Jack Be Dead: Revelation

by Jeff Lyons, Stephen David Brooks

London—Today—Guys named “Jack” are being killed across the city by a female serial killer with an almost supernatural ability to stay hidden. When Jack Tate, an emotionally bleak detective sergeant, is called in to investigate the brutal killings, he teams with Mae, an intellectual wannabe-detective, and Albert, Mae’s packrat psychic father, to unravel the killer’s taunting clues, until the devastating truths behind the killings force Jack into a dark revelation that is centuries old and bathed in blood. Karma is a bitch, and then you die—if you’re lucky.

170 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 7, 2016

About the author

Jeff Lyons is a traditionally published fiction/nonfiction author, screenwriter, and story development consultant in the film, television, and publishing industries. He has worked with major studios like NBCU and Columbia Pictures, and leading independent producers and film and television production companies. He is an instructor through Stanford University's Online Certificate Program in Novel Writing, and guest lectures through the UCLA Extension Writers Program.

Jeff is a regular contributor and advisor to leading entertainment industry screenwriting and producing fellowship programs, such as the Producers Guild of America's "Power of Diversity Master Producers Workshop," and the Film Independent Screenwriting Lab, and is a regular workshop presenter at leading writing industry conferences such as the Romance Writers of America, StoryExpo, Great American Pitchfest, Romance Writers of America and many others.

His clients have won major literary prizes like the “William Faulkner Gold Medal,” and include New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors. Jeff has written on the craft of storytelling for Writer’s Digest Magazine, Script Magazine, The Writer Magazine, and Writing Magazine (UK). His book, Anatomy of a Premise Line: How to Master Premise and Story Development for Writing Success was published by Focal Press in 2015, and his new book, Rapid Story Development: How to Use the Enneagram-Story Connection to Become a Master Storyteller, was published by Focal Press in October 2020.

His feature film, American Thunderbolt, is being produced by Hargenant Media, UK, and two of his novellas, 13 Minutes and Terminus Station, have been optioned for feature film development.

Reviews

[Dannii Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Men are dying and the only link between them is their name. Jack Tate is the detective sergeant leading the investigation into these brutal killings and is convinced that a man is behind them all. He has been paired with Mae, a doctor, an intellectual, and a wannabe-detective, who is just as convinced that he is wrong.

I had a great time with this book. The cover led me to believe these murders were to take place in a historical time period, but this was not the case. This did not deter my enjoyment of the tale, however. I loved all three perspectives - Jack, Mae, and the serial killer they are hunting for - and thought the shared focus between the murders, the investigation, and the characters outside of their jobs, was well proportioned.

However, despite my enjoyment throughout, I was left disappointed by the conclusion. Or, should I say the lack of one. This was a novella-length story but I wish it had been made marginally longer to contain at least a partial conclusion for some of the mysteries it contained. It was quite frustrating to have read the whole thing and to be provided with no closure. This book does have excited for the sequel but I do also feel it is let down by the entirely open-ended last few pages.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick read full of twists, turns, and surprises. With the various characters and supernatural events in this novella, it offers the material for a full length book. I hope author Jeff Lyons capitalizes on the work he has here by filling out the story and getting to work on a sequel. There's certainly potential for a series here.