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sanddanz's review against another edition
5.0
Gregory Lamberson's new series, The Jake Helman Files, starts off with a detailed scene showing readers how the book's serial killer, The Cipher, operates. Readers are then introduced to the series' main character, Jake Helman, who works for the New York Special Homicide Task Force. After killing two men shortly into the book, Helman is required to take a drug test. Instead of following orders, Helman decides to take more drastic measures and quits. Less than 48 hours later, Helman receives a phone call from Tower International, a genetic engineering company, about an interview. He goes in that same day and is hired on the spot as their director of security for a salary that he never believed possible in his wildest dreams! After looking around the office a bit, though, he starts to notice some things seem to be a little odd. In particular, he is trying to figure out why strange homeless people are always hanging out right outside Tower International's doors, and why they look so much like The Cipher's victims.
At the beginning of Personal Demons, it appears that the book is going to be an average serial killer book (albeit with a really cool murder method!) where the bad guy goes around slicing each victim for whatever reason, but Lamberson changes that feel abruptly and takes the book to a whole other level! Once Jake Helman leaves the Force and takes on the new job at Tower International, he becomes a magnet for danger. All kinds of hell starts breaking loose, and Lamberson puts Helman through the wringer! It's a wild journey, and one that shouldn't be missed. I had a very hard time putting the book down once I started it. Highly recommended for all fans of the horror genre!
Contains: Violence, Mild gore, Adult Language, Adult Situations
Review also posted at MonsterLibrarian.com
Also, please read the review I did with Gregory Lamberson. It is also available at MonsterLibrarian.com
At the beginning of Personal Demons, it appears that the book is going to be an average serial killer book (albeit with a really cool murder method!) where the bad guy goes around slicing each victim for whatever reason, but Lamberson changes that feel abruptly and takes the book to a whole other level! Once Jake Helman leaves the Force and takes on the new job at Tower International, he becomes a magnet for danger. All kinds of hell starts breaking loose, and Lamberson puts Helman through the wringer! It's a wild journey, and one that shouldn't be missed. I had a very hard time putting the book down once I started it. Highly recommended for all fans of the horror genre!
Contains: Violence, Mild gore, Adult Language, Adult Situations
Review also posted at MonsterLibrarian.com
Also, please read the review I did with Gregory Lamberson. It is also available at MonsterLibrarian.com
shellygreninger's review against another edition
5.0
I am not going to do a full review for this one, but since I am going to do a full review for the 4th book I do want to do a quick review for each of the books leading up to it. Mr. Lamberson was kind enough to send me all 4 books in this series and I have to say that I quite enjoyed them!
This is a great way to set up a series and it introduces several characters that will re-occur throughout the other books as the series progresses. I love the character of Jake Helman and I think that he makes the perfect base for which to build this series around. In the beginning he is struggling with his own personal demons and that's what leads him to Tower Industries where he will encounter actual demons and other things which are much worse.
This story deals with a serial killer that the police refer to as Cipher. He steals the souls of his victims as they draw their last breaths. This adds a somewhat mystical aspect to the story and then when Tower Industries enters the picture it adds a scientific aspect with the idea of cloning and other darker things. Then we get a religious aspect also for a pretty well rounded fantastical story.
Don't go into this book thinking that's it's a detective novel though. While the story does start out with a serial killer it's only the set up for a much deeper story that delves into the paranormal.
Like I said before, this is a great set up for what is one of the best series I have read this year. If you like horror, the you are going to want to give this series a try. I have to say also, that I love that Mr. Lamberson isn't afraid to make his characters suffer a little. To me, that's the key to a great story and in the case of Jake Helman he goes through his fair share. I can't wait to see what kind of man this is going to make him in the end.
This is a great way to set up a series and it introduces several characters that will re-occur throughout the other books as the series progresses. I love the character of Jake Helman and I think that he makes the perfect base for which to build this series around. In the beginning he is struggling with his own personal demons and that's what leads him to Tower Industries where he will encounter actual demons and other things which are much worse.
This story deals with a serial killer that the police refer to as Cipher. He steals the souls of his victims as they draw their last breaths. This adds a somewhat mystical aspect to the story and then when Tower Industries enters the picture it adds a scientific aspect with the idea of cloning and other darker things. Then we get a religious aspect also for a pretty well rounded fantastical story.
Don't go into this book thinking that's it's a detective novel though. While the story does start out with a serial killer it's only the set up for a much deeper story that delves into the paranormal.
Like I said before, this is a great set up for what is one of the best series I have read this year. If you like horror, the you are going to want to give this series a try. I have to say also, that I love that Mr. Lamberson isn't afraid to make his characters suffer a little. To me, that's the key to a great story and in the case of Jake Helman he goes through his fair share. I can't wait to see what kind of man this is going to make him in the end.
elden's review against another edition
4.0
I picked this book up at a library book sale and was not expecting that much from it. I was pleasantly surprised at how this book turned out, as I really like this type of stories which is the paranormal investigator type. I am definitely going to search for the next in the series as I want to see what happens next to Jake Helman.
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