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Grim

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Grim is a complex, gritty, and often gory tale which follows a series of grisly murders in Prairieville. The blood trail leads to a reclusive millionaire Heath Grim, who wears a mask to hide his war scars from the world, but he harbors a darker secret on the inside. Virtuous detective Adam White almost always gets his man, but he's haunted by the one case he's never closed - his wife's murder. When White is pushed to the limits of his sanity from a rising body count and a criminal kingpin who has turned crooked cops and corrupt politicians against him, will he be able to collar the killer? Or will a plot to tarnish his image and the killer's information on a common enemy turn White into the type of man he's hunted throughout his law enforcement career?

239 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 28, 2012

16 people want to read

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Joseph Spencer

24 books4 followers

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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Profile Image for Lizzy Lessard.
327 reviews88 followers
November 15, 2012
Overview: Grim is a story about bad guys fighting bad guys. There’s a couple of innocents who either get corrupted or killed or [can't say...spoiler], but the majority of the story is about the bad guys. The deaths are very descriptive and this is not a book I would suggest to someone with a week stomach. At times, the descriptions seem to be so extreme in the gore and horror that I found it humorous. This happened more in the beginning of the book as I was still trying to gain emotional attachment to the characters. As a lover of horror, I was thrilled that no two deaths were alike in this book. With dozens of deaths, that was no small feat.

Characters: I was overwhelmed at the beginning of the story. There are quite a few characters introduced and it isn’t the typical bad guys vs good guys. Good guys are in short supply in this book. After I sorted out who was who around 25% in, I really liked how diverse and complex even the minor characters were in the book. The cast is primarily male, yet it didn’t seem off balanced The female characters are more “off screen” but they still have big impacts in the story.

Plot: Heath delivers “justice” under the whims of Abbadon. Cryus runs a mafia that controls most of Prairieville; all opposition is eliminated Adam is dubbed the “White Knight” and is Prairieville’s only hope to solve the endless murders that happen in this town. The three men’s dark lives collide and there’s no guarantee that any of them will survive. I wasn’t a fan of the beginning, but the middle and end of the book were deliciously perfect. I had no idea what to expect until it happened. I don’t think the psychological horror was as strong as it could of been, but the descriptions and gore were amazingly done.

Ending: Perhaps I’m slightly morbid, but I found myself cheering at the creative ways certain characters died…particularly in the big stand off. I loved the humor and appropriate song choices. I was hoping for a different ending, but I can’t say that I’m disappointed or surprised. It had a nice little twist that made me wish there was at least another 50 pages. Then again, I’m not sure there would be any characters left at the end.

(I have received a copy for review from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.)
Profile Image for Stephanie Wolf.
208 reviews7 followers
October 28, 2012
Heath Grim was by all means a beast. A war veteran with scars on his face, he was rarely seen by any without his mask. His best friend, Craig, had been dead two years, but they continued to have conversations in Heath’s head.

Detective Adam White, the White Knight, was the savior come to town, arresting those criminals and making the city streets safer for all. Unfortunately, Cyrus Black was not a fan of the detective, most of the city was on his payroll or under his rule in some form or another, including Mayor Terry Sandburg.

When murders began happening again, similar to those from years ago, the White Knight kept on fighting crime, especially when his wife was killed by what was called an ape mask. Heath Grim also fought for justice, but in his own way. And Cyrus Black repeated said “What Cyrus wants, Cyrus gets”, no matter how or who gets in the way.

Heath has his own past that the reader gets to know, a not at all pleasant past. Vengeance has a price, but who is willing to pay that price, and what price for your soul?

Good mix of characters, each with their own secrets and past. Keeps the reader turning the pages to see how it is all connected. Although not too graphic or gory, it is a story of the deepest and darkest of souls.
Profile Image for Yvonne.
1,345 reviews265 followers
June 16, 2013
Grim by Joseph Spencer is a crime novel filled with everything from murders to organized mobsters to a tormented war veteran to a hero detective. Mix them together and you get a gory, gritty and captivating story.

This book isn't for the feint of heart though. The gore factor is quite high! If you are looking for a simple crime story, you won't get it with this book. It's a complex story with complex and intriguing characters. One you start reading, you won't be able to stop.


FTC Disclosure: The author provided me with a copy of this book to review for this blog tour. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
Profile Image for Diana (Offbeat Vagabond).
362 reviews42 followers
August 17, 2013
Original review here: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2013/06/grim-blog-tour-review-2-25-starbucks-gc.html

Goodness gracious, I enjoyed the hell out of this. I am such a fan of Joseph Spencer. I am so glad I stumbled onto this tour. I love how this book flows from one character to the other. Spencer has introduced us to a lot of them. It may seem a bit overwhelming at first, but it all goes together beautifully. Our main character, one of them anyway, is Heath Grim. He is quite the character to say the least. He is very mysterious and hides his face behind a black mask due to scars he received while at war. But the mask is not the only thing he hides. He is possessed by something that makes him do things he doesn't want to do, but can't help.

Another character I loved was Adam, the White Knight. He is a detective in the lime light. He is incorruptible and everyone loves him. He is always crowned a hero. He is the face of justice. But he has mysteries of his own. He is on his own mission to find the person who murdered his wife. He is lost without her. But he always makes sure he does the right thing no matter what. I loved this character a lot along with Grim. Spencer has given us so much depth with these characters even with the obvious bad guys. I love it when an author takes us into the mind of the bad guy.

But to be fair, with the exception of Adam, you can't tell who is the bad guy really is. There are various degrees of bad in this book and that just added another level to this book. I loved how Spencer did this. We have the obvious gangster villain, Cyrus, who pretty much controls everyone (cops and all). But what about Grim? He is intimidating and scary, but it isn't intentional. I won't give it all away. But it is fascinating being in his mind. What a character he was. I would love a whole movie on nothing but him. Just incredible. I loved his story. You will be captivated. Guaranteed.

I love how this book is all about pushing someone to their limits, specifically Adam. He is trying to crack a murder and can't shake the feeling that a certain politician has something up his sleeve concerning his investigation. It pushes him because can he really stick to his moral code when everyone around him is being manipulated, coerced or bribed by the bad guy.

Now if you are like me and love The Dark Knight like no tomorrow, this should sound familiar. From the get go, that was the only thing I could think about when reading parts of this. Grim is the bloody, gritter version of The Dark Knight. Now mind you, that doesn't take anything away from this book, but it is hard not to notice the similarities. But where The Dark Knight is okay for everybody, this is strictly for adults. That just made me love it more.

This is a must read. This is a great mix of paranormal and mystery. Fans of either genre would love this. I didn't expect that mix, but I loved it. This book is a raw, in-your-face, fast-paced read. You need to prepare yourself for this one. These characters will stick with you long after it is over especially Grim. I am a new fan of Joseph Spencer and you should be too. I can't wait to see what else this man has up his sleeve.
Profile Image for Sinn.
178 reviews33 followers
April 16, 2013
Honestly, even after reading the book, I am not entirely clear what it was really and truly about. What I know is that a series of murders are happening that appear to be in the style of an old mob killer. However, according to all reports, the hitman is dead. The police department’s poster boy, Adam White, is on the case. His investigation leads him to Heath Grim, the masked and disfigured owner of the apartments across from the crime scene. This tangled mess of a story involves two warring mob families, death, horrible violence, and the supernatural.

I’m not even sure where to start with this book. The idea was interesting; however, that’s where it stopped. The beginning was rather engaging. Unfortunately, it went from meh to ugh pretty quickly. It might be easier to break it down.

The Good

*The whole serial killer angle was a big draw

*I like the supernatural element that was behind a lot of the motives

*The casino game near the end was well played

*The use of masks was an interesting idea


The Bad

*Voorhees and Myers cross streets in front of Grim’s apartment complex was way too obvious. Further, on the next page, White compared Grim to Jason Voorhees. In addition, the stripper being named Gemma Jamerson was a *facepalm* moment. And, sadly, that isn’t the worst of it. The author makes pop culture references to Batman, movies, and so on; however, he suddenly changes the name of well known comic book characters, movie titles, and an actress. Why? I’m sorry, but that was just way too much for me.

*There were a lot of inconsistencies throughout the book. One of them was Grim’s Rosacea. On one page, he says that it appear a few years ago and doctors didn’t know why; however, on the very next page, he tells White that he has battled with it his whole life. Huh?

*Bruno’s cussing was too much. While I understand a character cussing like a sailor, when it interrupts the flow and halts the reader, it is way too much.

*As the book neared its conclusion, I found myself heavily reminded of The Dark Knight and Red Dragon by Thomas Harris. Grim, in a weird fashion, was an archetype of Bruce Wayne: his parents were taken from him, he lost someone dear to him, made a bargain to get revenge, and acted as a masked vigilante. And, if Grim was Bruce Wayne, Adam White was Harvey Dent. Along with the Batman theme, Grim’s comment about his girlfriend thinking he didn’t smile enough was just like Joker. As far as Red Dragon, the split personality/possession reminded me of Francis Dolarhyde.

*I didn’t like the pacing of the book.


All in all, I just didn’t like Grim. For me, it really wasn’t original and pulled too much from other sources. In addition, the grammar really tripped me up. I think, given some time and work, it might be better. Unfortunately, at this point, it felt like ripping teeth to finish the book, and it didn’t do it for me. Further, some of the violence seemed a little too over the top.
Profile Image for Chris Torretta.
897 reviews39 followers
January 18, 2013
I finished this book and then went and immediately looked up Joseph Spencer. I am now a huge fan!! I mean, I had doubts about reading this, not because he’s a debut author and this is his first book, not because the face on the book kind of threw me off (although I totally love it after reading!) but because I’m not into the whole mystery/crime genre. It’s just not my thing. But this book, oh man! This book was fantastic!

There’s a lot of back and forth between the main characters so you get to see what everyone is thinking. This threw me off at first. Joseph Spencer has quite a few characters, but as I started to get to know them I was entranced. It also amazed me how visceral this was. I mean!! There is blood and guts everywhere!! And I do mean everywhere. But I really was taken aback by how this started. It’s raw, in your face, intense, so even while you’re trying to get to know everyone you’re still totally sucked in.

The characters are captivating. You can’t tell who is the villain and believe me there are multiple, but who is THE villain exactly?! At around 80% of the book I knew but I also knew that I was cheering for one of them. And isn’t that great? When an author can make you cheer for a villain?

So, Adam is amazing. He’s the White Knight of the city. Really reminded me of Harvey from Batman. This guy can do no wrong but in his mind it’s a lot to deal with. He’s such an in depth guy and yes he does have issues of his own, of which he’s trying desperately to work through. It’s his commitment to find his wife’s murderer that keeps him motivated. And the really cool thing, he’s so calm and collected that nobody sees how much he’s going through!

And then you have Heath. Wow… This character is intense. His story is amazing to read. There’s so much about him and as you get to know him you want him to win even though you’re not sure what side he’s on. But whatever side he’s on, I wanted to be on it! He has an interesting life but mainly because of the scars on his face and learning about those scars was another level to the book. Getting to know the real Heath behind the mask was the best part! The story behind him all has to do with Egyptian Mythology. I love how much is in here! There’s so much about Gods, Angels and Demons that again, I was entranced and I know my mythology. But there is stuff in here that I’ve never heard of before. And it was all enter-twined so well that it didn’t drag the book down at all. It brought another dimension to it that again was exciting and needed!

This guy can write!! I’m a huge fan now. Mysteries, I’m still iffy on, but this guy? Yeah, I can’t wait for book two to come out! But now I”ll read anything that Joseph Spencer writes!

Although this sort of reminded me of a comic book hero type of book, it was fabulous. Like horror and some blood and guts? This is definitely your thing!
Profile Image for Mareena.
319 reviews6 followers
May 21, 2013
Heath Grim is a man of mystery, always careful to hide his disfigured face behind a black mask which he has worn since his return home from Iraq two years before. As the son of Armand Reapentier - the Enforcer for the Marino Family, known only as 'The Reaper' - Heath has sought vengeance against his father's killers for the past two years with no sign of success.

Detective Adam White is a man known to follow his own strict moral code, incorruptible and a seeker of justice. Known by the press as the 'White Knight', Adam can always be counted on to make sure that the criminals are punished and that the innocent are protected at all cost. What the public doesn't realize is that Adam White has spent the past decade trapped within his own private hell, trying to track down his wife's killers to no avail.

When a series of ritualistic murders targeting the rival Black Family and credited to 'The Reaper' - a serial killer who has been dead for two years strike the populace, all signs point to the reclusive, mysterious Heath Grim. However, when everything he values is suddenly taken from him, Detective Adam White will face a choice - does he maintain the heroic ideals which have made him the famed paragon of justice and take down a murderous madman, or will he give into his vigilante impulses, avenge his wife's murder, and become the type of killer he has hunted for so many years?

I enjoyed this book very much, because I like stories which deal with paranormal themes. I will say that Grim by Joseph Spencer is perhaps not to everyone's taste - I must admit that I wasn't always sure whether certain characters deserved the punishment that they received. The plot was realistic in that it shows that the desire for righteous justice can often be tainted by the very human desire for vengeance. I give this book an A! and will certainly be on the lookout for more books by Joseph Spencer in the future.
Profile Image for My Book Addiction and More MBA.
1,958 reviews71 followers
May 8, 2013
GRIM by Joseph Spencer is a gory paranormal crime thriller. Debut author novel. If you don't enjoy gory,gritty,thrillers read no further. If you do than "Grim"is the story for you,for it is not only gory,but gritty,and very complex. Filled with bad guys,corruption,death,secrets,a series of gory murders,justice,and a very dark thriller with a few twists and turns. The list of characters reads like a who's who of badness, including Heath Grim,war hero with scars inside and out,Adam White,police officer,crime fighter nicknamed "White Knight" whose wife has also fallen victim,and thug,mafia type,gang leader,Cyrus Black. While this is mostly an all male cast it is well written. If you are looking for romance,not gonna find it with "Grim". Fast paced,filled with action,fighting injustice,and a nagging question,will the good guy become a bad guy to get the justice he is so looking for? And would you chose revenge over forgiveness? "Grim" is a very dark,complex thriller,with a "Batman" feel to it. I enjoyed "Grim",which thrillers are not my usual cup of tea,but be warned do not read it way into the night. Mr. Spencer has written a well constructed story with engaging characters who are forced with a moral dilemma. Again, if you enjoy Thrillers,with mystery and suspense than "Grim" is for you. Pick it up!A debut novel and an author to watch for in the future. Received for an honest review from the publicist and/or author.

RATING: 4

HEAT RATING: HOT

REVIEWED BY: AprilR,(Courtesy of My Book Addiction and More)
Profile Image for Heather.
176 reviews19 followers
June 7, 2013
Heath Grim is a war hero who has no control of himself whenever the "beast" comes. He must do whatever the beast tells him too, even when he wakes up covered in blood. His only friends are the spirits of those who have died around him. The only thing he's looking for is revenge on the people who killed the woman he loved.
Adam "White Knight" White is a hero police detective who seems to solve every crime he comes across....except for the 10 year old murder of his wife. While investigating a series of murders he begins to see a connection between them and murders that occurred years ago. He knows the name of the killer but doesn't know what he looks like. Throw in the fact that his dead wife's roommate from college, who is a dead ringer for his wife, is moving in with him and Adam's life is beginning to turn upside down.
In between the murders mob boss Cyrus Black is using his pull on the people in town to become a puppet master with a very sinister agenda. Soon the bodies are piling up and there are multiple killers to find. Adam White is hot on the heels of the killers but he's always one step behind.
This story is full of action and horror at every page turn. I knew who the killers were but I never knew where they would strike next. There's also a paranormal aspect to the story that comes out piece by piece until all is finally revealed.
This is a great book for those who enjoy paranormal thrillers with a bit of horror thrown in. I enjoyed the book though I found the amount of killings to be a bit unrealistic.
I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.
Profile Image for Laura Thomas.
1,552 reviews108 followers
April 6, 2013
Not knowing what to expect as this is Joseph’s debut novel, I can tell you that I loved it.


The story moves back and forth between the characters, and it works well as it helps you get to know them and connect.


Most of the characters aren’t nice, in fact, they’re pretty bad. In a western movie, they’d all being wearing black. They have their reasons for being the way they are and I was torn between supporting them and shuddering at the lengths they go to.


The beginning was a bit confusing until I became familiar with the characters and got an idea what the story was about. After about a quarter of the book, it really took off and then there was no stopping until the end.


The author holds nothing back when the killing starts. So many different ways to take someone out. He got really creative and quite graphic. Good thing I have a strong stomach. I even laughed out loud at a few of the death scenes. I know, I’m morbid. Or maybe it’s just a release, like when cops joke over a dead body.


It’s weird to be cheering for the bad guys, but the good ones are in short supply in this story.


The action and suspense builds, more and more people die grisly deaths, and then you reach the big toe to toe ending.


I was quite happy with how the author wrapped it up, but I would have loved just a little bit more.


That’s why I gave Grim 5 Stars.


It left me wanting that next few pages, those couple more chapters. The next book?
Profile Image for Gigi.
110 reviews7 followers
April 7, 2013
The Adventures Within RABT Host
Grim blew me away, the whole entire time I was reading it I thought I was watching a movie. Especially with all the thriller and suspense parts, It was an easy read but it does feel like its a long book only because Mr. Spencer added so much detail and depth into the characters and pretty much everything else that would get your imagination going. I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would, Once you get about 15 pages into the book you sort of get glued to it or basically go into the book yourself.

Grim is one of those books that you can't put down and once you finish it you want to start it over again, the storyline was amazing. Anyone who loves to read Paranormal crime thrillers will be so intrigued by the synopsis.. Well more for what is in the pages, this was a first for me because I have never come across something like this. I would definitely chip in money just to get this to be made into a movie, and to see the characters come to life. It sure is movie worthy in my opinion. My favorite character would have to be Heath i have no Idea why but I liked him alot more maybe because he was a bit creepy. All in all it was a fantastic read which left me wanting more so that is always a great thing.
Profile Image for Susan.
760 reviews32 followers
February 11, 2013
Joseph pens "Grim" in an original complex plot with plenty of twists and turns. With his good cast of characters mixed in with terror, suspense and the dark story line, it will keep you turning the pages. In my opinion, this is not a book for readers under 18 with all the gore and darkness, but I would recommend it to adult readers who love the suspense and gore.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the author which was provided for an honest review.
Profile Image for Margo Dill.
Author 5 books41 followers
October 22, 2012
This is a very suspenseful and well-plotted book with paranormal elements. It kept me turning the pages. Characters are well-developed!
Profile Image for Louisa.
8,843 reviews99 followers
April 1, 2013
Great book, very interesting, and yeah, I really enjoyed it!
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