Some places never let go of you.
Nestled along the shores of Clam Lake, Waadizi is the kind of Northern Michigan town people pass through without a second thought. There is a diner, a post office, a handful of cabins, and a single flashing yellow light. It is also a town with a habit of holding on to its secrets.
When Detroit reporter Ben Harrington returns to Waadizi after years away, he finds himself drawn back into a place he thought he had left behind forever. Old memories resurface. Long-buried questions demand answers. And beneath the town's quiet surface, something waits.
Part mystery, part folk horror, and part love letter to the small towns of Northern Michigan, Welcome to Waadizi, Michigan weaves together a series of interconnected stories that reveal the people, places, and secrets hidden beneath the waters of Clam Lake. Because every town has a history. Some are simply buried deeper than others.
Praise for Welcome to Waadizi, Michigan!
"The atmosphere is thick, the mystery compelling, and the town itself feels hauntingly real."
— Matthew Pearl, New York Times bestselling author of The Dante Club
"One person’s dreamlife is another person’s nightmare. As puzzle pieces slowly click into place and the line between reality and the uncanny begins to blur, you'll find yourself drawn deeper into the shadows of Lake Clam. If you love slow-burn mystery and atmospheric dread, Dwight MacPherson’s Welcome to Waadizi, Michigan is the read for you."
- ReviewsCoast2Coast
Available Formats
Paperback • Hardcover • eBook • Kindle Unlimited
Reading Order
Book One: Welcome to Waadizi, Michigan!
Book Two: Return to Waadizi, Michigan
Book Three: The Fall of Waadizi, Michigan
Coming October 1st, 2026
Something beneath Waadizi is waking up. When Detroit Free Press journalist Ben Harrington returned to northern Michigan to settle his mother’s affairs, he hoped to keep his visit brief and leave the town behind once and for all. Instead, he finds himself pulled deeper into the darkness surrounding Clam Lake and the quiet community that raised him.
The church by the lake stands abandoned, the graves are not as silent as they should be, and the people of Waadizi have spent generations protecting secrets they no longer fully understand. As old wounds reopen and buried truths begin to surface, Ben, local Sheriff Julie Kent—fueled by an ever-present can of Vernors—and a mysterious outsider named Byron uncover evidence that the town’s corruption reaches far deeper than disappearances and local superstition. Something ancient has rooted itself beneath Waadizi, feeding on silence, fear, and generations of compromise. But the truth refuses to stay buried forever.
Return to Waadizi, Michigan continues The Waadizi Cycle with a darker, more intimate descent into the creeping terror lurking beneath the surface of the first book. The lake still glitters at sunset, the diner still serves coffee, and the flashing yellow light still watches the intersection. But now, you are no longer just passing through Waadizi. Now, you live there.
Perfect for fans of:
Stephen King's small-town horror
Twin Peaks atmosphere and mystery
Cosmic horror grounded in emotional realism
Character-driven supernatural suspense
Slow-burn folk horror with spiritual undertones
The first book invited you to visit. This time, Waadizi may not let you leave.
Praise for Return to Waadizi, Michigan!
“The novel is a masterpiece of small-town horror and character driven supernatural suspense. … It grabs you, lightly at first, but it won't let go, its hold tighter and tighter, suffocating and strangling, then terrifying. … You won't be able to put it down.”
— Charles Cutter, Author of the Best-Selling Burr Lafayette Series
Available Formats
Paperback • Hardcover • eBook • Kindle Unlimited