Deception: An Alex Delaware Novel (Alex Delaware Novels)

Product Details

• Quarters: New
• Notes: BUY WITH Poise, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and usage to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
• ISBN13: 9780345505675

Description

Masterly storytelling and expert insight into the darkest of human compulsions make #1 New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware novels as compelling as they are addictive. And just when you think he has taken his spellbinding tales of mystery and psychological suspense to the limit, with Deception he takes a bold leap into terrifying and uncharted new territory.

Her name is Elise Freeman, and her chilling cry for help—to whoever may be listening—comes too late to save her. On a DVD found near her lifeless body, the emotionally and physically battered woman chronicles a year-and-a-half-long ordeal of monstrous abuse at the hands of three sadistic tormentors. But even more shocking than the lurid details is the revelation that the offenders, like their victim, are teachers at one of L.A.’s most prestigious prep schools. With Elise now dead by uncertain means, homicide detective Milo Sturgis is assigned to probe the hallowed halls of Windsor Prep Academy. And if ever he could use Dr. Alex Delaware’s psychological prowess, it’s now.

From the get-go, this case promises to be an uphill climb for truth and a down and dirty fight for justice. Allegations of rape, assault, and possibly murder at this esteemed institution renowned for molding Ivy Leaguers make for a social and political time bomb—especially given that one of the students has connections high up in City Hall. As the scandal-conscious elite of L.A. close ranks around Windsor Prep, Alex and Milo must penetrate the citadel of wealth and scholarship to expose the hidden anguish, dirty secrets, and deadly sins festering among society’s manor-born. But power and position are not easily surrendered, for that’s when the best and the brightest turn brutal and ugly. Searching for predators among the privileged, Alex and Milo may well be walking into a highly polished death trap.
 

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Customer Reviews

not worth the price of the book
I kept thinking this book was going to live up to the other Alex Delaware novels and it certainly did not. I didn't even finish it. I thought it was boring, boring, boring.

2010-07-20 (helena, montana) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 1

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Delaware more as sidesick than psychologist but still entertaining
I have to start by saying I enjoyed the book. I didn't love it but I enjoyed it. Even so, I didn't feel like I was reading an Alex Delaware novel -- at least not the kind Kellerman used to write. As I read this book, I felt that Delaware wasn't acting as a psychologist but more of a ridealong sidekick to Milo. Other than the periodic references to Robin and his French bulldog, I felt it could have any been another detective with Milo and the book would have been the same. Delaware even did internet searches that any rookie cop could have done.

As a basic detective mystery, I enjoyed it. The plot had plenty of twists and turns that kept me from guessing the killer. Just when you think it is one kind of murder mystery, things change and you start to think it is something else and then it changes again. That kept things interesting.

The book didn't have as strong a sense of place as previous novels in the series, but I did learn a new architectual term -- dingbat. When an apartment building was described as being a dingbat, I had to go online to see what kind of building that was -- and it must be a fairly California type because I've never seen anything like that in Minnesota.

I hope Kellerman brings back more psychological aspects to future books in the series, but at least it was an interesting and entertaining read.

2010-07-05 (Twin Cities, Minnesota USA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 4

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kalamata
Great who-dun-it, as usual. Jonathan Kellerman has been my absolute favorite mystery writer for many years. The relatively short chapters are also an appealing feature. Always a great read.

2010-06-24 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Exceedingly Brilliant in More Ways Than One
I get a little tongue-tied with uninitiated friends when I attempt to describe Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware/Milo Sturgis novels. I'm not sure why that's so. It's impossible to exaggerate how quietly brilliant this series has been. No matter what I say (or even write), I don't feel like I'm doing Kellerman or his books true justice. Let me try once again.

Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis are an odd couple. For those not familiar with the series, Delaware is a psychologist in private practice who is occasionally called upon by Sturgis, an LAPD homicide detective, for insight and advice when confronted with an unusual case. Kellerman has chosen to eschew stereotypes as a shortcut to describing both men. Delaware bears none of the uneasy eccentricities that one occasionally finds in those who work in what are known as the "helping professions." Sturgis is a gay male in an occupation where such an orientation might not be viewed entirely favorably by the rank and file, but he is secure enough in who he is to the extent that he wears nothing on his sleeve. More than colleagues, the two of them (tactfully) exchange unvarnished truths, and Sturgis, an endearing foodie, can walk into Delaware's home and raid the refrigerator with nary an upturned eyebrow from Delaware or his wife.

DECEPTION, the latest installment in the series, begins with the discovery of a dead body that may or may not be the result of a murder, although the homicidal nature of the crime is determined quickly enough. The body in question belongs to Elise Freeman, a substitute teacher and tutor at an extremely exclusive and fashionable Los Angeles area prep school that caters to the children of the rich and famous. Freeman has left behind a DVD in which she speaks from beyond the grave, accusing three faculty members of sexual harassment. They immediately come under suspicion for the murder, as does Freeman's occasionally convenient boyfriend, who discovered her body.

Sturgis, with Delaware ever-present, begins interviewing the suspects, but there is an interesting wrinkle that hamstrings the investigation. The son of the Chief of Police is a senior at the prep school where Freeman taught, and any untoward publicity involving the school might impede the lad's chances of being accepted at the university that his father has picked out for him. Sturgis is used to going where the investigation takes him, and the "mother-may-I" limitations under which he is requested to function raise his hackles in short order. Delaware observes, speculates, advises, and most importantly for the reader, narrates the action, occasionally editorializing as Freeman's life outside the confines of the classroom is slowly and tantalizingly revealed. When another murder takes place, the identity of the killer seems to be an almost foregone conclusion --- until it isn't. There are many unexpected twists and turns toward the climax, which reveals that a number of people besides Sturgis and Delaware have the right stuff.

DECEPTION is peppered with lots of interesting characters, some of whom are old friends from previous installments in the series, others of whom will be gone but not forgotten by the next volume. And while the novel is heavy on entertaining dialogue, that imbalance makes the occasional jump-out moment more stark and surprising.

2010-06-04 (New York, New York) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Deception

I really liked this audiobook. Characters are kinky and fun. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a good read with mystery but also humor and real life actions by the characters.

2010-06-02 | Cihapet4 (Minnesota) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Self-Defense (Alex Delaware)

Product Details

• ISBN13: 9780345458834
• Notes: BUY WITH Conviction, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and maintenance to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
• State: New

Description

Dr. Alex Delaware doesn t see many private patients anymore, but the young woman called Lucy is an exception. So is her dream. Lucy Lowell is referred to Alex by Los Angeles police detective Milo Sturgis. A juror at the agonizing trial of a serial killer, Lucy survived the trauma only to be tormented by a recurring nightmare: a young child in the forest at night, watching a strange and furtive act.

Now Lucy s dream is starting to disrupt her waking life, and Alex is concerned. The power of the dream, its grip on Lucy s emotions, suggests to him that it may be more than a nightmare. It may be the repressed childhood memory of something very real. Something like murder.

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Customer Reviews

Book
Delivery was timely as promised. The item was the exact quality promised. I would not hesitate to purchase from this seller again.

2009-12-24 | Mysterious Missus (Garrettsville, OH) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Good, but too long
I've read the entire series so far (this is about the 6th book) and it was good but simply too long. The book really culminates about 70 pages before the end and then just drags on from there. I'd like to see the author get a better sense of pacing, but other than that it was good. I'm not sure how well the book would stand alone since I have all the background from reading the prior books. It seems like it would stand alone just fine, but it's nice to know the back story of all the little side details mentioned.

2009-12-17 (Los Angeles, CA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Great Service
Thank you for the book as you described it. And very speedy delivery.
Would do business again.

2009-04-27 | Dilly (USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Nightmares Turn Out to Be Real

This is another good page-turner in the Alex Delaware series.

The plot is intricate and there is a good blend of psychological intrigue and
who-done-it. Dr. Alex Delaware, psychologist and sleuth, is helping his
policeman friend, Milo Sturgis, to calm a troubled juror. The juror is having
frightening nightmares that are scaring him. It appears that these night-
mares have credibility. They are an awakening of childhood memories that
others might want to prevent from surfacing.

The cast of characters includes badmouthed writers, very dysfunctional
families, druggies, etc. Dr. Delaware has some fussy professional boun-
dares but he's quite likable.

This is a good book for the beach, vacation or airplane.

2009-04-07 | Fairbanks Reader (Fairbanks, Alaska) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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One of Kellerman's Better in Delaware/Sturgis Series
One of Kellerman's better books in his Alex Delaware/Milo Sturgis series (Book 9 out of 22 - to date). The narrator of this audiobook version, Alexander Adams, is very good. The plot has many twists and turns, as well as a largely interesting cast of dysfunctional characters. Milo Sturgis is further fleshed out through his friendship with Lucy Lowell. He befriends Lucy after she serves as a juror for the trial of a vicious murderer. The trial causes Lucy to develop nightmares. These turn out to be repressed 21-year old memories of the burial of a young woman which she witnessed at age 4. Milo, of course, refers Lucy to his psychologist friend Alex Delaware. Delaware does more detective work than psychotherapy, inevitably nearly getting himself and his patient killed, but for Milo. Nonetheless, Delaware does unravel the mystery to a satisfying conclusion. Kellerman's use of hypnosis on Lucy is a weak point, but keeping Delaware's stick figure girlfriend, Robin, in the background a plus. She rarely adds anything to this series. Fans of Kellerman's Delaware/Sturgis series will like it, as well as other fans of the genre. I purchased this book from [...]. The unabridged version is 11 hours and 45 minutes in length.

2008-11-03 (TX USA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 4

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Evidence: An Alex Delaware Novel

Description

In a half-built mansion in Los Angeles, a watchman stumbles onto the bodies of a young couple—murdered and left in a gruesome postmortem embrace. Veteran homicide cop Milo Sturgis is shocked at the sight: a twisted crime that only Milo and psychologist Alex Delaware can hope to solve. While the female victim’s identity remains in question, her companion is ID’d as eco-friendly architect Desmond Backer, notorious for his power to seduce women. The deeper Milo and Alex dig for clues, the longer the list of suspects grows. But when the investigation veers suddenly in a startling direction, it’s the investigators who may wind up on the wrong end of a cornered predator’s final fury.

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Customer Reviews

Such a disappointment
I love Alex Delaware novels. Wait, make that "loved." I rarely don't finish a book. I stopped reading this one 3/4 way through b/c it was such a chore. I just didn't care what happened.

2010-07-22 (Out here somewhere) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 2

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Book review
It's Kellerman. It's Alex Delaware. How could it be anything but great? I love the way he intermingles the plot twists. Always a joy to read for any detective, mystery or police procedural fan. This is no exception.

2010-07-19 | writer (Los Angeles, CA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Light summer read
Not as good as some Jonathan Kellerman - but entertaining light reading. Recieved VERY quickly for vacation.

2010-07-16 | Deb S (usa) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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unbelievable plot loose ends left dangling
This plot is basically unbelievable. He introduces new information at the end that should have been included earlier as clues. He leaves many story lines dangling so you;re left wondering "what happend to...?"

Very unsatisfying.

2010-07-07 | product maven (La Canada, CA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 1

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Jonathan Kellerman's "Evidence": A Review
A rent-a-cop watchman stumbles over a double homicide at an obscenely large L.A. mansion where construction has inexplicably stopped. Detective Milo Sturgis is assigned the case and asks his pal, psychologist Alex Delaware, to tag along because the case looks "interesting."

The male victim is quickly identified as the employee of a rather peculiar architectural firm. but it takes quite some time to identify the female victim who had been posed with him in a sexually suggestive manner. From that point on, things simply get stranger and stranger until Milo doggedly works out the solution to this and a number of other crimes.

But the strangest thing about this book is that it's billed as "An Alex Delaware Novel," when Alex is simply along for the ride, playing Dr. Watson while Milo does all the heavy lifting. There is no plausible reason whatsoever for Delaware to be anywhere near this case, and this is a very strange departure from the early books in this series in which Delaware's role as a consulting child psychologist was critical to each of the plots and in which Delaware was the central character.

In this case, he's so thoroughly unessential that the reader can go for long periods of time without even realizing that he's involved with the case. As a practical matter, Delaware serves only to narrate Milo's investigation; he makes no contribution of any significance at all.

As a police procedural, this is a pretty good read, even though by the end, the plot begins to strain credulity beyond usually acceptable limits. But as an Alex Delaware novel, it leaves a lot to be desired. Maybe it's time for Jonathan Kellerman to cut Alex loose and give Milo Sturgis his own series.

2010-07-05 (Scottsdale, AZ) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 3

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Compulsion (Alex Delaware, No. 22)

Product Details

• Notes: BUY WITH Coolness, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and assignment to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
• Ready: New
• ISBN13: 9780345465283

Description

Once again, the depths of the criminal mind and the darkest side of a glittering city fuel #1 New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Kellerman’s brilliant storytelling. And no one conducts a more harrowing and suspenseful manhunt than the modern Sherlock Holmes of the psyche, Dr. Alex Delaware.

A tipsy young woman seeking aid on a desolate highway disappears into the inky black night. A retired schoolteacher is stabbed to death in broad daylight. Two women are butchered after closing time in a small-town beauty parlor. These and other bizarre acts of cruelty and psychopathology are linked only by the killer’s use of luxury vehicles and a baffling lack of motive. The ultimate whodunits, these crimes demand the attention of LAPD detective Milo Sturgis and his collaborator on the crime beat, psychologist Alex Delaware.

What begins with a solitary bloodstain in a stolen sedan quickly spirals outward in odd and unexpected directions, leading Delaware and Sturgis from the well-heeled center of L.A. society to its desperate edges; across the paths of commodities brokers and transvestite hookers; and as far away as New York City, where the search thaws out a long-cold case and exposes a grotesque homicidal crusade. The killer proves to be a fleeting shape-shifter, defying identification, leaving behind dazed witnesses and death–and compelling Alex and Milo to confront the true face of murderous madness.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

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Customer Reviews

Usual crap from jonathan kellerman

ONce again he spins a novel about psychologists crucial role in medical care. It seems the doctors would not know what to do unless they page the psychologist. Mr. Kellerman is a psychologist by trade and has delusions of grandeur regarding this role. And, please have someone with medical knowledge proofread your work. Glaring errors!

2010-07-07 | product maven (La Canada, CA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 1

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Jonathan Kellerman rocks !
I have read quite a few Jonathan Kellerman books and have never been disappointed. This one is no exception ! Fast paced thrilling reading. The characters are wonderful. A must for thriller/suspense readers.

2010-02-17 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Book
Delivery was timely as promised. The item was the exact quality promised. I would not hesitate to purchase from this seller again.

2009-12-24 | Mysterious Missus (Garrettsville, OH) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Jonathan Kellerman is always good
This book may be the one I'm saving to read later, or it may be one of the ones I already read. I'm sure it's good even if it's the one I didn't read yet, because I like all Jonathan Kellerman's books. (I no longer like his wife Faye's books; too gory for my taste. But I'll always get Jonathan Kellerman's books.)

2009-09-24 | A (Pennsylvania, USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Easy read with a happy ending!
If you are looking for a quick and easy read, Compulsion might be the book for you. This is a true whodunit featuring Kellerman's popular characters Alex Delaware (psychologist) and Milo Sturgis (LA PD). The plot is well developed with "clues" peppered throughout enabling astute readers to determine who the bad guy is before it is actually revealed. Although I liked the book, I have two complaints. First, the killer's motive for killing is a little weak. And, second, I didn't like the introduction of new characters right at the end of the book. There really wasn't any need for introducing new characters...Alex/Milo could have caught the bad guy in a different and more creative way. But, all-in-all, a pleasurable read.

2009-09-15 (PA USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 3

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Private Eyes (Alex Delaware)

Product Details

• Shape: New
• Notes: BUY WITH Poise, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and employment to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
• ISBN13: 9780345460707

Description

The voice belongs to a woman, but Dr. Alex  Delaware remembers a little girl. It is eleven  years since seven-years-old Melissa Dickinson dialed  a hospital help line for comfort--and found it in  therapy with Alex Delaware. Now the lovely young  heiress is desperately calling for psychologist's  help once more. Only this time it looks like  Melissa's deepest childhood nightmare is really  coming true ...  Twenty years ago, Gina Dickinson, Melissa's  mother, suffered a grisly assault that left the budding  actress irreparably scarred and emotionally  crippled. Now her acid-wielding assailant is out of  prison and back in L.A.--and Melissa is terrified  that the monster has returned to hurt Gina again.  But before Alex Delaware  can even begin to soothe his former patient's  fears, Gina, a recluse for twenty, disappears. And  now, unless Delaware turns crack detective to  uncover the truth, Gina Dickinson will be just one  more victim of a cold fury that has already spawned  madness--and murder.

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Customer Reviews

Wasn't my favorite
The Alex Delaware series is always an enjoyable escape. It's certainly not "heavy" literature, nor was this my favorite book in the series, but it's readable.

2010-04-29 | EAM (Connecticut) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 3

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b
Delivery was timely as promised. The item was the exact quality promised. I would not hesitate to purchase from this seller again.

2009-12-24 | Mysterious Missus (Garrettsville, OH) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Audiobook Review
Private Eyes arrived timely and in great condition. Most enjoyable. I'm pleased with the audiobookk.

2009-08-09 (CA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Okay.....
I simply love the Alex Delaware series. I've read every book up to this one and especially enjoyed Time Bomb and Silent Partners. For me, Private Eyes, just couldn't compete with the prior installments of this series. It was a no-brainer who the villian was and there was only one minor plot twist. While I eagerly devoured the novel it was because I kept waiting for the plot to pick up or for the twist to happen. It was simply an okay read instead of great like the previous books.

2009-07-19 | Kate (NJ) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 3

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Private Eyes
The book is well written, lots of detail; but I felt let down by the subject matter ("gays"); I don't need further inundation on that subject, espcially when I pick up a "who-done-it". It was great reading until the end, so that makes me still a Kellerman fan....maybe next time...

2009-06-25 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Bones (Alex Delaware, No. 23)

Product Details

• Notes: BUY WITH Coolness, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and servicing to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
• ISBN13: 9780345495174
• Influence: New

Description

When it comes to writing deftly layered, tightly coiled novels of suspense, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Kellerman reigns supreme as “master of the psychological thriller” (People). Now, Kellerman has worked his magic again in this chilling new masterpiece.

The anonymous caller has an ominous tone and an unnerving message about something “real dead . . . buried in your marsh.” The eco-volunteer on the other end of the phone thinks it’s a prank, but when a young woman’s body turns up in L.A.’s Bird Marsh preserve no one’s laughing. And when the bones of more victims surface, homicide detective Milo Sturgis realizes the city’s under siege to an insidious killer. Milo’s first move: calling in psychologist Alex Delaware.

The murdered women are prostitutes–except the most recent victim; a brilliant young musician from the East Coast, employed by a wealthy family to tutor a musical prodigy, Selena Bass seems out of place in the marsh’s grim tableau.

Conveniently–perhaps ominously–Selena’s blueblood employers are nowhere to be found, and their estate’s jittery caretaker raises hackles. But Milo’s instincts and Alex’s insight are too well-honed to settle for easy answers, even given the dark secrets in this troubled man’s past. Their investigation unearths disturbing layers–about victims, potential victims, and suspects alike–plunging even deeper into the murky marsh’s enigmatic depths.

Bizarre details of the crimes suggest a devilish serial killer prowling L.A.’s gritty streets. But when a new murder deviates from the pattern, derailing a possible profile, Alex and Milo must look beyond the suspicion of madness and consider an even more sinister mind at work. Answers don’t come easy, but the darkest of drives and desires may fuel the most devious of foes.

Bones is classic Kellerman–relentlessly peeling back the skin and psyches of its characters and revealing the shadows and sins of the souls beneath. With jolt after jolt of galvanizing suspense, it drives the reader through its twists and turns toward a climax as satisfying as it is shattering.


From the Hardcover edition.

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Customer Reviews

Classic Kellerman psychological thriller
Dr. Alex Delaware and Det. Milo Sturgis attempt to find out who dumped the body of a young woman in a L.A. wildlife preserve. The bones of some prostitutes are also found, but the young woman is a musical prodigy who was tutoring a wealthy family's son, Kelvin. Their estate's caretaker becomes the first (lead) suspect, but another murder causes Sturgis and Delaware to consider that a serial killer is stalking L.A. Another excellent entry in the Alex Delaware series. Kellerman's written one book a year for the past 10 years with this character, and he shows no signs of slowing down.

2010-07-16 | Bibliophile (Pompano Beach, Florida) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 3

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Too much unnecessary foul language
The story line looked good, but I put it down about 5 pages in because of all the foul language. I have read plenty of books that have little to none cursing in them and I didn't want to waste my time wading through the unnecessary. I will be throwing this book out with the garbage because I don't want to donate it for someone else to read.

2010-07-05 | online diva (Marquette, MI USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 1

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a cozy sweater
This is a classic book from Kellerman...everything you have come to expect from the Alex Delaware series--the familiar characters with a new storyline. New cop character added, as well, and I hope he is utilized in future stories from Kellerman. Plot was entertaining, and kept my interest...I read the entire book in 3 days, and it would have been less if I didn't need sleep!

2010-06-14 (Malta, IL) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Interesting premise, epic fail on delivering
Basically the back summary will reel you in, but the book is not nearly as interesting as you think it will be. I'll commend it because it's very much like an episode of law and order, with twists that surprise you, but most of the book happens to be the somewhat stale/boring 2 minute scenes from law and order. Halfway through I couldn't believe that nothing really interesting had happened, besides the obviousness of them trying to solve serial murders. Maybe it's his writing style, but I felt that there were random desriptions of things, like of clothing or restaurants, and then also pages where there was so much dialogue that I was confused as to who was talking. Essentially the 'rising action' is very very slow and boring, it's not fast paced at all, or a page turner. I only finished it because once i start a book i need to finish it. This was my first Kellerman book and i won't be reading another, i can't imagine how he became a number one bestselling author! Basically don't read this it's pretty horrible, if u haven't read the husband by dean koontz u should give that a try instead, that's how fast paced with twists is supposed to be done.

2010-05-19 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 2

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Perfect
New condition.
Ive read everything by Jonathon Kellerman except this.
I will definitely buy this way again!

2010-04-11 (Philadelphia) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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