What do you think?
Rate this book
Jack Be Quick
A picture scrawled in blood pushes paramedic Noah McKeen into a game of hide and seek with someone attempting to honor Jack the Ripper.
Tormented and controlled by little white pills and visions of the woman he had intended to start a family with now in the company of another man, Noah fights to control his sordid selfish behavior and stop a brutal reenactment of history’s most notorious serial killer.
Tormented and controlled by little white pills and visions of the woman he had intended to start a family with now in the company of another man, Noah fights to control his sordid selfish behavior and stop a brutal reenactment of history’s most notorious serial killer.
305 pages, Paperback
Published May 9, 2017
6 people are currently reading
427 people want to read
About the author
Benjamin Thomas
5 books31 followersBenjamin Thomas writes from New England where he unequally balances time between running, video games, and quoting seemingly random movies.
His short fiction has been featured in publications such as: Flash Fiction Online, The Lascaux Review, Anti-Heroin Chic, and others. His novel Jack Be Quick (Owl Hollow Press, 2017) follows a troubled paramedic as he unwittingly tangles with a killer infatuated by Jack the Ripper.
Benjamin holds an MFA in writing from Albertus Magnus College.
Get in touch at benjiswandering.com
His short fiction has been featured in publications such as: Flash Fiction Online, The Lascaux Review, Anti-Heroin Chic, and others. His novel Jack Be Quick (Owl Hollow Press, 2017) follows a troubled paramedic as he unwittingly tangles with a killer infatuated by Jack the Ripper.
Benjamin holds an MFA in writing from Albertus Magnus College.
Get in touch at benjiswandering.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
February 22, 2018
4.5 stars!
Jack Be Quick is a gem among small-press published thrillers. From page one, I felt immediately immersed in Noah’s word. The dialogue was quick and realistic. The characters were distinctive, but not overly saturated in unimportant detail. It flowed like a true thriller, pulling its reader along for the ride. I would highly recommend this book, especially to those who love immersive thrillers or fast-paced reads.
For a longer, in-depth review please visit by blog post.
Jack Be Quick is a gem among small-press published thrillers. From page one, I felt immediately immersed in Noah’s word. The dialogue was quick and realistic. The characters were distinctive, but not overly saturated in unimportant detail. It flowed like a true thriller, pulling its reader along for the ride. I would highly recommend this book, especially to those who love immersive thrillers or fast-paced reads.
For a longer, in-depth review please visit by blog post.
November 18, 2023
Congratulations Benjamin Thomas! A great read.
August 24, 2018
A fast-paced thriller that just keeps you hooked from the beginning. Noah's character is fascinating to watch as he is constantly barraged with tragedy; as he trudges through his own pain and addiction; meanwhile trying to decipher and stop the murderous Jack-the-Ripper style killings happening around him. Great read, it goes by very fast!
November 9, 2018
A startling, dark whodunit murder mystery that intertwines a gripping and emotional story of one man's downfall with addiction.
I won this book from Benjamin Thomas via a FB giveaway, and I'm quite pleased with the read. Not too dark, yet dark and suspenseful enough to keep me flipping the pages. You can read my full review here: https://plumreport.com/2018/11/book-r...
If you or someone you know that works as a paramedic or in a hospital setting, they may enjoy the familiarity of the main character's occupation as an emergency responder. I used to work in a hospital, and when I came across certain familiar settings, I was like, "Hey! I know what that is!" I love when I can relate to stuff in books I read.
There's more to this story than just solving the murder mysteries of a copycat Jack the Ripper. The main character is also dealing with painkiller addiction and trying to piece his life back together. It was an interesting, and sad, experience being in the shoes of an addict. I wanted to reach into the pages and shake Noah, the MC, and knock some sense into him.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more work from Benjamin in the future.
I won this book from Benjamin Thomas via a FB giveaway, and I'm quite pleased with the read. Not too dark, yet dark and suspenseful enough to keep me flipping the pages. You can read my full review here: https://plumreport.com/2018/11/book-r...
If you or someone you know that works as a paramedic or in a hospital setting, they may enjoy the familiarity of the main character's occupation as an emergency responder. I used to work in a hospital, and when I came across certain familiar settings, I was like, "Hey! I know what that is!" I love when I can relate to stuff in books I read.
There's more to this story than just solving the murder mysteries of a copycat Jack the Ripper. The main character is also dealing with painkiller addiction and trying to piece his life back together. It was an interesting, and sad, experience being in the shoes of an addict. I wanted to reach into the pages and shake Noah, the MC, and knock some sense into him.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more work from Benjamin in the future.
May 9, 2017
This book had me gripped from the very first page. Noah is a well-written character and as I moved through the book and all his struggles I prayed that he would get a happy ending. This book will have you turning the pages as quickly as you can and trying to guess who the killer is. There are so many surprises and things I wasn't expecting. The author is a master storyteller and when it comes to thrills and suspense he has it nailed. Noah struggles in the aftermath of his accident are written in such a manner as you get to be inside his head and the pain and torment he endures. The secondary characters are excellent too and fit perfectly into the story. If you are a fan of murder mysteries and suspense thrillers this is definitely a book that will grip you. I won't give any spoilers, but I will say, put aside some time if you pick up this book because you won't want to put it back down. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author. I received an advanced copy of this book from the Publishers and I am voluntarily leaving a review because I loved the book.
May 24, 2017
From the first scene my heart was racing. The author did a good job drawing the reader in. This book constantly had you guessing and wanting to know more. Noah was a character you wanted to like and wanted to root for. He had many personal battles he was facing throughout the novel. The Jack the Ripper references were well researched. The writer does a good job making you want to know more about the real Jack the Ripper. If you are looking for a fast-paced novel with lots of twists I highly recommend Jack be Quick.
May 9, 2017
Jack Be Quick was a great read! The characters were well-developed and I found myself rooting for Noah early on, despite his inner demons. The plot twists were unexpected and had me hooked. This is a fast-paced thriller that you will not be able to put down. This story brings together medical drama, crime, and suspense in a creative and well-thought-out manner. I can't wait to see what Benjamin Thomas will publish next!
May 25, 2017
There's nothing I love more than an unreliable narrator written well. Noah satisfies that in every way. Backed up by a well developed cast of supporting characters and a multileveled mystery, Jack Be Quick stands solidly next to Girl on a Train on my bookshelf.
Because I normally read and review children's lit, I feel I need to add here that this is definitely a book for adults with adult language and content. If you are curious about Jack the Ripper, you def need to check this one out.
Because I normally read and review children's lit, I feel I need to add here that this is definitely a book for adults with adult language and content. If you are curious about Jack the Ripper, you def need to check this one out.
February 15, 2022
I truly do not understand how people rated this so high. The first third of the book I was probably thinking a 4: interesting story, good plot, etc. Halfway through, I was at 3 because the typographical and grammar errors were a little much but still, okay. The last quarter of the book just turned into horrific nonsense that didn’t make any sense and just, it was honestly terrible.
July 28, 2017
I won this book on Goodreads. It's a roller-coaster of a read! I was able to guess the killer, but I wasn't completely positive that I was right. It wasn't an easy guess. This book will have you turning the pages!
December 11, 2018
This book was given to me by a coworker and I was taken by surprise at how fast I was drawn in!! A true suspense and thriller that kept me engrossed - luckily I had a few days off cause I literally could not put this book down!! Looking forward to reading more of Benjamin Thomas books...
June 11, 2017
This book will draw you in and keep you there. Recommend!
June 12, 2017
Meet author Benjamin Thomas at our CT bookstore 7/29 1:00-2:00! Details & rsvp: https://www.facebook.com/events/14150...
August 29, 2017
I enjoyed this new authors first novel. Good mystery. Liked the medical setting and character Noah.
January 31, 2018
Incredibly tense and really well written. Jack Be Quick is also really well researched. You can tell Benjamin knows all about Noah's career and the ups and downs of his job.
A fantastic read.
A fantastic read.
July 31, 2017
"Jack be quick" is an enjoyable page turner by Benjamin Thomas.
Noah McKeen is a paramedic who is dealing with a challenging time in his life with the breakup of his relationship with his long term girlfriend. As well, partly due to a work-related injury, he is addicted to painkillers and alcohol. The clues left by a modern day “Jack the Ripper” pushes Noah and his brother on a quest to prevent “Jack” from committing further murders.
Thank you GoodReads for the book.
Thank you GoodReads for the book.
June 28, 2017
Wow, what an exciting roller coaster of a read! Loved the characters. Loved all the twists in the plot. I normally don't read thrillers, but after reading JACK BE QUICK, I think I have a new genre to explore. I'll be keeping an eye for more books from Benjamin Thomas.
January 3, 2024
This was an amazing thriller. The action starts as soon as you start reading with chapter one and keeps you hooked all the way until the end. All the characters were extremely well-developed, the chapters were fast-paced, and the story-line was unique and interesting. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who loves thriller and mystery!
(For a longer and more in-depth review, you can click here: https://shannonsshelves.wordpress.com...)
(For a longer and more in-depth review, you can click here: https://shannonsshelves.wordpress.com...)
May 9, 2017
This novel of Jack BeQuick starts out as an obvious thriller but Thomas soon revels that to this story is much more dynamic. The main character Noah is consumed by tragedy, regret and disregard for his own well-being, after surviving an accident that leads to a long physical and even greater emotional road to recovery. However, he still manages to wear the white cap on the hunt to find Jack and stop the legendary tale from being repeated.
Possible Spoiler Alert:
The "big" reveal of Jack's identity was not at all what I was anticipating.
Thomas’ descriptive rhetoric created a picture that kept my mind attentive and egger to find out what comes next. The method to which the story unfolds is well thought out. Everything connects back to Noah who is very relatable and I wanted to root for him even through his repetitive self-destructive ways.
This was an excellent read and I look forward to what the author has for us next!
Possible Spoiler Alert:
The "big" reveal of Jack's identity was not at all what I was anticipating.
Thomas’ descriptive rhetoric created a picture that kept my mind attentive and egger to find out what comes next. The method to which the story unfolds is well thought out. Everything connects back to Noah who is very relatable and I wanted to root for him even through his repetitive self-destructive ways.
This was an excellent read and I look forward to what the author has for us next!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews