The Golem of Hollywood

By: Jonathan Kellerman, Jesse Kellerman

Narrated by: John Rubinstein

“An extraordinary work of detection, suspense, and supernatural mystery. I spent three days totally lost in the world Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman have created. This is brilliant, page-turning fiction with mythic underpinnings that give it a special resonance; a rare collaboration where the sum is truly greater than the parts. The book is like nothing I’ve ever read before. It sort of took my breath away.”—Stephen King

From Jonathan Kellerman, the #1 New York Times–bestselling author and master of psychological suspense, and Jesse Kellerman, the international #1 bestselling author of The Genius, comes one of the most remarkable novels of the year.

A burned-out L.A. detective . . . a woman of mystery who is far more than she seems . . . a grotesque, ancient monster bent on a mission of retribution. When these three collide, a new standard of suspense is born.

The legend of the Golem of Prague has endured through the ages, a creature fashioned by a sixteenth-century rabbi to protect his congregation, now lying dormant in the garret of a synagogue. But the Golem is dormant no longer.

Detective Jacob Lev wakes one morning, dazed and confused: He seems to have picked up a beautiful woman in a bar the night before, but he can’t remember anything about the encounter, and before he knows it, she has gone. But this mystery pales in comparison to the one he’s about to be called on to solve. Newly reassigned to a Special Projects squad he didn’t even know existed, he’s sent to a murder scene far up in the hills of Hollywood Division. There is no body, only an unidentified head lying on the floor of a house. Seared into a kitchen counter nearby is a single word: the Hebrew for justice.

Detective Lev is about to embark on an odyssey—through Los Angeles, through many parts of the United States, through London and Prague, but most of all, through himself. All that he has believed to be true will be upended—and not only his world, but the world itself, will be changed.

Interesting subjects!

I was captivated by the story; the locations; the cultures of the characters; the pace of the action; etc.)!’y On the down side, all that fascinating culture led to a lot of confusion that limited my enjoyment of the who-done-it aspect!! I prefer a good ol' Delaware & Sturgis story, thanx!

A disappointment

What would have made The Golem of Hollywood better?

Cutting out the entire historical storyline. If this had been a video I would have fast forward. And this comes from someone who has a good knowledge and interest in Jewish history and culture.

Has The Golem of Hollywood turned you off from other books in this genre?

It has turned me off the collaborations of Jonathan Kellermann. I'm a fan of his work but when he collaborates with another writer (mostly family members) his high standard definitely drops.

What about John Rubinstein’s performance did you like?

John Rubinstein is one of the best readers and I always enjoy his work. He makes you feel you listened to an entire cast of characters. But even Rubinstein could not save this book.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment. I regret I wasted my credit on this book. I always looked forward to a new Kellerman and even pre-ordered but this was a bomb.

Any additional comments?

I finished the book but I was tough as glue. Every time I finally go into the present storyline, there came another chapter with more Biblical history which made me more and more irritable. Next time I will not pre-order but wait until the reviews are out.

The End

The best part of this book was the Narrator! I'm a huge fan of John Kellerman, however, this is the worst audio book I've ever listen to. I'm trying to give him the benefit of the doubt by trying to read it in paper form. Maybe then the jumping back and forth and overall confusion will straighten out the story line for me. We'll see.

If you’re a Kellerman fan, skip it

Like many others, I’m a big fan of Kellerman’s Alex Delaware novels and John Rubinstein’s narration. This book doesn’t belong on the same shelf. In fact, if not for Rubinstein’s always sterling performance, I would have returned it. Except, I kept thinking it would find it’s path and be worth the time. Not so. While it does bear Jonathan Kellerman’s name, I suspect his name is there only to help out his son’s writing career. In short, the story never made sense. The investigation was all over the place and the religious mythology only served to distract from the storyline.
If you’re new to Jonathan Kellerman, skip this forgettable work and settle down with Alex Delaware.

Plodding Pace and excessive self examination

Any additional comments?

I bought this book based on how much I like the Alex Delaware novels. It just didn't work for me. The jumping between the modern world and the imaginary past, the constant alcoholic meandering of introspection and the (for me at least) heavy handed use of dramatic irony did not work for me. I won't continue this series.