Tortured Spirit: Book Four in the Jake Helman Files Series by Gregory Lamberson

Article first published as Book Review: Tortured Spirits: Book Four in the Jake Helman Files Series by Gregory Lamberson on Blogcritics.

A fascination of sorts exists and has for many years about the advent of zombies and other various creatures. Even those that do not believe in the idea that such things exist often find a bit of time to view the various movies for the sake of the horror they often evoke or the book for a spot of disconnection from reality.

In Tortured Spirits by Gregory Lamberson, we follow the exploits of his main character Jake Helman, a private investigator that is deep into the lore of such things. An ex-cop, he finds that his profession as an investigator is more than he bargained for in many different ways. Having already been in serious battles with an army of demons, zombies and a variety of other types of creatures, he is now on a quest to save his best friend.
What he doesn’t expect is that Maria Vasquez, his best friend’s partner, has her own plan. That is to join him and find out what is going on in the mysterious life of Jake.  Only knowing that her partner has disappeared, she knows that Jake knows the answer. But she is unprepared for what she finds.

Putting aside her skepticism, she joins forces with him in his attempt to find the one person who can help him in his goal to return his friend. There is a catch; he must first rescue her husband. The danger in this task is palpable, but she is the only one who can help him. Her husband, a political refuge, is being held on an island that is a law in itself. Darkness covers the area, and the inhabitants live in constant fear of retribution, but Jake and Maria have no choice.  Can they break into the prison and rescue the prisoner, escape with him back to the states and still live to tell the tale? Do the rumors that abound about the creatures that live there, hold any merit?

Lamberson has delivered us a hero with strength and an ego. His exploits remind me much of the character, Jack Reacher, of Lee Child fame. The difference is in the dangers they face, one more human and the other the stuff of nightmares. The ability to blaze through the sequences hold a fascination, and when Maria Vasquez joins in, the going becomes a higher caliber.

While Helman is the main character, in this particular episode, Vasquez with her personality and ability to get out of tough situations steals the scene time after time. The action is fast and deadly, with unexpected twists and turns that keep you reading far into the night.  Be assured that you will keep the lights on and the slightest noise will give you a start.

There is richness to the action that takes you there, and even with the advent of zombies and demons, you can visualize the events. The color is clear and the action sucks you in. If you love action packed thrillers full of creatures and characters that you only dream about, this would be a book for you. If you find this to your liking you will be interested to note that it is a part of a series of books featuring Helman, known as The Jake Helman Files. Be prepared for a wild ride into a world much different than the one we now know. Or is it?

Rating 5/5

This book was received free from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.