A Case Twins Adventure
The Cash Cache Mystery is pulp fiction for teen readers that will also appeal to readers of the newest generations, reluctant readers, as well as older readers who remember the classic pulp titles from their past.
When 17-year-old identical twins Dan and Paul Case pick up a hitchhiker, they think they’re just helping somebody who is down on his luck. Little do they know that their decision will launch them into a wild, life-threatening adventure.
The hitchhiker is Eddie Ridgway, the former bookkeeper of a notorious gangster and bootlegger, recently released from prison after serving time for embezzlement and tax evasion. An insurance investigator is hot on his heels, believing Ridgway is going to collect the missing embezzled funds. The Case brothers deduce that Ridgway has hidden the money in the forest around Wolf Lodge, now located in a state park. Determined to claim the reward for the loot’s return, they set out to find it.
But they’re not the only ones searching for lost stash—two of Ridgway’s former criminal associates, Wilbur and Gimpy Dalton, have also caught wind of his plan and believe Dan and Paul are working with him! The twins must use all their cunning and courage to escape from the Daltons’ dangerous grip to continue their search for the missing loot—and uncover secrets about their family in the process.
Join the Case brothers as they navigate danger and deception in an exciting escapade that revives classic pulp fiction thrills for teen and retro readers.
Some Reviews…
Get ready for your dose of sleuth mystery adventure with Dorian Rockwood’s The Cash Cache Mystery! It’s 1947, and seventeen-year-old twin brothers Dan and Paul Case inadvertently embroil themselves in a fascinating mystery when they offer a lift to a hitchhiker named Eddie Ridgway, the former bookkeeper of a Chicago-based bootlegger and mobster, recently released from prison for embezzlement. The brothers learn from private investigator Roy Archer that Ridgway must be after the stolen money he had hidden, the finder of which will receive a handsome reward. Soon, the twins set off to track Ridgway’s trail, leading them to the Wolf Lodge. Dan and Paul find their own lives in danger because they are not the only ones stalking Ridgway as the nefarious brothers Wilbur and Gimpy Dalton cross their paths. How will the twins fare against hardened criminals?
The Cash Cache Mystery is a novel tailor-made for young adult readers who love books like The Hardy Boys. There isn’t a single moment in the entire book where you don’t feel entertained as author Dorian Rockwood provides readers with a captivating sleuth mystery featuring two likable young adult protagonists who are bound to win over your hearts. Rockwood sets the tone from the first page, and it’s a fast-paced ride full of twists and turns from there on out. I really enjoyed the dynamic between the brothers. Their contrasting personalities created some good-natured brotherly banter you can’t help but love. Rockwood also brings a sense of tension and intrigue to the action sequences that will have you on the edge of your seat. All in all, this is a brilliant novel for young adult readers!
– P. Deka for Readers’ Favorite
A fun read very much in the style of the Hardy Boys and other such pulp series. Twin 17-year-old brothers pickup a hitchhiker who seems down on his luck. Only later do they discover Eddie Ridgway has recently been released from prison for doing time for embezzlement. He was also the bookkeeper for a notorious bootlegger. They find this out from an insurance investigator who believes he has gone to collect the missing funds. Determined to claim the reward for the loot’s return, the twins find themselves in a life-threatening adventure to locate Eddie Ridgway while staying out of the clutches of Ridgway’s ex-associates, who think the Cash brothers are in league with Eddie, and are willing to use any means necessary to find that money. In comparison to the Hardy Boys this has a slightly slower pace (they aren’t in a life threatening situation at the end of every chapter). It still moves along at a good pace and I think it allows for the reader to get to know the twins’ characters. And don’t worry, there is plenty of action and danger. The twins aren’t perfect detectives. They make mistakes, misinterpret clues and underestimate criminals. I like them all the more for it. And there is a little more complexity to the criminal Ridgway than you normally find in these types of series. Yes, I’ve made a lot of comparisons to the Hardy Boys and other “pulp series”–as the official blurb calls it–for a reason. This is a type of homage to the Stratemeyer Syndicate, all their series and others like them. In fact, the surname of this penname “”Rockwood”” was one used by Edward Stratemeyer himself. So, if you like Ken Holt, Rick Brant and that other series I’ve already mentioned to many times in this review, give it a try. I think you will like it. I sure did. I hope there are more to come.
– J. Silver, NetGalley
The Cash Cache Mystery, by Dorian Rockwood, tells the adventure of identical twins as they try to uncover the hidden location of some embezzled funds. Dan and Paul Case, the identical twins, don’t feel identical enough, and their differences often get them into trouble. Their troubles in the Cache Mystery all begin when they decide to help a hitchhiker by giving him a ride. Shortly after, they are visited by a detective named Archer who asks some questions and explains in detail what he knows about the hitchhiker known as Eddie Ridgway. Eddie is the former bookkeeper for a notorious gang that has embezzled a massive sum of money. There ends up being a reward for whoever leads the detective to the hidden funds. The twins see that the reward could go a long way in helping their struggling mother, so the duo become determined to find the hidden money, despite all the dangers that inevitably await them as they dive into this exciting adventure.
I found this book to be intriguing, even though the first few pages of the book were quite confusing. As I delved deeper, I began to grasp what the story was all about. Each page plunged me into the story, and I became keen on finding out the outcome. The plot of the story was creative, and the characters were quite funny and quite scary. The book even had a touch of romance. What I loved most about the book was the determined emotions the twins possessed that made them seek out the embezzled money. They had hoped the reward would go a long way in helping their mother to take care of herself, and I felt a bit sad when the twins found out that their father had been part of the gang when he was younger. You will have to read the book to find out how this affects their mother. Overall, I loved the book and viewed it as an engaging mystery.
– LitPick
The Cash Cache Mystery harkens back to stories of yesteryear. I got Hardy Boys and The Boxcar Children vibes as I got to know the twins and the story unfolded. This book is a leveled up version of those types of books, a more YA leaning novel for middle grade and teenaged readers (though adults would find it engaging and fun as well).
Author Dorian Rockwood is a skilled writer and kept me engaged the entire time. I will say that a few plot elements and scenes felt like they dragged on for a bit too long, but that’s a small gripe. The plot is intricately woven but never confusing. As an added bonus, as an adult reader I actually didn’t figure the mystery out before the book ended, a win in my book!
The personality of Paul and Dan is what stood out the most for me. These two may look the same but their personalities are utterly unique; one is a sensitive artist and the other a sporty athlete. Their brotherly bond and shorthand is oftentimes funny and made me instantly like them. Having the novel set in the past (it’s never clearly laid out but it’s somewhere in the 1940’s or 50’s) also goes a long way to help suspend readers’ disbelief. The phrases and technology of this time makes The Cash Cache Mystery nostalgic and current at the same time. Plus, the villains are dynamic and pose real threats that will keep you on your toes.
Who doesn’t love a good pulpy mystery? The Cash Cache Mystery is a fun and engaging read and I can only hope this isn’t the last we see of twins Paul and Dan.
- J. Munoz, Reedsy Discovery
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Ebook editions available from:
- Paperback: 978-1-962056-00-7
- Ebook: 978-1-962056-01-4