Who Killed Effi?

About the Book

Summary Who Killed Effi? By C. C. Case Who Killed Effi? is about murder but not an ordinary everyday crime. The setting is the distant past at the moment when modern man first emerged from the truly primitive. Can Addam, first man, at the edge of this world, without guides or precedent, solve a death in the tribe? This is not just another saga about an itinerant primitive wandering through the prehistoric landscape but a plotted story with a crime, an investigation and a resolution. It contains both suspense and mystery as Addam searches for the culprit knowing the killer is also stalking him. The essence of this story is how the death of a child pushed early man toward an increased awareness of crime and justice. A child of the village is found dead, the apparent victim of a great beast. Not in itself unusual, but her necklace is missing. Would a beast take her necklace? Wita, her grandfather, has his doubts. Only humans are capable of that. He suspects the death was not accidental but deliberate. But how does he prove such a contention? Not satisfied with simply suspecting foul play, a strange idea begins stirring in his mind. He wants to know more, to determine who, which particular individual, was responsible. Another thought, even stranger, begins to form; catching the culprit and bringing him to justice. That entails not only determining who committed the crime but establishing motive and proof as well. It is too difficult for him to undertake alone. He needs help. He asks his grandson, Addam. Dealing with the mysteries of death is not easy any time but murder is a concept contrary to all the beliefs and principles of the tribe. It is an idea difficult for Addam to grasp or accept. An accidental killing, yes, but a deliberate act, no. The idea of justice is even more remote. But Wita is insistent. Addam wants to please the old man, ease his sorrow. But that means breaking his promise to the hunt leader to go on the great summer hunt leaving shortly. Going back on his word will not only bring down the wrath of the hunters but leave him without food the coming winter. Caught between his desire to please his grandfather and the anger of Ursar, the hunt leader, Addam compromises, agreeing to help the old man but only until the hunters leave. Will that be enough time? He faces a formidable task, something no one has attempted before, solving a crime. That requires new thinking, a cognitive shift beginning with the simple recognition that a crime has been committed. It is a technologically simple world; no tattletale fingerprints, no telephone calls, no squeaky doors. Without police, crime labs, or guidelines to follow, Addam's only resource is the evolving power of his mind. Is that enough to find the killer? And if he does, will anyone believe him? Without obvious clues, where does Addam begin? Are there witnesses? He can't find any. When did the crime occur? There are no clocks. Where did it take place? The only map is in his mind. Whom should he suspect, a stranger from some distant tribe, the clumsy Neanderthals lurking in the woods, or someone else? But who? And why would anyone kill a child like Effi? Addam begins at the scene where the body was found. No clues there. He looks for the murder spot, finds only a discarded honeycomb. He questions the members of the tribe, eliminates most. He sets traps to no avail. By the end of the week he is discouraged and despondent as one by one his efforts fail and time grows short. His friend Ami is little help. The hunting party is prepared to leave. He is on the verge of giving up when a young boy approaches to advise him a flock of geese has landed on the great pond. Addam has no interest despite the growls of his hungry stomach. But after a moment he changes his mind and asks Ami to go with him after the birds. But Ami, still sulking over a perceived slight from the day before, turns him down.

About the Author

C. C. Case is a professor who is concerned with using his background knowledge and research experience to produce meaningful and interesting fiction. His intent in this adventure story is to evoke a sense of place and history within the structure of a travel mystery.