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Fiction. Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER � �The combination of Alex Delaware [and] Detective Milo Sturgis . . . makes for the most original whodunit duo since Watson and Holmes.��Forbes In an upscale L.A. neighborhood, a backyard renovation unearths an infant�s body, buried sixty years ago. Soon thereafter, in a nearby park, another disturbingly bizarre discovery is made not far from the body of a young woman shot in the head. Helping LAPD homicide detective Milo Sturgis to link these eerie incidents is brilliant psychologist Alex Delaware. But even the good doctor�s vast experience with matters both clinical and criminal might not be enough to cut down to the bone of this chilling case. Backtracking six decades into the past stirs up tales of a beautiful nurse with a mystery lover, a handsome, wealthy doctor who seems too good to be true, and a hospital with a notorious reputation�all of them long gone, along with any records of a newborn, and destined for anonymity. But the specter of fame rears its head when the case unexpectedly twists in the direction of the highest echelons of celebrity privilege. Entering this sheltered world, Alex little imagines the macabre layer just below the surface�a decadent quagmire of unholy rituals and grisly sacrifice. Don�t miss the excerpt of Jonathan Kellerman�s Killer in the back of the book! Praise for Jonathan Kellerman and Guilt �A solid, poignant tale of violence against the innocent . . . cool, brisk and polished.��The Washington Post �Action-packed . . . Kellerman proves he can keep readers entertained and engrossed in a story that keeps them on the edge of their seats to the final page.��Wichita Falls Times Record News �Certainly one of [Kellerman�s] best offerings to date . . . Do not miss this one.��Bookreporter �Jonathan Kellerman�s psychology skills and dark imagination are a potent literary mix.��Los Angeles Times �Jonathan Kellerman�s novels are an obsession; once started it is hard to quit.��Orlando Sentinel �Kellerman doesn�t just write psychological thrillers�he owns the genre.��Detroit Free Press.… (more)
User reviews
When a dead baby is found hidden on the grounds of a Los Angeles mansion by new owners, Alex and Milo are forced to reconsider the vile nature of some human beings and the tragic consequences for their victims. Both men experience disturbing life-reviewing thoughts and the reader gets some good information about why a psychologist continues his consulting work in gruesome crime cases and why a hard-boiled detective calls him in. Alex tells us the reasons he became a psychologist in the first place. He seems always to be protecting people who are hurting as he did as a child. He indicates that he gets a bit heavy handed with psychological interpretations now and again. But I learned in Kellerman's novel Victims that most of Dr. Delaware's interpretations are behavioral (empirical) rather than psychoanalytic (theoretical).
The mystery widens with the discovery of more bodies in an LA park. Could these two cases be related? At first Milo does not bother with speculation about a possible connection, but Alex cannot let it go. His intuition suggests they go together in some way. If there is a relationship between the investigations, it is convoluted and Alex and Milo face many challenges to solve the case. Guilt is a better novel, more interesting to me than Kellerman's most recent Alex Delaware novel, Victims, because of the more detailed deductive crime solving reasoning of the fictional psychologist.
This is only the second Alex Delaware novel I have read. I did not want to read the series all these years because I imagined the novels to be filled with psychobabble. But reading Victims and then Guilt, I came to appreciate the way Kellerman shows us the psychology of deadly characters, their victims, and the professionals who track them down rather than describing their personalities with psychological jargon.
Alex and Milo make a fascinating long term crime fighting team; Alex as a tireless and caring
The real craft is in the writing and dialogue, which is spot on. Even though the series is long standing, I never get bored with the action or the characters. I received this book on my first day of vacation and spent many late nights reading it with much joy.
Alex is
In Guilt, a new homeowner discovers a metal box buried in the backyard. But, the contents are unexpected - they're the bones of a baby. The remains are determined to be sixty years old, but of course must be investigated. Then a young woman is found dead in a nearby park with another set of infant bones close by - and this time they're more recent.
Kellerman lets us follow along as Alex and Milo scour the past and pursue the present in search of answers. Alex takes the lead role in Guilt, striking out on his own many times, using his own connections and pursuing threads he believes will lead to answers. I did find sone leaps to leads rather circumstantial and a bit hard to buy, and the title appears to have been drawn from a note that is never fully explained.
Kellerman is a psychologist himself and the character of Alex is especially well developed because of this background. His conversations and mannerisms ring true. In Guilt, Alex practices more counselling than he has in the last few outings. Milo still remains my favourite character, but he takes more a backseat in Guilt. Blanche the bulldog does seem to steal a lot of scenes as well.
Reading the latest Jonathan Kellerman is like slipping on a favourite pair of slippers - they're comfortable and you know how they'll fit. Guilt was a good read to keep me entertained on a recent train trip.
This book starts with the discovery under a potting bench of a rusting strongbox containing two baby skeletons wrapped in newspaper sixty years old. As a cold case detective Milo gets the assignment and turns immediately to Alex for help in tracing the line of owners of the house which leads to a mystery woman, a nurse to several of the previous owners. But when two more recently dead infant skeletons are discovered the case shifts from cold to hot and a modern day malevolent killer must be found.
The writing is taut, finely honed and delightfully perceptive. How can you not like this description of a witness: “The duration and warmth of Grace Monahan’s smile said life was just grand in her eighth decade. One of those women who’d been a knockout from birth and had avoided addiction to youth.”
Nor is Mr. Kellerman parsimonious with commas, as too many writers are these days. To read his sentences is to hear the pauses and breaks that occur in everyday talk whether serious or humorous. His characters live.
Whether you are a long-time fan or a newcomer to these books, grab up GUILT and prepare for a “can’t put it down” read.
Guilt is the 28th book in the long running series and I
The mysterious identity of the newborn discovered in a hospital supply box leads to a decades old conspiracy involving a beautiful nurse, a handsome doctor and a hospital that offered discreet services to the wealthy who found themselves ‘in trouble’.
The tenuous connection between the second set of infant remains, meticulously cleaned and polished with beeswax, and the executed woman, has Delaware speculating about an angry father. His basic theory proves to be sound, though in a unexpected manner, as he follows the trail into the privileged world of celebrity.
In both instances Alex’s contacts are crucial to solving the case as he gathers information from his own medical colleagues and Robin’s celebrity clients while Milo spends much of his time distracted by office politics and a persistent reporter.
I have to admit the pacing wasn’t quite as quick as I usually expect from Kellerman with there being little in the way of immediate danger to anyone during the investigation, though I always enjoy the back and forth speculation about the perpetrators and victims between Alex and Sturgis. There are plenty of twists to keep things interesting though and it’s always satisfying to have the mystery neatly solved and the killer brought to justice.
I expect someone unfamiliar with the series could enjoy this novel as a stand alone, while fans of the series are sure to enjoy trailing Delaware and Sturgis through the psychological detritus LA once again as I did.
Just as in my review of Victims, I think this book is that same story, told over and over, that Kellerman does so well. He must, I have them all. This one has a very interesting plot, with the usual
I would have liked to see either 1) more engagement with
Also, the Preema parts are a little sloppy - I wasn't really buying it there during that portion.
But overall, decent enough for a beach read, enjoyable and you don't have to think too hard, which is all I look for from Jonathan Kellerman.
'Guilt.'
Readers who enjoyed the interaction between the caring psychologist and the hard-boiled gay police detective will probably enjoy this
Perhaps it's time to add a few surprises along the way?
When a baby's skeleton is found in the yard of a young married couple, it's hard to believe that anything could be worse--until
Alex and Milo, one of the best crime-solving duos around, work their way through the labyrinth of dead-end clues and cooperative and not-so-cooperative suspects and witnesses as they attempt to bring the killer to justice.
Even with numerous false-starts and assumptions, Alex and Milo keep on the trail--a trail that leads them to some of the most powerful people in L.A.
One of the best of the Alex Delaware series,I received this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers, and it's a book that I would highly recommend. Go, Alex!
That being said, this was not one of my favorite Kellerman novels. The plot felt a little choppy, with a lot of speculation and great leaps of progress coming out of the blue. Delaware does a lot of investigating on his own, acting more as a police detective than a psychological consultant, and leaves Milo out in the cold. The ending wrapped everything up, but felt more like necessity than a way of tying together all the separate plot lines.
Despite all of that, I still enjoyed the story. Kellerman's characters have a way of holding my attention, even when I'm not totally committed to the plot.
Psychologist Alex Delaware and Detective Sturgis are called to investigate the remains which lead them to movie star Prema Moon and her four adopted children. Living on the same property but a separate house is Prema’s husband who is a very unsavory character.
As mentioned the book was difficult to set down. It was a very enjoyable read, full of suspense and interesting characters. I give it 4 ½ stars out of 5.