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Detective Jacob Lev #1
The Gollem of Hollywood
“An extraordinary work of detection, suspense, and supernatural mystery. I spent three days totally lost in the world Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman have created. This is brilliant, page-turning fiction with mythic underpinnings that give it a special resonance; a rare collaboration where the sum is truly greater than the parts. The book is like nothing I’ve ever read before. It sort of took my breath away.”—Stephen King
From Jonathan Kellerman, the #1 New York Times–bestselling author and master of psychological suspense, and Jesse Kellerman, the international #1 bestselling author of The Genius, comes one of the most remarkable novels of the year.
A burned-out L.A. detective . . . a woman of mystery who is far more than she seems . . . a grotesque, ancient monster bent on a mission of retribution. When these three collide, a new standard of suspense is born.
The legend of the Golem of Prague has endured through the ages, a creature fashioned by a sixteenth-century rabbi to protect his congregation, now lying dormant in the garret of a synagogue. But the Golem is dormant no longer.
Detective Jacob Lev wakes one morning, dazed and He seems to have picked up a beautiful woman in a bar the night before, but he can’t remember anything about the encounter, and before he knows it, she has gone. But this mystery pales in comparison to the one he’s about to be called on to solve. Newly reassigned to a Special Projects squad he didn’t even know existed, he’s sent to a murder scene far up in the hills of Hollywood Division. There is no body, only an unidentified head lying on the floor of a house. Seared into a kitchen counter nearby is a single the Hebrew for justice.
Detective Lev is about to embark on an odyssey—through Los Angeles, through many parts of the United States, through London and Prague, but most of all, through himself. All that he has believed to be true will be upended—and not only his world, but the world itself, will be changed.
From Jonathan Kellerman, the #1 New York Times–bestselling author and master of psychological suspense, and Jesse Kellerman, the international #1 bestselling author of The Genius, comes one of the most remarkable novels of the year.
A burned-out L.A. detective . . . a woman of mystery who is far more than she seems . . . a grotesque, ancient monster bent on a mission of retribution. When these three collide, a new standard of suspense is born.
The legend of the Golem of Prague has endured through the ages, a creature fashioned by a sixteenth-century rabbi to protect his congregation, now lying dormant in the garret of a synagogue. But the Golem is dormant no longer.
Detective Jacob Lev wakes one morning, dazed and He seems to have picked up a beautiful woman in a bar the night before, but he can’t remember anything about the encounter, and before he knows it, she has gone. But this mystery pales in comparison to the one he’s about to be called on to solve. Newly reassigned to a Special Projects squad he didn’t even know existed, he’s sent to a murder scene far up in the hills of Hollywood Division. There is no body, only an unidentified head lying on the floor of a house. Seared into a kitchen counter nearby is a single the Hebrew for justice.
Detective Lev is about to embark on an odyssey—through Los Angeles, through many parts of the United States, through London and Prague, but most of all, through himself. All that he has believed to be true will be upended—and not only his world, but the world itself, will be changed.
552 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 16, 2014
557 people are currently reading
3107 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Kellerman
169 books5,795 followersJonathan Kellerman was born in New York City in 1949 and grew up in Los Angeles. He helped work his way through UCLA as an editorial cartoonist, columnist, editor and freelance musician. As a senior, at the age of 22, he won a Samuel Goldwyn Writing Award for fiction.
Like his fictional protagonist, Alex Delaware, Jonathan received at Ph.D. in psychology at the age of 24, with a specialty in the treatment of children. He served internships in clinical psychology and pediatric psychology at Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles and was a post-doctoral HEW Fellow in Psychology and Human Development at CHLA.
IN 1975, Jonathan was asked by the hospital to conduct research into the psychological effects of extreme isolation (plastic bubble units) on children with cancer, and to coordinate care for these kids and their families. The success of that venture led to the establishment, in 1977 of the Psychosocial Program, Division of Oncology, the first comprehensive approach to the emotional aspects of pediatric cancer anywhere in the world. Jonathan was asked to be founding director and, along with his team, published extensively in the area of behavioral medicine. Decades later, the program, under the tutelage of one of Jonathan's former students, continues to break ground.
Jonathan's first published book was a medical text, PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF CHILDHOOD CANCER, 1980. One year later, came a book for parents, HELPING THE FEARFUL CHILD.
In 1985, Jonathan's first novel, WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS, was published to enormous critical and commercial success and became a New York Times bestseller. BOUGH was also produced as a t.v. movie and won the Edgar Allan Poe and Anthony Boucher Awards for Best First Novel. Since then, Jonathan has published a best-selling crime novel every year, and occasionally, two a year. In addition, he has written and illustrated two books for children and a nonfiction volume on childhood violence, SAVAGE SPAWN (1999.) Though no longer active as a psychotherapist, he is a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics and Psychology at University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine.
Jonathan is married to bestselling novelist Faye Kellerman and they have four children.
Like his fictional protagonist, Alex Delaware, Jonathan received at Ph.D. in psychology at the age of 24, with a specialty in the treatment of children. He served internships in clinical psychology and pediatric psychology at Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles and was a post-doctoral HEW Fellow in Psychology and Human Development at CHLA.
IN 1975, Jonathan was asked by the hospital to conduct research into the psychological effects of extreme isolation (plastic bubble units) on children with cancer, and to coordinate care for these kids and their families. The success of that venture led to the establishment, in 1977 of the Psychosocial Program, Division of Oncology, the first comprehensive approach to the emotional aspects of pediatric cancer anywhere in the world. Jonathan was asked to be founding director and, along with his team, published extensively in the area of behavioral medicine. Decades later, the program, under the tutelage of one of Jonathan's former students, continues to break ground.
Jonathan's first published book was a medical text, PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF CHILDHOOD CANCER, 1980. One year later, came a book for parents, HELPING THE FEARFUL CHILD.
In 1985, Jonathan's first novel, WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS, was published to enormous critical and commercial success and became a New York Times bestseller. BOUGH was also produced as a t.v. movie and won the Edgar Allan Poe and Anthony Boucher Awards for Best First Novel. Since then, Jonathan has published a best-selling crime novel every year, and occasionally, two a year. In addition, he has written and illustrated two books for children and a nonfiction volume on childhood violence, SAVAGE SPAWN (1999.) Though no longer active as a psychotherapist, he is a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics and Psychology at University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine.
Jonathan is married to bestselling novelist Faye Kellerman and they have four children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 690 reviews
October 16, 2014
~2.5
Have you ever had your entire experience of a book ruined by the ending? This is one of those books.
I'm a strong fan of Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware series. Kellerman plus golems? What could possibly go wrong?
I'm glad you asked.
First, however, I’ll give objectivity--or at least more measured subjectivity-- a try. The Golem of Hollywood is a bizarre pairing of two narratives: that of Jacob Lev, a burned-out, alcoholic, Hollywood detective, and Asham, the sister of Cain and Abel. (Yes, that Cain and Abel.)
Jacob Lev isn’t faring well. Dealing with the repercussions of his mother’s bipolar disorder caused Jacob to lose his faith, which has not made things any less tense with his rabbi father. He gave up all hope of academic success when he dropped out of Harvard after his mother’s suicide to care for his vision-impaired father. Now a policeman, Jacob has been downgraded from homicide to traffic. And now the beautiful woman that he managed to pick up at a bar has walked out on him. But when he is brought in on a case for “Special Projects,” things begin to take a peculiar turn. Jacob is told to investigate a murder in which the victim’s head seems to have been squeezed off the body. Stranger still, the only clue is the Jewish word for justice burnt into the wood near the man’s head. When mysterious women, cryptic clues, and strange bugs start appearing everywhere, Jacob is left wondering whether he’s beginning to lose his vision, his mind, or both.
Asham’s sections are interpolated throughout the book. When the story starts, Asham is forced to choose which brother to marry. Told in third person present, it is a bizarre, nonsensical, anachronistic retelling of some familiar stories, but not necessarily in a bad way. In fact, it reminded me a bit of a midrash, as I think was the intent. I never really understood the basic morality within midrashim, either.
How are the narratives intertwined? Well, due to an extremely unsubtle prologue, you’ll figure it out early enough to be dead bored with the eventual “solution.”
The book is definitely interesting, and I enjoyed the way in which various Jewish beliefs and stories were woven into the story. One of the most fascinating tales that the story touches upon is that of Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the supposed creator of the golem. The language games, too, were intriguing; for example, it is rather fitting that “justice” and “charity” not only share a root in Hebrew, but “charity” is the feminized form of the word.
At the same time, the plot itself is something of a mess. Dual narratives are never easy, and balancing a hardboiled police procedural with an utterly fanciful and unbiblical retelling of Genesis is not an easy task. Because the reader is privy to more information that Jacob receives, the situation becomes clear to the reader while Jacob is still flailing about blindly. Some plot threads left dangling while others are tied up in the most artificial way possible. There are also a lot of twisted sexual elements, starting with the whole “incest between Asham and her brothers” bit and moving on from there.
The ending is--and I’m sorry, but the language really is necessary to convey my emotions--seriously fucked up.
I’ve actually read both Jesse and Jonathan Kellerman. While I’m a fan of the latter, I only barely pushed my way through one of the former’s books. Maybe it’s my bias speaking, but the weird, illogical, twisted elements here reminded me more of Jesse than Jonathan. Honestly, if you’re a fan of Jonathan Kellerman but not Jesse, I’d strongly recommend giving this one a miss.
Cross-posted at BookLikes, which also has additional links and spoilers that I was too lazy to copy over.
Have you ever had your entire experience of a book ruined by the ending? This is one of those books.
I'm a strong fan of Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware series. Kellerman plus golems? What could possibly go wrong?
I'm glad you asked.
First, however, I’ll give objectivity--or at least more measured subjectivity-- a try. The Golem of Hollywood is a bizarre pairing of two narratives: that of Jacob Lev, a burned-out, alcoholic, Hollywood detective, and Asham, the sister of Cain and Abel. (Yes, that Cain and Abel.)
Jacob Lev isn’t faring well. Dealing with the repercussions of his mother’s bipolar disorder caused Jacob to lose his faith, which has not made things any less tense with his rabbi father. He gave up all hope of academic success when he dropped out of Harvard after his mother’s suicide to care for his vision-impaired father. Now a policeman, Jacob has been downgraded from homicide to traffic. And now the beautiful woman that he managed to pick up at a bar has walked out on him. But when he is brought in on a case for “Special Projects,” things begin to take a peculiar turn. Jacob is told to investigate a murder in which the victim’s head seems to have been squeezed off the body. Stranger still, the only clue is the Jewish word for justice burnt into the wood near the man’s head. When mysterious women, cryptic clues, and strange bugs start appearing everywhere, Jacob is left wondering whether he’s beginning to lose his vision, his mind, or both.
Asham’s sections are interpolated throughout the book. When the story starts, Asham is forced to choose which brother to marry. Told in third person present, it is a bizarre, nonsensical, anachronistic retelling of some familiar stories, but not necessarily in a bad way. In fact, it reminded me a bit of a midrash, as I think was the intent. I never really understood the basic morality within midrashim, either.
How are the narratives intertwined? Well, due to an extremely unsubtle prologue, you’ll figure it out early enough to be dead bored with the eventual “solution.”
The book is definitely interesting, and I enjoyed the way in which various Jewish beliefs and stories were woven into the story. One of the most fascinating tales that the story touches upon is that of Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the supposed creator of the golem. The language games, too, were intriguing; for example, it is rather fitting that “justice” and “charity” not only share a root in Hebrew, but “charity” is the feminized form of the word.
At the same time, the plot itself is something of a mess. Dual narratives are never easy, and balancing a hardboiled police procedural with an utterly fanciful and unbiblical retelling of Genesis is not an easy task. Because the reader is privy to more information that Jacob receives, the situation becomes clear to the reader while Jacob is still flailing about blindly. Some plot threads left dangling while others are tied up in the most artificial way possible. There are also a lot of twisted sexual elements, starting with the whole “incest between Asham and her brothers” bit and moving on from there.
The ending is--and I’m sorry, but the language really is necessary to convey my emotions--seriously fucked up.
I’ve actually read both Jesse and Jonathan Kellerman. While I’m a fan of the latter, I only barely pushed my way through one of the former’s books. Maybe it’s my bias speaking, but the weird, illogical, twisted elements here reminded me more of Jesse than Jonathan. Honestly, if you’re a fan of Jonathan Kellerman but not Jesse, I’d strongly recommend giving this one a miss.
Cross-posted at BookLikes, which also has additional links and spoilers that I was too lazy to copy over.
June 2, 2018
Wow! Where do I start in reviewing this book, this was certainly something I was not expecting and really is the type of book you are best exploring with no expectations of it being like Jonathan Kellerman's other books, if you can do that, you will probably enjoy it more, as it's different. The book is a collaboration between Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman, so it's bound to be different.
The writing in this book is good for the most part. I was sucked into the words and they kept me riveted until perhaps about the time that Prague becomes a focus in the book. At that point it did lose me a bit and I was tempted to skim read and flick forward but I hung in there. It's possibly a touch too long this novel. I was struggling to keep focused during this part.
A burned-out L.A. detective, a woman of mystery who is far more than she seems, a grotesque, ancient monster bent on a mission of retribution. When these three collide, a new standard of suspense is born.
The legend of the Golem of Prague has endured through the ages, a creature fashioned by a sixteenth-century rabbi to protect his congregation, now lying dormant in the garret of a synagogue. But the Golem is dormant no longer.
And for Detective Jacob Lev the mystery of how he spent last night pales in comparison the one he's about to be called upon to solve.
So that's the official blurb. I was super intrigued and found the whole story of the Golem of Prague fascinating, it's something I had never heard about before. I was therefore expecting this book to be maybe more scary, darker than what it was, but I read horror and a lot of dark crime books so maybe it is chilling and a bit scary to some readers.
The book is written like two books intertwining, of which they only make sense towards the end, so don't write off the format in this book, it serves a very important purpose. We fluctuate between modern day, following Jewish Detective Jacob Lev on his hunt for a killer that takes him to places he never thought he would go and the story of a woman, sister to Cain and Abel (yes from the bible) and set in biblical times. I actually enjoyed the historical element of this book, other readers found it bored them, seeing it as a religious book, I don't think it is, it's part of the overall plot and story.
What does get a little tedious is the over descriptive elements of Jewish customs, prayers, temples and so on. I kind of got it early on but felt it was being rammed in over and over again. Meanwhile underneath all that there is a really interesting plot that incorporates unusual killings with superstition and the supernatural. It's an interesting mix this book, again read it with a very open mind. This is not his usual crime novel at all.
I loved the story of Golem of Prague and how it came to be, it stirred up a lot of feelings in me from disgust to pity, and it's quite a fascinating aspect of the book. It was great to follow it and learn.
The characters are so-so in this book, I did not hugely connect with any of them, but strangely, even though they were at arms length it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book, normally when I can't link with characters I don't enjoy my reading. The plot is slow and even-paced until the very end, don't expect loads of non-stop action in this one, take your time and just absorb what is going on.
It did send my mind on a bit of a trip in some parts, where I literally had no clue what was going on with this Golem thingy..
But when the book came towards it's final curtain and I knew what the Golem was all about I was like..
If you like something different with your Detective stories, a tad of the supernatural with your tea and biscuits, a book that makes you think a bit and keep pushing on to know the final outcome and if you have no phobia of beetles, large or small, then you may well enjoy this book.
I received a copy of this novel thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, many thanks.
The writing in this book is good for the most part. I was sucked into the words and they kept me riveted until perhaps about the time that Prague becomes a focus in the book. At that point it did lose me a bit and I was tempted to skim read and flick forward but I hung in there. It's possibly a touch too long this novel. I was struggling to keep focused during this part.
A burned-out L.A. detective, a woman of mystery who is far more than she seems, a grotesque, ancient monster bent on a mission of retribution. When these three collide, a new standard of suspense is born.
The legend of the Golem of Prague has endured through the ages, a creature fashioned by a sixteenth-century rabbi to protect his congregation, now lying dormant in the garret of a synagogue. But the Golem is dormant no longer.
And for Detective Jacob Lev the mystery of how he spent last night pales in comparison the one he's about to be called upon to solve.
So that's the official blurb. I was super intrigued and found the whole story of the Golem of Prague fascinating, it's something I had never heard about before. I was therefore expecting this book to be maybe more scary, darker than what it was, but I read horror and a lot of dark crime books so maybe it is chilling and a bit scary to some readers.
The book is written like two books intertwining, of which they only make sense towards the end, so don't write off the format in this book, it serves a very important purpose. We fluctuate between modern day, following Jewish Detective Jacob Lev on his hunt for a killer that takes him to places he never thought he would go and the story of a woman, sister to Cain and Abel (yes from the bible) and set in biblical times. I actually enjoyed the historical element of this book, other readers found it bored them, seeing it as a religious book, I don't think it is, it's part of the overall plot and story.
What does get a little tedious is the over descriptive elements of Jewish customs, prayers, temples and so on. I kind of got it early on but felt it was being rammed in over and over again. Meanwhile underneath all that there is a really interesting plot that incorporates unusual killings with superstition and the supernatural. It's an interesting mix this book, again read it with a very open mind. This is not his usual crime novel at all.
I loved the story of Golem of Prague and how it came to be, it stirred up a lot of feelings in me from disgust to pity, and it's quite a fascinating aspect of the book. It was great to follow it and learn.
The characters are so-so in this book, I did not hugely connect with any of them, but strangely, even though they were at arms length it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book, normally when I can't link with characters I don't enjoy my reading. The plot is slow and even-paced until the very end, don't expect loads of non-stop action in this one, take your time and just absorb what is going on.
It did send my mind on a bit of a trip in some parts, where I literally had no clue what was going on with this Golem thingy..
But when the book came towards it's final curtain and I knew what the Golem was all about I was like..
If you like something different with your Detective stories, a tad of the supernatural with your tea and biscuits, a book that makes you think a bit and keep pushing on to know the final outcome and if you have no phobia of beetles, large or small, then you may well enjoy this book.
I received a copy of this novel thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, many thanks.
July 16, 2021
Jacob Lev is an alcoholic, almost washed-up LAPD detective who's been relegated to the traffic department. Then an unidentified severed head is found in an abandoned house along with the Hebrew word for "justice." Lev is reassigned to the ensuing murder investigation, apparently because of his Jewish heritage. It soon becomes clear that this isn't a routine murder inquiry but rather a secretive endeavor to be conducted from Jacob's apartment.
As Jacob uncovers clues he discovers that a series of interconnected murders are the work of one or more serial killers. In his pursuit of the killers Jacob travels to Prague where he makes startling discoveries related to his family as well as the crimes. To add to the mystery Jacob has encounters with an exotic beautiful woman and a huge, angry horned beetle - both of which seem to have some connection with what's going on.
A second pseudo-biblical tale alternates with the story of Jacob's investigation. This historical tale - which starts out with Cain and Abel competing for the same woman and evolves into the origin of the golem of Prague - turns out to have links to the current serial murders. Jacob's beloved father Sam, a rabbinical scholar, also seems to have some connection with the historical tale and ancient Prague.
The conglomeration of the modern story and the bible-like story doesn't work well. While the narration of Jacob's murder investigation is mildly engaging the historical tale is slow and - for most of the book - doesn't seem to be going anywhere.
It seems like one or both authors wanted to make use of (what seems to be) a thorough Yeshiva education, injecting a good deal of Jewish philosophy and beliefs into the book. There's too much of this though, and it doesn't fit in with the book's murder inquiry. This type of thing has been done much better in the "Rabbi Small" mysteries by Harry Kemelman.
In any case, by the end of the book it seemed like an unlikely, disjointed fairy tale about (I think) justice across the ages. Moreover, I didn't care about the crimes, who committed them, or why. I was just glad to be done with the book.
I'm a fan of Jonathan Kellerman and have enjoyed many of his books but this collaboration of the father son team - Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman - is not a success. I don't recommend this book.
(I also don't like the cover. 🙁)
You can follow my reviews at http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/
October 26, 2014
Is this book really written by Jonathan Kellerman that writes the fantastic Alex Delaware Series? Let me check…yes, that’s what is says on the cover…he wrote this with his son, Jesse Kellerman.
Perhaps that’s the reason that The Golem of Hollywood is my LEAST liked book written by JK!!!
What a bizarre plot..no, wait…two plots interwoven into one story!! An alcoholic burnt-out detective given the task of solving a serial killer’s murders in LALA land and Asham, sister of Cain & Abel…are they the C & A from the bible????? Geez…still haven’t figured it out!!!
I did not care about any of the characters…too may twisted and evil and not so nice…...i tried really hard to like Jacob Lev…hell with a father like his….believe me dad is not a nice guy….just check out what secrets he has and what he did to his family that contributed a LOT to the kind of guy Jacob turned into……and just when I had a little warm buzz, Jacob shows himself to be such an idiot!!!
The plot didn’t work for me…from Jacob to Asham…back to Jacob and then to golems…..my head was spinning…and not in a good way!!!
So, a contemporary crime/thriller/serial killer mixed with paranormal/golems……hey, you confused!! At the end of this rather weird and really boring book…I was like
The epilogue ….hated it…..and hated some of the characters even more when all is revealed!! Well, not all exactly because it felt like to me that there will be more of Jacob & Mia!!!!! Am I interested in that????
I think I’ll wait for the next Alex Delaware book instead!!!!!
October 1, 2014
The Golem of Hollywood is not your typical Jonathan Kellerman novel. And it's not an easy read. The novel combines two intersecting story lines. One features LAPD detective Jacob Lev who is tasked with solving a gruesome murder that took place in the Hollywood Hills. The trail takes Detective Lev through his paces, eventually leading to Prague. The other story goes back to biblical times and moves through the centuries. Eventually, the stories intersect, and the reader is taken through aspects of Jewish mysticism and the notion of a golem who is an otherworldly being. Is the golem still around, bent on exacting revenge? What role does Jacob's father have in all this, and how much of what you read is a product of Jacob's fervid imagination? Written with some extremely lyrical passages, The Golem of Hollywood can at times, be beautiful, while at other times, it contains disturbing imagery. On the whole, a complex but satisfying novel written collaboratively by a father and son team who really know how to put together a humdinger of a novel.
Mark Rubinstein
Author of Mad Dog House and Mad Dog Justice
Mark Rubinstein
Author of Mad Dog House and Mad Dog Justice
October 29, 2015
I don't know exactly how to phrase this review. I like the book. On the whole I thought I'd give it 3 stars but it's a better story than that and I do plan to follow it up. I'll be spending a few lines telling you why I can't give it a more rave type review.
First let me say that the story itself is one of great imagination and invention. The story telling is thoughtful and I don't think that you will have seen many like it. There is more depth here than you get in a lot of thrillers and it's thought provoking.
BUT the book is (in my humble opinion of course) too long. In the story it tells and in the telling it hits points where it drags out to an annoying point. Still I never actually lost interest. It was close a few times but I staid with it and the book, the story always came back.
You will I think find the characters mostly complete (that said there is a character that is kept nebulous on purpose and I suspect will be filled out as the series continues).
The parts of the book i found the most...annoying were the digressions into the far past. I won't say much as that would most definitely be a spoiler. Still it was a situation where giving us the needed history and information managed to take on a pretty dry aspect an times (of course there's some desert scenes so maybe that explains so of the dryness???? Sorry couldn't resist.)
Anyway, bottom line I like the book and think I can recommend it to most readers of thrillers and/or urban fantasy (the fantasy elements are not what you usually see and are more understated.)
Now one last word for a few of you. The book did something that annoys me a bit but probably won't bother a lot of readers. It plays fast and loose with some teachings from the Bible thus in reality treating the Bible as mythology at least in part.
Now that is the right of the authors and I'm not challenging it. I'm simply saying it annoys me and noting it here as I'm sure it will annoy others. It may be more annoying to Jewish readers than to Christian as it deals more with Jewish traditions. This has no bearing on my rating however I mention it simply for information's sake.
So again I can recommend this one. Try it yourself, enjoy.
First let me say that the story itself is one of great imagination and invention. The story telling is thoughtful and I don't think that you will have seen many like it. There is more depth here than you get in a lot of thrillers and it's thought provoking.
BUT the book is (in my humble opinion of course) too long. In the story it tells and in the telling it hits points where it drags out to an annoying point. Still I never actually lost interest. It was close a few times but I staid with it and the book, the story always came back.
You will I think find the characters mostly complete (that said there is a character that is kept nebulous on purpose and I suspect will be filled out as the series continues).
The parts of the book i found the most...annoying were the digressions into the far past. I won't say much as that would most definitely be a spoiler. Still it was a situation where giving us the needed history and information managed to take on a pretty dry aspect an times (of course there's some desert scenes so maybe that explains so of the dryness???? Sorry couldn't resist.)
Anyway, bottom line I like the book and think I can recommend it to most readers of thrillers and/or urban fantasy (the fantasy elements are not what you usually see and are more understated.)
Now one last word for a few of you. The book did something that annoys me a bit but probably won't bother a lot of readers. It plays fast and loose with some teachings from the Bible thus in reality treating the Bible as mythology at least in part.
Now that is the right of the authors and I'm not challenging it. I'm simply saying it annoys me and noting it here as I'm sure it will annoy others. It may be more annoying to Jewish readers than to Christian as it deals more with Jewish traditions. This has no bearing on my rating however I mention it simply for information's sake.
So again I can recommend this one. Try it yourself, enjoy.
October 16, 2014
This is a fantastically absorbing and complex novel and a radical departure for Jonathan Kellerman from his Alex Delaware novels. If you picked up this book expecting another schmooze with Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis, put it down. This is an entirely different genre. You will either be fascinated by it or hate it. Witness other reviews on GoodReads and Amazon which illustrate this range of reaction.
I read this novel in three days and only at night. This demonstrates clearly that I was fascinated by it. I don't normally pay much attention to author blurbs but I found that Stephen King had pretty much already encapsulated my reaction:
“An extraordinary work of detection, suspense, and supernatural mystery. I spent three days totally lost in the world Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman have created. This is brilliant, page-turning fiction with mythic underpinnings that give it a special resonance; a rare collaboration where the sum is truly greater than the parts. The book is like nothing I’ve ever read before. It sort of took my breath away.”—Stephen King on Amazon
There are two main story lines. One involves Detective Jacob Lev of the LAPD who is tasked with solving a homicide where the only evidence is a head and some green vomit.He travels to Prague where he discovers a similar homicide where only a head remains. Clues then take him to London where he uncovers the identity of the murderers. The second story, which runs in parallel with the murder mystery, starts with Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel, after the eviction from the Garden of Eden. After Cain kills Abel he is pursued for decades by their younger sister Asham who is intent on revenging Abel's murder. Ultimately she succeeds in the city of Enoch, named after Cain's son, Enoch. To kill Cain she sacrifies herself but lives on in this story line as a spirit who takes various forms including becoming the Golem of Prague in the 16th century and in the present day some interesting manifestations.
The two story lines converge in the final chapters. Asham's spirit intervenes in the present to save Jacob from death as he closes in on the manipulator behind the murders.
I greatly enjoyed this novel. Whether you will depends very much on whether your tastes are set in concrete or you are open to new experiences.
I read this novel in three days and only at night. This demonstrates clearly that I was fascinated by it. I don't normally pay much attention to author blurbs but I found that Stephen King had pretty much already encapsulated my reaction:
“An extraordinary work of detection, suspense, and supernatural mystery. I spent three days totally lost in the world Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman have created. This is brilliant, page-turning fiction with mythic underpinnings that give it a special resonance; a rare collaboration where the sum is truly greater than the parts. The book is like nothing I’ve ever read before. It sort of took my breath away.”—Stephen King on Amazon
There are two main story lines. One involves Detective Jacob Lev of the LAPD who is tasked with solving a homicide where the only evidence is a head and some green vomit.He travels to Prague where he discovers a similar homicide where only a head remains. Clues then take him to London where he uncovers the identity of the murderers. The second story, which runs in parallel with the murder mystery, starts with Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel, after the eviction from the Garden of Eden. After Cain kills Abel he is pursued for decades by their younger sister Asham who is intent on revenging Abel's murder. Ultimately she succeeds in the city of Enoch, named after Cain's son, Enoch. To kill Cain she sacrifies herself but lives on in this story line as a spirit who takes various forms including becoming the Golem of Prague in the 16th century and in the present day some interesting manifestations.
The two story lines converge in the final chapters. Asham's spirit intervenes in the present to save Jacob from death as he closes in on the manipulator behind the murders.
I greatly enjoyed this novel. Whether you will depends very much on whether your tastes are set in concrete or you are open to new experiences.
November 4, 2014
The father and son team of Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman offer up their first joint effort, a mythical police procedural smorgasbord sure to leave the reader wondering if they might have made a grave error in delving in. The reader meets the run-down LAPD Detective, Jacob Lev, as he is reassigned to a Special Branch and tasked with hunting down a killer who's left his victim decapitated and with an odd Hebrew letter burnt into the counter. As Lev struggles with his alcoholism, inability to make meaningful inter-personal connections, and find himself, he must forge ahead wherever the clues take him; at least as far as his superiors will allow. While he follows the leads into Europe, Lev discovers some daunting clues and secrets from his past. A parallel tale is peppered throughout the novel, as though this book needed any more tangential narrative, examining the apparent rise of the original Golem, a monster of 17th century Jewish lore, and its roots back to the creation of Man. Thrown together, the novel reads like a London Tube map, a mess waiting to be discovered. Fans of the Kellermans ought to be ready for a confusing and less than fulfilling ride.
Perhaps it is me, who has not read a Jonathan Kellerman novels, but this was a total train wreck. It surpasses anything I have read of the younger Kellerman, and I cannot see myself wanting to approach anything they pen together. The main story, a police procedural,tells an interesting story and could have, perhaps, held its own. That said, the overly introspective and dramatic look at Lev's character does little to pull me in. That and the jolting 'throwback' sections do little to interest me and float around. These two bestselling authors have surely caught a case of the James Patterson bug, using their names to sell books and letting drivel churn itself out. Best left on the cutting room floor.
Tepid reviews for you both, Messrs. Kellerman. Stick to your solo work and chat over coffee about your ideas, saving us the pain of reading another mess.
Perhaps it is me, who has not read a Jonathan Kellerman novels, but this was a total train wreck. It surpasses anything I have read of the younger Kellerman, and I cannot see myself wanting to approach anything they pen together. The main story, a police procedural,tells an interesting story and could have, perhaps, held its own. That said, the overly introspective and dramatic look at Lev's character does little to pull me in. That and the jolting 'throwback' sections do little to interest me and float around. These two bestselling authors have surely caught a case of the James Patterson bug, using their names to sell books and letting drivel churn itself out. Best left on the cutting room floor.
Tepid reviews for you both, Messrs. Kellerman. Stick to your solo work and chat over coffee about your ideas, saving us the pain of reading another mess.
October 23, 2014
Somewhere in this disjointed, nonsensical mess there is a serial killer murder mystery! The outcome and who done it is obvious from the early chapters. The present day story is broken up by a fantasy retelling of the Adam and Eve biblical story, focusing on one of their daughters. Just in case the reader is too simple minded to realize that they are reading about different characters, the pages of these chapters are spotted in gray. I have been a fan of Jonathon Kellerman's Alex Delaware novels and would like to believe that his son is solely responsible for this 550 pages of garbage.
October 2, 2014
The Golem of Hollywood by father-son team Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman seems to be one of those books that garners love/hate reviews. I was surprised when one of our best readers at the library returned the book unread after just a few chapters and took it to read myself. What can I say? I enjoy esoteric writing.
First, it should be understood that the title tells the tale. This is a Jewish book. The subject is not only Jewish, but also mystical. Though the book is written in the style of a murder-suspense mystery, it is the story of the Golem of Prague, a mystical story full of Jewish allusion and symbolism. If that puts off the reader, so be it. Read another Kellerman book.
Second, it has been written by two authors. The styles are different, the perspectives are different, perhaps the vision of the trajectory of the book is different. Accept that and see how they resolve their partnership, or go on to another book. I think they did admirably until the ending which seemed more a collision than a collaboration.
The story alternates between the present with Jacob Lev, discredited police detective, attempting to solve a beheading; and the past, beginning with the first murder of Abel by Cain and the revenge exacted by their sister. The two stories are told on two different kinds of pages, the modern on modern white, the ancient on mottled white, the murky nature of the myth represented physically for the reader. Check Genesis 5:4 for the reference to Adam's daughters, and the Midrash for the story of Cain's thwarted desire for his sister. The Kellerman's did not make this stuff up.
Murder and revenge require justice, and the venerated Judah Loew Ben Bezalel, the Rabbi of Prague, creates a creature from the mud of the earth to protect his people. Kellerman infuses the golem with the spirit of Asham, Cain's coveted sister who is the spirit of vengence. This juxtoposition of protection with vengence sweeps the reader into the present with the golem awakened and moving through Hollywood exacting "justice" on the perpetrator of the murder(s) investigated by Detective Lev.
The plot(s) are complex and eventually parallel before they intersect, the characters are richly drawn and psychologically interesting. The play on Hebrew names and letters is fascinating and illuminating. The writing is excellent, both literary and realistic--a very difficult combination to achieve.
This is the first book in an intended series,however, and there are many questions left unanswered. The ending itself seems abrupt and unsatisfying--why the heck is Mia so enamored with Jacob???? Where did that come from and why is it so important at the end? After a long satisfying journey with the authors through history, the Midrash, Kibbalah, and foreign destinations, the interjection of the completely new element that ends the story is jarring and unsettling.
The reviews are very mixed. I hope the publishers allow the Kellermans (Kellermen?) to write and publish the next book. There are so many questions yet to be answered. If it appears, I'll tune in.
~mary
First, it should be understood that the title tells the tale. This is a Jewish book. The subject is not only Jewish, but also mystical. Though the book is written in the style of a murder-suspense mystery, it is the story of the Golem of Prague, a mystical story full of Jewish allusion and symbolism. If that puts off the reader, so be it. Read another Kellerman book.
Second, it has been written by two authors. The styles are different, the perspectives are different, perhaps the vision of the trajectory of the book is different. Accept that and see how they resolve their partnership, or go on to another book. I think they did admirably until the ending which seemed more a collision than a collaboration.
The story alternates between the present with Jacob Lev, discredited police detective, attempting to solve a beheading; and the past, beginning with the first murder of Abel by Cain and the revenge exacted by their sister. The two stories are told on two different kinds of pages, the modern on modern white, the ancient on mottled white, the murky nature of the myth represented physically for the reader. Check Genesis 5:4 for the reference to Adam's daughters, and the Midrash for the story of Cain's thwarted desire for his sister. The Kellerman's did not make this stuff up.
Murder and revenge require justice, and the venerated Judah Loew Ben Bezalel, the Rabbi of Prague, creates a creature from the mud of the earth to protect his people. Kellerman infuses the golem with the spirit of Asham, Cain's coveted sister who is the spirit of vengence. This juxtoposition of protection with vengence sweeps the reader into the present with the golem awakened and moving through Hollywood exacting "justice" on the perpetrator of the murder(s) investigated by Detective Lev.
The plot(s) are complex and eventually parallel before they intersect, the characters are richly drawn and psychologically interesting. The play on Hebrew names and letters is fascinating and illuminating. The writing is excellent, both literary and realistic--a very difficult combination to achieve.
This is the first book in an intended series,however, and there are many questions left unanswered. The ending itself seems abrupt and unsatisfying--why the heck is Mia so enamored with Jacob???? Where did that come from and why is it so important at the end? After a long satisfying journey with the authors through history, the Midrash, Kibbalah, and foreign destinations, the interjection of the completely new element that ends the story is jarring and unsettling.
The reviews are very mixed. I hope the publishers allow the Kellermans (Kellermen?) to write and publish the next book. There are so many questions yet to be answered. If it appears, I'll tune in.
~mary
August 18, 2014
I have to admit, I am quite fascinated by stories about the Golem ever since I went to Prague last year I have tried to read stories when I find them. Not just any golem story, but, The Golem, said to have been created long ago by a Rabbi in Prague. I received an early release copy of The Golem of Hollywood through the First To Read program by Penguin Group. I have to admit that I have been quite dismayed as I visit different cities in Europe and see what is called "Jewish Ghetto". I am quite familiar with the term ghetto since I was raised in a large city. Though I was not raised in the ghetto I remember the connotations that went along with the description. So, the biggest question I ask myself as I stood on the street on the outside of the Jewish Ghetto in Prague was "is this a good thing or a bad thing?" "Who gave it that name?" I honestly still do not know. I know it is a community and I saw signs for one in Rome, Italy but I have reserved judgment as I read and learn more. But, given Prague's tumultuous history The Golem sounded like an amazing creature and I was glad to have a chance to read The Golem of Hollywood.
The Golem of Hollywood is a book that gives me my armchair travel as it moves from the U.S. to Prague to England. The detective, Jacob Lev, is "recruited" to investigate a murder when he does not work for the homicide division. Why? This is the crux of the story and even when you think you know what is happening you are surprised. Initially, I was a little afraid it was horror. I stopped a couple of times as I started out to check and see what genre the book fell under because it has been a long time since I read anything that was pure horror and I needed to prepare myself. There were some graphic descriptions in the book initially but as the story took off and I began to understand what was happening I knew this book simply had some wonderfully written imagery. I could see things as if I were watching a movie and have to admit that I will be re-reading this one after some time. I know I will see things that I missed. The people, places and action were written with amazing descriptions. I fell into this book. Last Friday, I literally considered taking a half day so I could read it. I have to admit that I was left hoping that this is a first in a series. I would even take a trilogy. Of course, I immediately logged onto Jonathan Kellerman's website to see if there was a hint of a possible series forthcoming. I just couldn't tell but, I am hopeful.
Review can also be seen at LadyTechiesBookMusings http://LadyTechiesBookMusings.blogspo....
The Golem of Hollywood is a book that gives me my armchair travel as it moves from the U.S. to Prague to England. The detective, Jacob Lev, is "recruited" to investigate a murder when he does not work for the homicide division. Why? This is the crux of the story and even when you think you know what is happening you are surprised. Initially, I was a little afraid it was horror. I stopped a couple of times as I started out to check and see what genre the book fell under because it has been a long time since I read anything that was pure horror and I needed to prepare myself. There were some graphic descriptions in the book initially but as the story took off and I began to understand what was happening I knew this book simply had some wonderfully written imagery. I could see things as if I were watching a movie and have to admit that I will be re-reading this one after some time. I know I will see things that I missed. The people, places and action were written with amazing descriptions. I fell into this book. Last Friday, I literally considered taking a half day so I could read it. I have to admit that I was left hoping that this is a first in a series. I would even take a trilogy. Of course, I immediately logged onto Jonathan Kellerman's website to see if there was a hint of a possible series forthcoming. I just couldn't tell but, I am hopeful.
Review can also be seen at LadyTechiesBookMusings http://LadyTechiesBookMusings.blogspo....
August 18, 2019
As I explore elsewhere (Sects and Violence in the Ancient World) the idea of a golem ties inevitably to religion. Some suggest the golem was the prototype to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, but there is a big difference—the golem is raised by Jews to protect them from pogroms. Frankenstein’s monster is the product of a presumed Protestant gone mad. Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman have this protective element front and center in The Golem of Hollywood. More of a detective story than horror, it nevertheless involves the supernatural in the form of a golem first raised to protect Jews from blood libel in Prague. There will be spoilers in the following, so if you hope to read it, please stop here.
Jacob Lev is a down-on-his-luck detective who lives on bourbon and hot dogs. You get the idea. Busted from homicide down to traffic, he’s hired by a mysterious “special” department that wants him to investigate a bizarre murder. The murder has ritualistic elements, and some Jewish hallmarks. Lev, while trying to negotiate his lapsed Jewish identity and please his rabbi father, gets drawn into a cold investigation that covers both Los Angeles and the rest of the country. Given an unlimited budget and uncommunicative supervisor, his actions are blocked in to contrive him to go to Prague, where a murder with a similar MO has taken place. While there his Jewishness is rekindled. He heads to Oxford to fit the pieces together. Three guys have been committing horrid rape-murders and two of them have been killed. Jacob returns to Los Angeles to find number three and put the puzzle together.
Alongside this gritty police drama, the novel gives a rendition of the ancient origins of the golem. She is the soul of Cain and Abel’s sister who died getting her revenge on Cain for his killing of Abel. This backstory opens each segment of the book, before moving back to the cop story. Strangely enough, this all works pretty well. No doubt this is basically a journeyman project, but the story is memorable and involves a serious consideration of how one’s faith (lapsed or not) continues to make a difference. A quick read for a book this size, it does make me curious about the related title The Golem of Paris.
Jacob Lev is a down-on-his-luck detective who lives on bourbon and hot dogs. You get the idea. Busted from homicide down to traffic, he’s hired by a mysterious “special” department that wants him to investigate a bizarre murder. The murder has ritualistic elements, and some Jewish hallmarks. Lev, while trying to negotiate his lapsed Jewish identity and please his rabbi father, gets drawn into a cold investigation that covers both Los Angeles and the rest of the country. Given an unlimited budget and uncommunicative supervisor, his actions are blocked in to contrive him to go to Prague, where a murder with a similar MO has taken place. While there his Jewishness is rekindled. He heads to Oxford to fit the pieces together. Three guys have been committing horrid rape-murders and two of them have been killed. Jacob returns to Los Angeles to find number three and put the puzzle together.
Alongside this gritty police drama, the novel gives a rendition of the ancient origins of the golem. She is the soul of Cain and Abel’s sister who died getting her revenge on Cain for his killing of Abel. This backstory opens each segment of the book, before moving back to the cop story. Strangely enough, this all works pretty well. No doubt this is basically a journeyman project, but the story is memorable and involves a serious consideration of how one’s faith (lapsed or not) continues to make a difference. A quick read for a book this size, it does make me curious about the related title The Golem of Paris.
July 15, 2014
I didn't get it. I had no empathy for the main character. I did not like the mysticism/fantasy. I will not read future books. I like Jonathan Kellerman's books but not this. It was a drag to get through.
March 9, 2015
I like Jonathan Kelleman. I do. Which is why it's disappointing to read a book that's this much of a mess.
Jacob is a burned out detective with a bipolar mother, and a saintly father. Some girl named "Mai" shows up, naked, and flits off again. Some other random beefy guys from an unknown police department named "Special Projects" whisks off Jacob with new equipment and a huge salary and an unlimited credt card, and tells him to work on a bizarre decapitation murder.
Meanwhile, oh, about 5000 years ago, some gal named Asham is deciding whether to marry Cain or Abel, her two brothers. There's no one else on earth, literally. Decisions, decisions.
Look. I'm Jewish, so maybe that skews things, but Kelleman tampers with cannon to the point of disbelief. Spoilers:
Making up a new sister for Cain and Abel? Okay. I can live with that. The Torah is scarce on female genealogy. Making her the center of the brothers' infamous fight? ...okay. Fine. Making her Cain's murderer, despite text to the contrary? Maybe.
But then to somehow have her reincarnated as a golem, and then as a female golem that is ALSO a biblical batman and can morph into a - of all things - biting beetle (legions of beetles?) is insane. Why is she a shapeshifter? When did this mystery novel become urban fantasy? How did she imprint on Jacob, some overweight detective who's become an atheist?
I'll get back to Mai's/Asham/beetlejuice's role in the story in a minute.
True to Jonathan Kelleman form, the bad guys have convoluted motives and the leaps of logic the detectives have to employ to identify the bad guys are nothing short of Einsteinian. So somehow we not only have a serial rapist/killer, but we have a team of THREE rapists/killers, working together, spanning the globe to pick random women to rape and then have them all die facing ... east. Because. Why, we will never know. Jacob cleverly mocks the idea because it's so ridiculous for two people to be serial killer partners, and I guess the author felt that once we were suspending all logic, we might as well go full on ridiculous.
Then, to cap off the ridiculous, BeetleGirl has set her sights on some more vigilante justice, despite the whole point of her being reincarnated was because it didn't work the first time around. And like our dear Batman, she has picked Team East-Facing Rapists to pick off across the globe, somehow solving the mystery of their connection with some omniscient knowledge she doesn't seem capable of having.
Honestly, with all the bizarre beetle attacks and cloaked "special projects" from an unknown region of the police force, imbuing Jacob with delusions of grandeur and paranoia, I thought this was a cleverly constructed novel about one man'a descent into mental illness. Jacobs mentions repeatedly about his inability to sleep and how he can work for days straight, and laughing at odd moments, believing himself to be one of the world's elite 36 pious ones. All this pointed to a twist ending like in A Beautiful Mind.
This would have been a much better story.
Instead, after a - quite frankly - mind bending murder solve, Jacob is shuffled out of homicide as a reward. Weird. Then his father also rewards him with a - tada! - cliched moment whereas the mother didn't commit suicide after all and instead had been locked away in an institution this whole time. Another magical event, because I wasn't aware that places exist that accept fake names and fake medical records and locking up people with bipolar (not dementia) for decades against their will.
To reiterate, this novel borders on the absurd. Skip it.
Jacob is a burned out detective with a bipolar mother, and a saintly father. Some girl named "Mai" shows up, naked, and flits off again. Some other random beefy guys from an unknown police department named "Special Projects" whisks off Jacob with new equipment and a huge salary and an unlimited credt card, and tells him to work on a bizarre decapitation murder.
Meanwhile, oh, about 5000 years ago, some gal named Asham is deciding whether to marry Cain or Abel, her two brothers. There's no one else on earth, literally. Decisions, decisions.
Look. I'm Jewish, so maybe that skews things, but Kelleman tampers with cannon to the point of disbelief. Spoilers:
Making up a new sister for Cain and Abel? Okay. I can live with that. The Torah is scarce on female genealogy. Making her the center of the brothers' infamous fight? ...okay. Fine. Making her Cain's murderer, despite text to the contrary? Maybe.
But then to somehow have her reincarnated as a golem, and then as a female golem that is ALSO a biblical batman and can morph into a - of all things - biting beetle (legions of beetles?) is insane. Why is she a shapeshifter? When did this mystery novel become urban fantasy? How did she imprint on Jacob, some overweight detective who's become an atheist?
I'll get back to Mai's/Asham/beetlejuice's role in the story in a minute.
True to Jonathan Kelleman form, the bad guys have convoluted motives and the leaps of logic the detectives have to employ to identify the bad guys are nothing short of Einsteinian. So somehow we not only have a serial rapist/killer, but we have a team of THREE rapists/killers, working together, spanning the globe to pick random women to rape and then have them all die facing ... east. Because. Why, we will never know. Jacob cleverly mocks the idea because it's so ridiculous for two people to be serial killer partners, and I guess the author felt that once we were suspending all logic, we might as well go full on ridiculous.
Then, to cap off the ridiculous, BeetleGirl has set her sights on some more vigilante justice, despite the whole point of her being reincarnated was because it didn't work the first time around. And like our dear Batman, she has picked Team East-Facing Rapists to pick off across the globe, somehow solving the mystery of their connection with some omniscient knowledge she doesn't seem capable of having.
Honestly, with all the bizarre beetle attacks and cloaked "special projects" from an unknown region of the police force, imbuing Jacob with delusions of grandeur and paranoia, I thought this was a cleverly constructed novel about one man'a descent into mental illness. Jacobs mentions repeatedly about his inability to sleep and how he can work for days straight, and laughing at odd moments, believing himself to be one of the world's elite 36 pious ones. All this pointed to a twist ending like in A Beautiful Mind.
This would have been a much better story.
Instead, after a - quite frankly - mind bending murder solve, Jacob is shuffled out of homicide as a reward. Weird. Then his father also rewards him with a - tada! - cliched moment whereas the mother didn't commit suicide after all and instead had been locked away in an institution this whole time. Another magical event, because I wasn't aware that places exist that accept fake names and fake medical records and locking up people with bipolar (not dementia) for decades against their will.
To reiterate, this novel borders on the absurd. Skip it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2015
So the first collaboration between family members Jonathan and Jesse (also two of my favourite writers when it comes to their own work - check out the "Delaware/Sturgis" series from Jonathan if you havent already and for a mind blowing fun filled absolutely insane novel try Jesse's "I'll catch you" - I was extremely interested to see what this was like.
I loved it I have to say. An excellent blend of mythology and crime fiction, a serial killer thriller with a fantastical twist, I found it fascinating, eminently readable and totally engrossing.
It is very very different to either of the Kellermans' "usual" novels so be prepared to come at it as something utterly new - the story is unexpected in a lot of places and is very creepy at times, I loved the sense of menace throughout and there is some beautifully descriptive world building.
The mythology is explored in a very engaging fashion and given a modern twist, but also told as a past "myth" which gave the present day happenings a lovely sense of place and time. I loved the characters and really hope there is more to come - especially with relation to a very intriguing father/son relationship.
Overall then a very good read - it won't be for everyone, granted - if you are a fan of either Kellerman and are looking for a similar read to their other novels you won't find that here. However their trademark skill is still right here, beautifully written and absorbing I would definitely recommend you give it a try.
Happy Reading Folks!
I loved it I have to say. An excellent blend of mythology and crime fiction, a serial killer thriller with a fantastical twist, I found it fascinating, eminently readable and totally engrossing.
It is very very different to either of the Kellermans' "usual" novels so be prepared to come at it as something utterly new - the story is unexpected in a lot of places and is very creepy at times, I loved the sense of menace throughout and there is some beautifully descriptive world building.
The mythology is explored in a very engaging fashion and given a modern twist, but also told as a past "myth" which gave the present day happenings a lovely sense of place and time. I loved the characters and really hope there is more to come - especially with relation to a very intriguing father/son relationship.
Overall then a very good read - it won't be for everyone, granted - if you are a fan of either Kellerman and are looking for a similar read to their other novels you won't find that here. However their trademark skill is still right here, beautifully written and absorbing I would definitely recommend you give it a try.
Happy Reading Folks!
didn-t-finish
July 17, 2015Well I gave this the 50 page test and it didn't succeed. The characters I've met so far are either fairly forgettable, distasteful or unknowable. Then there is a huge change to a mystical, biblical scene, which apparently will come and go throughout the novel. It wasn't easy reading. I don't feel that I can rate the book based on this limited reading, but also do not plan to try again.
August 3, 2014
This 3 is generous. I really like Kellerman's books, but this? Too many story lines, too long tying them together, little empathy or interest in the characters - I just wanted to get it over with. You can easily see the kernels of a really good mystery here but somehow it got lost, too bad.
September 22, 2014
Very disappointing book. I had to force myself to finish it and I'm not actually sure why I even did that. I'm only giving it 2 stars because I normally enjoy Jonathan Kellerman books. Not sure how much input he had into this or if it was more of his son's writing.
August 14, 2014
Hands down, the strangest, most boring book so far of 2014.
August 21, 2018
Detective Jacob Lev of the LAPD is a burnt out policeman and is currently serving in the department of traffic as he one day gets a transfer against his wishes to a Specials projects and gets send to a crime scene where he founds the head of a victim without any body present and a word written in Hebrew meaning 'Justice". The identity of the victim is unknown even when they find out that the DNA belongs to a serial killer that had never been caught and whose identity is still unknown. It is from this point that Detective Lev starts his true investigation and finds himself caught in an international search for a killer who seems to take revenge on a serial killer.
We also get some insight in the private live of Jacob Lev, his father and his life, his issues with women and his dependency on alcohol and how that basically wrecks his life. And who is this Mia that was there when he woke up and he has been chasing in his dreams?
Then there is the second story line about Cain & Abel and their tragic clash where one of the sisters Ashlam chases Cain who does kill his brother all the way to Enoch where she finally pays the price to God for his crime. And how she was resurrected as a Golem in Medieval Prague.
In the end both stories connect with each other and you find the reason for the Special Projects with the LAPD.
All in all a good thriller and the characters are really well fleshed out, the Golem part of the story does offer something special to the story. I really enjoyed how the Kellermans did put in the Jewish history and the myth of the Golem in this book. I am looking forward to the second installment of this series and am curious if they are able to keep up the thriller aspects versus the mythical aspects of the story. They really made the story as good as turned out to be.
Well worth your time if you are open to a bit of mysticism and a good thriller in one book.
We also get some insight in the private live of Jacob Lev, his father and his life, his issues with women and his dependency on alcohol and how that basically wrecks his life. And who is this Mia that was there when he woke up and he has been chasing in his dreams?
Then there is the second story line about Cain & Abel and their tragic clash where one of the sisters Ashlam chases Cain who does kill his brother all the way to Enoch where she finally pays the price to God for his crime. And how she was resurrected as a Golem in Medieval Prague.
In the end both stories connect with each other and you find the reason for the Special Projects with the LAPD.
All in all a good thriller and the characters are really well fleshed out, the Golem part of the story does offer something special to the story. I really enjoyed how the Kellermans did put in the Jewish history and the myth of the Golem in this book. I am looking forward to the second installment of this series and am curious if they are able to keep up the thriller aspects versus the mythical aspects of the story. They really made the story as good as turned out to be.
Well worth your time if you are open to a bit of mysticism and a good thriller in one book.
September 25, 2019
finished this early evening the 25th of september 2019 good read four stars really liked it somewhat like the last from kellerman i read, two story-lines converging, though not as much time is spent on the distant timeline. there's apparently more golem stories, looked digital library no such luck that's what this one was kindle library loaner and #138 for the year
October 19, 2014
For me, foolishly expecting a Jonathan Kellerman type of suspense read since his name was the prominent one on the cover, this book was extremely disappointing.
Jonathan Kellerman is one of my very favorite authors. His wife's books, which always cover large amounts of Jewish tradition and add it at length to the story line are not books that I enjoy reading. Nothing against religion at all, but if I have an interest in studying one, I'll read that kind of book, I won't look for a suspense book to educate me.
To me, this read a lot more like a Faye Kellerman novel than either a Jonathan or a Jesse novel. I haven't been a big fan of Jesse's books either, so was hoping this father-son combo would result in something fantastic. It didn't. Not unless you enjoy a crime story that constantly switches back and forth between the real world and a biblical fantasy. Can't recommend it otherwise.
Jonathan Kellerman is one of my very favorite authors. His wife's books, which always cover large amounts of Jewish tradition and add it at length to the story line are not books that I enjoy reading. Nothing against religion at all, but if I have an interest in studying one, I'll read that kind of book, I won't look for a suspense book to educate me.
To me, this read a lot more like a Faye Kellerman novel than either a Jonathan or a Jesse novel. I haven't been a big fan of Jesse's books either, so was hoping this father-son combo would result in something fantastic. It didn't. Not unless you enjoy a crime story that constantly switches back and forth between the real world and a biblical fantasy. Can't recommend it otherwise.
December 2, 2014
Having just finished The Golem and the Jinni, I thought I'd try this one. Big mistake. Writing is choppy, origin story lame and grotesque, and did I mention that I don't like bugs? Especially big cockroach-y-like ones? I think they forgot that Kafka's Metamorphosis works due this natural loathing.
March 20, 2020
TOUGH read....still processing it and not really certain how I feel....it’s like I missed something in here/throughout the story. I don’t know yet. Not bad - just different.
December 29, 2014
This is a book I've had access to since shortly after it was released, but I kept moving it down a notch or two on my to-read list for several reasons. First, it exceeds 500 pages, and anything much over 400 - unless perhaps it's by Stephen King - is daunting enough that I tend to think twice before opening it. Second, I'm a huge fan of the writings of Jonathan Kellerman and his wife, Faye; their son Jesse, not so much. And last but hardly least, the reviews for the most part are bloody awful (at the time of this writing, the average from 485 customers was a pitiful 2-1/2 stars at Amazon.com).
Still, every time I saw the title lurking on my Kindle I said to myself, "self, one of these days, you really should give it a go." That day finally came a few days before Christmas, when - quite honestly - I wanted to start a book, but not one that was too engrossing to put down when all the greeting, cooking and gift-wrapping tasks of the holidays called my name.
Well, guess what? At first blush - and half a dozen nonstop chapters later - I decided that maybe, just maybe, those naysayers got it wrong (love when that happens). As I approached the halfway point - now cursing the fact that holiday demands forced me to stop reading when I don't want to - I had reached the "What were they thinking" mindset when I recalled all those nasty reviews.
That said, I get the objections. This is nothing like the usual Kellerman fare (none of the three), even though it involves a Los Angeles detective who is the son of a rabbi. He's working a case, yes, but it quickly evolves into a thriller mixed with Jewish history and a heap of the supernatural. The chapters switch from the present and the detective's investigation to the land of Cain and Abel. While some have called that difficult, I didn't mind a bit. In the first place, it's easy to tell the "old" characters and settings from the new; in the latter, the present-day chapters are numbered while the former are names of people and places.
Moving in and out this way also is necessary for the progression of the story - and the resolution of everything as the ending nears. It's also important to understand the meaning of the title (yes, I looked it up before I started the book; I'd heard the term before, but I had no idea what it meant). A golem, according to several sources including the dictionary, comes from Jewish legend/Hebrew folklore and describes a clay figure that's endowed with life. Golems began as servants but later came to be thought of as protectors of the Jews in times of persecution.
One such legend is of the Golem of Prague, a creature fashioned in the 1500s by a rabbi who wanted to protect his congregation. The figure has lain dormant in an old synagogue since then - until now. And when Detective Jacob Lev begins his investigation of an unidentified head found in a remote house with the Hebrew word for justice burned into the kitchen counter, he sets off on the adventure of a lifetime - a lifetime that connects with his own in both satisfying and frightening ways.
Because of the mythical aspect, I certainly understand that this book won't be everyone's cup of tea. But now that I've finished it, I totally agree with Stephen King's assessment that it is a "rare collaboration where the sum is truly greater than the parts." I also agree with one reviewer who simply deemed it "weird." It's definitely out of the ordinary - but also, IMHO, well worth reading.
Still, every time I saw the title lurking on my Kindle I said to myself, "self, one of these days, you really should give it a go." That day finally came a few days before Christmas, when - quite honestly - I wanted to start a book, but not one that was too engrossing to put down when all the greeting, cooking and gift-wrapping tasks of the holidays called my name.
Well, guess what? At first blush - and half a dozen nonstop chapters later - I decided that maybe, just maybe, those naysayers got it wrong (love when that happens). As I approached the halfway point - now cursing the fact that holiday demands forced me to stop reading when I don't want to - I had reached the "What were they thinking" mindset when I recalled all those nasty reviews.
That said, I get the objections. This is nothing like the usual Kellerman fare (none of the three), even though it involves a Los Angeles detective who is the son of a rabbi. He's working a case, yes, but it quickly evolves into a thriller mixed with Jewish history and a heap of the supernatural. The chapters switch from the present and the detective's investigation to the land of Cain and Abel. While some have called that difficult, I didn't mind a bit. In the first place, it's easy to tell the "old" characters and settings from the new; in the latter, the present-day chapters are numbered while the former are names of people and places.
Moving in and out this way also is necessary for the progression of the story - and the resolution of everything as the ending nears. It's also important to understand the meaning of the title (yes, I looked it up before I started the book; I'd heard the term before, but I had no idea what it meant). A golem, according to several sources including the dictionary, comes from Jewish legend/Hebrew folklore and describes a clay figure that's endowed with life. Golems began as servants but later came to be thought of as protectors of the Jews in times of persecution.
One such legend is of the Golem of Prague, a creature fashioned in the 1500s by a rabbi who wanted to protect his congregation. The figure has lain dormant in an old synagogue since then - until now. And when Detective Jacob Lev begins his investigation of an unidentified head found in a remote house with the Hebrew word for justice burned into the kitchen counter, he sets off on the adventure of a lifetime - a lifetime that connects with his own in both satisfying and frightening ways.
Because of the mythical aspect, I certainly understand that this book won't be everyone's cup of tea. But now that I've finished it, I totally agree with Stephen King's assessment that it is a "rare collaboration where the sum is truly greater than the parts." I also agree with one reviewer who simply deemed it "weird." It's definitely out of the ordinary - but also, IMHO, well worth reading.
September 22, 2014
Fresh off his highly disappointing Alex Delaware novel, KILLER, Jonathan Kellerman returns with a stand-alone novel, THE GOLEM OF HOLLYWOOD. After decades of solid work, Kellerman seems lost and the effort of his last few novels was noticeably sub-par.
With this latest novel, Jonathan is teaming up with his son, Jesse. The improvement, initially, really showed. The story kicks off with a burnt out former LAPD Homicide Detective, Jacob Lev, being called away from his new duties as part of the Traffic squad to join a highly secretive operation that will involve him chasing down both a myth and a legend in the local crime world.
THE GOLEM OF HOLLYWOOD starts off with a blast and is written in the style of a David Lynch film with dream-like sequences and oddball characters who seemingly have no relation to the plot. I can only attribute this to the influence of Jesse Kellerman for this prose did not resemble anything his father has ever written.
It turns out Jacob Lev may not have been chosen for his homicide skills but due to his Jewish heritage. Severed heads begin to turn up in the LA area with the Hebrew symbol for 'justice' left near the decapitated bodies. Even with this additional clue the work seems oddly familiar to the infamous cold case murders blame on the serial killer nick-named the Creeper. Could the Creeper be back --- or is this a copycat? Even worse, could the Creeper actually be a supernatural figure that has somehow re-awoken and now terrorizing L.A.?
Great premise --- crime thriller meets Jewish mysticism with a supernatural twist. Unfortunately, it quickly unravels from there. The Jewish religion is a beautiful one with rich traditions and history that can readily apply themselves to modern fiction tales. However, the Kellerman duo overdo it during this novel. The tale keeps getting interrupted by Old Testament era tales involving everyone from Adam and Eve to Cain and Abel. The legend of the Golem of Prague is eventually covered and it is this supernatural being who may allegedly be behind the murders in modern-day L.A.
I only wish the story was as exciting as that premise. At nearly 550 pages in length, it is a long way to go for your average thriller and crime readers to go for a satisfying story. Unfortunately, the latter half of this book is almost unreadable and extremely boring. By the time the ending comes around you probably won't care anymore. In the hands of a better editor this could have been a far tighter novel. Once again, a big miss for Kellerman who has yet to show the promise of his older work with his latest efforts.
Reviewed by Ray Palen for New Mystery Reader
With this latest novel, Jonathan is teaming up with his son, Jesse. The improvement, initially, really showed. The story kicks off with a burnt out former LAPD Homicide Detective, Jacob Lev, being called away from his new duties as part of the Traffic squad to join a highly secretive operation that will involve him chasing down both a myth and a legend in the local crime world.
THE GOLEM OF HOLLYWOOD starts off with a blast and is written in the style of a David Lynch film with dream-like sequences and oddball characters who seemingly have no relation to the plot. I can only attribute this to the influence of Jesse Kellerman for this prose did not resemble anything his father has ever written.
It turns out Jacob Lev may not have been chosen for his homicide skills but due to his Jewish heritage. Severed heads begin to turn up in the LA area with the Hebrew symbol for 'justice' left near the decapitated bodies. Even with this additional clue the work seems oddly familiar to the infamous cold case murders blame on the serial killer nick-named the Creeper. Could the Creeper be back --- or is this a copycat? Even worse, could the Creeper actually be a supernatural figure that has somehow re-awoken and now terrorizing L.A.?
Great premise --- crime thriller meets Jewish mysticism with a supernatural twist. Unfortunately, it quickly unravels from there. The Jewish religion is a beautiful one with rich traditions and history that can readily apply themselves to modern fiction tales. However, the Kellerman duo overdo it during this novel. The tale keeps getting interrupted by Old Testament era tales involving everyone from Adam and Eve to Cain and Abel. The legend of the Golem of Prague is eventually covered and it is this supernatural being who may allegedly be behind the murders in modern-day L.A.
I only wish the story was as exciting as that premise. At nearly 550 pages in length, it is a long way to go for your average thriller and crime readers to go for a satisfying story. Unfortunately, the latter half of this book is almost unreadable and extremely boring. By the time the ending comes around you probably won't care anymore. In the hands of a better editor this could have been a far tighter novel. Once again, a big miss for Kellerman who has yet to show the promise of his older work with his latest efforts.
Reviewed by Ray Palen for New Mystery Reader
September 1, 2014
I received this book as a firstread from Penguin Canada, so thank you to the publisher for sending it to me.
I really liked this book, it's written in a meandering sort of fashion that I enjoyed. Perfect vacation book, easy to read but more than compelling enough to keep you turning the page.
Bonus points because I feel like I learned something about another culture along the way.
I really liked this book, it's written in a meandering sort of fashion that I enjoyed. Perfect vacation book, easy to read but more than compelling enough to keep you turning the page.
Bonus points because I feel like I learned something about another culture along the way.
January 15, 2018
A wild fast-paced blend of mystery, horror, and historical. I'm not sure I've ever read anything else like it.
April 21, 2020
i have never stuck my nose onto a book so dedicatedly for three days only to be throughly disappoionted in the end.
don't get me wrong: i loved the story, the interwoven allusions to religion, how these allusions where actaully a BIG part of what initially seemed to be a typical murder mystery story to which i'm not complaining. the writing was spectacular...but i did not like how it left me with so many, sooo many questions thrown at me all throughtout 600 pages only for the story to stop, literally stop, in the end.
gripping as the story and writing were—i admit, reminds me of my favorite Claudia Gray and how she always leaves a cliff-hanger at the end of every chapter, only to surrender in anticipation of what's next in a flip of a page—i felt abandoned, the climax becoming the ending of the book while the should've-been ending flew away like the stupid beetle in the story.
no point in trying to read the sequel. this was hurtful enough.
don't get me wrong: i loved the story, the interwoven allusions to religion, how these allusions where actaully a BIG part of what initially seemed to be a typical murder mystery story to which i'm not complaining. the writing was spectacular...but i did not like how it left me with so many, sooo many questions thrown at me all throughtout 600 pages only for the story to stop, literally stop, in the end.
gripping as the story and writing were—i admit, reminds me of my favorite Claudia Gray and how she always leaves a cliff-hanger at the end of every chapter, only to surrender in anticipation of what's next in a flip of a page—i felt abandoned, the climax becoming the ending of the book while the should've-been ending flew away like the stupid beetle in the story.
no point in trying to read the sequel. this was hurtful enough.
December 13, 2014
First of all, the "mystery" of this book was not just "whodoneit," but also, who ARE all these people and what is REALLy happening to the detective? Right up until the last page, I still had not fully worked out the ramifications of all the events presented in the plot. And there were so many parallel mysteries:
The detective tries to solve a serial murder case by travelling to Prague, where he hunts down clues while meeting some odd characters.
The detective's father is an elusive sort of fellow, and their relationship is cemented by their Jewish religious culture, but also is complicated by the things his father is not telling him.
The contemporary plot chapters are alternated with a variation or interpretation of the Adam and Eve story; at first I could not see how this could possibly link up with the murder plot, but eventually everything snapped into focus. Very clever, but quite taxing for the reader.
My final comment would be that as I read descriptions of the heinous crimes committed by the serial killer(s), periodically I would ask myself (as I typically do), "Do I really want to continue reading this book?" but somehow the deeper significance of the Adam and Eve myth as well as the religion context of Judaism sustained me.
If I were a Jew, or if I had studied Judaism, I would probably have understood more of the symbolism of this book. Nonetheless, it was most enlightening.
Definitely a good book, worth reading.
The detective tries to solve a serial murder case by travelling to Prague, where he hunts down clues while meeting some odd characters.
The detective's father is an elusive sort of fellow, and their relationship is cemented by their Jewish religious culture, but also is complicated by the things his father is not telling him.
The contemporary plot chapters are alternated with a variation or interpretation of the Adam and Eve story; at first I could not see how this could possibly link up with the murder plot, but eventually everything snapped into focus. Very clever, but quite taxing for the reader.
My final comment would be that as I read descriptions of the heinous crimes committed by the serial killer(s), periodically I would ask myself (as I typically do), "Do I really want to continue reading this book?" but somehow the deeper significance of the Adam and Eve myth as well as the religion context of Judaism sustained me.
If I were a Jew, or if I had studied Judaism, I would probably have understood more of the symbolism of this book. Nonetheless, it was most enlightening.
Definitely a good book, worth reading.
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