After getting hit on the head, he wakes up as Pete, certain he’s a PI. He even dresses in period costumes and uses the slang. He’s got an office in New York City, and his secretary is an actress wannabe. At this point, I don’t remember how the setup was handled in the first book (Drop Dead, My Lovely) since the story is narrated from Pete’s first-person point of view. Heck, I might even have some details wrong. 

This second mystery finds Pete getting hired by the producers of a children’s TV show. The show uses puppets, and each season they have an outtake real they show during the wrap party of the puppeteers goofing off between takes. Some of the material is very raunchy, in a way that would get the show canceled if the reel got out. And that’s exactly what might happen. Someone is blackmailing the studio, and they want Pete to find out who. But when Pete’s investigation leads him to a dead body, can he find the killer?

Quite obviously, this isn’t one of my cozies. Yes, we get more details on what I mentioned in the teaser. And there’s language as well, although it doesn’t come from Pete, who is often telling people to watch their language. So keep that in mind before picking up the book. 

There’s also the theme, which finds Pete philosophizing on multiple personalities. Sort of. It’s hard to explain. I get it in the context of the set up for the series. But it could have been tone down, especially since it often slowed down the plot. 

But when the plot was front and center, it was good. We had quite a few twists, and I was intrigued, wondering where things would wind up. The ending, when we reached it, made sense, although it was a little convoluted. 

Pete, as you might have guessed, isn’t as bright as he thinks he is. And this is the basis of much of the humor in the book. That along with people’s reactions to Pete. At times the humor worked for me. Others, it didn’t. I think it would have worked better if this had been used sparingly. 

Overall, I did enjoy this book, and I’m glad I finally plucked it from my overflowing too be read mountain range. You’ll have to work to find a copy of The Big Boat to Bye-Bye today, but if the premise intrigues you, you’ll want to give both a shot.