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Fiction. Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER � Jonathan Kellerman returns with this stunning thriller�a mesmerizing L.A. noir portrayal of the darkest impulses of human nature carried to shocking extremes. The City of Angels has more than its share of psychopaths, and no one recognizes that more acutely than the brilliant psychologist and police consultant Dr. Alex Delaware. Despite that, Constance Sykes, a sophisticated, successful physician, hardly seems like someone Alex needs to fear. Then, at the behest of the court, he becomes embroiled in a bizarre child custody dispute initiated by Connie against her sister and begins to realize that there is much about the siblings he has failed to comprehend. And when the court battle between the Sykes sisters erupts into cold, calculating murder and a rapidly growing number of victims, Alex knows he�s been snared in a toxic web of pathology. Nothing would please Alex more than to be free of the ugly spectacle known as Sykes v. Sykes. But then the little girl at the center of the vicious dispute disappears and Alex knows he must work with longtime friend Detective Milo Sturgis, braving an obstacle course of Hollywood washouts, gangbangers, and self-serving jurists in order to save an innocent life. Killer is Kellerman�and Delaware�at their finest. Praise for Killer �Killer is well plotted and paced. . . . One of [Kellerman�s] best.��Bookreporter �As usual, the rapport between Alex and Milo is a show-stealer, and longtime fans . . . will love the well-executed flashbacks to Alex�s professional past.��Booklist �Kellerman kicks this one up to a whole new level.��RT Book Reviews Praise for Jonathan Kellerman �Jonathan Kellerman has justly earned his reputation as a master of the psychological thriller.��People �Kellerman really knows how to keep those pages turning.��The New York Times Book Review.… (more)
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Alex Delaware, mild mannered psychologist become the target of killer . Connie Sykes is out to gain custody of her niece when the
Alex finds himself in debt to a gang banger for saving his life, the number one suspect in the murder is now MIA as well as the child, and Alex is still in danger because of all he knows. Milo is on the case of course, and Robin has digested this information quite well. She even handles it with grace and bit of gallows humor.
The case of Sykes VS Sykes becomes a fodder for the courthouse gossips. It seems everyone is aware of the case and many of the details that should have been kept inside the courtroom. The judge in the case is alerted to the possibility of a revenge plot and so everyone involved is stretched to the breaking point.
The important thing is to find the child. In the process the issue arises as to who the father is and well, there appears to be several possibilities. When more murders occur it becomes a race against time to find the child and her mother and prevent more people from being killed, including Alex.
After 29 Alex Delaware novels you would think Kellerman would have run out of steam by now. There are not too many authors that can maintain a series this long without the characters becoming boring and predictable, often running out of interesting dialogue and cases. But, LA is filled people who believe themselves to be smarter than the police or in this case a psychologist. This is one twisted messed up case and Alex finds himself in it up to his eyeballs.
There are many thought provoking issues raised in this story. The day to day courtroom dramas that should be confidential are perhaps talked about by court employees amongst themselves and pretty soon information that should be not be common knowledge is known by everyone. The people who work in law enforcement and for the system that see so many sad cases and the endless cycle of lives that go nowhere can become jaded and cynical really fast, making it hard to keep an open mind when they need it the most.
Kellerman does a great job as always of showing the darker side of human nature and the effect a lifetime of disappointment can have on people which cause them to do crazy things. The ability to paint such vivid portraits of people and their flaws always has me sucked into these stories and once I start one I can't stop reading it. I think I have read every single one of the Alex Delaware mysteries. The one thing I do miss is Milo and Alex actually out working cases together. The last two books have really been focused on Alex by himself. Milo has had a lesser role in the last two books and I miss the discussions the two men had. Robin was also on a back burner in this one. She is rarely in the spotlight exactly, but she was really in the shadows in this one. Other than that one minor complaint, this was once again an excellent chapter in the Delaware series. This one gets an A.
In this story, Dr. Alex Delaware’s long-time significant other plays a small, supportive role, and comes across as a caring, loving, supportive person, unlike some of her characterizations in past novels. I was happy to see this, because, previously, I thought she only detracted from the stories and served no real purpose other than to how that Dr. Delaware has a normal life and relationship with a member of the opposite sex. In past novels, the author has touched briefly on the open homosexuality between Milo Sturgis and his long-time companion, and, in light of changes in current climate of the country, I would hope he plans to spend more time to developing it. I think this also would show how normal Detective Sturgis is, which would likewise be good for the characters and the storyline. I do think the author does illustrate how good a Detective Sturgis is, and how Dr. Delaware compliments him so well even when not involved in psychological evaluations and treatment.
The basic plot of this story is nothing all that special, but the author has managed to weave a fascinating tale of a dysfunctional family and its aftermath in the children of that union. I was not surprised by the ending, but I thought it did come as a bit of a surprise, and there could have been more lead-up to it. This book will be interest to all die-hard Alex Delaware fans as well as o anyone who enjoys a good mystery. Though Dr. Delaware is a professional psychologist, in this and other books, he is more than that, so the books are never filled with psychological mombo jumbo, which can be confusing to any person not involved in the field.
It may seem odd to nominate the Alex Delaware series as a ‘comfort read’ but my familiarity with it makes it so for me. I find I easily slip into the rhythm of the narrative, lulled by the soporific voice of the Doctor. I can rely on the personalities, and circumstances, of the main characters remaining largely unchanged and the plots, though somewhat predictable, are always satisfyingly resolved. I have to admit my attachment to the series make it difficult to be objective but honestly even at its worst, you can expect a solidly crafted, readable novel.
Is this Kellerman’s best? No, though perhaps the better of the last half a dozen or so novels. With the fate of a missing toddler in question, Milo and Alex disagree about the identity of the suspect assumed not only responsible for the child’s disappearance, but also a string of related murders. And in the face of mounting evidence, and recent events, Delaware succumbs to a rare display of self doubt.
The last few books have been dominated by Delaware’s role as a law enforcement consultant and I like that in Killer, Delaware returns to his ‘roots’ so to speak, as a child psychologist. A subplot involves the reappearance of a former patient, once a truculent teen struggling with Diabetes, now a gang leader in an unique position to repay Alex for his help. Wile I love Milo, I hope that this is an indication Kellerman will be shifting the focus back to Delaware’s practice.
If you aren’t familiar with the series, I think you could pick this up to read as a stand alone but you’d be missing out. As a long time fan, I enjoyed Killer, zipping through it in a couple of hours, happy to catch up with old friends and lose myself in a new case.
Disclaimer: I received this book as a review copy.
I am a long-time fan of author Jonathan Kellerman and that is due, to a great extent, to his ability to create very well-rounded characters and to then show compassion towards them even those who seem irredeemable. This has never been more true than in this, his latest novel. Here, the two sisters seem to be the opposite sides to the same coin but it becomes increasingly clear that it’s never that simple.
Despite this being the 29th book in the series, Kellerman has definitely not lost his touch. As always, the story is character-driven but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of action and twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. Killer is one heck of a page-turner, the kind that will keep you up all night trying to figure out whodunit.
Fast-paced page-turner
In this novel, Alex is asked to make a recommendation in a child custody case. As his court-related cases go, this one seems pretty simple. That is, it does until people related to the case start turning up dead. Alex becomes part of the investigation into these murders, partly at the bequest of his friend, detective Milo Sturgis, and partly on his own accord.
The plot in this one seems a bit of a stretch. The killer turns out to be someone only briefly mentioned earlier in the book. Still, it is a satisfying read. Who else but Kellerman could describe a character this way: "a skinny face and tired features gave him the look of a tired vulture."
I am going to go back and read the Kellerman novels I have missed over the past few years. His characters and his style make up for any thin spots in plotting.
Overall Rating: 3.50
Story Rating: 3.50
Character Rating: 3.50
Audio Rating: 3.50 (not part of the overall rating)
First Thought when Finished: Killer by Jonathan Kellerman was a bit of a twisted tale with a core story that made you think!
Story Thoughts: This is
Character Thoughts: We are book 29 into the Deleware series so I kind of base my character rating on those surrounding Alex. I thought the Sykes sisters were a pretty good example of opposites. Though I didn't think either was all that compelling, they did make pretty good foil for the case. I did enjoy the young patient with diabetes and his journey though. That was actually my favorite part of Killer!
Audio Thoughts:
Narrated By John Rubinstein / Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins
I thought John Rubinsein did a pretty good job with the book. I don't think it is his fault that I felt the pacing was off in the story. However, pacing was more obvious in the narrated version than I think it would have been if read.
Final Thoughts: Not my favorite in the series but still pretty darn good!
I'm a big fan of the Dr. Delaware series but this is not the best introduction to them. I still found it had an engaging story with a solidi plot and interesting characters. There were just snippets of Milo and Robin so it was mostly just Delaware talking to himself. I will definitely be on the lookout for Number 30 in this wonderful series. You can't hit a home run every time!
I have always liked this series. Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis once again brave an obstacle course of Hollywood washouts, gangbangers, and self-serving jurists in order to save an innocent life and this time to preserve Alex's sanity.