Over the Edge

I like that the book is suspenseful from the beginning all the way to the end. I like that it's part of his Alex Delaware series yet like all the books I have read in the series can be read out of order. That way if I can't find the next book in the series I can pick what book is available and not feel lost. There really nothing I dislike about the book. I don't like that I can't put it down and either do some work (thank the good Lord I am working toward my own business) or go to bed at night cos I can't put it down.

As a writer, and as someone who reads 100 books a year, I can usually spot where writers are going before they even get there. I've read several of Kellerman's books, but this one is not predictable and never gets old, and is so skillfully written that no matter how many times I read Over The Edge, I can't figure out how he ties everything up in such a neat package and ends the story with such a meaningful last sentence, which makes me cry every time I turn the last page. As for the plot: How could the imprisoned and nearly comatose (when we first meet him face to face, and for most of the novel) Jamey Cadmus have strangled and mutilated a handful of prostitutes? But all the evidence points toward him. When we eventually find out why he is the only suspect, we have uncovered some of the rottenest, meanest forms of inhumanity towards the most vulnerable in our society. Kellerman has filled Over The Edge with larger than life, colorful characters, even the secondary ones: Tully Antrim is kinda hip and cool; the art store owner has a major attitude; even the players in the Mexican restaurant seemed to have full lives beyond their short scene. I imagine Kellerman had a lot of fun with the two cops and all their scenes; I crack up every time they show up. As for the major characters, Alex Delaware is always a delightful pleasure to meet and get to know; Milo is a sweetie; Robin is a pleasant mystery; and Jamey, every time we meet him, is an uncomfortable reminder of whether or not he is guilty of extreme violence. Kellerman tapped into some of my deepest fears: I was considered highly gifted at an early age, was aware of the term "genius/madness" shortly thereafter, and subsequently terrified that something horrible would go wrong with my brain, as happens to Jamey. The ride Kellerman takes me on every time I read this is frightening, thrilling, interesting and ultimately satisfying. I will never forget Jamey's story.

This is the first Kellerman novel I have read. I picked it up having no idea what it was about and could not put it down. It is so intense from the first page to the last. The plot is great, it grabs your attention right away. I highly recommend this book. I think I could probably say this is the best mystery/thriller I've ever read!

A mind-blowing look into the nature of madness. The psychological background is totally fascinating. I learned a lot about how the mentally ill are treated by the system, some background of schizophrenia, the difference between psychosis and schizophrenia and how they relate to the law, and so on. There's more, but I won't give away any surprises.The dialogue, as always in Mr. Kellerman's books, rings true. Watch out for the main characters, though! The twists and turns keep coming right to the end of the climactic chapter.A few minor complaints. I felt some secondary characters could've been developed more. This is just my taste, but I find the lengthy descriptions of buildings, landscapes, etc. a bit tedious. I had hoped for at least the beginning of a resolution to Milo's problems with homophobes at work. But you gotta save something for later in the series. I was taken aback to learn that, at the time OVER THE EDGE was written, gays were officially(?) considered deviants.Lots of food for thought in this book. There are many ideas here that'll get your gray cells going.If you have any interest in the workings of the human mind -- the sane and not-so-sane -- grab this book!

Dr. Alex Delaware's world is jolted by a surprise telephone call from a former client. Jamey Cadmus, 17, was part of a pilot project of highly gifted adolescents 5 years earlier and Dr. Delaware was a consultant for that project.Jamey, disoriented and confused, calls Delaware from a private hospital in the California Canyons. He is kidnapped from his room and it falls to Dr. Delaware to investigate the hospital and Jamey's tangled family tree. Set in 1987, Dr. Delaware makes numerous references to the university project that accepted Jamey in 1982, when the boy was nearly 13. He uncovers a questionable family history, a web of murders and corrupt developers in the canyons. Jamey, by now found and incarcerated in the County Jail, tries to, in his own incoherent fashion tell Dr. Delaware what he knows about the series of cases.Robin has a more prominent place in this story. Although I never cared for her, the one thing that annoyed me in this book was one scene where Delaware greeted her, "shushing her with a kiss." To me, the "shushing her with a kiss" was simply a way of shutting her up. That act sounded as if he had no use for her opinions or anything she ever said and smacked of chauvanism. Delaware was plainly far more cerebral than Robin ever was and I felt that single act was to underscore his mental superiority to her, not unlike Jamey's mental superiority prior to his breakdowns. The theme of glass houses is revisited throughout this story. This is truly an outstanding work. Readers are taken on some very painful, bumpy roads through the seamy, seedy parts of Southern California and encounter some equally seamy, seedy characters. Bikers, corrupt developers, questionable family ties, persons not involved with the cases -- each appears to be a likely suspect. The conclusion is powerful and very satisfying; it makes sense, yet stays several steps ahead of the readers. Each character is richly drawn and believable; each new layer of mysteries interlock believably. Jon Kellerman is truly the Michaelangelo of the Mystery genre.

Jamie is a tormented young genius. At twelve, he was a client of Dr. Delaware's and also the youngest member of a pilot study called Project 160, a program for teens with IQs upward of 160.After a five year silence, Dr. Delaware gets a mysterious telephone call from Jamie in the middle of the night. Overmedicated, hallucinating and confused, Jamie spits out a bizarre message that is calling for intervention. He is a patient at a hospital in the Canyons. Dr. Delaware races over there only to discover that Jamie had been kidnapped from his room.Jamie's abduction and subsequent breakdown lead Dr. Delaware on a labyrinthine chase involving the head of Project 160, who had an agenda of her own; Jamie's aunt and uncle who grudgingly took in this gifted, tormented boy; a spurned gay lover; some wild bikers...the list is quite long. Dr. Delaware has to find Jamie within a certain time frame. Developers, also, want to know about Jamie and what information he might have. Jamie's uncle has an attorney, a man with long established ties to Jamie's family who is key figure in the case. This book takes you through the underbelly of parts of Southern California. This is an unforgettable book. (Note: Melody Quinn's story was in Kellerman's first mystery, not in this one).