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Grimm (Novels) #2
The Chopping Block
A BRAND-NEW ORIGINAL NOVEL BASED ON THE HIT NBC SERIES GRIMM There once was a man who lived a life so strange, it had to be true. Only he could see what no one else the darkness inside, the real monster within. And he’s the one who must stop them. This is his calling. This is his duty. This is the life of a Grimm. When a pile of human bones is discovered in a Portland forest, severed and stripped of flesh, homicide detectives Nick Burkhardt and Hank Griffin quickly rule out an animal attack, but suspect the killer is something other than human. Soon more skeletal remains are unearthed and tests reveal that the human bones were cooked before burial. As the body count increases, Nick, Hank and reformed Blutbad Monroe must track down a Wesen with a taste for human meat, before the killer can butcher their next meal...
328 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
45 people are currently reading
716 people want to read
About the author
John Passarella
36 books163 followersBram Stoker Award-Winning co-author of Wither (which has been moved to the J. G. Passarella profile. Also, I'm the author of Wither's Rain, Wither's Legacy, Kindred Spirit, Shimmer, Exit Strategy & Others (fiction collection), and the media tie-in novels: Supernatural: COLD FIRE (MAR 2016), Night Terror & Rite of Passage, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Ghoul Trouble, Angel: Avatar & Monolith. Look for Grimm: The Chopping Block. My author website is Passarella.com
but I am also owner & web designer at AuthorPromo.com
but I am also owner & web designer at AuthorPromo.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
April 1, 2014
I considered giving this one a low five but instead I'll give it a high four.(That would be a silver 5 or a gold 4 I suppose).
If you have seen our Grimm thread in the Action Adventure group you know that I'm a huge fan of the TV show Grimm. If you read my review of the first Grimm tie in novel you know I was just short of hating it. The book used the character names and hit some of the "creatures" close enough that it was like a familiar song sung and played badly out of tune. it was like fingernails on a blackboard (though that never really bothered me I was always the freak who went up front and ran his fingernails down said blackboard).
Anyway...this one isn't like that. The characters are very, very close to the ones we know from TV. Now it may be that I'm just very relieved after how bad the first one was but still this book is a very pleasant surprise and I can recommend it to fans of Grimm and those not familiar with the program alike.
The plot here is big enough to carry a novel yet it stays true to the spirit and feel of the situations in which we have seen the characters involved. This takes place while Hank is still on his crutches. The story touches on parts of the Grimm mythology without challenging any established facts or getting them wrong.
I like this novel and I recommend it. There is a third (3rd) Grimm novel planned for release (in Sept. I think) by a third author. I can only hope he does as well as John Passarella has.
If you have seen our Grimm thread in the Action Adventure group you know that I'm a huge fan of the TV show Grimm. If you read my review of the first Grimm tie in novel you know I was just short of hating it. The book used the character names and hit some of the "creatures" close enough that it was like a familiar song sung and played badly out of tune. it was like fingernails on a blackboard (though that never really bothered me I was always the freak who went up front and ran his fingernails down said blackboard).
Anyway...this one isn't like that. The characters are very, very close to the ones we know from TV. Now it may be that I'm just very relieved after how bad the first one was but still this book is a very pleasant surprise and I can recommend it to fans of Grimm and those not familiar with the program alike.
The plot here is big enough to carry a novel yet it stays true to the spirit and feel of the situations in which we have seen the characters involved. This takes place while Hank is still on his crutches. The story touches on parts of the Grimm mythology without challenging any established facts or getting them wrong.
I like this novel and I recommend it. There is a third (3rd) Grimm novel planned for release (in Sept. I think) by a third author. I can only hope he does as well as John Passarella has.
March 9, 2014
In the middle of a case of Wesen-induced zombies, Nick and Hank have another case to follow. Human bones have been found – chopped up human bones. Investigation quickly reveals more and more bodies quickly piling up and a disturbing fact…
The bones have been boiled.
Many disturbing scenarios occur to the investigators are they become more convinced that the perpetrator is a Wesen – but there are many false leads to track down and as the full horror of what is happening becomes apparent, more and more bodies pile up
When I read a book of a TV series, I’m always a little worried about how it will be written – worries that are wonderfully displayed by this book.
There is nothing wrong with how Nick is portrayed. His thought processes, his behaviour, his opinions are all perfectly consistent with how Nick could act or could think. The problem is that, after watching 3 seasons of the show, I’ve already formed my own thoughts about how Nick thinks – and they don’t mesh. Of course, this is one person’s headcannon against another’s – but there are things like Nick automatically considering Wesen when he’s confronted with a crime scene when I imagined he’d do the opposite, or when he has extremely long internal musings or monologues that has part of me yelling “nooo, Nick wouldn’t do that!” For entirely spurious reasons of course.
I explain this first to say how there was something of a disconnect between me and the characters – I also found other problems with the conversion. I think there was too much of a desperate need to shout out to the series as often as possible, referring to past episodes, referring to the Grimm episodes that were supposed to be happening at the same time as this book, name dropping as many Wesen as possible etc. There was too much homage. And too much recapping – so many details that readers who have already seen the show already know, but not nearly enough for someone brand new to the show to be able to pick it up.
Which leads me to my next problem – the research. I am impressed – I am in awe – of the sheer amount of research the author has put into this book. But it’s too much – I don’t need to know the intricacies of veterinary medicine from Juliette, I don’t need to know the kind of gun everyone uses – or the brand of taser. It’s ok for a character to go back to their car without you telling me what that car is. A whole lot of work went into this book but I’m not sure how much it was relevant.
On the relevance – Hank and Juliette’s POV were both… questionable. I actually really liked Juliette’s headspace, her diagnosing her doggy patients, her working hard to find a cure; it showed her work, how it mattered and what it meant to her. It was really well written, really well done, I enjoyed it – and it was utterly irrelevant to anything else in the book. I appreciate the desire not to consign Juliette to the plot box but her story felt out of place.
And Hank? Nothing wrong with his head space per se – but he’s on crutches at this point in the series. And they’re mentioned – a lot. And while it’s nice to have a nod to the difficulties faced by someone on crutches especially on uneven terrain, this is kind of the entirety of Hank’s role in the book. He hobbles around on crutches while mentioning how difficult it is to hobble around on crutches and he hates being babied by people who assume he’s helpless on crutches and how annoying crutches are and, did we mention the crutches? Because crutches. Crutches crutches… I wonder if this is partly the fault of the show for not giving Hank much personal life, interests or connections outside of Nick so leaving the author very little to fall back on.
Monroe’s POV was excellent, however. He has a wonderful portrayal of him fighting against his instincts as a Blutbad, trying to help someone else leave the life but at the same time feeling their influence and struggles as triggers for his own struggle and long buried instincts. There are parallels with addiction – but it’s generally very well done, very realistically research and very reasonably compared. The flip side is that the underlying “addiction” he’s fighting is literally rampaging murder – or apparently so – which has a demonising element.
Read More
The bones have been boiled.
Many disturbing scenarios occur to the investigators are they become more convinced that the perpetrator is a Wesen – but there are many false leads to track down and as the full horror of what is happening becomes apparent, more and more bodies pile up
When I read a book of a TV series, I’m always a little worried about how it will be written – worries that are wonderfully displayed by this book.
There is nothing wrong with how Nick is portrayed. His thought processes, his behaviour, his opinions are all perfectly consistent with how Nick could act or could think. The problem is that, after watching 3 seasons of the show, I’ve already formed my own thoughts about how Nick thinks – and they don’t mesh. Of course, this is one person’s headcannon against another’s – but there are things like Nick automatically considering Wesen when he’s confronted with a crime scene when I imagined he’d do the opposite, or when he has extremely long internal musings or monologues that has part of me yelling “nooo, Nick wouldn’t do that!” For entirely spurious reasons of course.
I explain this first to say how there was something of a disconnect between me and the characters – I also found other problems with the conversion. I think there was too much of a desperate need to shout out to the series as often as possible, referring to past episodes, referring to the Grimm episodes that were supposed to be happening at the same time as this book, name dropping as many Wesen as possible etc. There was too much homage. And too much recapping – so many details that readers who have already seen the show already know, but not nearly enough for someone brand new to the show to be able to pick it up.
Which leads me to my next problem – the research. I am impressed – I am in awe – of the sheer amount of research the author has put into this book. But it’s too much – I don’t need to know the intricacies of veterinary medicine from Juliette, I don’t need to know the kind of gun everyone uses – or the brand of taser. It’s ok for a character to go back to their car without you telling me what that car is. A whole lot of work went into this book but I’m not sure how much it was relevant.
On the relevance – Hank and Juliette’s POV were both… questionable. I actually really liked Juliette’s headspace, her diagnosing her doggy patients, her working hard to find a cure; it showed her work, how it mattered and what it meant to her. It was really well written, really well done, I enjoyed it – and it was utterly irrelevant to anything else in the book. I appreciate the desire not to consign Juliette to the plot box but her story felt out of place.
And Hank? Nothing wrong with his head space per se – but he’s on crutches at this point in the series. And they’re mentioned – a lot. And while it’s nice to have a nod to the difficulties faced by someone on crutches especially on uneven terrain, this is kind of the entirety of Hank’s role in the book. He hobbles around on crutches while mentioning how difficult it is to hobble around on crutches and he hates being babied by people who assume he’s helpless on crutches and how annoying crutches are and, did we mention the crutches? Because crutches. Crutches crutches… I wonder if this is partly the fault of the show for not giving Hank much personal life, interests or connections outside of Nick so leaving the author very little to fall back on.
Monroe’s POV was excellent, however. He has a wonderful portrayal of him fighting against his instincts as a Blutbad, trying to help someone else leave the life but at the same time feeling their influence and struggles as triggers for his own struggle and long buried instincts. There are parallels with addiction – but it’s generally very well done, very realistically research and very reasonably compared. The flip side is that the underlying “addiction” he’s fighting is literally rampaging murder – or apparently so – which has a demonising element.
Read More
January 13, 2018
If you miss the TV series, then you'll like this book, which offers you another episode of Grimm in book form. I liked the book, and the author does a good job of throwing some twists in and keeping you guessing. The characters come across a bit flat, but the plot is enjoyable and the book makes for some nice mind candy, plus you get to enjoy Grimm some more.
February 5, 2015
2.5 stars
Reasonable take on the excellent TV series of which I'm a big fan.
Not the most imaginative writing ever but makes for a good escapist light read (and with a little more gore than I was expecting - bonus!).
Nick was a little bland in comparison to the more fleshed-out (no pun intended) character of Monroe, but the tension and action compensated somewhat.
Juliet's 'plotline' seemed largely pointless, however. I was expecting some sort of tie-in to the main story and it never happened.
I'd recommend more for fans of the show rather than readers entirely new to the Grimm world.
Reasonable take on the excellent TV series of which I'm a big fan.
Not the most imaginative writing ever but makes for a good escapist light read (and with a little more gore than I was expecting - bonus!).
Nick was a little bland in comparison to the more fleshed-out (no pun intended) character of Monroe, but the tension and action compensated somewhat.
Juliet's 'plotline' seemed largely pointless, however. I was expecting some sort of tie-in to the main story and it never happened.
I'd recommend more for fans of the show rather than readers entirely new to the Grimm world.
October 29, 2015
An entertaining read albeit a somewhat stomach churning one as the action deals with elite Wesen dietary requirements, as in the hunting, butchering and eating of humans. A great story to read just before Halloween!
June 26, 2014
I enjoyed reading this book! Can't wait to watch season three. Also waiting for the next book!
April 1, 2023
I really enjoyed this book and much more than the first Grimm spin off book ‘The Icy Touch’. This book didn’t have massive errors like ‘The Icy Touch’ and so I felt the story made more sense. Still not a ton of time involving Rosalee like there is in the actual series sadly.
One thing I did have a problem with is the amount of fact stating around Grimm. You probably aren’t reading this book unless you’ve watched or are watching the series so I find it unnecessary to be stating facts about Grimms and Wesen. If you hadn’t watched the series and were indeed reading the book as a stand alone then these stated facts aren’t detailed enough for you to understand what is going on or what is meant by them. So either way I found this fact dropping to be rather pointless, added fluff and a way of the author trying to prove he’d watched the series.
However, aside from that, the characters are good and the storyline is fantastic. I loved the book, it followed the tv series episode layout perfectly so it was almost like watching an episode. It had gore and the usual messed up Wesen tradition taking place that Nick must stop in time! It also has the classic Hank gets kidnapped and Monroe gets thrown into the dodgy deep end of the investigation for undercover work.
Perfect.
It did have a weird unrelated story with Juliette at work that I didn’t quite understand but it was nice just to have her involved. Also I felt they could have tied in the connection between Rosalee and ‘The Chef’ more at the end. Or at least have a few pages of Rosalee’s horror at her realisation that she was selling spices to him to use with his human dishes!
I was also surprised the Verrat sent Dominik Koertig the Hundjäger to kill the whole society at Ellen Crawfords request.. who is Ellen then to have such a powerful contact in the Verrat who we know work for the Royal Families that would get them to perform such an assassination? It would make far more sense if Renard had contacted the Wesen Council (as he had done before in the series) and they had sent someone out to ‘fix’ the situation to protect the Wesen community as we know they do when they are at risk of exposure due to dangerous actions of other Wesen.
All in all it was a great book I finished it in less than a day and I truly wish there were more than just three Grimm books written. Also this book could have been twice as long and just as, if not more enjoyable than it was.
One thing I did have a problem with is the amount of fact stating around Grimm. You probably aren’t reading this book unless you’ve watched or are watching the series so I find it unnecessary to be stating facts about Grimms and Wesen. If you hadn’t watched the series and were indeed reading the book as a stand alone then these stated facts aren’t detailed enough for you to understand what is going on or what is meant by them. So either way I found this fact dropping to be rather pointless, added fluff and a way of the author trying to prove he’d watched the series.
However, aside from that, the characters are good and the storyline is fantastic. I loved the book, it followed the tv series episode layout perfectly so it was almost like watching an episode. It had gore and the usual messed up Wesen tradition taking place that Nick must stop in time! It also has the classic Hank gets kidnapped and Monroe gets thrown into the dodgy deep end of the investigation for undercover work.
Perfect.
It did have a weird unrelated story with Juliette at work that I didn’t quite understand but it was nice just to have her involved. Also I felt they could have tied in the connection between Rosalee and ‘The Chef’ more at the end. Or at least have a few pages of Rosalee’s horror at her realisation that she was selling spices to him to use with his human dishes!
I was also surprised the Verrat sent Dominik Koertig the Hundjäger to kill the whole society at Ellen Crawfords request.. who is Ellen then to have such a powerful contact in the Verrat who we know work for the Royal Families that would get them to perform such an assassination? It would make far more sense if Renard had contacted the Wesen Council (as he had done before in the series) and they had sent someone out to ‘fix’ the situation to protect the Wesen community as we know they do when they are at risk of exposure due to dangerous actions of other Wesen.
All in all it was a great book I finished it in less than a day and I truly wish there were more than just three Grimm books written. Also this book could have been twice as long and just as, if not more enjoyable than it was.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2018
Since I quite enjoyed the first Grimm novel, despite some complaints, I decided to read the second book in the series - The Chopping Block. Set between "The Waking Dead" and "Goodnight Sweet Grimm", this book features a secret Wesen society.
It all starts when bones are found. Portland may be weird, but cooked bones are disturbing, even to Nick and Hank. As more cooked bones are found, Nick, Hank, and Monroe find themselves on the trail of a secret, cannibalistic Wesen society.
The subplot has Juliette trying to find out the cause of a dog's sickness. I don't like Juliette and it's got nothing to do with the main plot, but it was pretty cute. She didn't really intefere with the main plot too, which is a bonus.
I found that I enjoyed this more than the first book. This is mostly because Hank was much less annoying. In The Icy Touch, Hank was all about revealing the Wesen world to outsiders, which is obviously something that Should Not Be Done. Here, Hank didn't do anything like that; I suspect it's more to do with his injuries than anything else, but it was refreshing.
Like with The Icy Touch, I really enjoyed how Monroe is such a big part of the book. We get to see a bit more about Monroe's journey to becoming a Wieder Blutbad and how hard it is. It was a pretty good way to know more about the Wesen world, and it worked very well as part of the main plot.
If you liked The Icy Touch, or even if you didn't really like it but still like Grimm, you might want to check this out. I think this is a bit truer to the series than the first book and it was fun to read.
This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
It all starts when bones are found. Portland may be weird, but cooked bones are disturbing, even to Nick and Hank. As more cooked bones are found, Nick, Hank, and Monroe find themselves on the trail of a secret, cannibalistic Wesen society.
The subplot has Juliette trying to find out the cause of a dog's sickness. I don't like Juliette and it's got nothing to do with the main plot, but it was pretty cute. She didn't really intefere with the main plot too, which is a bonus.
I found that I enjoyed this more than the first book. This is mostly because Hank was much less annoying. In The Icy Touch, Hank was all about revealing the Wesen world to outsiders, which is obviously something that Should Not Be Done. Here, Hank didn't do anything like that; I suspect it's more to do with his injuries than anything else, but it was refreshing.
Like with The Icy Touch, I really enjoyed how Monroe is such a big part of the book. We get to see a bit more about Monroe's journey to becoming a Wieder Blutbad and how hard it is. It was a pretty good way to know more about the Wesen world, and it worked very well as part of the main plot.
If you liked The Icy Touch, or even if you didn't really like it but still like Grimm, you might want to check this out. I think this is a bit truer to the series than the first book and it was fun to read.
This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
June 18, 2019
Author John Passarella seems like a writer for the show in his ability to capture the rhythm of character dialog and how closely he hews to normal character actions and interactions; so much so that I went on IMDb.com to see if he was credited. Passarella is no stranger to adapting television for print, having written several adaptations in the Whedonverse (shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel) and Supernatural, and his talent shines here. The Chopping Block is a gripping and fast-paced read that never flags or lolls unnecessarily. It's the kind of book you can pick up and get lost in, finishing in the wee hours without meaning to.
You can read Michel's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Michel's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
August 14, 2021
I made it through this book, but it wasn't pretty. I like Grimm, granted the last couple seasons were pretty horrible but I stuck through...this book really had a good premise, but it's mired in boreing events and predictability.
I skipped the Juliette job filler sections...Much of this book was full of unnecessary character narrative that added nothing to the story.
I don't blame the author, Passarella got a paycheck for this, and did well with the limitations of Grimm. I mean you know going into a book like this that characters aren't going to die, that everyone will be saved in the end, and nothing major will effect the plot happening in the TV show....so the best you can hope for is an exciting little romp in the Portland Grimm universe - I don't think this book accomplished that even.
Again, good concept, but what is there is drowned in almost 98% filler.
I skipped the Juliette job filler sections...Much of this book was full of unnecessary character narrative that added nothing to the story.
I don't blame the author, Passarella got a paycheck for this, and did well with the limitations of Grimm. I mean you know going into a book like this that characters aren't going to die, that everyone will be saved in the end, and nothing major will effect the plot happening in the TV show....so the best you can hope for is an exciting little romp in the Portland Grimm universe - I don't think this book accomplished that even.
Again, good concept, but what is there is drowned in almost 98% filler.
April 25, 2018
I absolutely loved this book and believe it is perfect for the fans whom, like me, have been suffering Grimm withdrawals when this epic series came to an end far too soon. I read the first instalment of this series and found that to be an all original story that’s based on the Grimm storyline and characters however this instalment was a combination of episodes I’ve watched brought together to make one great book. Characters - storyline - even the dialogue brought the TV show back to life in my head.. it was really well done and yes my withdrawals are now under control (jk) recommended to Grimm fans!!
April 2, 2019
Finally there´s another story where we can experience the character of Monroe a lot more. He is my fave character ever, to be honest. I thought it was so strong of him, trying to get the back of his former friend and never letting him down. What a good soul. Friendship is the best, really. This story was really exciting and very gross too. The main storyline - it´s not only a thing in the Wesen-community, sadly.
I loved this book and couldn´t stop reading! It catched me right from the start and to the end.
In the german book, there´s a little interview with Silas W. Mitchell about his character Monroe, which I enjoyed to read a lot.
I loved this book and couldn´t stop reading! It catched me right from the start and to the end.
In the german book, there´s a little interview with Silas W. Mitchell about his character Monroe, which I enjoyed to read a lot.
March 14, 2020
Wesen Secret Dinner Society
Another glimpse into the Grimm universe. This time it is an ancient Wesen society that enjoys humans as food. The clock is ticking for the human livestock. The Grimm and his team are desperately trying to understand the motives behind the bone pile killer and where to find him. The setting is more intense and much more gory than the usual storyline. The abduction of Hank makes it much more personal for Nick. The book is very good. A fan of Grimm will really enjoy this story.
Another glimpse into the Grimm universe. This time it is an ancient Wesen society that enjoys humans as food. The clock is ticking for the human livestock. The Grimm and his team are desperately trying to understand the motives behind the bone pile killer and where to find him. The setting is more intense and much more gory than the usual storyline. The abduction of Hank makes it much more personal for Nick. The book is very good. A fan of Grimm will really enjoy this story.
May 7, 2017
Loved the show, love this book!!
I really loved the tv show Grimm, and I was so happy to find this book. From the moment I began to read it, I was swept back into the Grimm's world. Every character was brought back to life and I enjoyed being able to get more inside each one's heads for more details of their thoughts. The storyline was fantastic! I plan to read every book in this series and I hope there will be many more books written by this very talented author.
I really loved the tv show Grimm, and I was so happy to find this book. From the moment I began to read it, I was swept back into the Grimm's world. Every character was brought back to life and I enjoyed being able to get more inside each one's heads for more details of their thoughts. The storyline was fantastic! I plan to read every book in this series and I hope there will be many more books written by this very talented author.
December 18, 2018
This one is the best Grimm novel yet, in my opinion. It feels most like the characters we all know and love and the story has you on the edge of your seat the entire time. It keeps up the tension and it fits into the Grimm universe, being gruesome and challenging Nick, Hank, Monroe, and the others until they figure it out and fix it, with a scary twist and very close call near the end. I loved it!
May 17, 2020
Extending my enjoyment of the Grimm world. I do wish they would restart the tv series, with the the children if new stars necessitate it
A bit much on non-grimm issues, particularly with the Yellow Lab and her family. Otherwise quite enjoyable. Strong showing of evil wesen perhaps showing why grimms considered all wesen evil.
A bit much on non-grimm issues, particularly with the Yellow Lab and her family. Otherwise quite enjoyable. Strong showing of evil wesen perhaps showing why grimms considered all wesen evil.
February 23, 2025
I would give this a 3.5. Even though the first book had issues regarding characterization this one the characters were more like the tv counterparts. Though I enjoyed it I found the story kind of boring and the investigation part of the story was lack luster. Didn’t really pick up till about 55% to 60% of the way into story.
January 15, 2018
A very good book, much better than the first in the series. True to the source material and characters, a lot of scenes that were gut wrenchingly gore and a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
January 24, 2018
I have read all of the Grimm books. I was a big fan of the NBC show and was saddened when it went off. These books are just like the show was. Sorry that they only released three books. Wish there were more.
January 5, 2023
If you are a fan of the tv show Grimm, you will probably like this book. I did.
There were many references to terms used in the show, and the feel of it was close to the series.
I enjoyed following the trail that Nick, Monroe, and Hank constructed.
There were many references to terms used in the show, and the feel of it was close to the series.
I enjoyed following the trail that Nick, Monroe, and Hank constructed.
January 9, 2025
This was a pretty good book. Honestly, I read it a few years ago and decided I wanted to add it on here. I absolutely adore this show and it holds such a special place in my heart. This book was a perfect way to continue the magical world of Grimm
June 7, 2017
I'm sorry there were only 3 of these.... I thought they were well written and linked in with the series well!
July 30, 2017
as tie in b9ok go this one really works true to the source
July 20, 2019
Probably my favorite out of the three books that go with the tv show.
June 5, 2021
Much more true to the show than The Icy Touch.
March 11, 2022
Good story much like the shows but a lot more detail on one Wesen case at a time. Familiarity with characters makes it a nice comfortable read.
March 6, 2024
I really liked this one.it would have made a good episode.
March 26, 2014
I would definitely say that "Grimm: The Chopping Block" by John Passarella is an improvement over the last Grimm novel I reviewed ("The Icy Touch"), but this newest Grimm adventure may be far too "grim" for some readers.
Honestly, it depends on how much cannibalism grosses you out. Why? Because "The Chopping Block" is all about a society of cannibal Wesen (humans who have animal sides to them) who prey on regular humans as a part of a ritual high society feast.
If you're a fan of the TV show "Grimm," on which this book is based, you'll know all about Wesen and Grimms and their world as it pertains to our modern era. If you've never seen the "Grimm" TV show, you're going to find this book quite confusing. Fair warning.
Objectively, "The Chopping Block" is a pretty good (if sometimes icky) story about Nick Burkhardt the Grimm/homicide detective and his pals tracking down this club of wealthy cannibals. If you're not easily grossed out by descriptions of humans being slaughtered and carved up for supper, you should be fine.
I don't consider myself particularly squeamish, but I thought the author dwelled FAR too long on the suffering of the penned up human captives being terrified, then sized up, then murdered by the evil Wesen butcher for various entrees.
If you read my reviews regularly, you know I tend to focus on what's wrong with a book more often than what's right. That's just how I operate. This is a solid three-star book with a good story that kept me occupied. If you want to know why it didn't get five stars, keep reading.
I already mentioned how the lingering on the fetid basement where the human cattle are kept goes more than a bit too far, in my opinion. Mr. Passarella is a horror author, first and foremost, and Grimm isn't really a "horror" show. It has scary moments and fierce creatures, but it's a fairly tame experience. So the focus on the horror of the chained up folks about to be slaughtered and eaten seems somewhat "out of bounds" for a reader who likes "Grimm" the way it is on TV.
As in the other Grimm novel ("The Icy Touch") these authors need to describe and identify clearly which species of Wesen they are talking about. As a viewer of the TV show, I know a Blutbad from a Hexenbiest or a Fuchsbau, but some of the other, less frequently encountered species--which pop up a lot in this book--need some physical descriptions of their Wesen selves instead of just name dropping.
Okay...subplots. One of my main pet peeves about a lot of books these days is that they seem "padded" and longer than they should be. This novel is no exception. There are two distinct subplots in "The Chopping Block." One subplot involves Monroe the Blutbad (werewolf) and an old running buddy of his trying to "reform" into veganism like Monroe has. The other subplot is about Nick's girlfriend Juliette and her attempts to cure a sick Labrador. The Juliette subplot has no connection whatsoever to the main plot and just serves to fill space and give Juliette "something" to do. The Monroe subplot does eventually connect to the main story, but only in a superficial and, frankly, dull and predictable kind of way. The book would be much better without either of these subplots. Monroe and Juliette could find other ways to contribute and still be included.
This might seem nitpicky, but I feel that I found a logical flaw in the story. This is one of those flaws that helps the author tell the story he wants to tell, but at the cost of the reader's suspension of disbelief. At one point, a corrupt, dying real Wesen estate broker kills himself rather than give up information about the cannibals. Yet Nick the Grimm doesn't talk to the family of the Wesen--who are pretty likely to also be Wesen and know something about the broker's shady activities. Instead, Nick's normal human partner Hank questions the family. In the Grimm TV show, Nick rarely passes up an opportunity to shake up Wesen by revealing his Grimm nature during interrogations. And if he had done so in the book, things may have turned out quite differently. To me, it seems like an obvious and intentional flaw in the storytelling to have Hank talk to the broker's family on his own.
And to nitpick even further, the publishers included a lot of pages of ads for "Grimm" related products at the back of the book--which I sort of understand. What I don't understand are the seven blank pages at the end of the book. Were we supposed to take notes? That's all on the publisher, though, not the author.
But, as I said above, "The Chopping Block" is a decent, if somewhat flawed, media tie-in novel for a TV show. No one is expecting high art. Yet I was expecting the writing to be a bit better than what I ended up with. Yet I will remark again that this novel is a large improvement over the previous Grimm novel, "The Icy Touch."
Honestly, it depends on how much cannibalism grosses you out. Why? Because "The Chopping Block" is all about a society of cannibal Wesen (humans who have animal sides to them) who prey on regular humans as a part of a ritual high society feast.
If you're a fan of the TV show "Grimm," on which this book is based, you'll know all about Wesen and Grimms and their world as it pertains to our modern era. If you've never seen the "Grimm" TV show, you're going to find this book quite confusing. Fair warning.
Objectively, "The Chopping Block" is a pretty good (if sometimes icky) story about Nick Burkhardt the Grimm/homicide detective and his pals tracking down this club of wealthy cannibals. If you're not easily grossed out by descriptions of humans being slaughtered and carved up for supper, you should be fine.
I don't consider myself particularly squeamish, but I thought the author dwelled FAR too long on the suffering of the penned up human captives being terrified, then sized up, then murdered by the evil Wesen butcher for various entrees.
If you read my reviews regularly, you know I tend to focus on what's wrong with a book more often than what's right. That's just how I operate. This is a solid three-star book with a good story that kept me occupied. If you want to know why it didn't get five stars, keep reading.
I already mentioned how the lingering on the fetid basement where the human cattle are kept goes more than a bit too far, in my opinion. Mr. Passarella is a horror author, first and foremost, and Grimm isn't really a "horror" show. It has scary moments and fierce creatures, but it's a fairly tame experience. So the focus on the horror of the chained up folks about to be slaughtered and eaten seems somewhat "out of bounds" for a reader who likes "Grimm" the way it is on TV.
As in the other Grimm novel ("The Icy Touch") these authors need to describe and identify clearly which species of Wesen they are talking about. As a viewer of the TV show, I know a Blutbad from a Hexenbiest or a Fuchsbau, but some of the other, less frequently encountered species--which pop up a lot in this book--need some physical descriptions of their Wesen selves instead of just name dropping.
Okay...subplots. One of my main pet peeves about a lot of books these days is that they seem "padded" and longer than they should be. This novel is no exception. There are two distinct subplots in "The Chopping Block." One subplot involves Monroe the Blutbad (werewolf) and an old running buddy of his trying to "reform" into veganism like Monroe has. The other subplot is about Nick's girlfriend Juliette and her attempts to cure a sick Labrador. The Juliette subplot has no connection whatsoever to the main plot and just serves to fill space and give Juliette "something" to do. The Monroe subplot does eventually connect to the main story, but only in a superficial and, frankly, dull and predictable kind of way. The book would be much better without either of these subplots. Monroe and Juliette could find other ways to contribute and still be included.
This might seem nitpicky, but I feel that I found a logical flaw in the story. This is one of those flaws that helps the author tell the story he wants to tell, but at the cost of the reader's suspension of disbelief. At one point, a corrupt, dying real Wesen estate broker kills himself rather than give up information about the cannibals. Yet Nick the Grimm doesn't talk to the family of the Wesen--who are pretty likely to also be Wesen and know something about the broker's shady activities. Instead, Nick's normal human partner Hank questions the family. In the Grimm TV show, Nick rarely passes up an opportunity to shake up Wesen by revealing his Grimm nature during interrogations. And if he had done so in the book, things may have turned out quite differently. To me, it seems like an obvious and intentional flaw in the storytelling to have Hank talk to the broker's family on his own.
And to nitpick even further, the publishers included a lot of pages of ads for "Grimm" related products at the back of the book--which I sort of understand. What I don't understand are the seven blank pages at the end of the book. Were we supposed to take notes? That's all on the publisher, though, not the author.
But, as I said above, "The Chopping Block" is a decent, if somewhat flawed, media tie-in novel for a TV show. No one is expecting high art. Yet I was expecting the writing to be a bit better than what I ended up with. Yet I will remark again that this novel is a large improvement over the previous Grimm novel, "The Icy Touch."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 7, 2014
Kurzer Einblick:
Während einer Geocoaching-Tour stößt ein Vater mit seinem Sohn auf ein grausames Knochengrab. Ein Fall für Nick Burkhardt und sein Kollege Hank Griffin. Nach der Gerichtsmedizinischen Untersuchung steht eins fest : Die Leichen wurden ausgebeint und gekocht - welches die Ermittler schnell zu dem Entschluss führt, dass der Täter nicht menschlicher Natur ist!
Kurze Zeit später, werden weitere Menschenknochen in einem verlassenen Fabrikgelände gefunden. Jedoch verlaufen die Ermittlungen im Dunkeln, den es gibt keine Zusammenhänge zwischen den Opfern, nur ein kleiner Zettel führt Nick und Hank auf die Fersen des Täters. Hank beschließt Monroe mit ins Boot zu nehmen und hofft, dass er vielleicht weiterhelfen kann. Doch was dann geschieht erschwert die Ermittlungen enorm! Den Hank wird entführt und befindet sich in den Fängen des " Kannibalen" ! Jetzt wird es höchste Eisenbahn dem Täter auf die Spur zu kommen, denn für Hank läuft die Zeit weg...!
Meine Meinung:
Seit erscheinen der Serie auf VOX, bin ich Fan und verfolge diese so gut ich kann. Umso überraschter war ich, dass es zu der Serie auch eine Buch-Reihe gibt und dies machte mich total neugierig. Meine Erwartungen waren demnach sehr hoch und wurden auf keinen Fall enttäuscht. Es ist sogar so, dass das Buch deutlich spannender und viel ausführlicher erscheint als die Serie an sich. Die Charaktere sind super bildhaft beschrieben und man kann eine gute Bindung aufbauen, auch die Charaktereigenschaften sind mit der Serie identisch, was mir sehr gut gefiel!
John Passarella konnte bei mir auf kompletter Linie punkten. Nach weiteren Recherchen über den Autor, fand ich auch heraus, dass er auch Bücher wie Buffy verfasst hat, was nur weitere Bonus-Punkte von meiner Seite für ihn einbrachte!
Fazit:
Wer die Serie kennt wird diese Bücher-Reihe lieben! Wirklich sehr spannend, Seriennah, aber trotzdem anders und sogar ein Tick besser! :D
Während einer Geocoaching-Tour stößt ein Vater mit seinem Sohn auf ein grausames Knochengrab. Ein Fall für Nick Burkhardt und sein Kollege Hank Griffin. Nach der Gerichtsmedizinischen Untersuchung steht eins fest : Die Leichen wurden ausgebeint und gekocht - welches die Ermittler schnell zu dem Entschluss führt, dass der Täter nicht menschlicher Natur ist!
Kurze Zeit später, werden weitere Menschenknochen in einem verlassenen Fabrikgelände gefunden. Jedoch verlaufen die Ermittlungen im Dunkeln, den es gibt keine Zusammenhänge zwischen den Opfern, nur ein kleiner Zettel führt Nick und Hank auf die Fersen des Täters. Hank beschließt Monroe mit ins Boot zu nehmen und hofft, dass er vielleicht weiterhelfen kann. Doch was dann geschieht erschwert die Ermittlungen enorm! Den Hank wird entführt und befindet sich in den Fängen des " Kannibalen" ! Jetzt wird es höchste Eisenbahn dem Täter auf die Spur zu kommen, denn für Hank läuft die Zeit weg...!
Meine Meinung:
Seit erscheinen der Serie auf VOX, bin ich Fan und verfolge diese so gut ich kann. Umso überraschter war ich, dass es zu der Serie auch eine Buch-Reihe gibt und dies machte mich total neugierig. Meine Erwartungen waren demnach sehr hoch und wurden auf keinen Fall enttäuscht. Es ist sogar so, dass das Buch deutlich spannender und viel ausführlicher erscheint als die Serie an sich. Die Charaktere sind super bildhaft beschrieben und man kann eine gute Bindung aufbauen, auch die Charaktereigenschaften sind mit der Serie identisch, was mir sehr gut gefiel!
John Passarella konnte bei mir auf kompletter Linie punkten. Nach weiteren Recherchen über den Autor, fand ich auch heraus, dass er auch Bücher wie Buffy verfasst hat, was nur weitere Bonus-Punkte von meiner Seite für ihn einbrachte!
Fazit:
Wer die Serie kennt wird diese Bücher-Reihe lieben! Wirklich sehr spannend, Seriennah, aber trotzdem anders und sogar ein Tick besser! :D
January 10, 2015
Detective Nick Burkhardt, von der Mordkommission Portland, entdeckt, dass er einer geheimen Elite-Gruppe von Profilern, bekannt als „Grimms“ abstammt, die die Balance zwischen der Menschheit und mystischen Kreaturen bewahrt. In den Wäldern nahe Portland wird ein Bündel menschlicher Knochen gefunden. Nick und Hank finden heraus, dass die Zahl der vermissten Personen in der Stadt in den letzten Wochen rapide gestiegen ist. In der Zwischenzeit hilft Monroe einem alten Freund in den Ruhestand zu gehen. Als die Profiler tiefer in den Fall eintauchen, beginnen sie die schreckliche Wahrheit über die Wesen ans Tageslicht zu bringen …
Dies ist der zweite Teil der Romanreihe zur gleichnamigen Fernsehserie.
Ich kenne die Serie ‘Grimm‘ bereits und finde das Buch in Ordnung. Generell finde ich es aber immer etwas verwunderlich Serien oder Filme in Buchform zu pressen. Es sind nun einmal völlig verschiedene Medien, die auf verschiedenen Dingen aufbauen…
Der Schreibstil des Buches ist dennoch gut gelungen, es liest sich gut weg und ab dem fünften Kapitel wird es auch einigermaßen spannend.
Die meisten Charaktere sind gut beschrieben, so dass man ein gutes Bild von ihnen vor Augen hat, ich denke aber, das es sinnvoll ist der vorigen Band gelesen oder die Serie geschaut zu haben, denn gänzlich ohne Vorwissen ist der Leser bei diesem Buch überfordert. Es kommen viele Wesen vor, die nicht weiter erklärt werden und auch einige Zusammenhänge sind verwirrend.
Des Weiteren beinhaltet das Buch einige irrelevante Erzählstränge, denn die Vorkommnisse in Juliettes Veterinärpraxis hatten mit der eigentlichen Handlung letztendlich nichts zu tun…
Dennoch war die eigentliche Handlung spannend dargestellt und nicht zu vorhersehbar, wodurch es beim Lesen zu einigen überraschenden Momenten kam.
Dies ist der zweite Teil der Romanreihe zur gleichnamigen Fernsehserie.
Ich kenne die Serie ‘Grimm‘ bereits und finde das Buch in Ordnung. Generell finde ich es aber immer etwas verwunderlich Serien oder Filme in Buchform zu pressen. Es sind nun einmal völlig verschiedene Medien, die auf verschiedenen Dingen aufbauen…
Der Schreibstil des Buches ist dennoch gut gelungen, es liest sich gut weg und ab dem fünften Kapitel wird es auch einigermaßen spannend.
Die meisten Charaktere sind gut beschrieben, so dass man ein gutes Bild von ihnen vor Augen hat, ich denke aber, das es sinnvoll ist der vorigen Band gelesen oder die Serie geschaut zu haben, denn gänzlich ohne Vorwissen ist der Leser bei diesem Buch überfordert. Es kommen viele Wesen vor, die nicht weiter erklärt werden und auch einige Zusammenhänge sind verwirrend.
Des Weiteren beinhaltet das Buch einige irrelevante Erzählstränge, denn die Vorkommnisse in Juliettes Veterinärpraxis hatten mit der eigentlichen Handlung letztendlich nichts zu tun…
Dennoch war die eigentliche Handlung spannend dargestellt und nicht zu vorhersehbar, wodurch es beim Lesen zu einigen überraschenden Momenten kam.
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