Imagine Murder: A John Lennon Mystery

Imagine a murder mystery that involves one of rock 'n' roll's greatest artists.

Spring, 1972: it's the darkest moment of the Vietnam War, with demonstrations across the country. New York City is sliding toward bankruptcy. It's been nearly two years since the Beatles broke up; John Lennon and Yoko Ono have just established themselves as New York residents and artists. John's Imagine album hit the charts late the previous year, and he continues to record, but his and Yoko's newest passion is film: Joko Films, at an undisclosed location in SoHo, opens its doors. There, on the eve of the Watergate break-in, one of Joko's employees is brutally murdered, and the hunt for the killer, amid a storm of publicity, is on. Conceived and written by Dean Thompson, an original Joko employee, Imagine Murder is the first book in a series, based on the little-publicized New York City world of John Lennon and Yoko Ono in the 1970s.

Author: Dean Thompson
Publisher: Fayetteville Mafia Press
Published: 09/08/2025
Pages: 200
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.73lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.51d
ISBN: 9781959748236


Review Citation(s):
Booklist 11/01/2025

About the Author
It is easy to confuse Dean Thompson with Imagine Murder's fictional David Johnson. Both have experience working with John Lennon at his Joko Films's SoHo NYC location. Both came to New York City in the 1970s from Ohio, and both live in a Tudor-style house on Staten Island, which overlooks New York Harbor. In between his time with Lennon and writing Imagine Murder, Dean continued to work in film and television, while his coauthors -- wife Victoria Hallerman and best friend -- Thom Moon - have remained a steady part of his life. "I was approached by many people to write a book about working with John," Thompson said, "but I didn't want to be someone who wrote another 'I knew John Lennon best' book. While it is fiction, I think this book gives readers a chance to experience the John Lennon I knew in a unique and personal way."