Ken Allen Super Sleuth

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.

In his world, everyone wears a mask. When the actors who play iconic superheroes in big screen blockbusters start dying on set, Ken Allen, failed actor and neophyte detective, answers the call after the blame falls on effects expert Ray Ford, Ken's oldest friend. But the deaths are not accidental. Someone is killing heroes. Maybe for love, maybe for money. Maybe for both. Ken Allen finds himself outmatched and outgunned when he learns that Ray Ford's banished apprentice makes weapons that are anything but props. No one is safe, including Ken's estranged son, who grew up hero-worshipping the father who never knew he existed.

The King is Dead, and the Game is Afoot. The hit TV show, “The Lands Beyond”, has become a cultural phenomenon, influencing fashion and baby name trends. Its creator, R. R. Reynard, masterminds the story each season, pitting the cast against each other in a toxic, kill or be killed, environment. But Reynard has even greater ambitions. He's formed a feudalistic society of superfans who are willing to do anything to rise in the ranks and be officially canonized as a character on “The Lands Beyond”. With the show set to enter its final season, the cast, crew, and superfans attend a convention at the historic Chateau D'Loire. While holding court, Reynard is murdered, and the notebook holding all the secrets, twists, and endings disappears. Enter Ken Allen, former D-list actor turned private eye. As the body count rises, Ken discovers the stakes are far greater than just a television show. And the fantasy neophyte is about to learn that all is fair in love and war in “The Lands Beyond”.

"A pitch-perfect combination of action, mystery, and humor." -Anthony Award-winning author Gigi Pandian for Jove Brand Is Near Death "Fans of both superheroes and pulp noir are sure to love Crawford's action-packed dialogue and descriptions." -Library Journal, for Heroes Ever Die The King is Dead, and the Game is Afoot. The hit TV show, The Lands Beyond, has become a cultural phenomenon, influencing fashion and baby name trends. Its creator, R. R. Reynard, masterminds the story each season, pitting the cast against each other in a toxic, kill or be killed, environment. But Reynard has even greater ambitions. He's formed a feudalistic society of superfans who are willing to do anything to rise in the ranks and be officially canonized as a character on The Lands Beyond. With the show set to enter its final season, the cast, crew, and superfans attend a convention at the historic Chateau D'Loire. While holding court, Reynard is murdered, and the notebook holding all the secrets, twists, and endings disappears. Enter Ken Allen, former D-list actor turned private eye. As the body count rises, Ken discovers the stakes are far greater than just a television show. And the fantasy neophyte is about to learn that all is fair in love and war in The Lands Beyond. For readers who love fun mysteries like the Spenser Series by Robert B. Parker, the Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich, and the M Murder Series by Anthony Horowitz.