The Golem of Hollywood

By: Jonathan Kellerman, Jesse Kellerman

Narrated by: John Rubinstein

Length: 18 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

“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 number-one New York Times best-selling author and master of psychological suspense, and Jesse Kellerman, the international number-one best-selling author of The Genius, comes one of the most remarkable novels of the year.

A burned-out LA 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 16th-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.

©2014 Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman (P)2014 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"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)

"One of the craziest, wildest, and most compelling works of popular fiction in years.... It traverses genres, blasts them wide open, and moves on to explode yet another cliche. It’s a pretty remarkable thing, this Golem of Hollywood. Give it a go." (Commentary Magazine)

"I had very high and, yes, unrealistic expectations for The Golem of Hollywood...[and] the Kellermans met my expectations and blew the roof off of them.... The Golem of Hollywood transcends genre. It’s a whole that exceeds the sum of its very considerable parts, creative and otherwise. It’s a religious tale that doubters and non-believers will love, a mystery that literary snobs will appreciate, and a story so wonderfully told that your bookshelf must have it." (bookreporter.com)

This book is awful

I can't believe Jonathan put his name on this fluff I should have known better

Aweful

Would you try another book from Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman and/or John Rubinstein?

Probably based on a great record until now

What was most disappointing about Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman ’s story?

Mixed up, hard to follow, to much depth of detail where not needed, and hard to remember character names.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Golem of Hollywood?

The book?

Any additional comments?

I've listened to all of Jonathan Kellerman's Delaware novels and loved every one but this was a complete disappointment.

A WALK THROUGH UNWASHED PUBIC HAIR

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

A story, sexual scenes resembling humans, a decent plot line, believable characters,
a different author. I have always enjoyed both Jonathan and Faye Kellerman's books. I will never buy another book where the son is involved. The writing show a crass and little talented writer.

What was most disappointing about Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman ’s story?

The story line had promise but it did not carry through.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Better material woulld have helped

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

Disappointment and the need for a shower. Anger and sadness,

Any additional comments?

I would never buy another book by Jesse Kellerman

The Golem of Hollywood

Fine, fine story. Moving . This book gave me peace. One of your best. Thank you so much.

I think I fell alseep twice....

What disappointed you about The Golem of Hollywood?

I could not make it through the 8 chapter. The flow of the story was just a mess.

What was most disappointing about Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman ’s story?

I love Jonathan Kellerman, I have never read anything by Jesse Kellerman

What about John Rubinstein’s performance did you like?

LOVE LOVE LOVE to listen to john Rubinstein. He was the only reason I tried to continue with the story.

Any additional comments?

Not a good story in general

Disappointing

The book was rather disappointing it dragged on. Not up to the Kellerman’s usual. As well, Calgary is in Alberta not Ontario. So, I guess from now on Los Angeles is in Maryland! The ending was very disappointing.

A real waste of time.

What disappointed you about The Golem of Hollywood?

If I wanted a sci-fi I would have gone to that variety. The bouncing back and fourth, was a turn off.

What aspect of John Rubinstein’s performance would you have changed?

No

Adding Jesse doesn't work for me.

The protagonist is a big whiner, the jumps back to Biblical times are confusing and the giant, jealous bug is repulsive

More of Koontz than Kellerman!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Golem of Hollywood to be better than the print version?

n/a

What did you like best about this story?

great story line if you go for the fantastic

Have you listened to any of John Rubinstein’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

this one is right up there.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

It kept me interested all the way through

Any additional comments?

this book is not like any Kellerman novel that I have ever read. Mostly he does whodoneits using psychologist Alex Delaware to help the police find their collar. This one is way different, more like a Dean Koontz or Stephen King but real good..

Love Kellerman --Hated this Book

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I don't understand why the author kept jumping from biblical times to present day. I quit listening to this book halfway through. I am not sure who would enjoy the book do to its confusing nature.

What was most disappointing about Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman ’s story?

How confusing it was.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

The reader was fine in he way he read the story. He changed voices so that you knew who was talking. That was the good part.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Golem of Hollywood?

Anything related to Cane and Able.