Tressa "Calamity" Jayne Turner is well-known around her
hometown of Grandville, Iowa, because wherever she goes, a
calamity seems to follow. When her granny gets engaged to
Tressa's sometimes-boyfriend Rick's grandpa, the whole clan
heads west for the Arizona wedding. Out in the desert near
the Grand Canyon, Tressa finds a hideously tacky fertility
figurine at a roadside stand and buys it for her granny's
wedding gift. From purse-snatching to near hit-and-run
accidents, trouble begins immediately, until Tressa wonders
if her purchase may be cursed. With help from park ranger
Rick, who's just as sexy out West as he was back in Iowa,
she's sent on a scavenger hunt of clues to discover who
wants the figurine and why -- before Tressa ends up getting
hurt -- or worse!
The distinctive, quirky writing style of author Kathleen
Bacus combined with Tressa "Calamity" Jayne's
outlandish monologues deliver a story filled with riotous
laughter, along with the occasional snicker, giggle or
grin. Tressa Jayne's adventures are funnier than Stephanie
Plum, smarter than Bubbles Yablonsky and jam packed with
hip references to keep the reader wanting more. In her
fifth contemporary mystery, Tressa Jayne Turner is sure to
amuse and entertain, and guaranteed to find calamity along
the way. Get on board as CALAMITY JAYNE HEADS WEST!
WHAT DOES A BLONDE GET ON AN INTELLIGENCE TEST?
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE BLONDE COYOTE?
IT GOT STUCK IN A TRAP, CHEWED OFF THREE LEGS AND WAS STILL
STUCK.
Tressa Jayne Turner, Grandville Iowa’s own
little “Calamity”, is headed for the Grand Canyon State--
and a wedding! No, not her own. She hasn’t said yes to the
roguish Ranger Rick yet, but after the past years, some
downtime in a sweat lodge is just what the shaman ordered.
Unfortunately, it’s her goofy granny getting’ hitched, and
Tressa’s sunny little siesta is about to have more strings
attached than a dream catcher. Her cousin’s keeping
secrets, Rick’s sending signals--more of the smokin’ than
smoke variety--and it seems Tressa’s not the only person
with an attachment to “Kookaumunga”, the butt-ugly
fertility figurine she picked up at a roadside stand as a
wedding gift. The wacky wedding’s about to become a
southwestern scavenger hunt, an amazing race cum Da Vinci
Code-intrigue, featuring a washed-up actress out to kick-
start her career, a suspect spiritual advisor, locals with
a cause, and a ten-year-old who’s a chip off a certain
ranger’s blockhead. It’ll be a vision quest to make Thelma
and Louise’s southwestern spree seem like amateur night at
the OK Corral. May the best spirit guide win.
© 2003-2025