Storm Demon

The Jake Helman Files #5

by Gregory Lamberson

In the fifth book in the Jake Helman Files series, private investigator Jake Helman returns to New York City after fighting the battle of his life on Pavot Island to save his best friend, Edgar. He’s anxious to start a new life with NYPD homicide detective Maria Vasquez, but first he must search for psychic healer Laurel Doniger who disappeared while he was away. As Jake investigates Laurel’s secret past, he’s drawn into a conflict with a being that has existed since the dawn of mankind. This creature is known by many names—Lilith, succubus, witch—but Jake and his allies will come to know her as the Storm Demon, and she’ll destroy New York City to take revenge on those who interfere with her plans.

Genres: Horror

448 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2013

About the author

Gregory Lamberson is an author and filmmaker who specializes in horror entertainment. He is a two-time winner of the IPPY Gold Medal for Horror and a three-time Bram Stoker Award finalist. A motion picture based on his award-winning novel JOHNNY GRUESOME will be completed and released in 2017,. Fangoria magazine called him "the hardest working man in horror."

Lamberson is the author of the six-novel occult detective series The Jake Helman Files (PERSONAL DEMONS, DESPERATE SOULS, COSMIC FORCES, TORTURED SPIRITS, STORM DEMON and HUMAN MONSTERS), the werewolf trilogy The Frenzy Cycle (THE FRENZY WAY, THE FRENZY WAR and THE FRENZY WOLVES). In addition to GRUESOME, his stand alone works include BLACK CREEK, THE JULIAN YEAR, the zombie novella CARNAGE ROAD, and the instructional filmmaking book CHEAP SCARES: LOW BUDGET HORROR FILMMAKERS SHARE THEIR SECRETS.

In 2016, Lamberson directed a feature length movie version of JOHNNY GRUESOME, currently in post-production. He previously directed the cult films SLIME CITY, SLIME CITY MASSACRE and KILLER RACK. He is currently hard at work developing his literary properties as films and TV series.

Reviews

[SFReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Storm Demon, by Gregory Lamberson is a Dark Fantasy novel with a strong dash of horror thrown in. The Jack Helman Files are a series and usually I don't like starting in the middle of a series, but with this book it was not too much of a problem. In some ways I found it refreshing to read about a powerful individual that already had his goals and allies in place instead of another, just getting the action off the ground, novel. The first novels of discovering hints of supernatural and such tend to be repetitious, it was nice to read about a guy that was willing to make things happen and was powerful enough to do so. Perhaps I should start all series on the third book.

Jake Helman and his small crew are tough determined folk, but have little in the way of supernatural abilities themselves. This puts them at an extreme disadvantage when they are faced with battling the world's oldest witch. This witch has the powers of a Goddess with a multi-million dollar empire to back her up.

More at SFReader.com: Storm Demon, The Jake Helman Files

[Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jake has a talent for tangling with trouble, especially the supernatural variety. He has to try to put another ancient entity in its place. Will he lose more of his physical self? Can his friends survive another of his adventures? Can the city? Read to find out. Also, brace yourself for a betrayal by a trusted ally.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced. Kept you on the edge of your seat. Unique characters in an unique plot. Lots of twists and turns and subplots. Enjoyable reading.

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

[Ashley E · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not entirely sure why I put myself through the torture of reading this series, because I love my happy endings, dang it! And Jake has yet to get anything even close to a happy ending.... But I can't stop reading about him and rooting for him anyway. Jake's been to hell and back (though not literally...yet) thus far in the series, but that doesn't stop him from marching back into the trenches in Storm Demon.

Laurel Doniger, Jake's downstairs, psychic neighbor, has gone missing. Jake, being Jake, sets off to find her, regardless of her instructions for him to ignore it. And he immediately gets in big trouble, natch. He's not really capable of staying out of it.

New characters are introduced and old ones join the fight against Laurel's kidnapper. She's been hinted at in previous books, but in person... She's pretty damn terrifying. The storm held me captive right from the start and it didn't let up until the final chapter. The tension was just fantastic!

My only issue? Why did they have to die?! *whines* He killed off a favorite character of mine. But I really should have seen it coming. *pouts*

[I received this book for free through First Reads and was not required to write a positive or any other type of review. All opinions stated herein are solely my own.]

[Jim Morey · Rating 5 out of 5]

!

[Starry Night · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you liked the paranormal excitement of the Jack Nightingale series by Stephen Leather then you will like this seris.

[Cindelu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book on Goodreads.
This book was thrilling, full of action, twists and turns.
It had vivid descriptions and great characters.
A really good fantasy, horror novel.