John is a lawyer with a wife and child and an average legal practice in the city of Cleveland. He was only young when his father committed suicide and John has never really recovered from the traumatic memory. At the time, his father was a police officer investigating a series of murders dubbed the Torso Murders with the killer never caught. John seems set to go down the same path as his father using alcohol and affairs as some sort of coping mechanism.
When the body of a man is found in the dumpster behind the bar he drinks at it reopens old wounds and John feels compelled to conduct his own enquiries. This will be the first of several bodies found with the same trademark as the Torso Murders ie brutalized with surgical precision and still alive at the first cut.
The daughter of the murdered man engages John to handle the family estate and he feels a growing attraction to her while neglecting his own family. It will not be long before his life becomes a lot more complicated.
John was definitely not the sort of guy to impress me. He justified his infidelity by making excuses and blaming his wife. It takes him a long time to sort his priorities out. Also reading that a guy is having a graphic vision of someone’s Brazilian wax doesnt do a thing for me. Even though I didn’t like John he did have the balls to admit he had stuffed his life up and I give him credit for that.
My favourite scene was in the basement where The Butcher holds John and tortures him. The writer really pulled everything together to make a great setting and it really hit the right spot for me.
There was a fair bit of what I would call minor swearing in this book. The language gave the story more of a vintage detective feel to it rather than being offensive. In addition, I was a little surprised a cop would discuss so much about a case with a member of the public even if he had known his father.
The title/cover really appealed to me. Keeping the background simple made the title pop. The downside to that was it led me to assume the storyline would have a different slant and it would grab me right from the start. The sex scenes were great although I would have preferred more crime scene details.
I would describe this as a mystery/thriller/courtroom drama with a slight vintage feel to it, which should appeal to a cross section of readers.
Thank you to the publisher for providing a digital copy of the book via Netgalley and the opportunity to provide a review.

When I read the description of this book I have to admit I was intrigued at first by its location. This was due to the fact that my son moved to the Cleveland area of Lakewood last year so I had some idea of the location. The deeper I got into the description though the more interested I became so I decided to give it a read.

John Coleman is a lawyer trying to get by when he learns about a recent murder in the Cleveland area. The method of the murder is reminiscent of the famed Torso murders made famous due to the fact that Elliott Ness was brought in to find the killer and failed, his identity never discovered. But Coleman has ties to this latest victim. He was a drinking buddy and his body was found at one of the establishments Coleman frequents.

Those ties increase when the daughter of the victim, Jennifer, walks into his office requesting his help. She wants to hire him to handle the estate of her late father. A drug addicted brother could be a problem and she wants things handled as quickly and easily as possible.

Coleman is drawn into helping her for several reasons. One is how attracted he is to Jennifer. Another is that the fact he knew the man, not a close friend but someone he was aware of. And lastly because the methods being used to kill, because more die after, are similar to those seen even after the Torso killer, methods that his father was aware of. Coleman’s father was a policeman who tracked down the killer and failed, a failure that haunted not just him but his son as well.

The book is an easy read and moves along at a well set pace. The way Jordan writes is such that you find yourself turning pages and not noticing the time as it passes. It keeps you interested from start to finish. Too many authors try to overuse words and descriptions to lengthen their books but this one doesn’t do so.

On the downside there is the character of John Coleman, a flawed one at best and one of the dumbest at worst. While there are moments you feel for him and the issues he has there are others where you wonder why he isn’t aware of the most blatant things taking place before him. That issue means that as a reader you can see things coming from far ahead before the character realizes what is happening.

On the whole I’d say the book was well written, well paced and entertaining. Fans of mystery novels and crime fiction will enjoy this one. It’s worth picking up and giving a read.

I was excited to read this one because it talked about the Torso Killings. I just recently read another novel with the same subject so i was intrigued to read a novel telling it differently.

John Coleman almost 60year old is a lawyer, son of a dead policeman, married to Cathy who he cheats on and they have one adopted daughter who they love tremendously. John similar to his father is on the brink of being an alcoholic (this already makes you hate him) and during one of those stops in a familiar bar that a friend of his, Oyster, is discovered brutally murdered. The murder is similar to a serial killer known as The Torso Murderer who committed the grisly crimes years ago of dismembering twelve victims and leaving just the torso of the bodies.
Could this be the original Torso murderer or is this a copy cat serial killer?

This book for sure had it's gruesome moments but that i to be expected with The Torso Killer. I fully enjoyed reading this and would recommend this book.

Thanks NetGalley!!

The Company of Demons is the debut novel by Michael Jordan. It is a great thriller set in Cleveland, Ohio. I was totally in love with this book and was unable to put it down. The author was able to draw me in right from the beginning and held my interest throughout. I felt the pace of the book was spot-on. I also thought the ending was good.

The main character, John Coleman, is a lawyer who has a problem with alcohol and cheating on his wife. Needless to say, John Coleman is a flawed character. I really did not like him and can’t say that I ever felt sorry for him even when bad things began to happen to him. Maybe I am mean but I kept thinking, “That’s what you get for being a dog”. If I was supposed to like him later it didn’t work LOL!! An example that really made me dislike him was when he failed to warn/check on his wife and daughter. He instead goes to check in on a woman he had just met and had sex with once?? What a DOG!!! LOL.

The Company of Demons was a great debut novel. Even though I disliked the main character, the story itself was awesome. I am from Ohio and had never heard of the Torso Murderer. It was interesting looking this information up online. I also learned that Eliot Ness (from the Untouchables) later came to Cleveland to work and he investigated the Torso Murderer.

I would definitely read more from Michael Jordan and recommend it to anyone who loves a good thriller. Five out of five stars for The Company of Demons!!! Thank you Michael Jordan, Greenleaf Book Group, and BookishFirst/NetGalley for providing me with an early review copy of this book to read.

A thriller loosely inspired by a real life crime, this book had one of the most unlikable protagonists I have come across in John Coleman, a lawyer, married with a young daughter , who seems to have an innate propensity to either ogle or hit on any woman he encounters. When a friend is found murdered, it seems to be linked to the series of murders that haunted his father, a police officer, enough for him to kill himself. Asked by the victim's daughter to help deal with the execution of her father's estate , John soon finds himself caught up in a web of money, murder and vengeance, and on trial, possibly for his life.
The basic premise of the book is good, and there are multiple layers to the story, though at times it becomes a little too complicated for its own sake. It is clear that the author has drawn on his experience as a layer, as the courtroom portions of the book are among the strongest chapters. While I don't mind generally unlikable characters, especially since many of them have something interesting or compelling to make them more engaging for the reader, this is not the case here, He is just an unpleasant man, and a lousy husband and father, selfish and egotistical.

Serial Killer mysteries are my favorite type of thrillers. I've said this again and again. And it still holds true.

And what's even better? When there are two different killers, and another person who's arrested for the murder (who by the way, has not commited it).

And that's what happens in The Company of Demons. It's full of action, murders, encounter with serial killers, courtroom drama, a lot of bad and good characters, and a whole lot of goosebumps.

Overall, it was an exciting read, and I'm looking forward to reading some mellow YA, or maybe a rom-com Manga. Because, The Company of Demons was intense. So totally in keeping with the title.

4.5 "kept me going through all its pages" stars

This was suppose to be a fill in book for me. I was kind of interested and when reading its summary thought what the heck. Boy, was I in for a very surprising, chilling surprise! I guess I should always remember that no one is exempt from being surprised.

John Coleman is a lawyer, son of a dead policeman, married to Cathy and they have one adopted daughter who they love tremendously. John is also teetering on the brink of being an alcoholic and it is during one of those stops in a familiar bar that a friend of his, Oyster, is discovered brutally murdered. The method of the killing is reminiscent of a serial killer known as The Torso Murderer who committed the grisly crimes years ago of dismembering twelve victims. Grisly for sure! Could this be the original Torso murderer is do we have a copy cat serial killer?

John is hired by the beautiful Jennifer, daughter of Oyster, to straighten out her late father's estate. He, most surprisingly, was a multimillionaire and there are only two heirs, Jennifer and her brother, a drug addled low life who will do anything for his next fix even being involved with a treacherous Mexican gang. John takes on Jennifer's cause and eventually takes on a lot more in regard to Jennifer. Unbeknownst to Jennifer is that John was once the lover of her sister who died from cancer.

John is a philanderer and the more he drinks the more he philanders placing in severe jeopardy his marriage to Cathy. He is a man one loves to hate, but there is something pathetic about John. He is tormented by demons both real and imaginary. John has an attack of conscience and decides to end the affair but Jennifer has other ideas and that is when this novel takes off.

John is then implicated for a crime he did not commit. His life, his secrets, his struggles are brought to the surface as he is brought to trial where his life is paraded in front of family, friends, and the world. And to make matters worse, as if they could be any worse, the Torso murderer has emerged once again to threaten John's family, his friends, and John himself. John is forced to confront the many issues that plague his life and eventually come face to face with the killer who stalks his life and his memory.

In this novel one mistake begets another and as the reader follows John down the road to ruin and mayhem, what we find is a finely written novel that keeps the action flowing. This was a wonderful debut novel and my thanks are extended to:
the author, Michael Jordan, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy and with two days of very suspenseful reading.

I wanted to like this book and early on was hooked on our main character, John, but as the book progressed I just found the narrative style lacking. There were too many holes and disjointed plot lines that it never fully grabbed my attention so I gave up about 30% through.

While I enjoyed this book, it did frustrate me at points. There were quite a few "come ON" moments while reading it and I found it difficult to get through at times. The main character, John, continued to make decisions that frustrated the hell out of me, but the story did keep me reading.

John Coleman is one of the most messed up, pathetic main characters I've read about in awhile. It is extremely difficult to care what happens to John when he makes selfish, stupid decisions pretty much every time he blinks his eyes.

So, yes, I loathed the main character, but fortunately there were other interesting people in John's life. I even liked a few of them, most specifically John's daughter and his retired friend from the police force. Even the retired police officer had some egregious flaws, but at least he showed some emotional development. Enough about the hate of John Coleman.

The Company of Demons was fast paced, and it includes some crazy serial killer action. Searching through a book for clues and attempting to solve the mystery is what captivates me, and Michael Jordan delivered a good mystery.

Thanks to netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved that this jumped off from a true crime story even if the dates were kind of funky to get it to work right.

The main character, John Coleman, isn't always loveable or respectable when it comes right down to it, but you can see that his heart is in the right place and that his cop father's suicide when he was a kid because he couldn't find the Butcher of the original crime really still affected him, so you have to cut him a break now and then.

The Butcher or some version of him is back and seems to have a fascination with Coleman, toying with him like a cat does a mouse. While this is happening, lawyer Coleman is trying to help the first new victim's (and his friend) family sort the legal stuff out as far as inheritance goes and all.

He would have been better off only mourning a drinking buddy because putting his lawyer hat on leads him into a whole heap of trouble including being charged with murder and the risk of losing his family.

The title is apt because Coleman and the older people of Cleveland are indeed still haunted by the murders that were never solved from the past as well as the new ones. Coleman has more demons than he can handle and asking for help puts those friends right in the new Butcher's sights.

I loved it and it was one of those books that leave you bummed when you finish.

I received this books some long months ago through Net Galley. While its premise was intriguing, I was quite ill-enthused. First of all, now knowing what the cover looks like, it just adds to the disappointment. With my Net Galley copy, this was left to mystery, the cover back then being completely different than the final one. It does leave some mystery to it, which some readers might enjoy, but I felt as though it made it bland.

Moving on.

The cover coincidentally matches the feel this book has. Some parts are eventful, but the style of writing (like the title says, different strokes for different folks) left me with barely being able to finish this book. Honestly, some parts were like pulling teeth, and I just didn't think that the story flowed well for my liking. Sometimes the flow of a book can just ruin the story, even if it's a good one.

To each his own, and by no way would I judge anyone harshly for liking this book. Do I see this intriguing some or a quite large audience? Sure. Do I see this becoming a #1 Bestseller? Most likely no. But, that's my opinion, and maybe enough people will like it that I'll be proved wrong.

I honestly could not finish this. I tried. Many times. I got to page 221 before I literally could not do it anymore. The lead character is 100% unlikable. For someone who makes horrible choices, in most aspects of life, he sure is spineless at times. He constantly makes bad choices and then acts like the martyr after.

Also, there were numerous plot lines running here and they felt disjointed and messy. At one point, I literally put the book down to ask myself what was even happening here.

While the first impression I read got me excited for this book, the overall plot just did not do it due to its messiness and slow movement. I wanted to like this, and I feel others will to be honest. It just was not for me.

Michael Jordan has created an anti hero who is so flawed it is difficult to like him. The story rattles along at pace with thrilling and terrifying twists and turns. This was impossible to put down as you were kept gripped the whole time. This is one of the best murder thrillers I have read in a long time.

I was a long way into this book before it grabbed me and I almost gave up on it but I’m glad I didn’t as once I got into it I couldn’t put it down. I love gruesome scary books but there’s was a few chapters that had my stomach churning, so good! Slow start but in the end it was a roller coaster!

The brutal murder of a friend leaves lawyer John Coleman stunned and sends shockwaves through the city of Cleveland. The technique of the killing recalls memories of the Torso Murderer, who dismembered at least twelve people decades ago and then vanished—eluding even legendary crime fighter Eliot Ness. Jennifer, the victim’s beautiful daughter, hires John to handle her father’s estate, and romantic feelings for her soon complicate his already troubled marriage. When John finds himself entangled with a cold-blooded biker gang, an ex-cop with a fuzzy past, and the drug-addicted son of the dead man, he struggles to make sense of it all.
This book was predictable, chaotic, and tried to put way to much and cover too much ground, leaving holes and things left unexplained. This book had potential to be a good book but I found the answers too predictable.

Great story. There were times that I could have reached into the pages and throttled a character. Guess that is a sign that I was really involved with the story.

I loved this book it was exciting and gripping. It had a feel of reality about it and I absolutely couldn't put it down. The characters are flawed and realistic with a vividness you don't get too often. On multiple occasions you are lulled into a false sense of security before the rug is pulled out from under you. I enjoyed the true crime aspect of it and the divergent story lines ensured that I stayed rapt. With a main character who you can love and loathe with equal measures and great pacing this is the perfect antidote to the dark cold evenings. Love to read more from this author.

This book covers a ton of ground. At times it seemed a bit chaotic but then it took off amazingly. I really despised John Coleman for at least half of the book. I am glad he redeemed himself. I loved all of the plot twists.

Author Michael Jordan could well be my neighbor, because he sure knows modern Cleveland... from the race tensions, the Eastside vs. Westside rivalry, institutions like the West Side Market, and all of this kept me enthralled.

The idea of serial killers in Cleveland: Well, we do get our share of those! In this book, the real life Torso Murderer is included, and a fictional one, the Butcher.

The author crafts a well-written story with good pacing. There's one unusual author choice halfway through the book. Trust me, you will know it when you see it!

Our narrator/main character John Coleman is inherently flawed, and seems to make every bad decision available to him while rationalizing it away. This adds tension for the reader, and creates a lot of problems to solve besides the mystery at hand. I sighed a lot at Coleman.

I saw a lot of the plot elements coming; that took some of the suspense away. Nevertheless, I find this a good read overall, and I will be looking for more books from Michael Jordan.