Member Reviews
"Mr. Jacobs vs. the Demonic Clowns from the Great Beyond" offers a delightful and entertaining blend of horror and comedy that kept me engaged throughout. The narrative skillfully weaves a tale of the titular character facing off against supernatural adversaries with a quirky sense of humor. While the book was a fun read, I found myself craving a bit more depth in character development and plot intricacies. Nevertheless, the author's ability to seamlessly merge elements of horror and comedy adds a unique and enjoyable flavor to the story, making it a worthwhile choice for those seeking a lighthearted yet spine-chilling adventure.
An ancient artefact sets demons free who then possess four birthday clowns. They wreak havoc looking for the other two keys which will set the nameless Shadow Lord free to rule the world.
This is a fun romp. There isn't much horror in it. All the violence is off the page but the carnage left behind is briefly described If you go in knowing this you should have a great time with this hilarious adventure. The characters are delightful, as is the banter.
I loved this book. It's nice having horror and comedy together. You will get sucked in right from the get go. It's fast paced and so enjoyable. I highly recommend this book and I can't wait to read more from Jeff Folschinsky.
Thank you NetGalley and The Evil Cookie Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.
This was a fun read, I can't say I loved it the way I thought I would. I enjoyed it in the way it was like a campy b-movie and the way the author knows exactly when to add humor or horror to the situation to balance it all out. Although I can't give it 5 stars, I will say that I hope to see more from this author in the future.
Thank you NetGalley, Evil Cookie Publishing and The author for providing this ARC.
Mr. Jacobs is a plot centric novella that focuses on the actions of the outlandish Mr. Jacobs and his happenstance crew trying to save the world from a takeover by the Unnamed Shadowlord through the possession of a few hapless party clowns. It sounds like fun, right? And it is fun, to a certain degree. If you’re a fan of the exploits of a Doctor Who type of lead, or a Dirk Gently genius, or the novels of Christopher Moore or Craig McLay, then you might indeed enjoy this story.
But there’s not a lot of depth to these characters. They are arguably quirky, but we don’t get to know them or feel for them in a deeper sense. You may say that comedy isn’t designed for that, but I disagree. In my mind, a character facing an external challenge, like saving the world, still needs to face an internal challenge too, like coming to terms with his or her own beliefs or fears. Hence, the three rating for me. But it passes the Bechdel test—something that’s been lingering at the back of my mind all year so far, so thank you for scratching that itch.
Also, the ARC draft I read was riddled with pushed together wordslikethis. Sometimes this happens with advanced copies of books, so I tried not to let it influence my rating. But if these errors shouldn’t be the case, I want the publishers to be aware of it. Thanks for the read!
I had an absolute blast reading this book! The author skillfully combines comedy and horror to take us on a hilariously wild ride. Great pacing. Well developed characters which kept me laughing out loud with their witty banter. Very entertaining! Highly recommend it!
You expect a certain kind of story from a novella with a name like this and I'm happy to confirm that this story did exactly what it says on the tin. Ridiculous, funny and with a surprising amount of heart, this was a really enjoyable and quick read that I would definitely recommend and I would also read from the author again in the future.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
3 stars
I’ve gone back and forth on this review. While the writing feels a bit amateurish and sometimes forced, I actually really enjoyed the story and humor. And what really is a book like this supposed to do? It’s meant to entertain and I definitely felt entertained. I’m giving it a 3 star (average rating by my standards). Overall I am really happy with the time I spent reading this book.
While initially drawn in by the title and premise, I found the prose clunky, the dialogue stilted, and the humor giving off "try-hard" vibes. Only got about 30% before I abandoned.
This book is a reminder of just how good horror/comedy fiction can be. Possessed clowns , ancient evil artifacts, immortal beings from other dimensions, and a confused human detective all come together for the bloodshed and fun!
The dialogue is crisp and snappy. And it's hilarious as the scenes play out in your head like a movie. The characters are a blast as this tale of good versus evil plays out.
But, most importantly, it's a really good story! Starting with a massacre at a child's birthday party, it's up to our clueless detective to figure out what went on. She enlists the help of Mr. Jacobs , who is as curmudgeonly as he is funny. He and his assistant reluctantly agree to help and, after that, we meet other characters to round out the story.
I had a blast with this short but effective book and I highly recommend it to those who like a bit of laughs with your carnage.
I want to thank the publisher, Jeff Folschinsky, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. This review is voluntary and I'm very excited to do it!
I have to say this has been one of my more stranger reads this year. Right off the bat your getting into the strange and terrible. Death, gore and overall clowns! Of course it's not just about clowns. It deals with other beings and the mind.
I had no idea where things were going to go until a few chapters in, but I really did enjoy the read. It had a lot of banter and wit and the sarcasm is great.
If I have any complaints I think it would have to be that it was too fast paced of a book. Even so I still enjoyed the book and would recommend it to those that like something different, kooky, Clowns, gore, and sarcasm.
Once again thank you so much for accepting me to read your ARC!