The Unwanted Man — Signed Paperback | The Moody Files, Book 1 Preorder

SIGNED BY CALEB WYGAL. The first book in a brand-new prequel series featuring fan-favorite Myrtle Beach police detective Phil Moody.

Get your signed paperback of The Unwanted Man. A complete, fast-moving mystery novella for longtime Myrtle Beach Mystery readers and anyone meeting Moody for the first time.

A routine stop. A man with no past.

On a rainy afternoon in Myrtle Beach, what should have been a routine traffic stop lands Detective Phil Moody in his strangest case yet. Willie Matthews is a nervous NASCAR vendor with no driver’s license, no valid Social Security number, and no traceable past.

Moody is still reeling from the sudden death of his longtime partner. Now, with sharp-eyed rookie officer Gina Gomez alongside him, he follows Willie’s trail through flea-market booths, library computers, half-truths, and a cast of people only a Myrtle Beach summer could put in his path.

The deeper Moody digs, the more Willie’s carefully constructed life cracks. Is he a fugitive, or has he spent years running from something far more complicated than the law?

Set in real Myrtle Beach locations and inspired by true stories and real cases, The Unwanted Man is a clean, humorous detective mystery about identity, second chances, and what people hide when they think no one is looking.

Why readers will love it

• More Phil Moody: see what happened before Death on the Boardwalk.
• A complete mystery in novella form: a quick read with a case of its own.
• Moody and Gomez at the beginning: meet rookie Gina Gomez and watch their working relationship take shape.
• Real Myrtle Beach: a South Carolina mystery with recognizable places, odd encounters, and humor alongside the investigation.

What you get

• One paperback novella signed by Caleb Wygal. Every copy is author-signed.
• The Moody Files, Book 1, approximately 120 pages.
• Black-and-white interior and matte cover.
• Release date: March 2, 2027.

Every paperback is signed by Caleb Wygal. Get your signed copy for $13.99.

From the author

I’ve wanted to spend more time with Phil Moody before the events of Death on the Boardwalk. He’s lost his longtime partner, Myrtle Beach is having one of its crazier summers, and a simple traffic stop refuses to stay simple. This is the first of the cases from that stretch of his life, and the start of his story with Gina Gomez. — Caleb Wygal

About The Moody Files

The Moody Files is a new prequel series to my Myrtle Beach Mystery Series. It follows Detective Phil Moody during the summer before Death on the Boardwalk, after his longtime partner’s death and before the Moody-and-Gomez partnership readers know. Each novella follows one of the strange cases that came his way.

Keep reading with Phil Moody

Enjoy Moody here? Read the short story anthology, Riptide: Stormy Stories from the Grand Strand for four original short stories, starring Detective Moody. Continue his story in Death on the Boardwalk, the first Myrtle Beach Mystery book, or explore the Myrtle Beach Mysteries bundle.