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Jackie Lyons Mystery #1
The Sleeping and the Dead
A new mystery series starring a Memphis crime scene photographer with ghostly assistance
Jackie Lyons, a former vice detective with the Memphis Police Department, is trying to put her life back together. Her husband has served her with divorce papers, she's broke, and her apartment has just gone up in flmaes. But a failed marriage, unemployment, and an incinerated home aren't her only problems: she also sees ghosts.
Since Jackie left her job with the MPD, she's been making ends meet by photographing crime scenes for her old friends on the force, and for the occasional collector. When she's called to the murder scene of the Playhouse Killer's latest victim, she starts seeing crime scenes from a different perspective-- her new camera captures spectral images. As her camera brings her ghostly visitors into sharper relief, it also points her toward clues the ex-detective in her won't let go: Did the man she has just started dating kill his wife? Is the Playhouse Killer someone in her inner circle?
As Jackie works to separate natural from supernatural, friend from foe, and light from dark, the spirit world and her own difficult past become the only things she can depend on to solve the case.
Jackie Lyons, a former vice detective with the Memphis Police Department, is trying to put her life back together. Her husband has served her with divorce papers, she's broke, and her apartment has just gone up in flmaes. But a failed marriage, unemployment, and an incinerated home aren't her only problems: she also sees ghosts.
Since Jackie left her job with the MPD, she's been making ends meet by photographing crime scenes for her old friends on the force, and for the occasional collector. When she's called to the murder scene of the Playhouse Killer's latest victim, she starts seeing crime scenes from a different perspective-- her new camera captures spectral images. As her camera brings her ghostly visitors into sharper relief, it also points her toward clues the ex-detective in her won't let go: Did the man she has just started dating kill his wife? Is the Playhouse Killer someone in her inner circle?
As Jackie works to separate natural from supernatural, friend from foe, and light from dark, the spirit world and her own difficult past become the only things she can depend on to solve the case.
336 pages, Paperback
First published July 3, 2012
9 people are currently reading
157 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Crook
38 books21 followersJeff Crook and his lovely wife, Lady Jessica, live in the Quinn family home among Jeff's ancestors -- not in the Native American or even the John-Boy Walton sense, but in the Stephen King sense. As their niece Nickie said, "Those stairs are spooky!" There, Jeff grows tomatoes and grass (more grass than tomatoes), sometimes he works, and he writes the rest of the time, neglecting most everything else, except the cat that must be fed from time to time.
Jeff's first Dragonlance novel, The Rose and the Skull, hit the shelves in March 1999. He also worked on a second Dragonlance novel for the Crossroads series. One of his stories was also included in the 2000 Dragonlance anthology, Rebels and Tyrants. His story, "The Fractal," appeared in Relics and Omens, poetry in "The Final Word," and five AD&D adventures in Dungeon Magazine. He is currently the editor of Campaigns, the newsletter for the Southern Realms region of the RPGA.
When not writing or working or gardening or feeding the kitty, Jeff occasionally likes to mingle with humanity. He enjoys his food a bit too much, and wine is an expensive hobby he could probably do without, except life wouldn't be worth living. And when everything is quiet and the house is dark, the cat is asleep and the computer is turned off, Jeff lies in bed listening to things go bump in the night. He tries to turn off his brain so he can go to sleep, but it doesn't always work.
Jeff's first Dragonlance novel, The Rose and the Skull, hit the shelves in March 1999. He also worked on a second Dragonlance novel for the Crossroads series. One of his stories was also included in the 2000 Dragonlance anthology, Rebels and Tyrants. His story, "The Fractal," appeared in Relics and Omens, poetry in "The Final Word," and five AD&D adventures in Dungeon Magazine. He is currently the editor of Campaigns, the newsletter for the Southern Realms region of the RPGA.
When not writing or working or gardening or feeding the kitty, Jeff occasionally likes to mingle with humanity. He enjoys his food a bit too much, and wine is an expensive hobby he could probably do without, except life wouldn't be worth living. And when everything is quiet and the house is dark, the cat is asleep and the computer is turned off, Jeff lies in bed listening to things go bump in the night. He tries to turn off his brain so he can go to sleep, but it doesn't always work.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
September 25, 2012
Set in Memphis, the title page suggests this is the kickoff to what will be the Jackie Lyons mystery series. Jackie is a contractual crime scene photographer who is flirting with mixed success at rebounding from having hit rock bottom as an addict. In the last few years she has, in pretty rapid succession, lost her apartment, husband, and job as a cop on the vice squad. Her friends are few and far between, and one has pulled strings to secure her some employment working as an independent photographer. The major hitch (beyond her addiction to heroin and bad boys and what could only charitably be characterized as "poor impluse control") is that she sees dead people.
The Sleeping and the Dead revolves around the case of a serial killer dubbed "The Playhouse Killer" in honor of the theatre in which one of his early victims was recovered. There's a strong literary component afoot here, which will appeal to some readers. There's also an intriguing paranormal piece given that both Jackie and her long-dead brother, Sean, could both see ghosts. It's altogether unclear for much of the work whether these ghosts are drug/alcohol-induced or whether that altered state is the vehicle through which Jackie is made aware of their presence. (Of course, one wonders, what predicated the onset of the sight--or whatever it is--when Jackie was a child, and clearly not yet a substance abuser.)
What I enjoyed most about the story is that the crime was clever (if, perhaps, overcomplicated at times in terms of details while ultimately really pretty straightforward as regards motive) and, most important, that I was rooting for Jackie despite the fact that I really didn't care for her. She describes hereself as, "I was a scary bitch, no doubt about it, scary, unreliable, irresponsible, an all-too-willing accomplice to the worst angels of my nature" (p. 133), yet you want to see her struggle up from the place where she has landed. By novel's end there is a suggestion that she may make it, however, given her past history that feels like something of which she's trying to convince herself. The thing I'm most pondering is whether a female author could have written Jackie the way Jeff Crook did. I don't have a tidy answer for that. And of course, the fact that she can cite Marlowe (Christopher, not Philip) certainly doesn't hurt in winning this reader over. I'll be interested to see how Crook develops this character and series, and am sorry to have lost someone who felt he'd have been interesting to learn more about so early in the process.
The Sleeping and the Dead revolves around the case of a serial killer dubbed "The Playhouse Killer" in honor of the theatre in which one of his early victims was recovered. There's a strong literary component afoot here, which will appeal to some readers. There's also an intriguing paranormal piece given that both Jackie and her long-dead brother, Sean, could both see ghosts. It's altogether unclear for much of the work whether these ghosts are drug/alcohol-induced or whether that altered state is the vehicle through which Jackie is made aware of their presence. (Of course, one wonders, what predicated the onset of the sight--or whatever it is--when Jackie was a child, and clearly not yet a substance abuser.)
What I enjoyed most about the story is that the crime was clever (if, perhaps, overcomplicated at times in terms of details while ultimately really pretty straightforward as regards motive) and, most important, that I was rooting for Jackie despite the fact that I really didn't care for her. She describes hereself as, "I was a scary bitch, no doubt about it, scary, unreliable, irresponsible, an all-too-willing accomplice to the worst angels of my nature" (p. 133), yet you want to see her struggle up from the place where she has landed. By novel's end there is a suggestion that she may make it, however, given her past history that feels like something of which she's trying to convince herself. The thing I'm most pondering is whether a female author could have written Jackie the way Jeff Crook did. I don't have a tidy answer for that. And of course, the fact that she can cite Marlowe (Christopher, not Philip) certainly doesn't hurt in winning this reader over. I'll be interested to see how Crook develops this character and series, and am sorry to have lost someone who felt he'd have been interesting to learn more about so early in the process.
September 19, 2012
I read a fascinating book about a month ago called, "The Sleeping and the Dead." ... Phenomenal story, well written and entertaining.
The main character is easy to wrap your teeth around. The haunted happenings in the story tend to make you feel for the main character. The gruesome murders keep you entertained, as well as turning the page. And the end isn't who you thought it would be.
I cannot say enough about this book. I happened to stumble upon it in my local library, and I am very thankful I picked it up.
The main character is easy to wrap your teeth around. The haunted happenings in the story tend to make you feel for the main character. The gruesome murders keep you entertained, as well as turning the page. And the end isn't who you thought it would be.
I cannot say enough about this book. I happened to stumble upon it in my local library, and I am very thankful I picked it up.
Read
June 29, 2015I started Jeff Crook’s first mystery “The Sleeping and the Dead” and couldn’t put it down. Crook has previously written several fantasy books. In this, he goes full mystery except for one element: the main character can see ghosts. As a reviewer, rarely do I find characters and plot both equally compelling. It makes it hard to know which to address first. Toss a coin. We’ll begin with character.
Jackie Lyons is a former vice detective with the Memphis Police Department with a drug problem that won’t go away. She is about as messed up and flawed as a person can get. Her life is a wreck and she seems determined day-by-day to keep it that way and make it worse. It is punishment for her. It is punishing to read. There is conflict and potential loss on every page. You’re hooked from the start. “This is my life,” she says. “It sucks, but it’s all I have.” As the book begins, the train engine has already slammed into the wall. We begin in the action. On page 300, we’re still watching the freight cars pile up. As it was written in first person (without a he/she gender indicator), I first thought on page 1 that she was a man, but as the story went along (I realized she was a woman by page 2), I began to see the female side. At times, both sides are admirable and, at others, neither is pretty, There is much pain in this story’s past and, once you know this, you understand why it is so hard for the main character to find a firm foundation. Plus, there is that ghost sitting at the foot of the bed. Lyons can’t convince herself that she is imagining things. She’s had this problem her entire life. “The dead don’t die,” she informs us. “They stay with you.” True. I guess some more than others. And even when everyone is in denial. (And maybe because everyone is in denial.)
The cast of supporting characters are varied, well-drawn, and individually represented. All distinct. A eunuch who has a crime scene death fetish, amateur ghost researchers, drugged and homeless homosexuals, a drunk landlord, psychic associations, flawed police (but in a good way), and – of course – the ghosts.
I loved how I continued to discover new info about the characters as I went along. Crook is not tempted to tell us everything about a character when we first meet him/her. In fact, we may not learn an integral story point until we’ve near finished the book. But the grand thing is that he has anticipated our questions and answers all by the end. There is nothing forced in this novel, even the ghosts. In the context of the characters, you’ll believe the characters see them, whether you believe they are there or not.
The crimes in the story are grisly and dark. When the first one hit me, I had to stop and reread it to make sure I was reading what I thought I was reading. Very graphic. The Playhouse Killer, a psychotic serial killer, is well-versed in the game he wants to play with the cops. He is in control. The mystery portion of the plot is one of the fairest and most hidden – yet right in your face – that I have seen. There are twists and turns and the great thing is that you don’t see them coming.
In tone, the entire book is troublesome. Some readers said it was too graphic for them. If you don’t like your murders served on the grill with a red-hot poker, then it may be. I was sucked in. If there is any part of you that might remotely believe in ghosts, then there are elements in this book that will definitely make the hair stand on the back of your neck.
In the end, though, it is not about the crimes. It is about what we suppress. As stated by the main character’s father: “If you really love somebody, you shut your mouth and live with the guilt, even if it kills you. Sin is compounded by confession. Confession may comfort the soul, but only because it forces other people to bear the burden of your guilt, and that’s hardly fair to them. Ignorance is bliss, and half of communicating is knowing when to shut your cake hole.” To the characters in this book, that applies to life experiences, ghosts, murderers, and anything else one could conjure. “What is seen cannot be unseen, innocence lost is lost forever. Eventually we become accomplices.” There is no innocence in this book.
I hated to see it end.
From Amazon:
“A new mystery series starring a Memphis crime scene photographer with ghostly assistance
Jackie Lyons is a former vice detective with the Memphis Police Department who is trying to put her life back together: her husband has sent divorce papers, she’s broke, and needs a place to live. But a failed marriage, unemployment, and most recently a fire in her apartment aren’t her only problems: she also sees ghosts.
Since Jackie left the force, she’s been making ends meet by photographing crime scenes for her old friends on the force, and for the occasional collector. When she is called to the murder scene of the Playhouse Killer’s latest victim, she starts seeing crime scenes from a different perspective — her new camera captures images of ghosts. As her new camera brings her occasional ghostly visitors into sharper relief, it also points her toward clues the ex-detective in her won’t let go: did the man she has just started dating kill his wife? Is the Playhouse Killer someone she knows?
As Jackie works to separate natural from supernatural, friend from foe, and light from dark, the spirit world and her own difficult past become the only things she can depend on to solve the case.”
The Sleeping and The Dead on Killer Nashville
My Other Reviews on Killer Nashville
Jackie Lyons is a former vice detective with the Memphis Police Department with a drug problem that won’t go away. She is about as messed up and flawed as a person can get. Her life is a wreck and she seems determined day-by-day to keep it that way and make it worse. It is punishment for her. It is punishing to read. There is conflict and potential loss on every page. You’re hooked from the start. “This is my life,” she says. “It sucks, but it’s all I have.” As the book begins, the train engine has already slammed into the wall. We begin in the action. On page 300, we’re still watching the freight cars pile up. As it was written in first person (without a he/she gender indicator), I first thought on page 1 that she was a man, but as the story went along (I realized she was a woman by page 2), I began to see the female side. At times, both sides are admirable and, at others, neither is pretty, There is much pain in this story’s past and, once you know this, you understand why it is so hard for the main character to find a firm foundation. Plus, there is that ghost sitting at the foot of the bed. Lyons can’t convince herself that she is imagining things. She’s had this problem her entire life. “The dead don’t die,” she informs us. “They stay with you.” True. I guess some more than others. And even when everyone is in denial. (And maybe because everyone is in denial.)
The cast of supporting characters are varied, well-drawn, and individually represented. All distinct. A eunuch who has a crime scene death fetish, amateur ghost researchers, drugged and homeless homosexuals, a drunk landlord, psychic associations, flawed police (but in a good way), and – of course – the ghosts.
I loved how I continued to discover new info about the characters as I went along. Crook is not tempted to tell us everything about a character when we first meet him/her. In fact, we may not learn an integral story point until we’ve near finished the book. But the grand thing is that he has anticipated our questions and answers all by the end. There is nothing forced in this novel, even the ghosts. In the context of the characters, you’ll believe the characters see them, whether you believe they are there or not.
The crimes in the story are grisly and dark. When the first one hit me, I had to stop and reread it to make sure I was reading what I thought I was reading. Very graphic. The Playhouse Killer, a psychotic serial killer, is well-versed in the game he wants to play with the cops. He is in control. The mystery portion of the plot is one of the fairest and most hidden – yet right in your face – that I have seen. There are twists and turns and the great thing is that you don’t see them coming.
In tone, the entire book is troublesome. Some readers said it was too graphic for them. If you don’t like your murders served on the grill with a red-hot poker, then it may be. I was sucked in. If there is any part of you that might remotely believe in ghosts, then there are elements in this book that will definitely make the hair stand on the back of your neck.
In the end, though, it is not about the crimes. It is about what we suppress. As stated by the main character’s father: “If you really love somebody, you shut your mouth and live with the guilt, even if it kills you. Sin is compounded by confession. Confession may comfort the soul, but only because it forces other people to bear the burden of your guilt, and that’s hardly fair to them. Ignorance is bliss, and half of communicating is knowing when to shut your cake hole.” To the characters in this book, that applies to life experiences, ghosts, murderers, and anything else one could conjure. “What is seen cannot be unseen, innocence lost is lost forever. Eventually we become accomplices.” There is no innocence in this book.
I hated to see it end.
From Amazon:
“A new mystery series starring a Memphis crime scene photographer with ghostly assistance
Jackie Lyons is a former vice detective with the Memphis Police Department who is trying to put her life back together: her husband has sent divorce papers, she’s broke, and needs a place to live. But a failed marriage, unemployment, and most recently a fire in her apartment aren’t her only problems: she also sees ghosts.
Since Jackie left the force, she’s been making ends meet by photographing crime scenes for her old friends on the force, and for the occasional collector. When she is called to the murder scene of the Playhouse Killer’s latest victim, she starts seeing crime scenes from a different perspective — her new camera captures images of ghosts. As her new camera brings her occasional ghostly visitors into sharper relief, it also points her toward clues the ex-detective in her won’t let go: did the man she has just started dating kill his wife? Is the Playhouse Killer someone she knows?
As Jackie works to separate natural from supernatural, friend from foe, and light from dark, the spirit world and her own difficult past become the only things she can depend on to solve the case.”
The Sleeping and The Dead on Killer Nashville
My Other Reviews on Killer Nashville
June 25, 2013
I normally don't enjoy reading about current or reformed addicts, but there are exceptions: Barbara Seranella's Munch Mancini, Ken Bruen's Jack Taylor, and now Jeff Crook's Jackie Lyons. As she visits crime scenes and talks to the police officers she knows, it's obvious that she had a lot of talent as a detective-- or she would have, if drugs hadn't sidetracked her. Seeing glimpses of that talent made me a patient reader, willing to tease out wisps of clues throughout the narrative in order to learn what made her so wounded, so defensive, so distrustful. I'm not about to tell you what happened, but the wait is worth it.
There is also a high creep factor in The Sleeping and the Dead. Are the visions Jackie sees late at night actually ghosts or are they drug-induced dreams? And what's up with that camera that takes photos when no one is pushing the button?
There are two mysteries in this novel-- one of the man accused of murdering his wife, the other of the Playhouse Killer. I liked both, and I really enjoyed how the author tied them together in a very unexpected way.
There's a lot to like about Jackie Lyons, and I'm really looking forward to reading more about her in the future.
There is also a high creep factor in The Sleeping and the Dead. Are the visions Jackie sees late at night actually ghosts or are they drug-induced dreams? And what's up with that camera that takes photos when no one is pushing the button?
There are two mysteries in this novel-- one of the man accused of murdering his wife, the other of the Playhouse Killer. I liked both, and I really enjoyed how the author tied them together in a very unexpected way.
There's a lot to like about Jackie Lyons, and I'm really looking forward to reading more about her in the future.
April 25, 2015
Mystery novels are not a typical genre for me. I liked them a lot when I was younger, but many mysteries can be predictable, boring or hokey. I felt torn about buying this book when I visited my local 2nd hand book store, but the description of the story would not allow me to put it back. I am happy that I didn't.
The protagonist, Jackie Lyons, is a well written character with a lot of depth, likability but of course very flawed as the other reviewers pointed out. She makes a lot of errors at the end that almost made me lose all sympathy and empathy for her, but by then I couldn't put it down. The end was a little bit confusing and the storytelling style changed slightly.
I will definitely get the next book that this author writes and I am interested in reading other books he's penned.
The protagonist, Jackie Lyons, is a well written character with a lot of depth, likability but of course very flawed as the other reviewers pointed out. She makes a lot of errors at the end that almost made me lose all sympathy and empathy for her, but by then I couldn't put it down. The end was a little bit confusing and the storytelling style changed slightly.
I will definitely get the next book that this author writes and I am interested in reading other books he's penned.
December 14, 2016
I love a good murder mystery. I also love a good paranormal tale. Crook does a wonderful job of weaving the two together. My only complaint is with Crook's protagonist, Jackie Lyons. She does not read as a woman. I understand that Jackie is rough around the edges after losing a sibling, being a detective, seeing ghosts, and getting into drugs, but even her internal dialogue has an air of locker room banter. It seems too much for the mind of a female in my opinion. I found myself forgetting that Lyons was a female from time to time. Other than this irritation, I enjoyed the book very much and was on the edge of my seat to find out who was murdering people in downtown Memphis. Caution: The content is quite violent.
October 25, 2013
I was hooked by this one from the get-go; protagonist reminded me of the one from Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects. Jackie's not always the "nicest" person, but she's honest with the reader about that, though she is fiercely loyal. I've never been to Memphis (nor northeast Arkansas), with this book giving me a great feel for those places. A series would be great, but if this is a one-off, I'm fine with that, too. Recommended for those who like their mysteries on the noir/thriller side.
December 9, 2022
Jackie Lyons, a former vice detective is with the Memphis Police Department. Her husband has served her divorce papers. But a failed marriage, unemployment, and an incinerated home aren't her only problems: she also sees ghosts. Since Jackie left her job with the MPD, she's been photographing crime scenes for her friends on the force. When she's called to the murder scene of the famed Memphis Playhouse Killer's latest victim, her camera captures spectral images. Her camera brings her ghostly visitors into sharper relief and points her towards clues the ex-detective in her won't let go. Did the man she just started dating kill his wife? Is the Playhouse Killer someone in her inner circle?
This was a very interesting mystery. It was a great story with a plot that kept me reading until the very surprise ending. There were two killings she was trying to solve and they both came together in the end to a conclusion that I didn't expect. I will be looking into the next book in the series as Jackie Lyons is a very interesting character. If you love surprise endings then you would love this book. Pick it up and read it as it is a really good mystery.
This was a very interesting mystery. It was a great story with a plot that kept me reading until the very surprise ending. There were two killings she was trying to solve and they both came together in the end to a conclusion that I didn't expect. I will be looking into the next book in the series as Jackie Lyons is a very interesting character. If you love surprise endings then you would love this book. Pick it up and read it as it is a really good mystery.
October 13, 2022
i would have to give this novel a 3 1/2. the story felt like it was slow begining and so much was put into the novel to try to seperate and understand. a woman who was once a cop had lost her job due to her taking drugs . in order to earn morning she became working with the police with taking photo's of crime and death , and murders scenes. but most of these crimes are based around gay scenes and the murders of a gay men. she is able to see spirits and choses not to let them control her thoughts.
July 28, 2017
I had a hard time keeping interested in the main character Jackie. It might be due to her personality pushing me away. I did finish the story, and when I did I was left asking myself why she was able to see spirits? What was the point?
The story about the murderer was interesting. It kept me going through the whole book. The killer is what kept me reading.
The story about the murderer was interesting. It kept me going through the whole book. The killer is what kept me reading.
May 23, 2023
Being honest, I’m not sure what prompted me to get this book from the library. I wasn’t that enamored with it but wanted to see how it ended so I finished it. Not going to try to find the second installment.
August 15, 2018
Liked the MC. But not the story.
May 22, 2019
This story had such potential. It just never fully developed enought to suit me. 3 stars is generous but i finished it. The story tried to hook me but it never quite accomplished that goal.
June 22, 2018
The actual story was a bit much for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style. Was a definite fan of some of the classic works referenced.
November 9, 2020
DNF @ Chapter 5, when they introduce a character called Michi-san.
Starting on the first page I knew the writing was going to be a problem, because the description of the bartender is way too overwrought, but I figured the character is an ex-cop and the writer is trying to do something with that here. Unfortunately it didn't pan out for me. While I understand this is meant to be a dark mystery novel, I prefer to sink into books that offer something as far as world building. I don't enjoy reads that make me think "this is a world I'd never want to live in." You have to offer me interest and intrigue, even if its grotesque and disgusting — look at the success of the show Hannibal! In that case, it's the juxtaposition of the character and his cannibalism that makes one keep watching; in The Sleeping and The Dead, a former cop and current (possibly former) junkie in a gross world is too much.
Maybe it just wasn't for me.
Starting on the first page I knew the writing was going to be a problem, because the description of the bartender is way too overwrought, but I figured the character is an ex-cop and the writer is trying to do something with that here. Unfortunately it didn't pan out for me. While I understand this is meant to be a dark mystery novel, I prefer to sink into books that offer something as far as world building. I don't enjoy reads that make me think "this is a world I'd never want to live in." You have to offer me interest and intrigue, even if its grotesque and disgusting — look at the success of the show Hannibal! In that case, it's the juxtaposition of the character and his cannibalism that makes one keep watching; in The Sleeping and The Dead, a former cop and current (possibly former) junkie in a gross world is too much.
Maybe it just wasn't for me.
September 8, 2016
I read the second Jackie Lyons book and then realized there was a first that would have filled in some blanks for me. This is the first book and I think I enjoyed it more than the second.
Jackie is a hard character to like, she is an ex coast guard, police officer, she has strained relationships with her parents (we find out why in this book), she is divorcing the "perfect" husband (I know understand the drug use) and she is currently fighting a heroin addiction. But she has a good eye, she sees things, details, not to mention ghosts. She is currently working for the police taking crime scene photos to keep a roof over her head.
Things all fall apart when she buys a Leica camera, a regular ghost keeps showing up in her apartment and tying her shoe laces together. When she finally looks into the pictures saved on the internal memory she sees the death of the previous owner.
This was a roller coaster ride of a book, it is not for the squeamish, but it is the type of book I love to read. I really hope there is going to be a third Jackie Lyons book, I would love to see her start to get her life together on her own terms.
Jackie is a hard character to like, she is an ex coast guard, police officer, she has strained relationships with her parents (we find out why in this book), she is divorcing the "perfect" husband (I know understand the drug use) and she is currently fighting a heroin addiction. But she has a good eye, she sees things, details, not to mention ghosts. She is currently working for the police taking crime scene photos to keep a roof over her head.
Things all fall apart when she buys a Leica camera, a regular ghost keeps showing up in her apartment and tying her shoe laces together. When she finally looks into the pictures saved on the internal memory she sees the death of the previous owner.
This was a roller coaster ride of a book, it is not for the squeamish, but it is the type of book I love to read. I really hope there is going to be a third Jackie Lyons book, I would love to see her start to get her life together on her own terms.
October 26, 2012
An ex-cop turned photographer and a Leica camera that tells stories it has no right to know.
Jackie Lyons, formerly of the Memphis Police Department, turns into a junkie after one thing too many uproots her world. She tries to pull it together with the help of a detective friend by the name of Adam. She now takes pictures of murder scenes and sells them back to the department . . . and an old perv she befriended from a past case. It is her means of making a living.
When the Playhouse Killer enacts his version of well-known plays, Jackie becomes knee-deep in the case. She ‘sees’ things differently than the detectives, and that ‘sight’ is what leads her to the serial killer. She fights off her own death in order to bring justice to the dead around her.
Despite the fact that I feel Crook misses the mark at times when he attempts to write the female protagonist, the book is enjoyable and worth the read.
Reviewed by Starr Gardinier Reina, author of “One Major Mistake”
Jackie Lyons, formerly of the Memphis Police Department, turns into a junkie after one thing too many uproots her world. She tries to pull it together with the help of a detective friend by the name of Adam. She now takes pictures of murder scenes and sells them back to the department . . . and an old perv she befriended from a past case. It is her means of making a living.
When the Playhouse Killer enacts his version of well-known plays, Jackie becomes knee-deep in the case. She ‘sees’ things differently than the detectives, and that ‘sight’ is what leads her to the serial killer. She fights off her own death in order to bring justice to the dead around her.
Despite the fact that I feel Crook misses the mark at times when he attempts to write the female protagonist, the book is enjoyable and worth the read.
Reviewed by Starr Gardinier Reina, author of “One Major Mistake”
November 12, 2014
I loved this mystery set in Memphis, and reading it made me realize I haven't read any fiction set in Memphis before, which I'm glad I remedied. Every time the author dropped a street or restaurant name or mentioned a landmark, I enjoyed the comfort of familiarity with the settings. The mystery itself was entertaining, and the main character, Jackie Lyons -- a recovering heroin addict who used to be a vice cop -- provided compelling narration that, while endearing herself to me and making me root for her, also made me feel better about the fact that my life is not nearly as screwed up as hers was. While the book ended up having way too many coincidental relationships between seemingly unrelated characters and a not-fully-explored supernatural bent in which Jackie sees ghosts, this was an engrossing read. I'm hoping the chatter about this one being the first in a series is true; I'd read more Memphis mysteries with Jackie Lyons.
November 6, 2016
Jackie is indeed a hard character to like. I didn't for much of the book. Her life makes no sense to me, I have a hard time relating to her. Mr. Crooks takes the entire book to build her character, and by the end, I understand her better. I may even like her, considering what she went through. The plot was well constructed, complex, the murders gruesome. I don't mind that. The climax of the plot was drawn out a bit too much for my liking, and I didn't fully enjoy how it unfolded. But it was certainly not cliché. I'll give him that. The denouement I did like and didn't Mr. Crooks leave me wondering what Jackie's next adventure will be? Well researched, a bit complicated, but gruesomely compelling. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it though. I bought it for the supernatural aspect. I wanted more of that.
August 19, 2013
I picked this one off the shelf for a long train ride. It was totally entertaining - and had a few great moments - but suffered from some flaws (a couple of 'really, dude?' illogical moments, a bunch of telling not showing toward the end) that made me think "this guy's editor did him no favors" / "mmm you can tell this was his first mystery novel." That said, it had enough glimmers of interesting stuff that I'd try a second by the author just to see.
September 2, 2012
Not bad for a first mystery book. Quite a few twists and turns and not quite sure what was real and what was fantasy. It did get confusing at times. I guess that was the nature of the book, seems like it was part of the theme and I guess if that was the plan, Mr. Crook succeeded!
January 24, 2016
This book is not for the soft stomach. It is graphic and that part kinda sneaks up on you in the middle of the book. Over all once you get into it, it is a page turner and I found myself immersed trying to find who did it.
May 16, 2016
Eh. Reading this book was a mixture of confusion and boredom for me. I frequently found myself skipping over entire half-pages trying to get to the interesting stuff. Wanted to love but, alas, felt none.
July 10, 2016
paid $1 too much for this at the Dollar Tree - read it all but dont know how i got through it - i'm not even donating it - checked my county recycle policy - they want NO HARD BOOKS, so it's going into the trash where it belongs
July 1, 2012
This is my friend Jeff. He is very nice. He is also a very good writer. This is a smart, funny, totally engrossing story which moves along like a souped-up hearse. Read it.
June 22, 2013
My rating 3.5 stars
August 15, 2012
Great Book! It kept a great pace, kept me wanting more and had a tremendous ending. I am so astonished that this is Jeff Crook's first mystery novel. I hope there is more to come from him...soon!!!!
August 31, 2012
Wow! Very intricate detail and I loved it!
September 29, 2012
An easy fast read...kept you wanting to read.
January 4, 2013
...could have been interesting but couldn't get into it.
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