Monster (An Alex Delaware Novel)

Excellent book with a surprise ending. Kellerman is an excellent writer.

One day, in the small town of Treadway, Ardis Peake ambled into the kitchen and calmly cut off his mother's head, then he went upstairs where the couple of the household lay asleep and brutally dispatched them as well. Not finished with his killing spree, he went down the hall to visit the children's room. The five-year-old girl was found without her eyes and, as for the baby boy, the police followed Ardis' bloody footprints out of the house to the shack where Ardis lay peacefully asleep. A pot was boiling away on the stove. The baby was in it.They locked Ardis "Monster" Peake up in the Starkweather State Hospital for the Criminally Insane where he remained for fifteen years non-verbal, non-responsive, non-violent, probably because of his Thorazine diet. However on two different occasions he spoke, but only long enough to predict two violent deaths.The doctors at the asylum swear there is no way Ardis could have gotten out. But Dr. Alex Delaware and Detective Milo Sturgis are certain there's a deadly link between Peake and the deaths, the murders are too similar. Is there a new monster? And if so is he somehow communicating with the old one?The clues lead them back to Treadway where the Peake had gone on his rampage, but the trail is old and cold as the town is gone, in its place now, a retirement community. However, maybe that trail isn't quiet so cold as first thought, maybe there is a clue or two around, but can Alex and Milo figure them out before someone else is brutally murdered?In "Monster" Alex and Milo are into one of their most gruesome cases yet, a case full of surprises, red herrings and lots of twists and turns. The book is fast-paced, tense, powerful and an excellent read.

This was my first Kellerman novel, and I can't wait to read another. While Monster started off a little slow and gave evidence that it wouldn't go very far, it exploded not long after and captivated me for the rest of the read. Although it does become somewhat predictable, its definitely a page turner.

I'm a long-time Kellerman fan, and "Monster" is one of his best. This is a fast-paced novel of contemporary suspense. Albeit there are some loose ends and unlikely plot mechanisms, the suspense is of the old-fashioned nail-biting variety. The cast of characters -- a motley crew of twisted doctors, calculating nurses, amoral rich people, the has-been actress, etc. -- is well crafted and believable. We don't see much of Robin or Spike in this story, while Milo the cop plays second fiddle to Alex without having to fight the rest of the Police Dept. every step of the way. This is Dr. Delaware's mystery to solve, more so than in some of the previous Alex Delaware novels in which he does little more than consult. The alert reader will find himself rooting for the nominal "Monster" as the action picks up. The series of murders is particularly gruesome but, hey, that's the nature of this genre. The ultimate unveiling of the "Monster" is almost anticlimatic if you've been paying attention and catching the clues, but what a hellava good read getting there!

I really enjoyed this latest entry in the Alex Delaware series! Jonathan Kellerman's characters are always well-developed, and, thankfully, not your picture-perfect-I-can-do-no-wrong smug heroes. Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis are a wonderful duo - always professional, yet sensitive to the foibles of human nature. This book deals with the dark side of human nature - the VERY dark side- and there were some parts that were horrifying - a true indication of just how much we human beings can hurt one another.if you want to be taken seriously as a reader and enjoy startling plot twists, read this book. I don't think that you'll be disappointed.

I usually grab a Dean Koontz novel and am satisfied, but I read the description of this book and dove right into it. I must say, I didn't think I could fall in love with another novelist!Usually, I can pick out the bad guys in a mystery. Not in this book. I was surprised right up until the end. I kept this book near my bed, and would read it until I couldn't keep my eyes open.On another note, I work in the mental health field and Kellerman really did his research. Descriptions of everything from medication types to the behavior of patients with various disorders were extremely accurate. I was also happy that he didn't demonize the mentally ill.