The Golem of Hollywood
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3.4 • 96 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the acclaimed Alex Delaware novels and the award-winning #1 international bestselling author of The Genius combine their extraordinary talents for one of the most unusual—and unnerving—thrillers of the year.
Detective Jacob Lev has awakened dazed and confused: it appears he picked up a woman the night before, but can’t remember anything about it. And then suddenly, she’s gone. Not long after, he’s dispatched to a murder scene in a house in the Hollywood hills. There is no body, only a head. And seared into a kitchen counter is a message: the Hebrew word for justice.
Lev is about to embark on an odyssey—through Los Angeles, London, and Prague, through the labyrinthine mysteries of a grotesque ancient legend, and most of all, through himself. All that he has believed to be true will be upended. And not only his world, but the world itself, will be changed.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Successful authors in their own right, father and son Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman join forces for this intelligent mystery that combines elements of the paranormal and Jewish folklore. When wayward Los Angeles detective Jacob Lev is called to a Hollywood Hills murder scene, he’s confronted with two startling pieces of evidence: a severed head and the Hebrew word for “justice” seared into a kitchen counter. As the hunt for a serial killer leads him to London and Prague, Lev is set on a life-altering course full of twists, turns, and family secrets. Split between the present day and the time of Cain and Abel, The Golem of Hollywood is a briskly placed detective novel rife with memorable imagery and sly storytelling.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Both Kellermans, father (Killer) and son (Potboiler), have written better books than this muddled supernatural thriller, which may disappoint their fans as well as readers fond of paranormal mysteries. In the spring of 2011, a "hard-domed insect" attacks a serial killer in Prague as he stalks a victim. A year later, Det. Jacob Lev, a wise ass who has been relegated to analyzing data in an LAPD traffic unit, catches a break when he's assigned to a bizarre murder case. At a house high in the Hollywood Hills, a severed head has been found on the living room floor; a burn mark on a kitchen counter spells out the Hebrew word for justice. In the course of the ensuing murder investigation, Lev repeatedly encounters a strange beetle. Eventually, his search for the truth takes him to Prague. Those looking for profound religious insights will have to seek elsewhere.
Customer Reviews
Disappointing
I've read every one of Jonathan Kellerman's books, and loved them all. Not this one, though. It just wasn't as good.
And what was that kind of biblical story inside the story? I couldn't get through that thing no matter how hard I tried. I feel like I was cheated. It was awful, and somehow I paid for it!
Made no sense
This story had so much potential but fell short. I liked the supernatural aspect but so many questions about the murders were left unanswered. The ending made no sense. I was really looking forward to the reveal only to be let down. Bummer!
The Golem of Hollywood
First in the Golem series by Jesse Kellerman. He's got it!