The Murder Book (Alex Delaware)

by Jonathan Kellerman

2003

Status

Available

Publication

Ballantine Books (2003), 544 pages

Description

Fiction. Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:Jonathan Kellerman has distinguished himself as the master of the psychological thriller. Now L.A. psychologist-detective Alex Delaware confronts a long-unsolved murder of unspeakable brutality�??an ice-cold case whose resolution threatens his survival, and that of longtime friend, homicide detective, Milo Sturgis. The nightmare begins when Alex receives a strange package in the mail with no return address. Inside is an ornate album filled with gruesome crime scene photos�??a homicide scrapbook entitled The Murder Book. Alex can find no reason for anyone to send him this compendium of death, but when Milo views the book, he is immediately shaken by one of the images: a young woman, tortured, strangled, and dumped near a freeway ramp. This was one of Milo�??s first cases as a rookie homicide cop: a vicious killing that he failed to solve, because just as he and his training partner began to make headway, the department closed them down. Being forced to abandon the young victim tormented Milo. But his fears prevented him from pursuing the truth, and over the years he managed to forget. Or so he thought. Now, two decades later, someone has chosen to stir up the past. As Alex and Milo set out to uncover what really happened twenty years ago, their every move is followed and their lives are placed in jeopardy. The relentless investigation reaches deep into L.A.�??s nerve-centers of power and wealth�??past and present. While peeling back layer after layer of ugly secrets, they discover that the murder of one forgotten girl has chilling ramifications that extend far beyond the tragic loss of a single life. A classic story of good and evil, sacrifice and sin, The Murder Book is a gripping page-turner that illuminates the darkest corridors of the human mind. It is a stunning tour de force. BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Jonathan Kellerman's … (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member emigre

Excellent character study and thriller. Unsettling and realistic. Twist within a twist at end is great.

10 more

LibraryThing member Djupstrom

Kellerman is a hit-or-miss type of writer for me. This one was closer to a miss. It took a while for me to get invested in the story...too long.

LibraryThing member BruderBane

Another good one from Kellerman. Finished it in about 2 days and never boring. Makes me want to check out some of his more recent stuff.

LibraryThing member ct.bergeron

.A. psychologist-detective Alex Delaware confronts a long-unsolved murder of unspeakable brutality—an ice-cold case whose resolution threatens his survival, and that of longtime friend, homicide detective, Milo Sturgis.

The nightmare begins when Alex receives a strange package in the mail with no

return address. Inside is an ornate album filled with gruesome crime scene photos—a homicide scrapbook entitled The Murder Book. Alex can find no reason for anyone to send him this compendium of death, but when Milo views the book, he is immediately shaken by one of the images: a young woman, tortured, strangled, and dumped near a freeway ramp.

This was one of Milo’s first cases as a rookie homicide cop: a vicious killing that he failed to solve, because just as he and his training partner began to make headway, the department closed them down. Being forced to abandon the young victim tormented Milo. But his fears prevented him from pursuing the truth, and over the years he managed to forget. Or so he thought.

Now, two decades later, someone has chosen to stir up the past. As Alex and Milo set out to uncover what really happened twenty years ago, their every move is followed and their lives are placed in jeopardy. The relentless investigation reaches deep into L.A.’s nerve-centers of power and wealth—past and present. While peeling back layer after layer of ugly secrets, they discover that the murder of one forgotten girl has chilling ramifications that extend far beyond the tragic loss of a single life.

Show Less

LibraryThing member Darrol

Interesting for a non-serial killer killing. The detection is good, albeit Alex's guessing is just too good. I am not sure I understand the ending. I hope this clears up in the sequel. Alex turns into a real asshole when Robin leaves. To me, evidence that relationships should not take center stage

in good detective fiction.

Show Less

LibraryThing member TGPistole

I decided to give J Kellerman one more try but I find with each of his books I never really get engaged with the main characters. I don't feel a desire to find out what will happen next. They are not bad or poorly written, but neither are they very interesting to me.

LibraryThing member Aleahmom

I'VE READ MANY KELLERMAN BOOKS, AND I LOVE THIS AUTHOR. HE KEEPS MY INTEREST

LibraryThing member Carol420

Alex Delaware, psychologist and consultant to the LAPD, has just taken his longtime girlfriend, Robin, to Paris to try to repair past ills. Instead of falling back in love with him, she's gone off on an extended music tour. He's alone in Los Angeles when the official blue album shows up at his

door, filled with hideous and seemingly unrelated crime scene shots and titled "The Murder Book." He promptly calls his friend Milo Sturgis, an LAPD detective. Turns out one of the victims in the book, a badly mutilated teenage girl, was Milo's first unsolved homicide -- a homicide he might have closed if he hadn't been mysteriously shut down from within his own department. The two men's determination to discover who sent the book quickly grows into a need to resolve once and for all an atrocity that has been closely guarded by the rich and powerful for over twenty years.

The Murder Book is really Milo's story and the suspense unfolds as he reopens the case without much backup and a lot of interference in the department. It's a good read.

Show Less

LibraryThing member whitewavedarling

I'm really enjoying the Alex Delaware series, and this book didn't disappoint. What made it my favorite so far, though, is the way Kellerman delved into Milo Sturgis' character and brought him to life in a new and more careful fashion, so that we got more of his backstory and persona than I'd

really seen before. I'm sure some readers might disagree and feel that the balancing between Sturgis and Delaware was a disappointment, as it did make for a different book than others in the series, but I thought it was a fantastic choice which offered a change of pace while still delivering on all of the story, depth, and character I've come to expect from this series.

Show Less

LibraryThing member N.W.Moors

This is one of the older Alex Delaware books and it felt a bit dated to me. I found myself skipping over sections, finding the story a little predictable and having little interest in the drama in Alex's personal life. The analysis by Alex seemed fairly rote and I could see the ending coming for a

while, the only surprise being the appearance by the bounty hunters which seemed more of a device to not involve a possibly corrupt police force. I liked Milo and would have liked the story to revolve more around him. It's an okay book, not bad, but not good.

Show Less

LibraryThing member lbswiener

The Murder Book from the start to the end keeps the reader interested. It is a good story. The characters are all believable. The settings are believable. The storyline is believable and gruesome. Four stars were given in this review.

Fewer