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Hell is Empty
A man’s wife dies unexpectedly in Brno, Czechoslovakia, and his teenage foster daughter, Miomir, comes under suspicion after four of the girl’s classmates die by poisoning. Professor Filíp Nekola must protect his younger wards, siblings brought to him six years earlier when a government assassin, Karanosz Tasev, killed the children’s parents. A detective appears, offering information that Tasev seeks Miomir.
Nekola is detained by the Czech government’s secret police, the StB, and the children are left alone with Miomir and her friends. They witness the teenagers performing a dark ritual to destroy Miomir’s enemies. Filíp Nekola must escape the secret police, rescue the children, and stop the assassin Tasev before he steals another life. The worst monsters are human.
Nekola is detained by the Czech government’s secret police, the StB, and the children are left alone with Miomir and her friends. They witness the teenagers performing a dark ritual to destroy Miomir’s enemies. Filíp Nekola must escape the secret police, rescue the children, and stop the assassin Tasev before he steals another life. The worst monsters are human.
50 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 13, 2023
1 person is currently reading
2 people want to read
About the author
Mark Edward Jones
14 books26 followersMark Edward Jones is an award-winning author of mystery, thriller, paranormal, and speculative fiction. A retired higher-education finance professional, he began his full-time writing career after retiring in 2017.
Born and raised in Duncan, Oklahoma, Mark developed an early love of storytelling. He attended the University of Oklahoma, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science and public administration.
Detective Henry Ike Pierce Series
Mark’s debut novel, Peculiar Activities (October 2021), launched the Detective Henry Ike Pierce series and won first place in the mystery category at the 2019 Oklahoma Writers Federation contest. The second installment, Shadowed Souls, was released in 2022.
The third novel, Glass, is expected in 2027. Its manuscript won first place in the mystery category at the 2024 Oklahoma Writers Federation annual contest, marking Mark’s second first-place win in five years.
Expanding this universe, Mark is launching a new series centered on Eddie Stone, Henry Ike Pierce’s boss. The first novel, No Pain Wasted (2026), explores Eddie’s backstory, followed by The Costa Dossier in 2027.
Friday the 13th Series & Supernatural Fiction
Mark is also a contributor to the periodic Friday the 13th series—collections of mystery, suspense, and horror released on each Friday the 13th. His first three stories—A Gentleman from the Darkness (May 2022), Hell Is Empty (January 2023), and A Wicked Fate (October 2023)—follow the chilling exploits of assassin Karanosz Tasev and were later expanded into The Man in the Fedora (March 2024).
His supernatural suspense novellas Dormer (September 2024) and Dormer Christmas (December 2024) were expanded into She Watches, released in March 2025.
Science Fiction & Short Fiction
Mark’s upcoming science-fiction novel Tempus Mors is expected in 2028 and has already earned recognition, including third place at the 2023 OKC Writers’ Group contest. A short piece from that project, “Don’t Forget Us,” won first place in flash fiction and was named Crème de la Crème at the same contest. It was also a finalist at WriterCon 2024 and won the 2024 Southwest Writers Conference flash fiction category.
Another short work, “Alone in Warsaw,” won the 2025 Southwest Writers Conference short fiction category. Additional pieces, including “The Girl in the Locket” and “The Milkman,” were published in the December 2025 Tornado Alley chapter anthology of Sisters in Crime.
Noir Short Fiction
A new series of noir short stories launches in 2026, beginning with Wrong Day to Quit in April, followed by bi-monthly releases through December. The series follows private detective Frank “Twitchy” O’Brien in 1935 Alexandria, Virginia.
Personal
Mark and his wife celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary in November 2025. They have three grown children and one grandson. His favorite reads include mystery, suspense, and international intrigue. His musical tastes range from Elvis Presley to Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Boz Scaggs.
For additional links and updates: LinkTree
Born and raised in Duncan, Oklahoma, Mark developed an early love of storytelling. He attended the University of Oklahoma, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science and public administration.
Detective Henry Ike Pierce Series
Mark’s debut novel, Peculiar Activities (October 2021), launched the Detective Henry Ike Pierce series and won first place in the mystery category at the 2019 Oklahoma Writers Federation contest. The second installment, Shadowed Souls, was released in 2022.
The third novel, Glass, is expected in 2027. Its manuscript won first place in the mystery category at the 2024 Oklahoma Writers Federation annual contest, marking Mark’s second first-place win in five years.
Expanding this universe, Mark is launching a new series centered on Eddie Stone, Henry Ike Pierce’s boss. The first novel, No Pain Wasted (2026), explores Eddie’s backstory, followed by The Costa Dossier in 2027.
Friday the 13th Series & Supernatural Fiction
Mark is also a contributor to the periodic Friday the 13th series—collections of mystery, suspense, and horror released on each Friday the 13th. His first three stories—A Gentleman from the Darkness (May 2022), Hell Is Empty (January 2023), and A Wicked Fate (October 2023)—follow the chilling exploits of assassin Karanosz Tasev and were later expanded into The Man in the Fedora (March 2024).
His supernatural suspense novellas Dormer (September 2024) and Dormer Christmas (December 2024) were expanded into She Watches, released in March 2025.
Science Fiction & Short Fiction
Mark’s upcoming science-fiction novel Tempus Mors is expected in 2028 and has already earned recognition, including third place at the 2023 OKC Writers’ Group contest. A short piece from that project, “Don’t Forget Us,” won first place in flash fiction and was named Crème de la Crème at the same contest. It was also a finalist at WriterCon 2024 and won the 2024 Southwest Writers Conference flash fiction category.
Another short work, “Alone in Warsaw,” won the 2025 Southwest Writers Conference short fiction category. Additional pieces, including “The Girl in the Locket” and “The Milkman,” were published in the December 2025 Tornado Alley chapter anthology of Sisters in Crime.
Noir Short Fiction
A new series of noir short stories launches in 2026, beginning with Wrong Day to Quit in April, followed by bi-monthly releases through December. The series follows private detective Frank “Twitchy” O’Brien in 1935 Alexandria, Virginia.
Personal
Mark and his wife celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary in November 2025. They have three grown children and one grandson. His favorite reads include mystery, suspense, and international intrigue. His musical tastes range from Elvis Presley to Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Boz Scaggs.
For additional links and updates: LinkTree
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 12, 2023
A Spooky Cold War Thriller
Mark Edward Jones’s had deftly set his supernatural thriller, “Hell is Empty,” in Czechoslovakia during the Cold War, an already scary period to begin with. One of his characters is an ominous assassin who possesses supernatural abilities. In this story, he is searching for a niece who turns out to be even more ominous than her uncle. Can a good-hearted professor avoid the deadly forces arrayed against him and save two orphan children to whom he is the guardian? Read this excellent story to find out!
Mark Edward Jones’s had deftly set his supernatural thriller, “Hell is Empty,” in Czechoslovakia during the Cold War, an already scary period to begin with. One of his characters is an ominous assassin who possesses supernatural abilities. In this story, he is searching for a niece who turns out to be even more ominous than her uncle. Can a good-hearted professor avoid the deadly forces arrayed against him and save two orphan children to whom he is the guardian? Read this excellent story to find out!
Displaying 1 of 1 review