The Golem of Hollywood (A Detective Jacob Lev Novel)

Detective Jacob Lev is the anti-Alex Delaware. Alcoholic, womanizing, careening from one thing to another career-wise, and slovenly in his eating habits. It’s hard to like him and I spent much of this novel NOT liking him. In fact, I STILL don’t like him. It is entirely possible that in future books about this character he becomes a more likable character, but I am not sure that I want to read another one in the series.This book finally did grab my attention to the point where it was hard to put down, but I was well over 75% of the way through before I got to that point. I found the mystery more interesting than the Jewish back story—the authors were trying to channel the Agent Pendergast series by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. That story was interesting too, but I found it detracted from the mystery.So the upshot is I can’t really recommend this book, because it doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be, a whodunnit or a supernatural thriller. I know, I know, it wants to be both, but doesn’t quite manage to carry that off.

I thought this book was fabulous. I had read THE GOLEM OF PRAGUE first and was unclear about some points. However this book, which I should have read first, cleared up most of them. I didn't find it at all confusing, I loved the way he interspersed the story of Mia in between the story of the hunt for the serial killers. The only criticisms I might have would be that I never got a complete picture of who the tall cops were, were they half angels? Also I don't know why they wanted to kill Mia. The inner story didn't tell why the Maharal was "given permission" to create the golem and why he had to give him up. I am gathering that the golem's soul was for penance for what she did at Tower of Babel. Also I am unclear about Sam Lev's true roll, other than the obvious one of being the main character's father. In the story he knew the tall cops, but it never explained why. Was he the reincarnat of the Maharal? And was Bina the reincarnat of the Maharal's wife? And then there is the question of why Mia was obsessed with the main character? What drew her to him? The explanation about the beetle explained the obsession but not the initial attraction. I missed that answers somehow. However, despite these lingering questions, which might be my failing, I loved both of the Golem books and I hope Kellerman writes more in that series. I will definitely follow them and maybe along the way, get the answeres to my questions.l cops

I am sad to say that I did not enjoy this one as much as I did so many of Jonathan Kellerman's past novels. The intersecting stories were interesting in the way that they came together, but as a whole the book just kind of plodded along. I didn't feel any investment in the story or characters until near the end, which is sad and leads me to feel as if I have to push myself to finish it - not something that I have ever experienced with his previous novels. Well written and intelligent, no doubt, but not his best, I'm sorry to say. I'm equally sorry that I spent such a high amount for an ebook! I was going to look for it at the library until I saw Stephen King's review and thought "That sounds fantastic!" Unfortunately, now I feel cheated. Where's the suspense?

Jonathan Kellerman is normally one of my favorites, and some of his usual talent comes through in this novel - probably enough to keep me from regretting reading it. He always spins a good mystery, but in this one it was hard for me to see why the accompanying "story-within-a-story" was necessary - or even how it really "fit in" with the rest of the book. The departure into Jewish mysticism was interesting, but not so much so to me that I would have chosen to read - and purchase - the book. I hate to give the author poor review because he has given me many hours of reading pleasure, so I guess I will just "agree to disagree" with him on this one. Not being Jewish, I am not qualified to judge whether it would have been more enjoyable if I was - or even how accurate it was.

first let me say that any book that I read in two sittings that causes me to do hours more research can't be bad.From my earliest Bible studies I have wondered...who or what are the nephilim and are they the sames as the "sons of god" and if not what are they? Next, although man-made life myths are not uncommon, why do they figure so much in Jewish mysticism? Fourth, what of the daughters of Adam and Eve? This book, wrapped around a decent who-dunnit, gives direction but no certainty to these questions.A new question is created: if the nephalim were responsible for the saving of the spirit of Asham and she became the animus of the golem, why were the nephalim dedicated to its destruction? And the next book never answers how the golem was captured in the jar. Ah, well. A book that makes me think this much and work this hard can't be bad.

I am not gong to say I completely disliked this book, it made we work, but I did not like it either. I found it very confusing and the parallel processes going on, very confusing, especially if you do not know the religious fables or scripts. I live in Prag and know the fable of Golem, but still found it a little distorted and confusing. It is definitely not a mystery but more science/religious fiction, Even with an Ivy league education, I still did not completely get the ending, leaving me more confused than satisfied. I think it is OK to try other styles of writing and I applaud them for trying, but if the style continues, then I will think twice before I buy the next one. I would actually give it 2.5 stars if I could.

I found this book very disjointed, it went from Europe to America and to the Old Testament. I decided that life was too short to try to fathom out what the link was and what the point was and gave up reading it eventually. I have no problems with books that flip from the past to the present but I like to have a clue where it is leading.

this is the 2nd book I have read which was either written by or co authored by Jesse Kellerman, I was really hoping that I would like, I suppose because I am such a fan of Jonathan Kellerman ands Alex Delaware, as well as Faye..Unfortunately as before it had for me, too much mythology and mysticism, what did I expect with this title?The story line detectivewise was quite good and well developed but the rest of the psycho mumbo jumbo was far too much of a distraction for me, and difficult to grasp.

Not easy to read but struggled to the end.

Thoroughly enjoyed this powerful blend of crime and fantasy. I was initially wary of the mythic elements. having rarely read anything supernatural since adolescence - another of my foolish decisions. Could have read this decades ago when I started Jonathan Kellerman's many other fine books. Great characters. Hell of a plot. Truly astounding.

If you're looking for an Alex Delaware type of thriller, don't bother. That said, I really enjoyed this. And I don't think it deserves the many one star ratings it has received, either.The Golem of Hollywood is not a police procedural, it's not a straightforward detective story, and it's not Stephen King-type horror either. It's really much closer to magical realism, I think. I loved the intertwined story lines, the incorporation of myth and the supernatural, the Judaica and the folklore. Reasons for four stars instead of five? It could have done with a more careful edit -- there are some loose plot ends, the pace flags occasionally and the conclusion meanders a bit. But overall, I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys novels that blur the generic lines between fantasy and reality, and I will definitely read the sequel.