Who Killed Jerusalem?

OK “Who Killed Jerusalem?” This book is a laxadaisical journey into craziness! Vic Jerusalem was flying to California because if I’m understanding it right he was on a book tour for his poetry anthology. Some of this people are also on the plane with them like his blind secretary his agent, his chauffeur and another man who is recently divorced bored and lonely. When Vic is found suffocated to death in the plain bathroom they don’t know if it’s suicide or murder? The police are called and this is what brings detective Otter to the case he is also friends with the lonely divorce New Yorker and this is why that gets involved with the case also. Now I’m not going to give a brief summary about details I’m going to give you an overall glimpse of the craziness that is this book from the funeral his slutty sister The inheritance people turning into insects have parts of the book that are not steeped in reality at all but what I will say this book as long as hell almost 20 hours long but once you start listening you will find it hard to stop. They also have parts of the book that feel like it’s going into sta nation but stick with it because the LOL moments are so worth it this book is based on William Blake and characters from his book if you’ve ever read one of his books then you can see the influence while listening to “who killed Jerusalem“ even when I pause the book things I read made me laugh out loud this is a crazy piece of work and one I highly recommend. I don’t believe I’ve ever read a book by George Albert Brown before but I would absolutely read another. This book is very funny especially the funeral and his sister that made me laugh so much but I digress let me stop so you can get the book and enjoy it too I loved it! I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

* I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book. *

A comical tale of "whodunit" set in San Francisco in the '70s with a heavy splash of metaphysics that will have you confused, disturbed, laughing, pondering the universe, and trying to solve the murder of Ickey Jerusalem.

With the difficult-to-pronounce names and the many quirky characters, I felt that the audiobook was the best way to get through this tale as the narrator does a great job of differentiating who is who and bringing them to life. I wanted to love this book but I only somewhat liked it. I love the idea of a "whodunit" story with lots of twists and turns but this story left me scratching my head and relistening to some passages to make sure I heard things correctly. With the story modeled after the work of William Blake, I should have spent some time looking into Blake's work because there are several instances in which I had to look up a connection or reach out to my Blake-loving friends for some insight just to make sure I was understanding the plot correctly.

Maybe I'll spend some time reading Blake and then re-read this novel and see if my thoughts change.

historical-fiction, historical-research, insurance-investigator, law-enforcement, mystery, puntastic, read, situational-humor, sly-humor, verbal-humor****

The largest collection of improbably named characters I've seen in a while. The length is a bit daunting (not to be read continuously on a long car trip), but perfect for diving into at intervals (subway and such). Also, I did not find the humor to be of the rolling on floor variety but the inelegant snorts and giggles sort. I really enjoyed this trip uphill and down in the investigative sense which is filled with twists and red herrings.
I was lucky to get the audio narrated by the incomparable Patrick Lawlor.
I requested and received a free temporary audio copy from Galbraith Literary Publishers Incorporated via NetGalley. Thank you!

This is an amazing mix of high and low-brow -- with wild, wacky characters who surrounded a poet that may or may not have been on to a mystical reality. When he winds up dead in an airplane bathroom (a locked room within a locked room!), our narrator, and insurance adjuster, investigates the supposed suicide with such skill and aplomb that the actual police detective is basically his research assistant.

We meet the various eccentric hangers-on surrounding the poet, many of whom had motive and potential opportunity (being on the plane) -- and in fact 1 may have beaten multiple to the punch in doing the deed. These include his assistant/lover, who met him after being blinded by staring at one of his works in a park; his doctor, who is mainly a plastic surgeon and is himself a hack job of various attempts at looking perfect (capped teeth that come loose, bad fake tan, etc.); his lawyer, a massive giant; and others. Many of these also have ridiculous pun names that adds to the farcical tone.

This is an interesting romp about the web of interconnected relationships that develop around any charismatic person, but some of the repetition of the high/low plane of existence and objectifying descriptions can be a bit much.

I haven't read any of William Blake's works, so I wasn't sure if I would get this one, but let me just say it was entertaining! It reflects on his poetic oeuvre, but becomes strangely wrapped into surreal moments. When I wasn't paying attention and allowing the abnormal mystery play out, a jolt would hit me and the characters became farm animals. You might recall Plato and Socrates experiencing some of this drug induced sightings...LOL. Besides the uncanny metamorphose, some of the scenes are laugh-out-loud although crude humor! This mystery to solve is a little different than what I normally read, but I did enjoy it! It was crazy at its best! Loved it...NO.... but I listened to it on audio over a period of two weeks since the audio is 20 hours. I saw it on Instagram and suckered into it. Plus, they are giving away a free trip to San Francisco to meet some of the poets.

The time period is the 70's and the mystery to solve is in the title Who Killed Jerusalem? Ickey is found on a flight to California dead on a toilet. With a bag around his head, hands tied and the door locked. He is a famous poet laureate, so who would possibly kill him or was it self-inflicted? He was not alone! There are people he knows traveling with him.

When Det O'Nadir calls Ded Smith to investigate, it was a compliment to his intelligence and philosophical views. Several clues are dropped, but not before staking out all of Jerusalem's past indulges which some are far fetched. When Ded gets into Jerusalem's mind-set, it reveals some strange dreams, a sister's funeral and some hilarious encounters. Depending on how close Ded will get on the case, his life may also be on the line.
Ded is the protagonist with a strange sense of humor, but very intelligent. He accepts the challenge but it also requires him to investigate his own life and his disastrous marriage.
Thank you NetGalley, Galbraith Literary Publishers, and Mindbuck Media Book for sending me this audio to review.

I really enjoyed the characters and humor of this book, which had me laughing out loud. If you are a fan of "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole then I highly recommend "Who Killed Jerusalem?"

I love reading books set in the Bay Area, where I live, and Brown's depictions of 1977 San Francisco paint a picture of an unhinged and libertine era here that is certainly bygone, and I'm intrigued to investigate the local history more.

I wasn't sure where the book was heading when I first started reading. The text begins with Ded on a plane trapped between some jerks, his job has him traveling with no real place to call home. I made the assumption that he was "Death" and his job was going place to place to take the lives of a specific set of people. Then there is a death on the plane, but he was no where near him. Maybe his job was to take the souls of those who die to the afterlife? No, wrong again. The story that ensued was even better. Ded, short for Daedalus, is an investigator for an insurance company and really good at his job. He is called to investigate the death on the plane he was just on.

The deceased is a poet, Icky Jerusalem, (it didn't escape me that Icky is short for Icarus, the son of Daedalus in the ancient story of Icarus flying too close to the sun his father, Daedalus, builds to escape capture). There are only so many people in the plane with Jerusalem. The police have written it off as a self inflicted and Ded has to determine if the death was self inflicted.

I enjoyed the twists and turns. I liked most of the descriptions of the characters but thought the description of Beulah Vala. I get she's hot, but the descriptions were a little much. The other characters descriptions I thought were funny, they included: his chauffeur, Adam Ghostflea; Tharmas Luvah, his business manager; Bacon Urizon, his lawyer; Dr.Bromion Ulro, a physician; Robert N. William, the flight purser. I also appreciated the awe the detective O'Nadir at watching Ded do his thing and find out exactly what happened.

I liked the book and look forward to reading more by the author. I was given the opportunity to read this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Certainly a different take on a whodunit book; with a mix of comedy, sarcasm, and a band of eccentric characters like no other. Plus the book switches from satire to deep philosophical discussions (often resulting in comedic conclusions). Basically, the book takes you on a journey to determine who killed Jerusalem, a self-proclaimed poet laureate. Somehow, an insurance adjuster, Ded Smith, becomes the primary investigator on the case, and the rest is twists and turns taken while working and spending time with the group of characters that Jerusalem surrounded himself with while alive.

Although this was a comedic and interesting story there were some over the top, cringe worthy scenes involving too much detail of sexual (bizarre) encounters for me. Additionally, the narrator was very easy to understand, but I had a difficult time listening to some of the voices done for the support characters (again over the top).

Finally, the way this book was written and narrated I could not stop myself from imagining all of the characters and scenes in terms of cartoons... think 'South Park'... not to mention a number of the situations Ded finds himself in, could certainly have been South Park plots.

If you find yourself looking for a book where there is witty commentary, and over the top comedy, while still trying to be a sarcastic whodunit book, then this is for you. I myself am not sure I would choose to listen to this again knowing what I know now, however, that is personal preference.

I found this book really, really difficult to review but I’m going to try my best here. This book is strange, intelligent, and often very confusing but I really did enjoy it. I’ll start by saying that this book is highly philosophical, and if that doesn’t interest you, you may not like this.

Honestly, I struggled with the beginning of this book. It is quite long (even though I listened to it at 2x speed), and the first quarter was a little hard to get to as I was introduced to the more abstract concepts the book explores. Be prepared for some really weird descriptions and events.

In saying this, once I passed this point I found myself really enjoying and finding an interest in the psychological and philosophical concepts and discussions, as well as following on with the murder mystery. I think this book serves well in both of these instances, as I genuinely had no clue who was responsible until the very last pages.

This was a strange, interesting read that did drag on a bit. I’d recommend it to lovers of philosophy and literature. Make sure to check trigger warnings, I gave it 3/5 stars.

Marvelously narrated, morbid, humorous, and exceptionally odd. Who Killed Jerusalem is an interesting read full of uniquely extraordinary, and at times grotesque, caricatures who fall just short of charming. Enjoyment of the novel unfortunately somewhat hinges on one’s understanding of the source material, at least in recognizing the exceptional nature of the references and characters. It is also particularly long, and should not be undertaken by the faint of heart.

This story is interesting and very special. It is full twist but sometimes a bit difficult to follow because of the different characters. The tone abs way of writing is fast paced.

But who killed Jerusalem?! This book is awesome adventure and a pleasure to listen to! I will absolutely purchase the hardcopy to re-read. The investigation keeps you on your toes. Strange characters with interesting back stories. If you are looking for. Good mystery thriller this is for you!

If you feel uninspired by trope laden books woth interchangeable characters and aee looking for something different, Who Killed Jerusalem might be for you.

This unique and trippy mystery is a refreshing change from more formulaic or predictable works.

However, it's worth noting that uniqueness alone is not enough to make a novel good. A novel also needs to be well-crafted, engaging, and meaningful in order to resonate with readers. Strong, effective characterization bonds the reader to the plot, and here it is in the incarnation of protagonist, Ded Smith, insurance adjuster. I would say more but the fun is in the blind ride, not unlike Space Mountain.

I've seen it written that "Who Killed Jerusalem" reads like a book Agatha Christie could have written while stoned. There are no words more accurate than that, so I won't even try.

Happy reading!

Interesting murder mystery with some funny twists. The funniest part was the naming of the characters

Who Killed Jerusalem? ByGeorge Albert Brown is an entertaining and fun story that I initially was swept up into and thought was well done. My love of literary fiction was quite thrilled with the whole premise however, while I would never consider myself as someone who cannot handle spicy writing. This book does tend to be a bit risqué at times and so I would definitely recommend that at minimum over 17 be able to read it. Sex is of course nothing to be ashamed of but younger readers do not need to be exposed to it in a book or audiobook in this case. Thank you NetGalley so much the opportunity to try out this audiobook and author. I hope to read more from them in the future.

My initial impression when I had barely started the book was that it was but very funny and reminded me of Confederacy of Dunces by Toole.

I listened to the audio book. The narration - voices are great.
Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for an unbiased review.

This is a murder mystery wrapped in an allegory tale, in the form of a farce ... or is it an allegory in the form of a farce murder mystery. If this were a movie it would be a madcap - screwball comedy similar to Groucho Marx or Abbot and Costello, although the main character is more competent and solves "the who done it" by skills rather than by accident... or does he. The pieces are all there.

This book was so many things and I am sure I missed some of the visual comedy because I listened to the audio book, particularly in the form of the characters' names. There are many characters and I do mean characters - they are more than quirky and eccentric - the characters who are connected to the dead man are a doctor, a lawyer, a prostitute ex-girlfriend who used to be married to the dead man's brother who is now married to someone else, a current girlfriend, a chauffer, and a bunch of family members. They all seem to have a reason to want him dead and all seem to have the means to do it.

The key character's name is Dead Smith and he is an insurance investigator whose job is to determine if the death was accidental, murder, or suicide. If it is a suicide then the insurance company doesn't have to pay out. Death is his job. Dead is his nickname which is short for Daedalus, the father of Icarus, who flew too close to the sun in Greek mythology. Dead does his job while someone is trying to kill him.

There is a lot of comic relief in the book. There are misadventures at sea, a chauffer who drives a hearse but doesn't really know how to drive, and a costume party that defies description.

I really wasn’t sure what your expect from this interesting looking for book cover.
But it ended up being a story set in San Francisco in the 1970s with wonderful characters..
this audio is a bit long at 19 hrs but I believe you will enjoy it and it will keep you guessing till the end.
This is a interesting story that was well narrated

Firstly, I wish to extend my heartfelt thanks to Netgalley for affording me the opportunity to delve into an advanced copy of George Albert Brown's "Who Killed Jerusalem". An unconventional ride, this book leaves readers with a varied range of sentiments.

Brown's prowess as a writer is beyond question. His skillful hand is evident in every turn of phrase, every clever line. This book is a testament to the artistry possible within the written word, and in this regard, Brown shines as a true craftsman of the trade.

The narration is something I simply cannot forget to laud. It was exceptional, meticulously sculpting just the right ambiance for the unorthodox style of the narrative. The storytelling adeptly marries the prose, resulting in an overall impressive delivery that reflects the heart and soul of the work.

One of the standout features of this novel is its dark comedy. Typically, I'm drawn to such sardonic humor and revel in its adept integration into the narrative. Brown's execution in this regard was, once again, commendable.

However, there was a part of me that found it challenging to truly immerse myself within the folds of the plot. Despite the deft writing and the pulsating pace, my engagement seemed to slip through the cracks. There's a chance that the timing of my read could have played a role in this feeling, making it a case of 'right book, wrong time'. Perhaps, I wasn't in the right mindset to fully appreciate the trip that "Who Killed Jerusalem" intended to take me on.

In conclusion, I find myself torn between praising the undeniable craftsmanship of Brown's writing and my personal struggle to connect with the narrative. While it is an ambitious endeavor that breaks the conventions of storytelling, the layers of this complex novel require a certain mindset to decipher.

"Who Killed Jerusalem" is an intriguing work that, at times, can feel overwhelming, but it is unquestionably a testament to George Albert Brown's storytelling prowess. It's a thumbs-up from me, but be warned: this book is not just a journey—it's an odyssey.

With this in mind, I won't discard the possibility of revisiting the book in a few years. Sometimes, a story reveals its full depth only when approached with different life experiences and perspectives.

So, brace yourself and embark on this literary expedition with an open mind, and let "Who Killed Jerusalem" reveal its multi-faceted truths to you.