Book Review: ‘PERSONAL DEMONS’ by Greg Lamberson

Greg Lamberson is the director of the 1988 cult film Slime City and the forthcoming sequel Slime City Massacre (recently picked up for distribution by Media Blasters), but he is turning out to be a prolific and compelling author as well. The Frenzy Way (review here) illustrates his scrupulous writing style, ability to produce a believable storyline, and strength in crafting sympathetic characters, so I had to find out what I was missing with his previous release, Personal Demons (Medallion Press). Lamberson interweaves action, horror, and the supernatural seamlessly in the opening novel of The Jake Helman Files. If you are looking for the perfect book for the grim reader in your life this holiday season or are putting together your own wish list, Personal Demons should be right at the top. The hard-boiled crime fiction plot fits perfectly into Lamberson’s fantastic supernatural world with sweat-inducing action on every page. Lamberson serves up a delicious cocktail of raw horror, exciting crime fiction, and chilling supernatural narrative. But don’t finish it off in one gulp; this is a novel best enjoyed by taking time to taste the bouquet of flavors. Personal Demons will have you hooked from page one, the only disappointment is that it has to end.

Jake Helman is in a sad state of affairs when Personal Demons opens.  Helman, a cop on the elite New York City task force tracking an elusive killer, is struggling with a cocaine habit. When a run in with two thugs leads to an internal investigation and a drug test that threatens to expose his dirty secret, Helman abruptly quits the force. To make matters worse, his wife Sheryl finds out about his extracurricular activities and gives him the boot leaving the future of their marriage hanging in the balance. After a gnarly bender, just when it seems things couldn’t get worse, Helman is offered a lucrative position as security director for a questionable stem cell research firm, Tower International, run by the mysterious corporate heavyweight Nicholas Tower. Thinking this could be his chance to make things right with Sheryl, Helman hastily accepts.

Instead of things looking up for our hapless hero Jake Helman, they go from bad to absurdly chaotic. It doesn’t take long for him to realize that there is a malignant force at work behind the Tower doors and his detective instincts lead him dangerously closer to unraveling the secret. If you’ve ever seen HBO’s The Wire, Helman is what they call (in the voice of Detective Freeman) natural po-lice, the mere presence of a criminal gives him “perp fever.” He’s a relatable character, but with extraordinary qualities fitting of a hero we can depend on. The reader will be cheering Helman on as he puts the pieces of this insane plot together and nears closer to the truth.

The action in Personal Demons is nonstop making this a book that is impossible to put down. And while the plot is fantastic (biblical brothers Cain & Abel make an appearance!) it never ceases to be believable. Lamberson blends real world horrors with the celestial in a mash-up that includes a little bit of everything. Realistic headlines intermingle with the paranormal  – a serial killer who steals the souls of his victims having their image posthumously inked in his skin, stem cell research with a sinister motive under the pretense of curing disease. Lamberson’s script writing experience lends itself well to the novel format giving this tale a cinematic quality. The combination of real world scenarios and his vivid writing style really pull you into the story and it’s instantly addictive.

Lamberson is also meticulous in his rendering of police procedural, the same attention to detail he employs in The Frenzy Way. His painstaking approach takes Personal Demons from simply a fun read to an absolutely gripping, edge-of-your-seat thriller that’s worth experiencing again and again. Of all the books I read this year Personal Demons was an instant favorite. They say all good things must come to an end, but I have faith this series will enjoy a long and prosperous run. And in the words of Nick Tower, “A little faith makes all the difference in the world.”

Personal Demons is currently available on Amazon for only $4.39! The second book, Desperate Souls, is already in bookstores and the release date for the third and forth novels have been set – Cosmic Forces (Oct 2011) & Tortured Spirits (Oct 2012) – giving fans plenty to look forward to.