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The Phantom Affliction
The Phantom Affliction is a gripping noir-style mystery set in post-WWII Chicago. The story follows Jack Kelly, a wounded veteran and son of a slain cop, who returns home only to stumble into a dangerous web of lies, disappearances, and old ghosts. When a former flame’s mother asks for help finding her missing daughter, Jack gets swept up in a messy case involving crooked families, lost identities, a fake milkman with a knife, and secrets tied to his own father’s death. What starts as a favor spirals into something bigger, more sinister, and deeply personal.
Reading this book felt like watching a smoky detective movie. Parker’s writing has bite. The voice is raw and full of personality. It’s sarcastic, wounded, cynical, but strangely warm. Jack Kelly is no hero with a shiny badge. He’s bruised, bitter, and limping, literally and emotionally. What I loved most was how real he felt. He’s the kind of guy who’ll joke about his fake leg even while bleeding from the head. The dialogue crackles with grit and wit, and the prose never overreaches. It’s straight talk from a street-smart vet who’s seen too much. I found myself grinning one second and wincing the next. The pacing slows in a few spots, sure, but never enough to kill the mood. You just want to follow Jack, even when he’s clearly in over his head.
The ideas Parker digs into hit hard. The novel looks at loyalty, corruption, trauma, and the loneliness of coming home to a world that moved on without you. There’s something tragic in how Jack wants to do the right thing but keeps getting burned. The people he trusts most, his uncle, his ex, even his late father, carry secrets that gnaw at the edges of the truth. The story swerves from mystery to thriller to something almost tender, and I didn’t expect that. It’s violent in places, but it never feels flashy. Every punch, every lie, every bloodstain means something. That’s what kept me hooked.
If you like a dark mystery that feels like it crawled out of a forgotten alley in a black-and-white film, this one’s for you. The Phantom Affliction is perfect for fans of Raymond Chandler or James Ellroy, but with a softer gut and sharper grief. It’s messy, bruised, and crawling with heart. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys a hard-boiled story with a twist of real emotion and a lead character you can’t help but root for.
Pages: 364 | ASIN : B0CTCQ4YPQ
His Complicated Past
You Gotta Die Sometime follows a salesman at a convention accused of murder who is now on the run while also being the target for murder. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I wanted to tell a story set during the Depression era about a guy struggling, like so many others back then, to find his purpose in the world and keep a roof over his head. He goes to the convention to receive an award and even though the award isn’t much, it gives him a sense of accomplishment and pride. Things turn upside down when his complicated past catches up with him.
Howard is an interesting character that readers are drawn to. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
I wanted him to be an Everyman who maneuvers his way through a series of dramatic events, some brought on by man and some by nature. I wanted to stray away from making him all good. In fact, most of his good deeds are fueled by a need to counter bad decisions and make some sort of amends with the world.
How did the mystery develop for this story? Did you plan it before writing, or did it develop organically?
I start every novel organically but start outlining and mapping things out as I get deeper into it. This means going back and forth sometimes, rewriting and editing until it all comes together. The book starts off with him almost getting murdered. When I sat down to write it, like him, I had no idea why or who was trying to kill him.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
My next book is a spin-off from my first novel, Machine of War. There was a detective in that book who I really enjoyed, so I’m giving him his own story. The Bum Leg should be available in November.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Some people shouldn’t die. They’re just no good at it.
On his cross-country journey through depression-era America, Howard Jones faced death more than once. Now, someone is trying to knock off the unassuming door-to-door salesman again. When his would-be assailant is killed, Howard becomes the number one suspect in what was to be his own murder.
On the run, he must unravel the mystery behind the murderous plot. As his world crumbles around him, Howard realizes that discovering the truth, and evading death, will require him to confront his dark and troubled past.
You Gotta Die Sometime
You Gotta Die Sometime by Jay Cameron Parker is a thrilling tale that follows the life of Howard Jones, a Stanley Brush salesman who is framed for murder while attending an award convention. Forced to go on the run, Howard meets a Pullman porter named George, who helps him to unravel the mystery of who might be responsible for the attempt on his life. As Howard shares his life story with George, they journey across the country during the Depression Era, encountering natural disasters and dangerous gangs along the way.
Parker’s expertly crafted narrative starts with a bang, immediately immersing the reader in the action and suspense that keeps them turning pages until the end. The vivid descriptions of the era and the struggles faced by people during the Depression add depth and context to the story, allowing readers to feel like they are transported back in time. One of the book’s strengths is its attention to historical accuracy and detail. Parker’s research is evident in his portrayal of the challenges faced by people during the Great Depression and the realities of life during that time period. Unfortunately, the book follows a specific formula of life attempts, name changes, and natural disasters over and over, making this a slightly predictable read. I would’ve liked to see more variety in the sequence of events to make this a more thrilling read. That aside, the storyline is compelling and engaging.
You Gotta Die Sometime is a well-crafted book that will appeal to fans of hard-boiled mystery. The protagonist’s struggle to find his place in the world after faking his death is a testament to one man’s determination to survive and thrive in a world that is stacked against him. Overall, the book is an engaging and enjoyable read that will leave readers wanting more.
Pages: 370 | ASIN : B0BZ8NB4NG
The Dangerous Fringe Of The City
Last Stop Slumberland follows an average guy trying to get by who gets mixed up in a horrific crime and murder thanks to his deceased sister’s cryptic message. What was your inspiration for the mystery that must be unraveled?
One of the inspirations for the mystery was the old true detective magazines and a true-life serial killer in the 1950s who posed as a photographer for these periodicals to lure young models. At the time, Hollywood desperately tried to stay relevant as television took a huge bite into the movie business. I wanted to paint this picture of the golden era of Hollywood sinking into obscurity while a darker element of the town rose to the surface. My main character works at a movie studio among movie stars, as I did for several years, while his sister lived among addicts and criminals on the dangerous fringe of the city.
Did you create an outline for the characters in the story before you started writing, or did the characters’ personalities grow organically as you were writing?
I don’t really create outlines. So, my characters grow organically. I try to make them as colorful as possible. I get a concept in my head and hear the voice of a damaged but likable character, then jump in and see where it takes me. On the main character’s journey, I try to make the characters as colorful and interesting as possible. This leads to a lot of backtracking and revising, which consumes a lot of time. But it’s the way I like to work.
How do you balance story development with shocking plot twists? Or can they be the same thing?
I do my best to make them the same thing. I think the twist in the story should propel the action, revealing something we weren’t aware of, which either explains the events or raises their stakes.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
My next novel is entitled; You Gotta Die Sometime. Set in the 1930s, during the great depression, a mild-mannered salesman goes to Los Angeles one weekend to receive an award from his employers. But things go sideways when someone breaks into his hotel room and tries to kill him. When his assailant dies in the attack, our man goes on the run, knowing that his dark past may have finally caught up with him. TBR April 2023
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Matthew Brooks is just a Tinsel Town nobody trying to keep a roof over his head and a loaded flask in his pocket. When his estranged sister dies, leaving nothing behind but a locked handbag and the address of a horrific crime scene, Brooks finds himself caught in a Hitchcockian plot built on obsession and murder.
Matthew’s spellbinding odyssey twists through the backlot of a major movie studio, the dark, dangerous streets of Los Angeles, and a notorious boneyard called Slumberland. A savvy detective and a group of daring women become entangled in the nightmare as they try to clear Matthew’s name.
Meanwhile, Brooks fights to stay one step ahead of brutal cops, an enthusiastic lynch mob, and a psychopath.
LITERARY TITAN 