What would you do if Jesus walked down your alley? On Tuesday, February 13, 2024, you will have a chance to ponder that thought as you read my new book.

Several years ago – an exact date escapes me – I began wondering what our lives, more specifically my town, would be like if Jesus walked in. Far-fetched, obviously, but really, how would we react? What would make us believe such a person appeared?

I never pictured the rapture in The Book of Revelation. I could not imagine trumpets and the End Times. So, I took the embryonic concept and drafted a story prior to my Lake Superior kayak journey. Having some positive pre-reads was encouraging, but one troubled me. A person who I assumed was voiced in scripture had difficulty with the spirituality threaded throughout the plot. Oddly, the people who had given up on religious practice were verbose in their appreciation of the New Testament references which are modernized in the story. Now, being a short novel, events and historical figures were chosen carefully from the two-hundred and sixty chapters and around five hundred pages in the real New Testament; yet “Jesus Walked Down My Alley” is certainly a retelling of the New Testament in modern times. The twists and turns make it a mystery each reader will examine through their own lens.

As in all my writings, characters are based on real people who chose their pseudonyms or agree to use their real names. If you are a local, I guarantee you will recognize most everyone. As per usual, local haunts, streets, and neighborhoods are either stipulated as they truly are or are transformed to a mythical location most everyone can discern. Once more, patrons and events of Frank Flannigan’s restaurant are also based on true accounts.

The cover is from a photo of Jacob Reeb by Phillip Hutchinson of Northern Territory Imaging. Jacob is walking down my alley behind Mitchell Street. The image captures the precise moment of the first chapter when “Gene” saunters down the alley. From that moment, I suspect, your bells and whistles will be chiming as to why. What is the big deal?

Ah, but I will give nothing else away. The read is dynamic, provocative, and compelling. You will be challenged to wonder, as I did, how would you react? Moreover, how do you define spirituality and the concept of religion?

This is the second in a series of “Frank Flannigan Mysteries” that will continue as eBooks. The first novel in the series, “Moving Tables,” was published during COVID as an eBook when the bookstores were closed. It did so well, the series will continue as such. It is cheap and an easy read. You can download it to most any device and begin your diatribe of opinion. My website is open to your thoughts, questions, complaints, and compliments.

So, I ask again, what would you do if Jesus came to town?