Captain Wilmy and the Protectors of the Cape Fear book cover — Wilmy and his crew on a red raft on the Cape Fear River hunting the sacred Venus flytrap
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Captain Wilmy and the Protectors of the Cape Fear

The Mystery of the Sacred Venus Flytrap
Ages 3-8 Picture book By John Kmetz
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About the book

A Cape Fear adventure for the next generation of explorers

Captain Wilmy is no ordinary pirate. He's a monkey from Monkey Junction with a brass compass, a band of unlikely friends, and a map that leads straight into the heart of the Cape Fear. When a legend stirs about a sacred Venus flytrap hidden somewhere along the river, Wilmy and his Protectors of the Cape Fear set sail to find it, and discover that the rarest treasures are the ones worth protecting.

A read-aloud picture book that turns real Wilmington, North Carolina landmarks into the stage for a small adventure about courage, friendship, and the places we call home.

Meet the crew

The Protectors of the Cape Fear Parks

Four unlikely friends from four corners of the world, all of them washed up in the same patch of Wilmington — and bound together by a Cape Fear mystery.

Pirate Monkey

Captain Wilmy

A monkey from Monkey Junction with a brass compass and a red captain's vest. Legend says he was a 1950s sideshow monkey at the old Monkey Junction filling station — these days he lives in River Road Park and captains the crew.

Squirrel

Nigel

An Australian stowaway who rode a shipping container all the way to the Port of Wilmington, swam ashore, and never left. Sharp eyes, green bandana, and a pouch full of gems he keeps swearing aren't stolen.

Wolverine

Woody

A wolverine from Michigan who fell asleep in the back of a pickup full of pine straw and woke up in North Carolina. Calm, clever, and always the one with the paddle. Blue bandana, sharper than he looks.

Alligator

Allie

A Cape Fear alligator who lives in the pond on the third hole of the golf course across from River Road Park. The heart of the crew — and the only one who can actually swim the Cape Fear.

Set in the real Cape Fear

Wilmington is the story

The Cape Fear coast isn't just the setting — it's the world the crew lives in. Real places, real names, real geography.

The Venus Flytrap The rare carnivorous plant that grows wild almost nowhere on Earth except the bogs within about 75 miles of Wilmington.
Monkey Junction The real Wilmington crossroads named for the monkeys at a 1950s filling station. Wilmy's hometown.
Cape Fear River The road, the playground, the obstacle. The water that ties southeastern North Carolina together.
For shops & booksellers

Carry Captain Wilmy in your store

Own a bookshop, cafe, gift store, or classroom? We would love to see Captain Wilmy on your shelves. Both books are available for wholesale order.

Order wholesale through Ingram, the same catalog you already use. Just search the title or ISBN:

The Mystery of the Sacred Venus Flytrap  ·  ISBN 979-8-2408-0554-7

The Lost Treasure of Snow’s Cut  ·  ISBN 979-8-2408-1641-3

Prefer to order direct, in bulk, or on consignment?
Reach out anytime: hello@captainwilmy.com

About the author

John Kmetz

JK

John Kmetz is a Wilmington-area writer. The Mystery of the Sacred Venus Flytrap is the newest book in his Captain Wilmy series of adventures set along the real coast of southeastern North Carolina.

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Hear about the next book first

We'll only email when there's real news — future books in the series, school visits in the Cape Fear region, signed copies, and Captain Wilmy adventures.

Get in touch

Bookstores, librarians, school visits, press

For wholesale inquiries, signed copies, school visit bookings, or interview requests:

hello@captainwilmy.com

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