Duck Duck Gator
by Ken Wheaton
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
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Pub Date 20 Oct 2020 | Archive Date 15 Mar 2021
Description
Reality is stranger than reality TV.
When Tony Battaglia wakes up after his successful heart transplant, he's expecting a new lease on life. Even after a decade of stitching together the most ridiculous footage on the most outrageous reality shows, the reality-TV editor could never have expected that his new heart was formerly owned by "Gator Guys" star Lonnie Lalonde Junior. The development puts Tony on the wrong side of the camera, involved in the plot of the show-and with a murder mystery.
The official story was that Lonnie Junior slipped and fell. But after heading south and arriving in Blackwater, Cajun Country, Tony discovers that things aren't as simple as they seem-especially after he finds a bit of cast-off footage showing someone else at the scene of the accident.
Convinced that Lonnie Junior has been murdered, area weirdo, AirBnB host and "Gator Guys" cast member Fudgeround Arcenaux convinces Tony to help him investigate the case.
As Tony gets more and more involved with Lonnie's family and Lonnie's ex-girlfriend (and former child star) Chelsea Granger, all signs start to point to infamous rage-aholic Travis Richardson, who just happens to be a cast member of the nation's most popular Louisiana-set reality show, "Mallard Men."
After Travis is named the prime suspect, he disappears into the swamp, looking guiltier by the minute. And the town of Blackwater becomes home to a media feeding frenzy and a possible family feud between the Richardsons of "Mallard Men" and the cast of "Gator Guys."
Behind the scenes, a powerful Southern politician, Senator Ronald Birch, and scheming reality-show producer Barry Steves are pulling the strings. And reality wanna-be Brit Borders just might be involved somehow.
But Fudgeround becomes convinced he and Tony just might be looking in the wrong direction-especially after a mob heads out into the swamp to hunt down Travis Richardson and Brit ends up dead.
Knowing only that there are bigger forces at play, they set out to find the real culprit before shooting the next season-and the next victim-starts.
Also available in print. Print ISBN (trade paperback) for this title will be 978-1-7355118-0-1
Advance Praise
A “witty whodunit with heartfelt characters.” — Kirkus Reviews
"With Duck Duck Gator, Ken Wheaton conjures Elmore Leonard, yet delivers his own brand of magnificently entertaining character-driven colorful criminal pulp. A bayou whodunit for the reality-TV age, simultaneously knotty-plotted and easy-going, seedy but fun, rambunctious but precise. Check it out, then check it out again." — A.R. Moxon, author of The Revisionaries
“You can count on Ken Wheaton to give you endearing and eccentric characters and a vivid setting as well as a plot that'll keep you turning pages. Duck Duck Gator is every bit as addictive as the reality shows it revolves around. If this is what a Cajun cozy looks like, then sign me up for more!” — Sally Kilpatrick, author of The Happy Hour Choir and Oh My Stars
Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9781735511818 |
| PRICE | US$7.99 (USD) |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Suzanne K, Reviewer
Join a delightful murder-mystery set in the backdrop of several reality tv shows. "Reality" is of course a big stretch, so it was delightful meeting a full cast of flawed human beings. With the story told from different perspectives and short chapters, you will want to keep on reading and finished the book quite quickly.
Reminiscent of Carl Hiaasen's work, you get to really delve into the different sides of the people. The on-camera, the off etc. Would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun quick and a little gory read set in Louisiana. I hope one day when the world opens back up, I get to see the area myself and indulge in loads of fried food.
Ron B, Reviewer
An fun tongue in the creek book. The characters are interesting and the story line is intriguing. If you are looking for a sit down relaxing read, this is the book.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Reviewer 515924
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book It was a fun and light hearted read that will pass away a,few hours
Kim R, Reviewer
A little slow and maybe a slog for those who do not watch or have never watched reality tv. Kudos for an original plot and characters. For me the Louisiana folks were a bit over the top. Think this would have worked better if some more of the story was fleshed out but overall a fun read.
The book included a preview of another novel featuring Fudgeround and Tony so I will likely read that.
3.5 stars, solid Coronavirus distraction read.
Rachel C, Reviewer
Duck Duck Gator was a decent book to read during the craziness that was the 2020 election this week. While it seemed very predictable, I laughed a lot and enjoyed the honest characters featured throughout the story.
Librarian 431790
It made me laugh and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Quirky and likable characters, a lot of humor and a good mystery.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Stephanie M, Reviewer
Thank you Netgalley and publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I found this book to be more of a comedic thriller than anything else, but that being said, I loved it. The characters were well developed and were full of great one-liners, and helped moved the story along in a tremendous way. The plot was engaging and full of mystery, which helped me read through this in about a weekend. It was a great change from the heavy psychological thrillers that are so popular right now. The humor was well placed and not at all forced, which made this even more readable. I would 100% watch a movie remake of this book as long as it was held exactly as the book is written. I felt myself disliking and loving the right characters, and every sentence felt like it had a purpose and fulfilled it well. I would recommend this book to lovers of mystery and thrillers who want to stay true to the genre but also take a break from the same five tropes and heavy writing. I will be purchasing a physical copy for my personal library soon.
Paul L, Reviewer
Having read this book one rather got the feeling that the whole of the population of Louisiana is involved in one or other reality TV show. Maybe it is? For quite a lot of the book, the reader alone knows of the murder that has been committed. Personally I was rather surprised that no one had investigated sufficiently to have discovered it earlier. Having waited a long time to have the characters become aware of the murder, the reader is informed relatively early of the identity of the perpetrator. I'm not sure that the perpetrator's motive is every fully explained. Overall I did enjoy it and read it through to the end, but I did find it a bit slow at times.
Jessica M, Reviewer
The reality show aspect for me hook like and sinker. I loved the ode to the crazy gator hunting and just southern reality tv in general. The mystery was good but I had it figured out pretty early on. Had the ending taken me more by surprise it would’ve been a 4 or 5 star for sure. Will read more from this author in the future.
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