Gone (Alex Delaware, No. 20)

Yeah, yeah, yeah ... one of JK's best Alex/Milo stories ... yada yada ... people are murdered in excruciating ways ... clever, grotesque, superb. But, JK, YOU KILLED OFF SPIKE!!! (Okay, you redeemed yourself -- a little -- at the end.)

Great price; good selection; shipping takes too long

I gave up on J. Kellerman some years ago and only picked this up on CD at the library when I failed to put something of more interest on my reserve list in time. Far from it being a fill-in, I'm loving the book. The reader is a wonderful performer. Like Jim Dale, he gives each character a different voice, and does an excellent job. I read about 1/2 other-readers comments and the capsule reviews above, and concede that while they may have a point, I recommend this book on CD or tape to anyone with a long commute or drive. It's engaging, the detail level is absolutely perfect for anyone, like me, who "reads" the book in 30-to-40-minute increments over 3 weeks (perhaps a person who also enjoys Eric Rohmer films for the dialogue AND wallpaper/china/house furnishings), and the characters/friendship between Milo and Alex never fail to be interesting. I'm not done yet (3 disks to go), so I don't know whodunnit yet - but if it turns out to be the person I've been mentally saying, "hey! look harder at this person!" then I concede that the set-up might have been tighter. Again, not completely done, but I also appreciate that this doesn't have the level of gore and psychosis most A.D. by J.K. books have (so far).

When a pair of actors fakes their own abduction in an attempt to gain some attention, Dr. Alex Delaware is asked to perform a psychological analysis of the woman. But once the D.A.'s office agrees to plea out the case, it seems that Alex is finished. Until, that is, the woman's murdered body turns up. When his friend, Lieutenant Milo Sturgis is assigned the case and invites Alex along (Alex ia an authorized police assistant), Alex is happy to put his unhappy home life on hold and go out in search of clues. The two actors both attended an acting school managed by a never-was actress. It seems that the woman could have encouraged the stunt--but does that have anything to do with the deaths. When they see the attractive people who attend the acting school (everyone in L.A. seems desperate to be discovered, to survive the brutal process that weeds out the wanna-bes and untalented), Milo and Alex recognize a perfect hunting ground for anyone who wants to stalk beautiful women like Michaela, Alex's former client. Acting on a hunch, Milo searches for other beautiful actresses who disappeared and detects a pattern. The list of suspects starts to grow. Could it be the head of the school? Perhaps it was Michaela's partner in the stunt, a male actor who has disappeared. Perhaps it is a couple who also disappeared a couple of years earlier--when their dreams of success in Hollywood met reality. The known pervert who cleans at the acting school is certainly a candidate. Then there's the functioning autistic brother of the school teacher. Could he have decided to act out on his child-like fantasies. Alex's psychological training is put to the test as he tries to make sense of the killings. The beautiful women form a kind of logic, but if the older couple aren't the killers, how do they fit the pattern? Meanwhile, Alex is stalked by an angry fellow psychologist and the two beautiful women whom Alex has recently had affairs with circle around, trying to decide if either (or both) of them want to come back into his life. Author Jonathan Kellerman invariably writes a compelling and psychologically deep mystery and GONE is no exception. Although the victims here are Hollywood hopefuls rather than the young children who populated many of his earlier books, Kellerman involves the reader in their lives and in the fatal dream that Hollywood becomes for so many of them. Experienced mystery readers will have no problem guessing the killer's identity, but getting there is definitely where the enjoyment is. Kellerman's strong writing and fascinating, if almost universally tragic, characters propelled me through the story. I did think that some of the personal side of the story (Delaware's relationship with the beautiful Allison and the beautiful Robin) detracted, rather than added to the story. Still, GONE is a hard book to put down. I'm happy to recommend it.

This book was impossible to put down. Kellerman who always writes at a high level really brought his A game to this novel. As always he uses terrific description to not only make you feel you are right in the story but brings the characters to life. Best of all the dialogue is vivid, funny, heartbreaking, and pulse pounding whenever Kellerman wants it to be. This is definetly a book to read sooner rather than later!

Dylan and Michaela are a couple of young acting students who stage an abduction for the publicity, but they get more than they bargained for. When they're arrested, Dr. Alex Delaware is asked to evaluate Michaela. The case is pled out and that's the end of it. Until Michaela is found murdered and her friend Dylan vanishes. Now Lieutenant Milo Sturgis is involved and what he and Alex uncover is very ugly indeed. There is some heartbreak in this one when Spike (the dog) dies (I cried), and some humor as Alex tries to juggle two women while high on Demerol. Poor Milo is overworked on this case, but the danger for Alex surprisingly comes from a civil case. Will he get back together with Robin? Or maybe with Allison? Will he get another dog? The banter between Alex and Milo is what keeps me going with these books and I enjoyed the subplot about the unethical Psychologist. (Alex writes a report about him for the court). I've seen so many reviews of books from this series that complain of Alex being too perfect - are you reading the same books I am? Alex is an idiot! Course, if he didn't dig into things that are none of his business and if he didn't walk straight into danger, there'd be no story, would there? I adore him, but he's obsessive, reckless, downright obtuse at times and he can't seem to get anything right relationship-wise. Milo, on the other hand is perfect. In every way.

The 20th entry into the Alex Delaware series is another original, deliciously different plot! How Mr. Kellerman keeps doing this is amazing, I just hope the stories keep coming. This time out the Los Angeles psychologist is investigating the murder of a beautiful young actress. The woman has been found dead soon after her and a friend stage her fake abduction in the hope of creating celebrity to help their acting careers. But something goes horribly wrong, the hoax is exposed but the young actress is murdered in a way that fits the faked abduction? Hmmm? The case of course is handed to detective Milo Sturgis, and he an Alex are soon postulating theories and trying to guess what happened. This time out though they can't even come close to guessing the horrifying truth! Again Kellerman masterfully walks the line between great action and suspense, but also giving the reader fully imagined characters and a mostly believable plot!