The Ascension of Jerry

Reviews / Votes

"In Chip Jacobs' true-crime, The Ascension of Jerry, we are whisked back to LA's Kodachrome world of the Seventies. Through the eyes of the protagonist, Jerry, the "bright colors and greens of summer" quickly change to the real life black-and-whites of mayhem and murder. But, this is not just another Hollywood Whodunit. In the end we find it is really about one man's search and struggle to find his own personal truths and redemption. Well written and highly recommended." --Steve Hodel, LAPD Hollywood Homicide detective (ret.) and Bestselling author, Black Dahlia Avenger: A Genius for Murder "Jacobs delivers a seductive tour of an L.A. rife with murder-for-hire plots, political corruption and sociopathic schemes. Against this backdrop the young Schneiderman comes of age, to ultimately emerge as the last man standing. A terrific book--I couldn't put it down!" --Stephen Jay Schwartz, Los Angeles Times bestselling author of Boulevard and Beat "Chip Jacobs' chops as an accomplished newspaperman are on brilliant display in The Ascension of Jerry, a delightfully off-kilter true-crime tale of a hero (sorta) who is neither especially loathsome nor lovable ... maybe just lucky to get out alive. Jacobs' prose is intimate, darkly funny, and crisp as he follows the twisted path that leads SoCal businessman Jerry Schneiderman through a series of weird events--including crossing paths with some dumb-ass hitmen and some burning corpses--only to emerge as a merry prankster with a jones for social activism. (If you haven't yet deduced that this book is not your Mama's supermarket true-crime trash, then you're doing it wrong. But here's the thing: Jacobs' ear for a good story is pitch perfect, and he tells it with all the smoggy pastel colors of post-noir LA. The Ascension of Jerry isn't an old song in a new key, but an entirely new song about crime, fear, and a weird kind of redemption that could only happen in the general vicinity of Hollywood. Jacobs is a genuine writer, not a wannabe scribbler. He knows what makes us keep turning pages. So for those few true-crime readers who like their mayhem served up in a sumptuous story, seek this one out." --Ron Franscell, celebrated true-crime author "Chip Jacobs uses his boundless reporter's energy and well-honed sense of Southern California to tell a gripping tale of serial mayhem and the curious life of Jerry Schneiderman. It's reassuring to see the right writer was paying attention." --David Willman, Los Angeles Times Pulitzer winning investigative reporter and author of The Mirage Man: Bruce Irvins, the Anthrax Attacks, and America's Rush to War "Chip Jacobs explores the underbelly of an L.A. murder-for-hire ring that leaves many dead and a successful space planner, Jerry Schneiderman, so affected by PTSD that he embarks on a widespread muckraking campaign that targets major political forces in Los Angeles and beyond. Pitched as a "roots of Occupy story" (aside from Mark Twain's, of course), The Ascension of Jerry: Murder, Hitmen, and the Making of L.A. Muckraker Jerry Schneiderman will leave you closing your blinds and forever looking behind your back for the crazed psycho-killer disguised as an ordinary blue collar guy." --Foreword magazine staff pick "The pay for some deals is wonderful, but the drawbacks that can come along with it may be too much to swallow. The Ascension of Jerry: Murder, Hitmen, and the Making of L.A. Muckraker Jerry Schneiderman follows the life of Jerry Schneiderman, whose (space planning) career prospered, then quickly spun out of control when his business (partner) ate a bullet via assassin. Fearing for his life, he was on the run for (months), before he found his ... life's calling. The Ascension of Jerry is an enticing true tale of getting one's life back in the midst of ... skullduggery, highly recommended." --Midwest Book Review **Book highlighted on true-crime featurette out with DVD release of Sinister** **Ascension of Jerry takes silver at Hollywood Book Festival -- Summer 2012** **The Ascension of Jerry makes winner circle at 2013 Southern California Book Festival** **Ascension of Jerry listed in Bookforum as an independent title to watch**