drrawsonreads's review
4.0
Really enjoyed this one until the end, which didn't answer any questions. Clearly this is intended to be the first in a series, which I wish I had known going in.
fievel000's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
shai3d's review
4.0
It has been quite a while since I have devoured this large a book this quickly. It just sucked me in from the very start. The only part that I didn't like was the ending as I felt it was so unfinished. I am glad that I have the next book on hand to dive into.
maggymags's review
1.0
My favourite author, Jonathan Kellermann. I have devoured his books, always 5 star reads for me. I have read one Jesse Kellerman book and it was a difficult read, so I never bothered with his books after that. The Golem of Hollywood became a should I, shouldn't I. So I did. I shouldn't have. I could not relate to Jacob, frankly, I could not care whether he lived or died, or any of the other characters for that matter. Sorry. I have nothing good to say about this book.
sbunyan's review
3.0
I have read all the Jonathan Kellerman books, most of the Faye Kellerman books, but none of the son, Jesse Kellerman book so I was looking forward to this father son collaboration.
The book is two stories, one a police procedural in current time about a cold case murder investigation and the other set in biblical times, telling the story of Adam's and Eve's daughter who leaves the home they made after the eviction from The Garden.
Both stories are intricate and interesting and the two stories converge in the end. But I was left unsatisfied by both stories. I don't know if the authors meant to be mysterious and leave the reader questioning but I certainly was left that way.
Jacob Lev is a twice divorced, functioning alcoholic who is assigned to Special Projects to work on a cold case. He is the only really developed character in the book. He is a lapsed Jew (if that is a term) and his father is a rabbi. Lots of Judaism in this story and all of it is interesting.
Ashram is the daughter of Adam and Eve who follows Cain after he kills Abel, embarking on a fantasy voyage through the ages.
Both stories are interesting and held my attention. But there was just too much fantasy for me. Someone compared it to Stephen King but I think if the book had been more King like, I would have liked it better.
One review says "Jewish mysticism, detective fiction, psychological complexities, and one of the oldest biblical tales bind together for a story that has no easy answers and eschews the neat ending of genre fiction. "
I guess I wanted the neat ending. Or at least some kind of answer.
The book is two stories, one a police procedural in current time about a cold case murder investigation and the other set in biblical times, telling the story of Adam's and Eve's daughter who leaves the home they made after the eviction from The Garden.
Both stories are intricate and interesting and the two stories converge in the end. But I was left unsatisfied by both stories. I don't know if the authors meant to be mysterious and leave the reader questioning but I certainly was left that way.
Jacob Lev is a twice divorced, functioning alcoholic who is assigned to Special Projects to work on a cold case. He is the only really developed character in the book. He is a lapsed Jew (if that is a term) and his father is a rabbi. Lots of Judaism in this story and all of it is interesting.
Ashram is the daughter of Adam and Eve who follows Cain after he kills Abel, embarking on a fantasy voyage through the ages.
Both stories are interesting and held my attention. But there was just too much fantasy for me. Someone compared it to Stephen King but I think if the book had been more King like, I would have liked it better.
One review says "Jewish mysticism, detective fiction, psychological complexities, and one of the oldest biblical tales bind together for a story that has no easy answers and eschews the neat ending of genre fiction. "
I guess I wanted the neat ending. Or at least some kind of answer.
diannel_04's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very unusual book. Part of it is a modern murder mystery and part is a mystical fairy tale about the Gollem of Prague. The two co-mingle in a very interesting way. I don't really know how to describe this book except to say I enjoyed it but it was bizarre.
jennybeastie's review against another edition
4.0
Something new from Jonathan Kellerman. Still a fast paced mystery/thriller, but a new protagonist, the hapless Jacob Lev, who is drawn into events as mystical as they are puzzling when a modern day serial killer confronts an ancient and mysterious legend.
Love the intricate weaving of the story as it shifts in time and character. Difficult to put down, and a fascinating new read.
Advanced reader copy provided by edelweiss.
Love the intricate weaving of the story as it shifts in time and character. Difficult to put down, and a fascinating new read.
Advanced reader copy provided by edelweiss.
maghily's review against another edition
3.0
Un thriller vraiment prenant dont je n'ai malheureusement pas compris tous les tenants et le aboutissants. Dommage car il m'a vraiment tenue en haleine...
zade's review against another edition
3.0
This book surprised me by being better and more engaging than I expected, then surprised me again by ending on a quite disappointing note. The father/son Kellerman team do a good job of supporting and balancing each other's strengths as writers. Jonathan can keep a plot moving and Jesse has a really ability to build characters. Their protagonist, Jacob Lev, is not a particularly likable fellow, but you end up liking him just the same and his personal struggles are as much a part of the book as the mystery.
I am not a fan of supernatural elements in my thrillers, but for the most part, the Kellermans handle that aspect of the plot well. The chapters retelling the story of Cain and Abel and of the origins of the golem are, surprisingly, not disruptive to the whole. The interweaving of Jewish culture, mythology, and history into the story works very well and makes what could have been a fairly drab tale come to life. I detect more than a little influence from Faye Kellerman in this aspect of the novel.
What didn't work for me was the way the real-world mystery took more and more of a back seat to the supernatural as the plot evolved. Yes, we find out whodunnit, but almost as a side note to the spooky goings-on with the golem. When I add the sense of incompletion in the mystery plot to the fact that the golem plot was left hanging intentionally, I came away feeling like I'd just read 500+ pages to get nowhere. Parts of the journey were certainly entertaining and parts were quite educational (I found myself looking up historical and mythological background so I could tell where the Kellermans were inventing their own spin on things), but in the end, there just wasn't anything to hang onto. I'd not be averse to reading the next in the series, but I don't think I'll be running out to buy it in hardback, either.
I am not a fan of supernatural elements in my thrillers, but for the most part, the Kellermans handle that aspect of the plot well. The chapters retelling the story of Cain and Abel and of the origins of the golem are, surprisingly, not disruptive to the whole. The interweaving of Jewish culture, mythology, and history into the story works very well and makes what could have been a fairly drab tale come to life. I detect more than a little influence from Faye Kellerman in this aspect of the novel.
What didn't work for me was the way the real-world mystery took more and more of a back seat to the supernatural as the plot evolved. Yes, we find out whodunnit, but almost as a side note to the spooky goings-on with the golem. When I add the sense of incompletion in the mystery plot to the fact that the golem plot was left hanging intentionally, I came away feeling like I'd just read 500+ pages to get nowhere. Parts of the journey were certainly entertaining and parts were quite educational (I found myself looking up historical and mythological background so I could tell where the Kellermans were inventing their own spin on things), but in the end, there just wasn't anything to hang onto. I'd not be averse to reading the next in the series, but I don't think I'll be running out to buy it in hardback, either.