Scott A. Lerner - Ruler of Demons - Review and Giveaway

About the Book

Only eleven shopping days till Christmas. And less than a week to save the world.

Three nuns—in Chicago, Paris, and Jerusalem—have been killed in a religious ritual. The choice of victims and the macabre details of their deaths indicate that someone is following a recipe provided on an ancient text—a recipe to unleash the forces of hell on earth. The final sacrifice must occur on the Winter Solstice.

Samuel Roberts, a small-town attorney in Urbana, Illinois, knows a bit about the supernatural, having triumphed at least once over the forces of evil. Thanks to a friend who is aware of Sam’s little known previous efforts on behalf of mankind, Sam is hired by a big Chicago law firm to take on a sensitive case. His mission? Nothing less than halting the impending apocalypse.

Sam and his good buddy Bob travel first to Jerusalem then Paris in a desperate race to save mankind.

Link to read an excerpt.

My Review

Nothing gets the pages turning like a showdown between good and evil, and mystery author Scott A. Lerner pens a battle royale starring none other than God vs. Satan. It turns out there's a secret formula written on an immortal piece of human flesh that was uncovered with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. It was under lock and key at the Vatican until someone stole it. The problem? No one knows if conducting the ritual sacrifices (a.k.a. the sick and twisted killing of nuns) will bring Jesus back to earth or release the devil from hell. Who could possibly stop either of these epic catastrophes from happening? Sam Roberts, a small town defense attorney from Urbana, Illinois, is charged with the task. But is he up to the challenge?

Roberts seems to be singled out by supernatural forces for these kind of assignments. He dreads getting involved, but he does so anyway. This time, he's backed into a corner when he finds a chopped off human tongue on his table. So he calls his friend, Bob, and hops a plane to Israel to begin the investigation. The plot weaves through a variety of foreign locations from Jerusalem to Paris before setting up the climatic conclusion in Chicago. Sam and Bob chase a trail of breadcrumbs given to them by scholars, cab drivers and religious fanatics only to end up right back where they started. It's a wild goose chase that explores the background of the world's three major religions - Christianity, Judaism and Islam - through the eyes of a main character who doesn't profess affiliation to any of them. Sam is the secular man trying to uncover the logical truth behind the spiritual superstitions embedded in the various cultures.

The journey takes some twists and turns along the way from a murderous fire demon attack in a hotel lobby to the appearance of a beautiful woman who somehow takes a liking to the sci-fi loving, Bob. Not to mention, the HOME ALONE style escape from a basement dungeon and a homeless man with cockroaches crawling all over him issuing prophetic words of doom. The novel is jam-packed with details from TV and movie references to mouth-watering descriptions of local cuisine. Lerner has a keen eye for the world his characters inhabit making it come alive for the reader in all three dimensions.

Overall, the mystery aspect is intriguing, but it's the banter between Sam and Bob that holds the book together.

***

Ruler of Demons can be purchased at:
Amazon

Prices/Formats: $4.95 ebook, $13.95 paperback
Pages: 202
Publisher: Camel Press
Release: December 15, 2013
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About the Author

Author and attorney Scott A. Lerner resides in Champaign, Illinois. He obtained his undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Wisconsin in Madison and went on to obtain his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois in Urbana Champaign. He is currently a sole practitioner in Champaign, Illinois. The majority of his law practice focuses on the fields of criminal law and family law. Mr. Lerner lives with his wife, their two children, and their cat Fern. Lerner collects unusual antiques and enjoys gardening, traveling, reading fiction, and going to the movies. His first novel, Cocaine Zombies, won a bronze medal in the mystery/cozy/noir category of the 2013 Independent Publisher (IPPY) Awards.

Links to connect with Scott:
Web Site
Twitter
Goodreads
Blog Tour Site


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