Jove Brand Is Near Death

by J. A. Crawford

Overview

2021 Foreword INDIES Finalist
A Mystery Scene Magazine 2021 Editor's Pick

The name is Allen. Ken Allen.

These days Ken Allen is a nobody.

But once upon a time, his name was Brand. Jove Brand.

Eighteen years ago, Ken Allen played the famous fictional superspy in Near Death, a movie so bad it was never meant to be seen. Since then, Ken has faded into cult obscurity, but when his celebrated successor is killed in the same ghastly fashion as the villain in Near Death, Ken is cast as the prime suspect.

The only way for Ken to clear his name is to go full method and once again play the part of Jove Brand, except this time it’s for real. As murder surrounds him, the secrets behind Near Death Ken fought to keep buried for eighteen years begin to surface.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780744302691
Publisher:	CamCat Publishing
Publication date:	07/13/2021
Series:	Ken Allen Super Sleuth , #1
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	314
Sales rank:	972,325
File size:	610 KB

About the Author

Despite what his family thinks, Joe is not a spy and travels the country investigating disaster sites. Before that, he taught Criminal Justice, Montessori Kindergarten, and several martial arts. He divides his time between Michigan, California, and the worlds in his head.

Check in on Joe at www.jacrawford.net.

Editorial Reviews

05/10/2021

L.A. personal trainer Ken Allen, the witty narrator of Crawford’s nicely plotted debut, had his first and only movie role as Jove Brand, super spy, in the stunningly awful Near Death. In the 18 years since, the family that owns the rights to the Brand character has turned the film franchise into a billion-dollar business. Ken agrees to provide comic relief on a TV show in which the current Jove Brand, Sir Collin Prestor, officially hands over the role to his replacement. Things go swimmingly until Sir Collin is found dead, his eyes gouged out and his throat crushed, the same way the villain died in Near Death. Ken shifts from person of interest to main suspect when a Brand mega-fan dies in similar fashion. The only way Ken can save himself is to step back into the role of Brand and search for the killer. Readers will have fun spotting the real-life inspirations for the characters, and the authentically described fight scenes will please martial arts enthusiasts. Hopefully, Ken will be back soon for a sequel. Agent: Lucienne Diver, Knight Agency. (July)

Publishers Weekly

"[A] nicely plotted debut . . . Readers will have fun spotting the real-life inspirations for the characters, and the authentically described fight scenes will please martial arts enthusiasts. Hopefully, Ken will be back soon for a sequel." -Publishers Weekly

"J. A. Crawford's debut is a pitch-perfect combination of action, mystery, and humor." -Anthony Award-winning author Gigi Pandian

From the Publisher