A seedy thriller steeped in atmosphere and authenticity.
Part-time PI Eddie O’Connell has long existed in the shadowy alleys of Chicago’s racetracks, betting parlors, and backroom deals. He’s gotten into a rhythm managing a growing family bar, but these days, he isn’t the center of attention. Most people would say Eddie was punching up when he started dating Nicole Nicoletti, daughter of renowned horse trainer Sal Nicoletti and successful in her own right. It’s no secret she got her fiery streak from her father, so when Sal is accused of doping his horses, Nicole storms in to confront her father. Rather than a confession, apology, explanation, or excuse, Nicole walks in on the death of a skilled trainer, a crime that becomes known as The Backstretch Murder. The victim is a close friend, and the suspect list includes some dangerous names, but fortunately, this is what Eddie is good at. With the help of resourceful Uncle Mike, Eddie embarks on the treacherous errand of finding the killer. Nicole’s relationship with her father is at a boiling point, the O’Connell’s are on shaky ground with criminals they’ve crossed in the past, and horse racing may change forever if the murderer isn’t caught.
Some men are afraid of the dark, but Eddie and Uncle Mike prove that they do their best work in dark gray areas in Wager Late. This dramatic fourth installment in the series begins with a heartbreaking crime that sets the emotional stakes sky-high. The plot slithers through the dark ins and outs of legal and not-so-legal horse betting, but the troubles even extend beyond a murder. Caught between simmering family pressures and volatile rivalries within the sport, Eddie and Mike find themselves navigating a familiar web of rampant distrust, owed favors, and old vendettas. Poisoned street drugs, greedy stable short cuts, undervalued migrant workers, an invaluable lab book, and characteristically outlandish horse names are just a few of the keen details that give readers an insider’s perspective on the darkest parts of Chicago’s longstanding horseracing culture. Fans of the series will appreciate callbacks to characters introduced earlier in the series, such as tough-as-nails Burrascano, enigmatic Arlene, and DiNatale, with whom they strike an uneasy deal with the Devil, though there seem to be plenty of devils in Eddie’s world. As for characterization, Tom Farrell does not write run-of-the-mill characters. No, each persona stands out for its debauchery, influence, determination, or unscrupulousness, making for a cast that is memorable and easy to visualize. A seedy thriller steeped in atmosphere and authenticity, Wager Late is an engrossing novel that blends gritty crime fiction and racing culture into a seamless, page-turning whole.
