‘Caddywampus’ in Quail Creek

Caddywampus is more than a thriller. It’s a gripping, high-stakes human drama from storytellers Erik and Judy Martin, residents of Quail Creek. Available in hardcover, softcover, and eBook editions. The authors’ website is caddywampusmystery.com.

When Lieutenant Baron Dunning is sent to Nigeria to investigate the plundering of natural resources for use in biological warfare, he can’t guess that the money trail will lead him to Wisconsin’s lavish Woebegone Dunes Resort … and an abandoned research site known as Gravestone Castle. Competition for ownership of the resort and the castle has resulted in a series of freakish deaths, and Dunning’s sleuthing brings him into contact with a plethora of odd characters:

Bo-Bo Bigelow is the world’s largest exporter of misappropriated oil and rare earth minerals. He wants to convert the Hermitage at Gravestone Castle into a playboy mansion.

Jack Daniels sees Gravestone Castle as the ideal headquarters for the Royal Enouement Society, a secret club for objectivists.

Father Feely is a talented but corrupt priest who’s indebted to Bo-Bo Bigelow.

Professor Adam Baum is a brilliant biological researcher with the personality of a serial killer.

Deputy Sheriff Bud Light, a brandy-swigging Green Bay Packers fan, finds himself in over his head when confronted with the ghastly murders.

Crystal Glass, the enchanting reporter who sweeps Dunning off his feet.

Can Lieutenant Dunning find the answers he seeks—to the case or life’s deep philosophical questions—amidst the chaos?

“Caddywampus is a wildly entertaining and thought-provoking story of mystery and mayhem that is highly captivating. The cast of characters is deep and rich, sexy, and amusing. The story premise and characters, setting, and sequence of events are expository, descriptive, and persuasive. The plot has many twists and turns making it difficult to put the book down. Caddywampus is a well-written murder mystery with an enjoyable writing style and intriguing points of view that will undoubtedly endure.” —Avid Reader, London, UK

“Caddywampus is a mystery spell-binder and cauldron of instability that will keep you awake. It takes an insidious imagination to spin out a mind-blowing adventure with a hair-raising beginning and a heart-stopping end. Victims die in truly awful, messy, accidental ways as they hurtle into oblivion and the gut-wrenching science behind them. Protagonist Lieutenant Baron Dunning faces fiendish situations involving murder, mayhem, religion, and international money laundering. Unique individuals compete for ownership of Woebegone Dunes Resort and a religious hermitage at Gravestone Castle in Northeast Wisconsin. The cast of characters is dynamic, intelligent, sexy, and thoroughly entertaining.” —James Johnson, Bibliophile Book Worm

“This is an extraordinarily riveting story that captivates and holds your attention. It is a creatively written detective mystery novel, and the suspense never lets up. I breathlessly turned the pages as the discovery process unfolded. Lieutenant Baron Dunning is bold and intelligent, but everything about the investigation is caddywampus—in disarray like a lopsided bicycle wheel. Deputy Sheriff Bud Light speaks as if he is chewing a wad of sticky toffee with loose dentures. Lady Vanessa is a seductive woman that would cause a bishop to spill his red wine and kick a hole in a stained-glass window. Antagonist Bo-Bo Bigelow is the world’s largest exporter of stolen oil and rare earth minerals. Father Feely is a corrupt priest. Exposure of the Royal Enouement Society will greatly inspire patent holders and budding entrepreneurs.” —Fraser Johnson, President of Psalm Entertainment