Killer: An Alex Delaware Novel

This story from my favorite go-to author was a little different from the norm. While Alex is moping around, having done bonehead boyfriend stuff, we get to learn Milo's back-story. If you are hooked on the Alex/Milo bromance, you'll love this one! The mystery was a little too complex for me at times, but no prob catching up. The only downside: Robin and Spike were out of town. I missed them.

Man, but this one is a gut-wrencher! Total angst-fest! On the one hand, we have Alex trying to lose himself in this case in order to escape from his own misery now that Robin has left him (again) and on the other hand, we have Milo wallowing in his own fear and self-loathing when those close to him are threatened. Dr. Alex Delaware receives a notebook labeled "The Murder Book" in the mail. No return address. It is filled with grisly crime scene photos. When he shows it to his friend LAPD homicide detective Milo Sturgis, the big man is stunned by one of the photos. A blast from the past. The death of Janie Ingalls had been the first really nasty murder Milo had encountered as a young rookie detective 20 years ago. She was also his first unsolved case. He'd done a good job of putting her out of his mind since then, but now, it all comes rushing back and Milo is not happy. To add to the detective's despair, it becomes obvious someone is manipulating him and when his lover Rick is threatened, the gloves come off! It takes all his wits to keep ahead of this situation. Those capable of doing what was done to Janie are capable of anything - the danger is real and may be coming from all sides - he can't even trust his own department! He tries to get Alex to back off, but the good doctor needs the distraction to keep his mind off Robin, so he keeps right on doing his tenacious bulldog thing, almost getting himself killed in the process. (Nothing new there, though). We learn a whole LOT about Alex's and Milo's past in this one and we get some insight as to why these men are the way they are. Great character development, great stuff. If you're interested in the characters in this series as well as the mysteries, then this one is a MUST READ!

I've found that Kellerman's work, over the last several novels, have been perdictable and formulaic....... until now. For the first time, in a very long time, Jonathan Kellerman has written something that kept me spellbound and guessing. I could no longer predict that Alex Delaware was going to do something extremely stupid towards the end of the book, so that was very refreshing. If Kellerman can keep up the newness, as he's done with this novel, there's still life in the Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis characters.

After a few years of Jonathan Kellerman experimenting with form, trying to expand the Delaware horizons, and exploring specific themes with some mixed results, he seemed to be getting back to basics in his last outing, Flesh & Blood, and has really regained his stride with this offering, The Murder Book.The 16th in the Alex Delaware series, and Kellerman has caught his second wind and this story is a real page-turner and barn- burner! Kellerman is still playing with form, this time alternating between Alex Delaware's 1st person narrative, and a major portion of the book a 3rd person telling from his pal, Det. Milo Sturgis', point-of-view. He thereby gives us a deeper look at both Milo and Alex as we see Delaware from his friend's perspective. Nice to see an author's interest and invigoration in a book so far down the line in a series. AND, the mystery and plot is a corker with Alex and Milo working a 20 year old case and uncovering really rotten people in the Hills of Beverly and Belair. Plenty of evil and fireworks.Alex Delaware finally realizes what we have known all along. He isn't a police "consultant" because he likes to exercise his apptitude and training in psychology. He does it because he is an adrenaline junky and gets off on the danger! His beloved Robin has realized this and she has split. Permanently? More will be revealed.Having hooked in to Kellerman many years ago, I had found several of the later books interesting, but lacking the bite and visceral grab of the earlier works. Well, Jonathan is back, full stroke, and I can't wait for the next Delaware novel. Five stars for this one, for Kellerman fans, of course.

Alex Delaware has seen his share of violent crimes but none like the collection he receives in the mail.Alex receives an anonymous book in the mail. The book is called "The Murder Book", and in it are graphic pictures of various murders. The murders are all random, not connected, and stretch back many years. Alex has no idea why he has received this, or who sent it to him so it does the only logical thing he can...he turns it over to his lifelong friend, homicide detective Milo Sturgis.Milo begins looking through the horrifying book only to be shocked by photos of a young woman tortured, strangled, and dumped by a freeway. Milo immediately recognizes the crime photos, it was the first case he ever worked on. Milo has tried to forget the case he could not solve, but now many years later someone has opened a Pandora's Box bringing the past to the present, forcing Milo on an endless journey for answers. A journey that will take him to the darkest corners of L.A. exposing secrets kept for many years.Can Milo and Alex solve the crime, and bring closure to a young woman nobody cared about?`The Murder Book' is classic Kellerman storytelling; fast-paced, exciting, well written, and very suspenseful. The Alex Delaware series continues full steam ahead with, probably, the best entry in several years. Readers will be drawn in from the first chapter, and kept in a spell of shocks, and twists with every turn of the page.Jonathan Kellerman writes the kind yarns that grab you by the throat, and keep you captive until the last page has been turned. Although this is a typical good versus evil story Mr. Kellerman makes it anything but typical by adding his masterful plot twists, healthy doses of action, and almost un-bearable suspense.Longtime fans of the Delaware series will love this, and new readers will run out and by the earlier novels.A MUST read for series fans, and thriller fans alike.Nick Gonnella

Kellerman has been in a bit of a rut lately-- rich, good-looking doctor with attractive and accomplished girlfriend gets into the down-and-dirty blah blah blah. In The Murder Book, Kellerman not only shakes up Alex's life (with Robin's new gig [new life?] chief among the changes), but we finally get, in essence, a real Milo story-- much of the book is from Milo's point of view. By doing this, Kellerman drops not only the first-person but subtly alters his writing style to evoke a more Milo-ish tone. The story is made more involving by having a greater emphasis on fallibility than evil, thus making it more accessible and-- dare I say it?-- realistic.So by combining an involving story with new character twists, more grey areas between good and evil, and the fresh perspective of Milo Sturgis, we get one of Kellerman's best books in years. Enjoy!