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Who Killed Jerusalem?
A seamless melding of the intricate plotting of Umberto Eco in The Name of the Rose; the side-splitting humor of John Kennedy Toole in A Confederacy of Dunces; and the fabulous world of William Blake.
In 1977, Ickey Jerusalem, San Francisco’s golden-boy poet laureate, is found dead in a locked first-class toilet on an arriving red-eye flight.
Ded Smith, a desperately unhappy, intelligent philistine with a highly developed philosophy to match, is called in to investigate the poet’s death. Thus begins a series of hilarious encounters with the members of Jerusalem’s coterie.
Ded soon realizes that to find out what happened, he must not only collect his usual detective’s clues but also, despite his own poetically challenged outlook, get into the dead poet’s mind. Fighting his way through blasphemous funerals, drug-induced dreams, poetry-charged lovemaking, offbeat philosophical discussions, and much, much more, he begins to piece together Jerusalem’s seductive, all-encompassing metaphysics.
But by then, the attempts to kill Ded and the others have begun.
Before Ded’s death-dodging luck runs out, will he be able to solve the case and perhaps, in the process, develop a new way of looking at the world that might allow him to replace his unhappiness with joy?
In 1977, Ickey Jerusalem, San Francisco’s golden-boy poet laureate, is found dead in a locked first-class toilet on an arriving red-eye flight.
Ded Smith, a desperately unhappy, intelligent philistine with a highly developed philosophy to match, is called in to investigate the poet’s death. Thus begins a series of hilarious encounters with the members of Jerusalem’s coterie.
Ded soon realizes that to find out what happened, he must not only collect his usual detective’s clues but also, despite his own poetically challenged outlook, get into the dead poet’s mind. Fighting his way through blasphemous funerals, drug-induced dreams, poetry-charged lovemaking, offbeat philosophical discussions, and much, much more, he begins to piece together Jerusalem’s seductive, all-encompassing metaphysics.
But by then, the attempts to kill Ded and the others have begun.
Before Ded’s death-dodging luck runs out, will he be able to solve the case and perhaps, in the process, develop a new way of looking at the world that might allow him to replace his unhappiness with joy?
561 pages, Paperback
First published February 6, 2023
13 people are currently reading
963 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
February 3, 2023
I need to start this review with saying this book did not work for me at all. That doesn’t mean it won’t work for you, I see a wide mix of reviews on here so please look around or even try this one to get your own opinion. I felt like the “A Rollicking Literary Murder Mystery” was misleading. There was a mystery, I was never invested in solving it, but it was there. I didn’t find anything in this story to be funny or “rollicking.” I recognized attempts at humor and thought they would be best appreciated by middle school aged boys. My style of humor is not this books, that could be different for others, but I need more to humor than the bizarre and mentions of sexual things. I also thought the author’s beginning note was misleading. He claims you don’t need to know anything about William Blake, but so much of the book ties to his history (of which I know very little) including the bizarre and silly names. Normally I try to find positives about any book, but this book I couldn’t even fully read, I started to skim about 40% in and then read the final reveals to see if it got better. It did not get better. I didn’t care about the characters, I found the philosophical tie-ins to be juvenile and like the author was trying hard to make a silly book deep.
February 11, 2023
If Hercule Poirot was investigating the events of Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses, this would be the book a stoned Agatha Christie would write. Ded Smith is a sad sack insurance claims investigator whose reputation for getting to the truth of things pulls him into the drama of who killed Ickey Jerusalem right from the moment Ickey is found dead in the first-class bathroom in his flight to San Francisco. He gets pulled in deeper when it is found that Ickey recently took out a multimillion-dollar policy with his insurance company. This is a quirky and at times bizarre read which interweaves the poetry, art, and philosophy of William Blake with a locked-room mile-high club murder mystery. The cast of characters in 1977 San Francisco is as colorful as you can possibly imagine. It was a challenging and long read with lots of dialogue that needed some chewing to get through. While humorous at times, I sense the humor is more suited to the male species (do guys really compare randomly encountered objects to the shape of sperm that much???).
Like Poirot, Ded Smith uses his brilliant grey cells to get to the bottom of things without telling the reader exactly where he is going with his thoughts along the way. If you persist, the payout at the end as Ded unravels everyone's secrets and delivers the ultimate reveal. I don't think you need to know much about William Blake to enjoy this story. A quick Wikipedia read of Blake's bio is a nice supplement. Sure, there are probably lots of intricacies a Blake fan will appreciate all the more, but just read and go with the flow.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars because I appreciate the author's artful and quirky cleverness.
Thank you to Galbraith Literary Publishers and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
Like Poirot, Ded Smith uses his brilliant grey cells to get to the bottom of things without telling the reader exactly where he is going with his thoughts along the way. If you persist, the payout at the end as Ded unravels everyone's secrets and delivers the ultimate reveal. I don't think you need to know much about William Blake to enjoy this story. A quick Wikipedia read of Blake's bio is a nice supplement. Sure, there are probably lots of intricacies a Blake fan will appreciate all the more, but just read and go with the flow.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars because I appreciate the author's artful and quirky cleverness.
Thank you to Galbraith Literary Publishers and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
March 26, 2023
I’m very thankful to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook early. Thank you!
That being said, where to start here…
This book was ALL over the place! More specifically, I found the story difficult to follow along to, as it seemed to jump from here to there to back here again. I often found myself pausing and thinking I’d missed something because the story seemed broken up.
The overall premise of the story is interesting, and the narrator did an excellent job. There were many “blocks” of the story that were quite odd but funny, and some parts that were a bit cringy…but I understand that cringe-factor was mostly for building that character.
Respectfully and non-judgmentally, I feel that if you like off-the-wall stories that make you question, “was this author high when this was written?” THEN you’d dig this story. Again, just my opinion (everyone has one) and I did enjoy the small humor bits (like the description of the tattoo) but overall, this book was not for me.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
That being said, where to start here…
This book was ALL over the place! More specifically, I found the story difficult to follow along to, as it seemed to jump from here to there to back here again. I often found myself pausing and thinking I’d missed something because the story seemed broken up.
The overall premise of the story is interesting, and the narrator did an excellent job. There were many “blocks” of the story that were quite odd but funny, and some parts that were a bit cringy…but I understand that cringe-factor was mostly for building that character.
Respectfully and non-judgmentally, I feel that if you like off-the-wall stories that make you question, “was this author high when this was written?” THEN you’d dig this story. Again, just my opinion (everyone has one) and I did enjoy the small humor bits (like the description of the tattoo) but overall, this book was not for me.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
February 27, 2023
Mystery novels have long been a source of fascination and intrigue for readers of all ages. From the classic tales of Agatha Christie to the more contemporary works of Gillian Flynn, the genre has a rich history filled with enigmatic characters, intricate plots, and endless possibilities. "Who Killed Jerusalem?" by George Brown is no exception. Set in 1977 San Francisco, the story follows the investigation into the death of Ickey Jerusalem, the city's golden-boy poet laureate. Insurance investigator Ded Smith is called in to assist local law enforcement with the case, and what follows is a wild ride through the worlds of poetry, philosophy, and offbeat characters.
As Ded delves deeper into the mystery, he is forced to confront his own personal demons and develop a new way of looking at the world around him. The plot was labyrinthine and complex, with twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. But amidst all the intrigue and mystery, there were moments of pure hilarity as the author's quirky, eccentric characters stumbled through their misadventures with aplomb. Brown's writing is clever, humorous, and full of unexpected surprises, making "Who Killed Jerusalem?" a must-read for fans of the mystery genre.
The author's use of absurdist mystery fiction makes for a unique and refreshing reading experience, as the story makes the reader question what is real and what is not. Brown's decision to attribute all of Jerusalem's works, including poems, aphorisms, and marked-up drafts, to William Blake adds an additional layer of depth and intrigue to the story. Despite Jerusalem's San Francisco residency in the 1970s, his works are written in the language of late 18th and early 19th century London. This attention to detail, as well as Brown's clever plot twists and rich character development, make "Who Killed Jerusalem?" a must-read for fans of both absurdist and mystery fiction.
The characters in "Who Killed Jerusalem?" are vividly portrayed and bring a sense of humour to the story. Ded Smith, the private investigator, is a character readers will root for. Despite his "philistinism," he proves to be an intelligent and capable detective. Jerusalem's coterie is a collection of unconventional and eccentric characters that range from a drug-addled artist to a flamboyant actor. Their interactions with Ded and O'Nadir provide comic relief and keep the story moving at a fast pace.
George Brown has created a complex storyline in 'Who Murdered Jerusalem?' that keeps the reader involved throughout the tale. The author, George Brown, has constructed the narrative with a tapestry of unusual characters, complex motivations, and puzzling clues. The reader is presented with a number of philosophical challenges throughout the course of the work, with the primary focus being on the nature of knowledge and how individuals subjectively understand the truth. The writing style of Brown is both witty and thought-provoking, which encourages the reader to accompany the characters on an adventure of discovery that is both intense and intellectually stimulating. The book's characters are vivid and believable, each with their own unique quirks and flaws, and the plot is intricate enough to keep the reader guessing until the very end. The book is an intriguing piece of absurdist fiction, and the author's writing is certain to leave a long-lasting impression on readers who are interested in the absurdist mystery genre.
As Ded delves deeper into the mystery, he is forced to confront his own personal demons and develop a new way of looking at the world around him. The plot was labyrinthine and complex, with twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. But amidst all the intrigue and mystery, there were moments of pure hilarity as the author's quirky, eccentric characters stumbled through their misadventures with aplomb. Brown's writing is clever, humorous, and full of unexpected surprises, making "Who Killed Jerusalem?" a must-read for fans of the mystery genre.
The author's use of absurdist mystery fiction makes for a unique and refreshing reading experience, as the story makes the reader question what is real and what is not. Brown's decision to attribute all of Jerusalem's works, including poems, aphorisms, and marked-up drafts, to William Blake adds an additional layer of depth and intrigue to the story. Despite Jerusalem's San Francisco residency in the 1970s, his works are written in the language of late 18th and early 19th century London. This attention to detail, as well as Brown's clever plot twists and rich character development, make "Who Killed Jerusalem?" a must-read for fans of both absurdist and mystery fiction.
The characters in "Who Killed Jerusalem?" are vividly portrayed and bring a sense of humour to the story. Ded Smith, the private investigator, is a character readers will root for. Despite his "philistinism," he proves to be an intelligent and capable detective. Jerusalem's coterie is a collection of unconventional and eccentric characters that range from a drug-addled artist to a flamboyant actor. Their interactions with Ded and O'Nadir provide comic relief and keep the story moving at a fast pace.
George Brown has created a complex storyline in 'Who Murdered Jerusalem?' that keeps the reader involved throughout the tale. The author, George Brown, has constructed the narrative with a tapestry of unusual characters, complex motivations, and puzzling clues. The reader is presented with a number of philosophical challenges throughout the course of the work, with the primary focus being on the nature of knowledge and how individuals subjectively understand the truth. The writing style of Brown is both witty and thought-provoking, which encourages the reader to accompany the characters on an adventure of discovery that is both intense and intellectually stimulating. The book's characters are vivid and believable, each with their own unique quirks and flaws, and the plot is intricate enough to keep the reader guessing until the very end. The book is an intriguing piece of absurdist fiction, and the author's writing is certain to leave a long-lasting impression on readers who are interested in the absurdist mystery genre.
November 15, 2022
* I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book. *
Insurance adjuster Ded Smith is on a 747 flight when famous poet Ickey Jerusalem is found dead in the first class toilet. Somebody had recently taken out a policy on Jerusalem's life, so his employers commission Ded to investigate the death to see if the policy has to be honoured.
Ded's investigation involves him with a cast of weird characters who are, to varying degrees, adherents of Jerusalem's strange metaphysical theories. Ded needs to work his way through these metaphysics in order to understand what has happened, and to explain Jerusalem's death.
Brown is clearly a big fan of William Blake, but I cannot endorse his claim that you don't need any knowledge of Blake to enjoy the book. The story is chock-full of allusions to Blake's metaphysics, philosophy, mythology, art and poetry, and nearly all of the characters have names connecting them to Blake's works, in ways that appear to be relevant to the plot. I found myself constantly flicking over to Google to look up some character's name, find out how it fitted into Blake's mythos, and thence into Brown's story. In the end, this all became boring and, by the time I was about three-quarters through, I just wanted to be done with this book.
Insurance adjuster Ded Smith is on a 747 flight when famous poet Ickey Jerusalem is found dead in the first class toilet. Somebody had recently taken out a policy on Jerusalem's life, so his employers commission Ded to investigate the death to see if the policy has to be honoured.
Ded's investigation involves him with a cast of weird characters who are, to varying degrees, adherents of Jerusalem's strange metaphysical theories. Ded needs to work his way through these metaphysics in order to understand what has happened, and to explain Jerusalem's death.
Brown is clearly a big fan of William Blake, but I cannot endorse his claim that you don't need any knowledge of Blake to enjoy the book. The story is chock-full of allusions to Blake's metaphysics, philosophy, mythology, art and poetry, and nearly all of the characters have names connecting them to Blake's works, in ways that appear to be relevant to the plot. I found myself constantly flicking over to Google to look up some character's name, find out how it fitted into Blake's mythos, and thence into Brown's story. In the end, this all became boring and, by the time I was about three-quarters through, I just wanted to be done with this book.
January 11, 2023
I really enjoyed the characters and humor of this book, which had me laughing out loud. If you are a fan of "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole then I highly recommend "Who Killed Jerusalem?"
I love reading books set in the Bay Area, where I live, and Brown's depictions of 1977 San Francisco paint a picture of an unhinged and libertine era here that is certainly bygone, and I'm intrigued to investigate the local history more. I listened to the audiobook, which was well-performed by the narrator.
I love reading books set in the Bay Area, where I live, and Brown's depictions of 1977 San Francisco paint a picture of an unhinged and libertine era here that is certainly bygone, and I'm intrigued to investigate the local history more. I listened to the audiobook, which was well-performed by the narrator.
January 24, 2023
Review of eBook
In 1977, Ickey Jerusalem, heralded as San Francisco’s golden boy, arrives on a 747 overnight flight . . . dead. Found in a locked, first-class toilet, the poet laureate, to all appearances, committed suicide.
Ded Smith, an insurance investigator for the Olympian Life Insurance Company, joins San Francisco Police Inspector O’Nadir as he investigates the death. Despite evidence to the contrary, Ded [sometimes referred to as Doctor Deadly] is not so sure certain that Ickey’s death was by his own hand.
But if Ickey didn’t take his own life, who is responsible for the poet’s death? Could it be Robert William, the flight purser? Perhaps it was Beulah Vala, Ickey’s blind personal assistant, or Bacon Urizen, his lawyer? Or could it have been the plastic surgeon, Doctor Bromion Ulro? The business manager, Tharmas Luvah? Or, perhaps, Adam Ghostflea, Ikey’s chauffeur?
Why would any member of Ickey’s coterie murder the poet? And why would Ickey commit suicide when it seemed as if he had finally reached the apex of his creativity?
=========
Although inundated with references to William Blake’s poetry, words of wisdom, paintings, and drawings, the author of this philosophical murder mystery asserts that any familiarity with Blake is not necessary for readers of this delightful tale. And, although the author ascribes Blake’s musings to Ickey Jerusalem, the wandering metaphysical concepts may be just a tad confusing for those who have yet to meet Blake.
Ickey’s retinue is as unusual as the names they bear; their nonplussed attitudes belie the inventiveness of this madcap tale. With strong [albeit a tad comical] characters and a plot that only slowly reveals its secrets, readers who enjoy untangling the mystery before the big reveal will find much to appreciate here.
At times, the narrative tumbles into absurdity; the compelling metaphysical aspects often elicit chuckles. But the plot is clever; with its healthy dose of humor, this tightly-woven mystery is sure to keep readers guessing . . . and the denouement doesn’t disappoint.
Recommended.
I received a free copy of this eBook from Galbraith Literary Publishers and NetGalley
#WhoKilledJerusalem #NetGalley
In 1977, Ickey Jerusalem, heralded as San Francisco’s golden boy, arrives on a 747 overnight flight . . . dead. Found in a locked, first-class toilet, the poet laureate, to all appearances, committed suicide.
Ded Smith, an insurance investigator for the Olympian Life Insurance Company, joins San Francisco Police Inspector O’Nadir as he investigates the death. Despite evidence to the contrary, Ded [sometimes referred to as Doctor Deadly] is not so sure certain that Ickey’s death was by his own hand.
But if Ickey didn’t take his own life, who is responsible for the poet’s death? Could it be Robert William, the flight purser? Perhaps it was Beulah Vala, Ickey’s blind personal assistant, or Bacon Urizen, his lawyer? Or could it have been the plastic surgeon, Doctor Bromion Ulro? The business manager, Tharmas Luvah? Or, perhaps, Adam Ghostflea, Ikey’s chauffeur?
Why would any member of Ickey’s coterie murder the poet? And why would Ickey commit suicide when it seemed as if he had finally reached the apex of his creativity?
=========
Although inundated with references to William Blake’s poetry, words of wisdom, paintings, and drawings, the author of this philosophical murder mystery asserts that any familiarity with Blake is not necessary for readers of this delightful tale. And, although the author ascribes Blake’s musings to Ickey Jerusalem, the wandering metaphysical concepts may be just a tad confusing for those who have yet to meet Blake.
Ickey’s retinue is as unusual as the names they bear; their nonplussed attitudes belie the inventiveness of this madcap tale. With strong [albeit a tad comical] characters and a plot that only slowly reveals its secrets, readers who enjoy untangling the mystery before the big reveal will find much to appreciate here.
At times, the narrative tumbles into absurdity; the compelling metaphysical aspects often elicit chuckles. But the plot is clever; with its healthy dose of humor, this tightly-woven mystery is sure to keep readers guessing . . . and the denouement doesn’t disappoint.
Recommended.
I received a free copy of this eBook from Galbraith Literary Publishers and NetGalley
#WhoKilledJerusalem #NetGalley
February 17, 2023
The author's note that explains a background knowledge of William Blake is unnecessary is not entirely accurate. This book probably would've been much more enjoyable if the obscure references, naming conventions, and randomly spouted poetry made more sense (hence needing to read Blake).
Clearly a tribute to Blake's work, the author, I'm sure, did due diligence and created a story worthy of the large body of literature left by Blake. However, my lack of knowledge really hindered my ability to find this book amusing.
This is a long book, much of which could have been reduced. There were odd scenes unrelated to the mystery that slowed down the pace of the story.
The writing provided a refreshing voice. Although the main character's descriptions of women's bodies, his seeming obsession with boobs, and rants about religion were really off-putting.
I'd probably read another story by this author but this book was too long and filled with too many references I didn't understand.
ARC provided via NetGalley
Clearly a tribute to Blake's work, the author, I'm sure, did due diligence and created a story worthy of the large body of literature left by Blake. However, my lack of knowledge really hindered my ability to find this book amusing.
This is a long book, much of which could have been reduced. There were odd scenes unrelated to the mystery that slowed down the pace of the story.
The writing provided a refreshing voice. Although the main character's descriptions of women's bodies, his seeming obsession with boobs, and rants about religion were really off-putting.
I'd probably read another story by this author but this book was too long and filled with too many references I didn't understand.
ARC provided via NetGalley
January 25, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.
Painful. Only about 60% done- 8 hours left to g0.
Rollicking? No. It makes no sense whatsoever. I have rewound/relistened to chapters over and over again, thinking I must have missed something. I am not a William Blake fan. I even went and looked up his work, his poetry, looked at his images. Didn't help. Trying to finish.
Narrator has a broad vocal range. His exclamations make me jump, and are way too loud. His higher pitched voices are almost impossible to listen to. Not only are they hard to understand, but the pitch just hurts my head.
8 more hours... we'll see.
I did finish the book. My opinion did not change. I did not find it funny in the least. It may appeal to a middle school boy, but silly lewdness- not for me. The last hour or 2, when the mystery was finally unravelled- it was really just one of those spill it all and explain it...
Not worth my time.
Painful. Only about 60% done- 8 hours left to g0.
Rollicking? No. It makes no sense whatsoever. I have rewound/relistened to chapters over and over again, thinking I must have missed something. I am not a William Blake fan. I even went and looked up his work, his poetry, looked at his images. Didn't help. Trying to finish.
Narrator has a broad vocal range. His exclamations make me jump, and are way too loud. His higher pitched voices are almost impossible to listen to. Not only are they hard to understand, but the pitch just hurts my head.
8 more hours... we'll see.
I did finish the book. My opinion did not change. I did not find it funny in the least. It may appeal to a middle school boy, but silly lewdness- not for me. The last hour or 2, when the mystery was finally unravelled- it was really just one of those spill it all and explain it...
Not worth my time.
March 9, 2023
With its enigmatic characters, intricate plots, and endless possibilities, the world of mystery novels is a captivating one, and "Who Killed Jerusalem?" by George Brown is no exception. Set in 1977 San Francisco, the story centers around the death of Ickey Jerusalem, the city's beloved poet laureate. Insurance investigator Ded Smith is called in to assist local law enforcement with the case, and what follows is a thrilling journey through the worlds of poetry, philosophy, and offbeat characters.
As Ded delves deeper into the mystery, he is forced to confront his own personal demons and develop a new way of looking at the world around him. The plot is well-crafted and keeps the reader guessing until the very end. The use of William Blake's works adds a layer of intellectualism to the story without making it feel stuffy or pretentious. Brown expertly weaves Blake's works into the story in a way that feels natural and organic.
Brown's writing is both poetic and humorous, and he manages to balance the absurdity of the mystery with the weightiness of the philosophical themes. Overall, "Who Killed Jerusalem?" is a fantastic addition to the mystery genre and a great choice for anyone looking for a thrilling and thought-provoking read.
As Ded delves deeper into the mystery, he is forced to confront his own personal demons and develop a new way of looking at the world around him. The plot is well-crafted and keeps the reader guessing until the very end. The use of William Blake's works adds a layer of intellectualism to the story without making it feel stuffy or pretentious. Brown expertly weaves Blake's works into the story in a way that feels natural and organic.
Brown's writing is both poetic and humorous, and he manages to balance the absurdity of the mystery with the weightiness of the philosophical themes. Overall, "Who Killed Jerusalem?" is a fantastic addition to the mystery genre and a great choice for anyone looking for a thrilling and thought-provoking read.
March 9, 2023
"Who Killed Jerusalem?" by George Brown is a captivating mystery novel that takes place in the literary world of 1970s San Francisco. This intriguing story follows the investigation of the murder of Ickey Jerusalem, a renowned poet laureate. Insurance investigator Ded Smith is tasked with solving the case, and as he delves deeper into the investigation, he encounters a cast of quirky characters and enters the poet's seductive, all-encompassing world.
The plot of "Who Killed Jerusalem?" is full of twists and turns that keep the reader guessing until the very end. Brown masterfully weaves together elements of mystery, absurdity, and poetry to create a unique and captivating story. The characters in the novel are well-developed and interesting, each with their own quirks and motivations. As Ded navigates the eccentric world of the literary elite, he must use his wit and intelligence to piece together the clues and solve the murder of Ickey Jerusalem.
Brown's writing is descriptive and engaging, transporting readers to a time and place that is both enchanting and eerie. The use of William Blake's works adds a layer of intellectualism to the story, and the philosophical discussions between the characters are both thought-provoking and entertaining. The witty and poetic prose adds to the overall charm of the novel and makes for an enjoyable reading experience.
Overall, "Who Killed Jerusalem?" is a delightful and unique read that will appeal to fans of mystery and absurdist fiction. George Brown's witty writing, highly engaging plot and surprising twists, and the well-developed characters will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
The plot of "Who Killed Jerusalem?" is full of twists and turns that keep the reader guessing until the very end. Brown masterfully weaves together elements of mystery, absurdity, and poetry to create a unique and captivating story. The characters in the novel are well-developed and interesting, each with their own quirks and motivations. As Ded navigates the eccentric world of the literary elite, he must use his wit and intelligence to piece together the clues and solve the murder of Ickey Jerusalem.
Brown's writing is descriptive and engaging, transporting readers to a time and place that is both enchanting and eerie. The use of William Blake's works adds a layer of intellectualism to the story, and the philosophical discussions between the characters are both thought-provoking and entertaining. The witty and poetic prose adds to the overall charm of the novel and makes for an enjoyable reading experience.
Overall, "Who Killed Jerusalem?" is a delightful and unique read that will appeal to fans of mystery and absurdist fiction. George Brown's witty writing, highly engaging plot and surprising twists, and the well-developed characters will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
Read
January 18, 2023OK “Who Killed Jerusalem?” This book is a laxadaisical journey into craziness! Vic Jerusalem was flying to California because if I’m understanding it right he was on a book tour for his poetry anthology. Some of this people are also on the plane with them like his blind secretary his agent, his chauffeur and another man who is recently divorced bored and lonely. When Vic is found suffocated to death in the plain bathroom they don’t know if it’s suicide or murder? The police are called and this is what brings detective Otter to the case he is also friends with the lonely divorce New Yorker and this is why that gets involved with the case also. Now I’m not going to give a brief summary about details I’m going to give you an overall glimpse of the craziness that is this book from the funeral his slutty sister The inheritance people turning into insects have parts of the book that are not steeped in reality at all but what I will say this book as long as hell almost 20 hours long but once you start listening you will find it hard to stop. They also have parts of the book that feel like it’s going into sta nation but stick with it because the LOL moments are so worth it this book is based on William Blake and characters from his book if you’ve ever read one of his books then you can see the influence while listening to “who killed Jerusalem“ even when I pause the book things I read made me laugh out loud this is a crazy piece of work and one I highly recommend. I don’t believe I’ve ever read a book by George Albert Brown before but I would absolutely read another. This book is very funny especially the funeral and his sister that made me laugh so much but I digress let me stop so you can get the book and enjoy it too I loved it! I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
May 8, 2023
This was the most fun I have had with a mystery book ever! The book is loosely based on William Blake's poetry, characters and ideas... fortunately you do not have to be familiar with any of Blake's work to love this book. If anything it opens the world of poetry in an accessible manner so that maybe more people will learn to love epic poetry and romantic era classics. The book centers on the mysterious death of San Francisco Poet Ickey Jerusalem and his wild and crazy group of cohorts. An insurance adjuster, Dedalus "Ded" Smith, who is known as Dr. Death for his uncanny ability to determine cause of death and solve murders, is on board the flight when Jerusalem is found dead. He is initially asked to help the police with interviewing the suspects as a friendly courtesy, but when it is discovered that Ickey took out a life insurance policy a month before his death, Ded is called in to rule if the case a suicide or murder in an official capacity. While he investigates each of the suspects and the crime itself, he finds himself caught up in a web of philosophy, intrigue and murder. The poet not only collected delightfully weird friends the stand out on the page; he had seemed to develop strange ideas on life and existence in general. I can honestly say the author had me guessing until the end who the killer was, while at the same time weaving so much philosophical information and poetry that I found my self in awe of how he tied all of it together. This is a truly magical and unique book that will take readers on an epic journey.
February 6, 2023
The book is well-written, and the pacing is perfect. There were just the right number of twists and turns, in the end, to keep the reader engaged, but to reach there you need to read loads of offbeat philosophical discussions.
In conclusion, it is a book that combines the best of two genres: the murder mystery and the literary novel. Although this book is not everyone's cup of tea, it undoubtedly is for the fans of William Blake, and to see his characters in a modern setting will be a unique experience. If you are also into literature with a fraction of mystery, then you can read this book too.
Read the detailed review here - Books Charming
In conclusion, it is a book that combines the best of two genres: the murder mystery and the literary novel. Although this book is not everyone's cup of tea, it undoubtedly is for the fans of William Blake, and to see his characters in a modern setting will be a unique experience. If you are also into literature with a fraction of mystery, then you can read this book too.
Read the detailed review here - Books Charming
February 11, 2023
If Hercule Poirot was investigating the events of Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses, this would be the book a stoned Agatha Christie would write. Ded Smith is a sad sack insurance claims investigator whose reputation for getting to the truth of things pulls him into the drama of who killed Ickey Jerusalem right from the moment Ickey is found dead in the first-class bathroom in his flight to San Francisco. He gets pulled in deeper when it is found that Ickey recently took out a multimillion-dollar policy with his insurance company. This is a quirky and at times bizarre read which interweaves the poetry, art, and philosophy of William Blake with a locked-room mile-high club murder mystery. The cast of characters in 1977 San Francisco is as colorful as you can possibly imagine. It was a challenging and long read with lots of dialogue that needed some chewing to get through. While humorous at times, I sense the humor is more suited to the male species (do guys really compare randomly encountered objects to the shape of sperm that much???).
Like Poirot, Ded Smith uses his brilliant grey cells to get to the bottom of things without telling the reader exactly where he is going with his thoughts along the way. If you persist, the payout at the end as Ded unravels everyone's secrets and delivers the ultimate reveal. I don't think you need to know much about William Blake to enjoy this story. A quick Wikipedia read of Blake's bio is a nice supplement. Sure, there are probably lots of intricacies a Blake fan will appreciate all the more, but just read and go with the flow.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars because I appreciate the author's artful and quirky cleverness.
Thank you to Galbraith Literary Publishers and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
Like Poirot, Ded Smith uses his brilliant grey cells to get to the bottom of things without telling the reader exactly where he is going with his thoughts along the way. If you persist, the payout at the end as Ded unravels everyone's secrets and delivers the ultimate reveal. I don't think you need to know much about William Blake to enjoy this story. A quick Wikipedia read of Blake's bio is a nice supplement. Sure, there are probably lots of intricacies a Blake fan will appreciate all the more, but just read and go with the flow.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars because I appreciate the author's artful and quirky cleverness.
Thank you to Galbraith Literary Publishers and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
January 17, 2023
* I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book. *
A comical tale of "whodunit" set in San Francisco in the '70s with a heavy splash of metaphysics that will have you confused, disturbed, laughing, pondering the universe, and trying to solve the murder of Ickey Jerusalem.
With the difficult-to-pronounce names and the many quirky characters, I felt that the audiobook was the best way to get through this tale as the narrator does a great job of differentiating who is who and bringing them to life. I wanted to love this book but I only somewhat liked it. I love the idea of a "whodunit" story with lots of twists and turns but this story left me scratching my head and relistening to some passages to make sure I heard things correctly. With the story modeled after the work of William Blake, I should have spent some time looking into Blake's work because there are several instances in which I had to look up a connection or reach out to my Blake-loving friends for some insight just to make sure I was understanding the plot correctly.
Maybe I'll spend some time reading Blake and then re-read this novel and see if my thoughts change.
A comical tale of "whodunit" set in San Francisco in the '70s with a heavy splash of metaphysics that will have you confused, disturbed, laughing, pondering the universe, and trying to solve the murder of Ickey Jerusalem.
With the difficult-to-pronounce names and the many quirky characters, I felt that the audiobook was the best way to get through this tale as the narrator does a great job of differentiating who is who and bringing them to life. I wanted to love this book but I only somewhat liked it. I love the idea of a "whodunit" story with lots of twists and turns but this story left me scratching my head and relistening to some passages to make sure I heard things correctly. With the story modeled after the work of William Blake, I should have spent some time looking into Blake's work because there are several instances in which I had to look up a connection or reach out to my Blake-loving friends for some insight just to make sure I was understanding the plot correctly.
Maybe I'll spend some time reading Blake and then re-read this novel and see if my thoughts change.
March 14, 2023
"Who Killed Jerusalem?" is a brilliantly crafted mystery novel that transports readers to the vibrant literary scene of San Francisco in the 1970s. At the heart of the story is the mysterious death of Ickey Jerusalem, a renowned poet and beloved figure in the community. Insurance investigator Ded Smith is tasked with unraveling the complex web of clues and eccentric characters surrounding the case, and in doing so, he must grapple with the poet's enigmatic philosophy.
Author George Brown has woven a tale that is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging. The book explores themes of knowledge, tolerance, and the human condition through its masterful writing, intricate plot, and well-developed characters. The story is a hymn to the pursuit of knowledge as a treasure, and to tolerance as a gateway to its abundance.
Despite its intimidating erudition, "Who Killed Jerusalem?" is accessible to many. Brown's writing style strikes a balance between intellectualism and accessibility, and the book's exploration of reality and the human experience will resonate with readers of all backgrounds.
Overall, "Who Killed Jerusalem?" is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a good mystery novel that goes beyond the surface-level whodunit. Brown's work is a diabolically devised mystery set in the late 20th century, but it is so much more than that. It is a thought-provoking exploration of the nature of reality and the human condition, and a testament to the author's talent as a writer.
Author George Brown has woven a tale that is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging. The book explores themes of knowledge, tolerance, and the human condition through its masterful writing, intricate plot, and well-developed characters. The story is a hymn to the pursuit of knowledge as a treasure, and to tolerance as a gateway to its abundance.
Despite its intimidating erudition, "Who Killed Jerusalem?" is accessible to many. Brown's writing style strikes a balance between intellectualism and accessibility, and the book's exploration of reality and the human experience will resonate with readers of all backgrounds.
Overall, "Who Killed Jerusalem?" is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a good mystery novel that goes beyond the surface-level whodunit. Brown's work is a diabolically devised mystery set in the late 20th century, but it is so much more than that. It is a thought-provoking exploration of the nature of reality and the human condition, and a testament to the author's talent as a writer.
February 15, 2023
A novel evoking the "side-splitting humor of John Kennedy Toole"? Set in the San Francisco of the 70's? Layered with the poetry and art of Willam Blake? Color me intrigued.
What Toole accomplished in A Confederacy of Dunces, one of my all-time favorite novels, was art. Profoundly funny, obscure, ridiculous. Ignatius was a character like no other. In Who Killed Jerusalem, the opening paragraph of the opening chapter has a dead Ickey Jerusalem sitting on the toilet in the first class bathroom, while protagonist Ded, an insurance claims adjuster, is stuck on the same flight with drunk salesmen back in steerage. This had promise, it was over the top and had me invested in Ded. Tragically, the absurdity kept multiplying, with no release valve, nothing relatable, just crazily named characters in increasingly zany situations. Unsurprisingly, Brown is no Toole. He is on his way, however, towards Rocky Flintstone heights [my notes: Is this My Dad Wrote a Porno?]. Each sentence felt forced, like it was designed to elicit that promised side-splitting humor and instead achieved much eye-rolling and head shakes and "oh brothers".
I bounced back and forth between reading and listening to the audiobook. The narrator read the story in a newsman-like fashion, just the facts ma'am, and saved his voice artistry for the myriad of characters. The only reason I could think of for the doctor's annoyingly high pitched nasal wheeze was that he'd run out of vocal expressions.
I have to admit, I struggled with this one. Giving it a final push at 2x speed, stuck on an airplane with nothing else to distract me, with almost 20 hours and 576 pages behind me I was able to reach The End.
Pro-tips for the intrepid: speed up the audiobook, and do look up the Blake imagery. It might have something to do with the story (if you squint) and is disturbingly beautiful.
Thank you to NetGalley, Galbraith Literary Publishers for the ARC and the Audiobook.
What Toole accomplished in A Confederacy of Dunces, one of my all-time favorite novels, was art. Profoundly funny, obscure, ridiculous. Ignatius was a character like no other. In Who Killed Jerusalem, the opening paragraph of the opening chapter has a dead Ickey Jerusalem sitting on the toilet in the first class bathroom, while protagonist Ded, an insurance claims adjuster, is stuck on the same flight with drunk salesmen back in steerage. This had promise, it was over the top and had me invested in Ded. Tragically, the absurdity kept multiplying, with no release valve, nothing relatable, just crazily named characters in increasingly zany situations. Unsurprisingly, Brown is no Toole. He is on his way, however, towards Rocky Flintstone heights [my notes: Is this My Dad Wrote a Porno?]. Each sentence felt forced, like it was designed to elicit that promised side-splitting humor and instead achieved much eye-rolling and head shakes and "oh brothers".
I bounced back and forth between reading and listening to the audiobook. The narrator read the story in a newsman-like fashion, just the facts ma'am, and saved his voice artistry for the myriad of characters. The only reason I could think of for the doctor's annoyingly high pitched nasal wheeze was that he'd run out of vocal expressions.
I have to admit, I struggled with this one. Giving it a final push at 2x speed, stuck on an airplane with nothing else to distract me, with almost 20 hours and 576 pages behind me I was able to reach The End.
Pro-tips for the intrepid: speed up the audiobook, and do look up the Blake imagery. It might have something to do with the story (if you squint) and is disturbingly beautiful.
Thank you to NetGalley, Galbraith Literary Publishers for the ARC and the Audiobook.
January 25, 2023
The largest collection of improbably named characters I've seen in a while. The length is a bit daunting (not to be read continuously on a long car trip), but perfect for diving into at intervals (subway and such). Also, I did not find the humor to be of the rolling on floor variety but the inelegant snorts and giggles sort. I really enjoyed this trip uphill and down in the investigative sense which is filled with twists and red herrings.
I was lucky to get the audio narrated by the incomparable Patrick Lawlor.
I requested and received a free temporary audio copy from Galbraith Literary Publishers Incorporated via NetGalley. Thank you!
I was lucky to get the audio narrated by the incomparable Patrick Lawlor.
I requested and received a free temporary audio copy from Galbraith Literary Publishers Incorporated via NetGalley. Thank you!
March 20, 2023
Thank you to BookishFirst for sending me a free copy!
I have no idea how to review this, because part of me feels like I'm missing something, but the other part of me lost a bit of patience reading this. If there is a target audience for this book, it's definitely very niche, and I'm not part of it.
The murder mystery is definitely not the main focus of the story, which I expected going in, but what I didn't expect is what the author chose to focus on in lieu of the premise. Aside from the odd characters and the religious/philosophical discussions that permeated throughout the book, the story was rife with sex and graphic depictions of genitalia, as well as an unnecessary (in my opinion) focus on the female body. All of the women in this book are reduced to sex toys, which might have been problematic in and of itself, but the absurd tone throughout just makes me question what the point of it all was.
The mystery itself was also solved extremely slowly, with so many ill-placed clues and red herrings (that were so weird and insignificant that they meant nothing until the end -- and even then, not in a lasting way). The solution to the death was also convoluted, while also being cliche and boring. Lastly, I tried to give the book a chance, and even dedicated extra time and headspace for it, but had to give up midway after the scene of the protagonist being f-ed by a dog. I just skimmed and skipped after that.
I have no idea how to review this, because part of me feels like I'm missing something, but the other part of me lost a bit of patience reading this. If there is a target audience for this book, it's definitely very niche, and I'm not part of it.
The murder mystery is definitely not the main focus of the story, which I expected going in, but what I didn't expect is what the author chose to focus on in lieu of the premise. Aside from the odd characters and the religious/philosophical discussions that permeated throughout the book, the story was rife with sex and graphic depictions of genitalia, as well as an unnecessary (in my opinion) focus on the female body. All of the women in this book are reduced to sex toys, which might have been problematic in and of itself, but the absurd tone throughout just makes me question what the point of it all was.
The mystery itself was also solved extremely slowly, with so many ill-placed clues and red herrings (that were so weird and insignificant that they meant nothing until the end -- and even then, not in a lasting way). The solution to the death was also convoluted, while also being cliche and boring. Lastly, I tried to give the book a chance, and even dedicated extra time and headspace for it, but had to give up midway after the scene of the protagonist being f-ed by a dog. I just skimmed and skipped after that.
June 8, 2023
R e v i e w :
I finished this book a while ago and I’m finally picking it up again to write a review! ‘Who Killed Jerusalem’ feels a lot like a Hercules Poirot mystery, following an odd detective as he doesn’t particularly share his thoughts or theories as he’s investigating a gruesome murder. When in 1977, Ickey Jerusalem, one of San Francisco’s favorite poets, is found dead in a locked, first-class toilet on his flight, Ded Smith, a desperately unhappy, intelligent detective is called in to investigate the poet's death — and unravel all the secrets the poet’s inner circle has been keeping.
The book is slow paced, yet sets up every detail to unfold naturally, leading up to plot’s resolution at the very end. Heavily laced with philosophy themes (since detective Ded is a philosophy enthusiast) and humorous at its very core, the pages of the book flow by as the reader is slowly led to the terrifying truth behind a murder. While William Blake’s work is very deeply woven into the book’s plot, I do not think it’s necessary to be familiar with it in order to enjoy, yet maybe a bit of insight into it will aid in better appreciating it.
Won’t say much more cause I definitely don’t wish to spoil anything! 3.5 rounded up to 4/5⭐️
I finished this book a while ago and I’m finally picking it up again to write a review! ‘Who Killed Jerusalem’ feels a lot like a Hercules Poirot mystery, following an odd detective as he doesn’t particularly share his thoughts or theories as he’s investigating a gruesome murder. When in 1977, Ickey Jerusalem, one of San Francisco’s favorite poets, is found dead in a locked, first-class toilet on his flight, Ded Smith, a desperately unhappy, intelligent detective is called in to investigate the poet's death — and unravel all the secrets the poet’s inner circle has been keeping.
The book is slow paced, yet sets up every detail to unfold naturally, leading up to plot’s resolution at the very end. Heavily laced with philosophy themes (since detective Ded is a philosophy enthusiast) and humorous at its very core, the pages of the book flow by as the reader is slowly led to the terrifying truth behind a murder. While William Blake’s work is very deeply woven into the book’s plot, I do not think it’s necessary to be familiar with it in order to enjoy, yet maybe a bit of insight into it will aid in better appreciating it.
Won’t say much more cause I definitely don’t wish to spoil anything! 3.5 rounded up to 4/5⭐️
February 7, 2023
Who Killed Jerusalem?
By George Albert Brown
This is a very strange book: from the characters' names to the metaphysical theories, the story is at times funny, at times engaging, and at times totally confusing. It is a murder mystery – if the reader can follow the plot line.
The protagonist is an insurance adjuster named Ded (Dedaelus) Smith. His own story is enough to confuse the reader right from the beginning. He is sort of a lost soul trying to find himself, since his divorce from his wife Harriet. Since his divorce, he has spent virtually all of his time flying from job to job and has built up his relationship with policemen while working out whether insurance claims should be paid.
Ded is on a plane to San Francisco, when a dead body is found in one of the plane's toilets. The detective called in happens to be a friend who asks Ded to sit in on the interviews of passengers. Thus the plot begins.
The deceased is one Ickey Jerusalem, the self-described "Poet Laureate" of San Francisco. What is initially believed to be a suicide turns into a murder investigation. Who killed Jerusalem? His lover, blind Beulah Vala; his chauffeur, Adam Ghostflea; Tharmas Luvah, his business manager; Bacon Urizon, his lawyer; Dr.Bromion Ulro, a physician; Robert N. William, the flight purser – or is it someone else?
As you can see by the names, this is NOT your everyday murder mystery. I found this book confusing, sometimes bogged down in nonsensical quasi-religious theories – and yet I found myself hanging in until the very end. The Agatha Christie type ending – where the detective wraps it all up – makes the read worthwhile.
By George Albert Brown
This is a very strange book: from the characters' names to the metaphysical theories, the story is at times funny, at times engaging, and at times totally confusing. It is a murder mystery – if the reader can follow the plot line.
The protagonist is an insurance adjuster named Ded (Dedaelus) Smith. His own story is enough to confuse the reader right from the beginning. He is sort of a lost soul trying to find himself, since his divorce from his wife Harriet. Since his divorce, he has spent virtually all of his time flying from job to job and has built up his relationship with policemen while working out whether insurance claims should be paid.
Ded is on a plane to San Francisco, when a dead body is found in one of the plane's toilets. The detective called in happens to be a friend who asks Ded to sit in on the interviews of passengers. Thus the plot begins.
The deceased is one Ickey Jerusalem, the self-described "Poet Laureate" of San Francisco. What is initially believed to be a suicide turns into a murder investigation. Who killed Jerusalem? His lover, blind Beulah Vala; his chauffeur, Adam Ghostflea; Tharmas Luvah, his business manager; Bacon Urizon, his lawyer; Dr.Bromion Ulro, a physician; Robert N. William, the flight purser – or is it someone else?
As you can see by the names, this is NOT your everyday murder mystery. I found this book confusing, sometimes bogged down in nonsensical quasi-religious theories – and yet I found myself hanging in until the very end. The Agatha Christie type ending – where the detective wraps it all up – makes the read worthwhile.
February 13, 2023
Super grateful to NetGalley, as always, for the opportunity to read and provide feedback on books.
Before I begin my review, I feel the need to emphasize that reviews are totally personal. I say that specifically in the case of this book because I really felt like it wasn’t for me, but I felt like under certain conditions it could have been for me, and I definitely think that there are many people who might enjoy it. So while my review won’t be a stellar one, you’ll find many reviews that are… so if you like the genre (fiction/murder mysteries), you may want to do a little research to see if this would be a good fit for you.
Okay so I don’t know anything about Blake or his philosophy or characters he’s written, but it’s indicated that you don’t need to in order to read or enjoy this book. I personally agree with that assessment. In retrospect, I think that being familiar with Blake and his work would probably considerably increase connection to and enjoyment of the book, but it isn’t necessary. Although without it, you, like me, may read this and think, “wow, this might be the weirdest book I’ve ever read.” Note that weird doesn’t necessarily mean bad, and I don’t mean it in a negative sense here. The weirdness of the book isn’t why I didn’t like it. In fact, the weirdness (along with the compulsion I have to absolutely know whodunit) is probably why I stuck it out until the end.
There’s just a lot going on in this book. The characters are confusing. I could occasionally connect if I did serious mental gymnastics, but definitely not enough to feel attached to any. I mean maybe by the end I felt a little attachment to Ded, but that was because we’re with him the entire way through and I kind of felt sorry for him.
The mystery itself has promise. The setting of the crime is cool, and there are a lot of clues and things that had the potential to have a really phenomenal set up. They ended up missing the mark for me, but I appreciated the potential. I think I would have been a lot more invested if maybe 200 pages in the middle had been cut out. The book started to drag for a while, and almost nothing I was getting in the middle ended up being super relevant or necessary to getting into the meat of actually solving the crime.
Anyway, yea. That’s pretty much that. Reading this was certainly an experience.
Before I begin my review, I feel the need to emphasize that reviews are totally personal. I say that specifically in the case of this book because I really felt like it wasn’t for me, but I felt like under certain conditions it could have been for me, and I definitely think that there are many people who might enjoy it. So while my review won’t be a stellar one, you’ll find many reviews that are… so if you like the genre (fiction/murder mysteries), you may want to do a little research to see if this would be a good fit for you.
Okay so I don’t know anything about Blake or his philosophy or characters he’s written, but it’s indicated that you don’t need to in order to read or enjoy this book. I personally agree with that assessment. In retrospect, I think that being familiar with Blake and his work would probably considerably increase connection to and enjoyment of the book, but it isn’t necessary. Although without it, you, like me, may read this and think, “wow, this might be the weirdest book I’ve ever read.” Note that weird doesn’t necessarily mean bad, and I don’t mean it in a negative sense here. The weirdness of the book isn’t why I didn’t like it. In fact, the weirdness (along with the compulsion I have to absolutely know whodunit) is probably why I stuck it out until the end.
There’s just a lot going on in this book. The characters are confusing. I could occasionally connect if I did serious mental gymnastics, but definitely not enough to feel attached to any. I mean maybe by the end I felt a little attachment to Ded, but that was because we’re with him the entire way through and I kind of felt sorry for him.
The mystery itself has promise. The setting of the crime is cool, and there are a lot of clues and things that had the potential to have a really phenomenal set up. They ended up missing the mark for me, but I appreciated the potential. I think I would have been a lot more invested if maybe 200 pages in the middle had been cut out. The book started to drag for a while, and almost nothing I was getting in the middle ended up being super relevant or necessary to getting into the meat of actually solving the crime.
Anyway, yea. That’s pretty much that. Reading this was certainly an experience.
March 3, 2024
At times this book felt so painful to get through. I found some parts to be funny and down right whacky. At other times I had to re read each page several times because it felt like word salad. The ending finally gave me the answers I was looking for but it felt like the 200 pages in between were largely unnecessary. Perhaps if I had a better understanding of Blake’s work I would have been better off. I’m glad I’m done with this one. Equally as impressed I made it thru!
March 3, 2023
Who Killed Jerusalem is a tale twisted by author George Albert Brown who took a real life character and their work, fitting it into his literary world of murder, mystery and obscene mayhem. If you don’t believe me that this book is just off the charts (even for 1970’s San Francisco culture), wait til you get to the funeral of Jerusalem, the murder victim. When a huge gingerbread cookie is rolled on stage and the mourners asked to partake of it, this scene, still a surprise, even after the others that occur first. Yes, the characters in the book are weird but they are also zany, creative and ingenious creations made to make the reader think not just about the story, but life, as a whole. George Albert Brown gets deep, presenting philosophy that drives readers to a cognitive state very much like one you find while in deep study while trying to understand the characters, through Ded.
Ded Smith is our main character and the investigator of Icky Jerusalem’s death. Icky is San Francisco’s poet laureate, in the 1970’s and, if San Francisco had this role (or position), at this point in time (which is the place in time readers are brought) I would very much believe someone like Icky to have been in it. He is weird, he is deep and the depth is almost to a point in which you don’t understand him. While Icky’s philosophy is understandable (with deep thought) that it is well outside normal thought, that is what one would expect of a popular person at the height of Hippie culture.
Near the end of the book, Ded discovers that Icky had a boat docked at a marina. Now, this was one with a “harbormaster” which, I am sure, included dues and fees. Well, when Ded goes to investigate the boat and sees it, after passing a 45-foot yacht they think is his, the harbormaster points out a “grubby” 11 foot wooden sailboat; it is nothing like what a person would keep there. Completely pointless when it comes to the large expenditure of the dock space, probably causing complaints from the others that dock there about the “grubby” little boat. Just a pointless thing to do. Well, for any normal person.
When the harbormaster is asked why Icky kept a boat like that there, the harbormaster said he asked Icky the same thing. Icky’s answer to that question had been, “he didn’t want to deprive the poem of its meaning.” Now, in nearing the end of the book, with all the other things readers, learning through Ded, that Icky had said and done, to add this, on top of everything else I read about the man, how his odd tendencies or peculiarities were what made him over and above others, I finally came to the conclusion that the harbormaster did. Because after he tells Ded the above information he says, “If you ask me, Jersulam was cruising through the sea of life without the full complement of navigational aids, if you know what I’m saying.” And here, to think that this man kept a boat barely worthy of being a boat, surrounded by yachts, in a place for extravagant boats, the expense of it, how annoying it must have been to people with real boats, and the fact Icky could have afforded a real boat to put here; maybe, in the end, Icky might not have been ever dealing with a “full deck”.
Maybe, just maybe, Icky was pointless, a mirage, someone who made no sense to me because he really was nonsensical. Someone who had fooled others into making him the poet laureate of and really he was a facade, a farce and the fact that he made no sense to others was because he really made no sense, period. However, when the mystery is solved the biggest clues to what happened in Icky’s death will be his work. Thus with this reveal, readers must conclude (as I did) that, if Icky was able to tell someone something through his work, especially about his own death, that the man was not pointless after all. However, to figure out how Icky died, with all the evidence of what was going on in the poet’s life and those around him, an insightful almost superhuman man must do the work. And that, readers, is Ded.
That is, at least, when it came to explaining how it was Icky died. That a person’s life work can explain a mystery like that, is a feat in itself, is my humble opinion. If everyone could do that, think of how easily mysteries could be solved, crimes and criminals revealed. And that Ded can, with his need to put all experiences of his life and others, label them, he is really the only person who could have done this. Ded is the perfect OCD “definer” to solve the mystery of who killed Jerusalem? Any other person would have blundered the case, which is evident when you look at the investigator from the police. While seeming a nice man (not all things considered), Investigator O’Nadir is the type of man who has to point out he does not have a “prejudiced bone” in his body, when it comes to “the gays”. I don’t think any other form of explanation of that sentence, and of the man, needs to be presented, as he really plays no point in solving any mystery here, more of a representation of the police in the story, to stand next to Ded and be there.
However when it comes to Ded, he isn’t even a police inspector, or working within the “establishment”. Ded Smith works for an Insurance agency, is the top man at solving mysteries that surround lots of money changing hands, and just happens to be on the same plane Icky Jerusalem is found dead on. While Icky is outside, not relatable, as a character or person, to me, Ded is very much like me, a character I grew to like, laugh at and with, in the end. Some of his inner thoughts that are shared with readers, well, they have forever bound me to the character and are some of the best scenes I have ever read in literature. Because, after reading this book, if you were to reflect who made the book, the Golden poet laureate, that everyone loved, respected and mourned, or Ded, the person no one would ever really know, the man who was probably easily forgotten? It was no hard answer for me, that if I had to choose one of the characters to meet IRL, it would be Ded, hands down. Actually, the new question now posed to readers is what character would they like to have coffee with, or meet? I have finally found my answer. This simple character, Ded.
Being a student of Sociology myself, I was quite amused at Ded’s concept he named The Sicilian Illusion. This is a concept Ded talks about in the beginning of the book and then, several times throughout the rest of it, references back to the thought. He does this throughout the whole book with several of these concepts he has created for himself, or learned in life and thought deeply about, like the Sicilian Illusion, ways in which Ded has defined life and the way people live, in it. In certain situations he mentions another concept, Plato’s concept of prisoner’s chained in a cave and the Grand Unifying Theory, one central to all the characters and the plot of the book. Ded’s life situations and moments that he relates to philosophy are so insightful and entertaining, making readers want to laugh and cry, depending on what Ded is speaking about. However, the Sicilian Illusion was the one that stuck with me the most and is the most original.
The concept seems to originate because of the time in Ded’s life and who was in it (as all the others seem to). Because his college professor, at the time, was from a small Sicilian village that strongly prohibited premarital sex. Coming from the culture, the teacher looked at other societies who did the same and believed this was done to prevent premature child bearing in situations where birth control was limited. However, studies showed that actual reactions of fathers were different, separated from any real facts such as those mentioned or others. Actual reactions of the fathers, stated in the book were: “Mama mia!”....”You have been ruined” (Brown states that this happened in 97.8% of the cases studied).
After that, Sicilian fathers were said to have “blown away” the daughter (yes, with a shotgun). And not to forget about the man that took their daughter’s virginity, they turned the gun on them, too. While I wanted to quote the actual language used in the book, I realize this review goes up on pages that will probably not like some of them, so I will clean them up and have them follow…The Sicilian father’s believed that this “penetration” of an unauthorized man into his daughter made her not just a social outcast but unclean. Hence, Ded’s Sicilian Illusion- the perception of something that was there that wasn’t. In the book Ded says it becomes his term of choice for many of his life experiences, as the man (Ded) feels safer in life having these labels for the experiences he finds himself and others in, that if they fit into these boxes, like a Sicilian Illusion, or if he points out the Plato’s parable of the prisoner’s in a cave, if something in life is relatable to that, in any way, analyzing everything seems to bring the man extreme comfort. To know, to analyze all. Regardless of what it does for Ded, it brought an area of enlightenment to the read, for me. And, it definitely helped him solve the murder of Icky Jerusalem.
Of course, since Icky Jerusalem is a person anyone could murder, and was either murdered by someone or himself, all of the intimate people in his life are all suspect, for one reason or another. And there are some crazy reasons created by Brown! They are far and beyond the most unique suspects and people, in general, I have ever had the chance of meeting, on page. George Albert Brown is nothing if not inventive in his personalities and traits that he gives characters. Who Killed Jerusalem is more or less Ded’s adventure with them as he investigates and gets to know them all, after the death and funeral of Icky.
And yes, all the names in the book are weird. After all, this was the seventies. There is Ghostflea, Beulah, Urizen (and his first name is the funny part), and several more to shake your head about and then delve into the world, trying to find out who done it.
Ded himself is in danger, after the death of Icky. Whether it be an exploding golf club (the whole event glossed over by the others to be so funny to readers as it was to me), a trip wire across the neck (but that may have been left for someone else), or being outright shot by a sharp shooter, if Ded makes it through this case alive well, the driver, Ghostflea may kill him, his driving so bad he is slightly suspect of being so terrible to be purposeful. It’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas while not hyped up on drugs, more the literary version of Hunter S. Thompson’s cult classic, a murder/ mystery adventure in a hippie counterculture many of us have long forgotten about.
Who Killed Jerusalem needs to be read on a day where the readers need an escape, when life gets too hard and they feel in need of a dark comedy. Because, in times like this, George Albert Brown’s book will get you outside yourself and make you think (if only trying to decipher each individuals character’s beliefs, no matter how misaligned they are from on another), taking you into a world of discord and disharmony, when all the while the characters, with their counterculture beliefs, try to exude the exact opposite. And, when you look back to the past, to the hippie culture, for all the peace and love it promoted, in the end, we find memories of Patty Hearst, the Manson family, utter discord and disharmony, the exact opposite portrayal. Don’t get me wrong, hippies won their fight because, in the end, all a hippie had to do was “be true to oneself” and reject middle class culture and they had it beat. But, even the History channel titles an article, “Murder at the Altamont Festival brings the 1960s to a violent end.”
Who Killed Jerusalem is of that culture, with characters who all exude beliefs, have views on issues, that end up producing these results completely misaligned with all of it. And, in the end, where did all the hippies go? If we look to answer that question maybe readers will understand why and how the book played out the way it did, as I think it did. George Albert Brown seems to write the book to either celebrate all this or mock it, whatever the readers deduce in the end, oblivious as Who Killed Jerusalem is worth the read, if only for the fact the book seems a piece of culture that needs to be experienced. Whether ours or the past, just like all the rest, meaningless in the bliss of having concluded the experience of it. And, an experience well worth it, in my humble opinion.
Happy Reading!
Ded Smith is our main character and the investigator of Icky Jerusalem’s death. Icky is San Francisco’s poet laureate, in the 1970’s and, if San Francisco had this role (or position), at this point in time (which is the place in time readers are brought) I would very much believe someone like Icky to have been in it. He is weird, he is deep and the depth is almost to a point in which you don’t understand him. While Icky’s philosophy is understandable (with deep thought) that it is well outside normal thought, that is what one would expect of a popular person at the height of Hippie culture.
Near the end of the book, Ded discovers that Icky had a boat docked at a marina. Now, this was one with a “harbormaster” which, I am sure, included dues and fees. Well, when Ded goes to investigate the boat and sees it, after passing a 45-foot yacht they think is his, the harbormaster points out a “grubby” 11 foot wooden sailboat; it is nothing like what a person would keep there. Completely pointless when it comes to the large expenditure of the dock space, probably causing complaints from the others that dock there about the “grubby” little boat. Just a pointless thing to do. Well, for any normal person.
When the harbormaster is asked why Icky kept a boat like that there, the harbormaster said he asked Icky the same thing. Icky’s answer to that question had been, “he didn’t want to deprive the poem of its meaning.” Now, in nearing the end of the book, with all the other things readers, learning through Ded, that Icky had said and done, to add this, on top of everything else I read about the man, how his odd tendencies or peculiarities were what made him over and above others, I finally came to the conclusion that the harbormaster did. Because after he tells Ded the above information he says, “If you ask me, Jersulam was cruising through the sea of life without the full complement of navigational aids, if you know what I’m saying.” And here, to think that this man kept a boat barely worthy of being a boat, surrounded by yachts, in a place for extravagant boats, the expense of it, how annoying it must have been to people with real boats, and the fact Icky could have afforded a real boat to put here; maybe, in the end, Icky might not have been ever dealing with a “full deck”.
Maybe, just maybe, Icky was pointless, a mirage, someone who made no sense to me because he really was nonsensical. Someone who had fooled others into making him the poet laureate of and really he was a facade, a farce and the fact that he made no sense to others was because he really made no sense, period. However, when the mystery is solved the biggest clues to what happened in Icky’s death will be his work. Thus with this reveal, readers must conclude (as I did) that, if Icky was able to tell someone something through his work, especially about his own death, that the man was not pointless after all. However, to figure out how Icky died, with all the evidence of what was going on in the poet’s life and those around him, an insightful almost superhuman man must do the work. And that, readers, is Ded.
That is, at least, when it came to explaining how it was Icky died. That a person’s life work can explain a mystery like that, is a feat in itself, is my humble opinion. If everyone could do that, think of how easily mysteries could be solved, crimes and criminals revealed. And that Ded can, with his need to put all experiences of his life and others, label them, he is really the only person who could have done this. Ded is the perfect OCD “definer” to solve the mystery of who killed Jerusalem? Any other person would have blundered the case, which is evident when you look at the investigator from the police. While seeming a nice man (not all things considered), Investigator O’Nadir is the type of man who has to point out he does not have a “prejudiced bone” in his body, when it comes to “the gays”. I don’t think any other form of explanation of that sentence, and of the man, needs to be presented, as he really plays no point in solving any mystery here, more of a representation of the police in the story, to stand next to Ded and be there.
However when it comes to Ded, he isn’t even a police inspector, or working within the “establishment”. Ded Smith works for an Insurance agency, is the top man at solving mysteries that surround lots of money changing hands, and just happens to be on the same plane Icky Jerusalem is found dead on. While Icky is outside, not relatable, as a character or person, to me, Ded is very much like me, a character I grew to like, laugh at and with, in the end. Some of his inner thoughts that are shared with readers, well, they have forever bound me to the character and are some of the best scenes I have ever read in literature. Because, after reading this book, if you were to reflect who made the book, the Golden poet laureate, that everyone loved, respected and mourned, or Ded, the person no one would ever really know, the man who was probably easily forgotten? It was no hard answer for me, that if I had to choose one of the characters to meet IRL, it would be Ded, hands down. Actually, the new question now posed to readers is what character would they like to have coffee with, or meet? I have finally found my answer. This simple character, Ded.
Being a student of Sociology myself, I was quite amused at Ded’s concept he named The Sicilian Illusion. This is a concept Ded talks about in the beginning of the book and then, several times throughout the rest of it, references back to the thought. He does this throughout the whole book with several of these concepts he has created for himself, or learned in life and thought deeply about, like the Sicilian Illusion, ways in which Ded has defined life and the way people live, in it. In certain situations he mentions another concept, Plato’s concept of prisoner’s chained in a cave and the Grand Unifying Theory, one central to all the characters and the plot of the book. Ded’s life situations and moments that he relates to philosophy are so insightful and entertaining, making readers want to laugh and cry, depending on what Ded is speaking about. However, the Sicilian Illusion was the one that stuck with me the most and is the most original.
The concept seems to originate because of the time in Ded’s life and who was in it (as all the others seem to). Because his college professor, at the time, was from a small Sicilian village that strongly prohibited premarital sex. Coming from the culture, the teacher looked at other societies who did the same and believed this was done to prevent premature child bearing in situations where birth control was limited. However, studies showed that actual reactions of fathers were different, separated from any real facts such as those mentioned or others. Actual reactions of the fathers, stated in the book were: “Mama mia!”....”You have been ruined” (Brown states that this happened in 97.8% of the cases studied).
After that, Sicilian fathers were said to have “blown away” the daughter (yes, with a shotgun). And not to forget about the man that took their daughter’s virginity, they turned the gun on them, too. While I wanted to quote the actual language used in the book, I realize this review goes up on pages that will probably not like some of them, so I will clean them up and have them follow…The Sicilian father’s believed that this “penetration” of an unauthorized man into his daughter made her not just a social outcast but unclean. Hence, Ded’s Sicilian Illusion- the perception of something that was there that wasn’t. In the book Ded says it becomes his term of choice for many of his life experiences, as the man (Ded) feels safer in life having these labels for the experiences he finds himself and others in, that if they fit into these boxes, like a Sicilian Illusion, or if he points out the Plato’s parable of the prisoner’s in a cave, if something in life is relatable to that, in any way, analyzing everything seems to bring the man extreme comfort. To know, to analyze all. Regardless of what it does for Ded, it brought an area of enlightenment to the read, for me. And, it definitely helped him solve the murder of Icky Jerusalem.
Of course, since Icky Jerusalem is a person anyone could murder, and was either murdered by someone or himself, all of the intimate people in his life are all suspect, for one reason or another. And there are some crazy reasons created by Brown! They are far and beyond the most unique suspects and people, in general, I have ever had the chance of meeting, on page. George Albert Brown is nothing if not inventive in his personalities and traits that he gives characters. Who Killed Jerusalem is more or less Ded’s adventure with them as he investigates and gets to know them all, after the death and funeral of Icky.
And yes, all the names in the book are weird. After all, this was the seventies. There is Ghostflea, Beulah, Urizen (and his first name is the funny part), and several more to shake your head about and then delve into the world, trying to find out who done it.
Ded himself is in danger, after the death of Icky. Whether it be an exploding golf club (the whole event glossed over by the others to be so funny to readers as it was to me), a trip wire across the neck (but that may have been left for someone else), or being outright shot by a sharp shooter, if Ded makes it through this case alive well, the driver, Ghostflea may kill him, his driving so bad he is slightly suspect of being so terrible to be purposeful. It’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas while not hyped up on drugs, more the literary version of Hunter S. Thompson’s cult classic, a murder/ mystery adventure in a hippie counterculture many of us have long forgotten about.
Who Killed Jerusalem needs to be read on a day where the readers need an escape, when life gets too hard and they feel in need of a dark comedy. Because, in times like this, George Albert Brown’s book will get you outside yourself and make you think (if only trying to decipher each individuals character’s beliefs, no matter how misaligned they are from on another), taking you into a world of discord and disharmony, when all the while the characters, with their counterculture beliefs, try to exude the exact opposite. And, when you look back to the past, to the hippie culture, for all the peace and love it promoted, in the end, we find memories of Patty Hearst, the Manson family, utter discord and disharmony, the exact opposite portrayal. Don’t get me wrong, hippies won their fight because, in the end, all a hippie had to do was “be true to oneself” and reject middle class culture and they had it beat. But, even the History channel titles an article, “Murder at the Altamont Festival brings the 1960s to a violent end.”
Who Killed Jerusalem is of that culture, with characters who all exude beliefs, have views on issues, that end up producing these results completely misaligned with all of it. And, in the end, where did all the hippies go? If we look to answer that question maybe readers will understand why and how the book played out the way it did, as I think it did. George Albert Brown seems to write the book to either celebrate all this or mock it, whatever the readers deduce in the end, oblivious as Who Killed Jerusalem is worth the read, if only for the fact the book seems a piece of culture that needs to be experienced. Whether ours or the past, just like all the rest, meaningless in the bliss of having concluded the experience of it. And, an experience well worth it, in my humble opinion.
Happy Reading!
February 18, 2023
This is one of the craziest, fascinating, and entertaining book i read in a long time. A book that talks about the investigation about a poet who is writing Blake's poems in the XXI century.
If this is not weird enough the investigatore is even crazier.
I read a lot of mystery, any type of mystery but this was one of a kind.
And I had fun and enjoyed it.
It's a sort of marmite book and the pre-requisite is to have read Blake,
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
If this is not weird enough the investigatore is even crazier.
I read a lot of mystery, any type of mystery but this was one of a kind.
And I had fun and enjoyed it.
It's a sort of marmite book and the pre-requisite is to have read Blake,
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
February 7, 2023
When poet Ickey Jerusalem is discovered dead in an airplane toilet, Ded Smith investigates.
Billed as a “rollicking literary murder mystery” with “side-splitting humor,” WHO KILLED JERUSALEM? was anything but. I found the humor to be entirely distasteful which really put a damper on things and made me not care about the characters or the murder mystery. The book is based on the work of William Blake and states at the beginning that the reader doesn’t need to know about Blake or his work in order to enjoy the book. I’m not familiar with William Blake and can’t help but wonder what impact it would have had if I was. I suspect it does actually make a difference although, overall, I don’t think anything would’ve been enough to offset all the cringey parts that really ruined this book for me. The end felt like a huge info dump to make sense of the bizarre story and reveal the murderer. WHO KILLED JERUSALEM? was ultimately a disappointment for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and Galbraith Literary Publishers for the DRC.
Billed as a “rollicking literary murder mystery” with “side-splitting humor,” WHO KILLED JERUSALEM? was anything but. I found the humor to be entirely distasteful which really put a damper on things and made me not care about the characters or the murder mystery. The book is based on the work of William Blake and states at the beginning that the reader doesn’t need to know about Blake or his work in order to enjoy the book. I’m not familiar with William Blake and can’t help but wonder what impact it would have had if I was. I suspect it does actually make a difference although, overall, I don’t think anything would’ve been enough to offset all the cringey parts that really ruined this book for me. The end felt like a huge info dump to make sense of the bizarre story and reveal the murderer. WHO KILLED JERUSALEM? was ultimately a disappointment for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and Galbraith Literary Publishers for the DRC.
April 30, 2025
I'd like to start this review by deeply thanking NetGalley and Galbraith Literary Publishers (publisher) for granting me access to an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.
All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I gave this 4.25 stars.
This is an adult mystery thriller where Ded Smith is called to become the lead investigator in Ickey Jerusalem's death in 1977 on a plan. He was San Francisco's Golden Poet and the whole world was eager for answers.
In order to do this, he must get to know everyone who was relatively close to Jerusalem and he's even asked to attend family events with a peculiar group of famous and eccentric individuals who are not going to make it easy for him and are trying to kill each other contantly. They'll also try to convert him to whatever beliefs Ickey and his group had.
The whole book is taking people and situations to the absurd, including people's names, which means they will be caricatured. I found it quite funny, but I understand this absurd humour is not for everyone.
There's quite a strong criticism of religion, dogma in general, closemindedness, eccentricity and just absurd events that can happen in life. My mum used to say "never say never" because the first thing you said you'd never do would be something life would lead you to some day.
Taking this premise into account, characters are coherent and really well built. There's obviously no perfect one and they portray many flaws we regularly see in humanity. Nothing out of the ordinary if we take the caricature out of the picture.
The book is clearly character driven.
I would certainly recommend this book if you like this sense of humour.
All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I gave this 4.25 stars.
This is an adult mystery thriller where Ded Smith is called to become the lead investigator in Ickey Jerusalem's death in 1977 on a plan. He was San Francisco's Golden Poet and the whole world was eager for answers.
In order to do this, he must get to know everyone who was relatively close to Jerusalem and he's even asked to attend family events with a peculiar group of famous and eccentric individuals who are not going to make it easy for him and are trying to kill each other contantly. They'll also try to convert him to whatever beliefs Ickey and his group had.
The whole book is taking people and situations to the absurd, including people's names, which means they will be caricatured. I found it quite funny, but I understand this absurd humour is not for everyone.
There's quite a strong criticism of religion, dogma in general, closemindedness, eccentricity and just absurd events that can happen in life. My mum used to say "never say never" because the first thing you said you'd never do would be something life would lead you to some day.
Taking this premise into account, characters are coherent and really well built. There's obviously no perfect one and they portray many flaws we regularly see in humanity. Nothing out of the ordinary if we take the caricature out of the picture.
The book is clearly character driven.
I would certainly recommend this book if you like this sense of humour.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 19, 2024
DNF 11% 64 Pages. Argh I didn't sign up to read a father (or his friends) thoughts in a raunchy matter on his daughter's breasts. Too many available books written with class.
March 27, 2023
I know this book is not for everyone, and maybe I enjoyed it because my degrees are in literature. However, I am laughing as I write because this book was an experience. It is difficult to categorize it because it is a mystery, but despite the author’s disclaimer, it is a literary work that might best be enjoyed by readers who are familiar with English Romantic period poet William Blake.The official publication summaries say: "A budding cult classic that dramatically splits the reviewers." And readers are challenged to decide whose side they support as the present day story develops throughreferences to and quotations from the metaphysical musings of 18th century poet William Blake. This novel is like an intense literature class with characters whose names are suspiciously symbolic and whose intense emotions are worthy of analysis.
The book opens with this event: "In 1977, Ickey Jerusalem, San Francisco's golden-boy poet laureate, is found dead in a locked, first-class toilet on an arriving red-eye flight" That alone made me covet a copy of this book because the action began on a 747; I love international travel and cherish memories of every flight I had on that most gorgeous aircraft, the 747.
The interior of Ickey's 747 is not so glamorous; in fact, it realistically matches Mr. Jersualem's first name - icky with wet spots on the floor of all the aircraft lavatories (you travelers know exactly what this means) and on through and clanging noises in the metallic galleys. That's right, the areas that make sleep impossible for those of you who thought the extra leg room in those rows would outweigh non-stop noises, lights, food smells, and crew member chatter. Yes, author George Albert Brown has definitely spent some time on airplanes because there is a lot of humor in that first chapter, and coach passenger Ded Smith does not get his anticipated empty row of seats on an all-nighter flight because those discounted, red-eye prices attracted the attention of a raucous tour group of New York used car dealers. They are not about to try and sleep when they can drink and act like big shots who are too cool to wear their seatbelts when they can straddle seat backs and pretend to be riding a horse. Meanwhile Ded is already mentally assessing the limited outlook of these salesmen which prevents them from realizing they have a claustrophobic existence. If this sounds heavy on the philosophic side, you are correct. Religion, life, death, and all of civilization's focus on social clubs, status, friends do not mean a thing; a point made on the fifth page of chapter one!
As soon as the plane lands, this very unhappy investigator named Ded Smith begins his gets to work. An insurance policy on Mr. Jerusalem’s life has his family in turmoil. If, however, readers are expecting this book to be a crime mystery, be prepared since this is equally, if not primarily, about philosophy and one's outlook on life. The question is not so much if Ded can solve the crime as can his soul and emotions be less "dead" and find some happiness in life itself. Yes, the name seems very symbolic to me. Dead emotions and "Smith" representing all members of mankind. Jerusalem's death
At times, I loved this book and other times I wanted some of the 552 pages to be condensed. I was an English major so perhaps that is why I enjoyed it. For me, this was a 4.5 experience, rounded to 5 since I also appreciate all of the literary references that the author worked into the plot.
The book opens with this event: "In 1977, Ickey Jerusalem, San Francisco's golden-boy poet laureate, is found dead in a locked, first-class toilet on an arriving red-eye flight" That alone made me covet a copy of this book because the action began on a 747; I love international travel and cherish memories of every flight I had on that most gorgeous aircraft, the 747.
The interior of Ickey's 747 is not so glamorous; in fact, it realistically matches Mr. Jersualem's first name - icky with wet spots on the floor of all the aircraft lavatories (you travelers know exactly what this means) and on through and clanging noises in the metallic galleys. That's right, the areas that make sleep impossible for those of you who thought the extra leg room in those rows would outweigh non-stop noises, lights, food smells, and crew member chatter. Yes, author George Albert Brown has definitely spent some time on airplanes because there is a lot of humor in that first chapter, and coach passenger Ded Smith does not get his anticipated empty row of seats on an all-nighter flight because those discounted, red-eye prices attracted the attention of a raucous tour group of New York used car dealers. They are not about to try and sleep when they can drink and act like big shots who are too cool to wear their seatbelts when they can straddle seat backs and pretend to be riding a horse. Meanwhile Ded is already mentally assessing the limited outlook of these salesmen which prevents them from realizing they have a claustrophobic existence. If this sounds heavy on the philosophic side, you are correct. Religion, life, death, and all of civilization's focus on social clubs, status, friends do not mean a thing; a point made on the fifth page of chapter one!
As soon as the plane lands, this very unhappy investigator named Ded Smith begins his gets to work. An insurance policy on Mr. Jerusalem’s life has his family in turmoil. If, however, readers are expecting this book to be a crime mystery, be prepared since this is equally, if not primarily, about philosophy and one's outlook on life. The question is not so much if Ded can solve the crime as can his soul and emotions be less "dead" and find some happiness in life itself. Yes, the name seems very symbolic to me. Dead emotions and "Smith" representing all members of mankind. Jerusalem's death
At times, I loved this book and other times I wanted some of the 552 pages to be condensed. I was an English major so perhaps that is why I enjoyed it. For me, this was a 4.5 experience, rounded to 5 since I also appreciate all of the literary references that the author worked into the plot.
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