Blood Test (Alex Delaware)

Kellerman takes it, and passes it with ease. The book is original and ingenious. The solution is very clever and very shocking. He builds a story with characters you care about and events you just can't fathom. He unfolds it gradually, at great pace. Writing is nothing special as to quiality, but its enjoyable prose and Delaware is a likeable and well drawn characters. Shame not to see Robin again this time round. Great mystery novel, great solution. Unexpected and shocking, very effective.

Dr. Alex Delaware is still on a high from having successfully solved a series of interlocking mysteries from "As The Bough Breaks." In this installment, set in 1986, Alex must beat the clock to save a 5-year-old boy with treatable cancer.The boy, Heywood "Woody" Swope appears to be the one normal foil for his reclusive, fruit obsessed parents and hostile 20-year-old sister, Nona. Named for an apple, Annona Blossom Swope is described in almost feral terms.Matters come to a painful head when Woody is kidnapped from the hospital. The boy's parents and sister also disappear, and Dr. Alex Delaware is immediately in pursuit of this mysterious family.Dr. Delaware and his long time friend, Officer Milo Sturgis travel down some very seedy and unsavory roads in Southern California. A cult called the Touch is high on the list of suspects. Members of the cult would visit Woody's family in the hospital and were bringing fresh, organic fruits. A doctor who sympathized with the Touch was high on the list of suspects as were a disgruntled male model/escort who worked with Nona at a messenger/escort service.The clever detective work and the chapters detailing Dr. Delaware's expose of the Touch and their compound, a converted monastery in the fictitious border town of La Vista make for very compelling reading. The theme of bearing fruit is rampant throughout the book and is very effectively used. Dr. Delaware's live in girlfriend, the selfish and tiresome Robin is barely mentioned in this story, which is also good. I never cared for her.Questions still abound. Where are the Swopes? And what of Woody? How was the Touch involved? And what of the doctors who worked at the hospital where Woody was being treated? A well crafted mystery that will certainly leave a lasting impression.

This was the 6th Delaware book I read and I am still very impressed. This book is a easy one to read and to understand. It keeps the readers interest threw out the book. This book will entertain your mind to whole way threw. Be prepared to live on no sleep until it is finished.

An excellent read! Once again Jonathon Kellerman has outdone himself. The book has very interesting characters, a fast pacd plot, and suspense. I couldn't put it down.

This was the first kellerman novel I read. I was amazed by the story and carecter plot. This book is a really intence story. I stayed up untill 2:30 AM just to finsh it. NO Book has done that to me in a long time.