Twisted

If ever there was an Alex Deleware junkie than I'm it. I've read them all, reviewed some of them, will review more. However, even I recognize that Mr. Kellerman needs to branch out on ocassion and I'll forgive him as long as he keeps returning to Alex and as long as his other thrillers are every bit as good as the Deleware ones. And with TWISTED, I have to say fellow readers, that Jonathan Kellerman has succeeded in Spades. TWISTED is just about as fine a thriller as you'd ever want to read. We've met Petra Conner before, as she's worked with Alex and in BILLY STRAIGHT she's the main character and that is simply a superb book. In this one, Petra is again the star. Somebody's killed four people outside the Paradiso dance club in L.A. The murders are apparently random, but there is one, an hispanic girl wearing pink sneakers, who the authorities cannot identify. There are no leads, this is a case destined to be unsolved. However, Petra doesn't give up and she really wants to know who that unidentified girl was. Plus there might have been a witness, a witness who is in danger unless Petra can get to him first. Meanwhile there is a hot, bright Ph.D. student named Isaac Gomez, who is researching homicide stats and he's stumbled onto the fact that every year on the same date there are similar murders and they are all unsolved. It there a connection? What do you think? The date is coming up fast. Can Petra and Isaac stop a twisted serial killer? Can Petra find her witness before the killer does? Can you imagine a better plot for a Kellerman thriller. This one is truly twisted.

If you're a Kellerman fan who has found the pairing of psychologist Alex Delaware and cop Milo Sturgis growing stale lately, you're in for a treat. Neither makes an appearance in this taut, suspenseful thriller, featuring ambitious L.A. homicide detective Petra Conner (last seen helping Delaware in "A Cold Heart"), and brilliant, but socially immature young intern, Isaac Gomez, who nearly steals the limelight from Conner. While running down sketchy leads on a drive-by shooting in which four teens are killed and one girl remains unidentified, Petra humors Isaac on a theory he's developed linking six cold cases. Based on a statistical analysis, Isaac believes he's discovered a serial killer. A poster child for immigrant Hispanic slum kids, Isaac graduated college at 19 and was headed for medical school. But, needing a break, he sidestepped to a Ph.D., and now, at 21, he's doing his thesis on patterns in LA homicides. At first skeptical - the victims have nothing in common but the date and manner of their deaths (blunt force trauma on June 28) - Petra becomes more intrigued as she reviews the old cases. Meanwhile, she's developing a theory of her own about the drive-by, and letting Isaac trail along on some of the footwork in both cases. Isaac is nearly as smitten by the details of police work as he is by Petra, but she can't always be babysitting him. The prickliness between them works: Petra's got her own complicated life, and she's aware of Isaac's infatuation, while Isaac is painfully shy and conflicted between the lure of the wider world and the pull of his impoverished, close-knit family. The dynamics of the two cases contribute to the tension (June 28th is looming, but Petra develops a hot lead on the drive-by), as does Isaac's loose-cannon quality. Smart he undeniably is, but he's also impulsive, quick to succumb to temptation, and secretive. The story builds to a nail-biting climax with a satisfying last-minute twist. I predict we haven't seen the last of Isaac Gomez.

We're long-time Jonathan Kellerman fans, and have generally enjoyed his entire book list. We've noticed his last few books seemed to lack some of the interest and pizzazz of the earlier ones, particularly those featuring his leading man Alex Delaware. Noticing that "Twisted" is his fifth novel published in the last 24 months, counting his somewhat disappointing book co-authored with wife Faye ["Double Homicide"], we didn't have particularly high expectations for a stunning return to form. Surprise! Not only is this a Petra Conner story (her second starring role, plus a few bit parts here and there), but sidekick Isaac Gomez, a genius just barely out of his teens nearing completion of his PhD, is so interesting a character he steals the show, not to mention our hearts! Assigned as an intern to the LAPD, he shows Petra the results of some extensive statistical sampling of homicide case data he has compiled, noting unusual similarities between six cold cases that have never previously been considered connected. Although Petra is officially involved in a high profile shooting investigation, in which she shows very expertly her skills and persistence, she latches on to Isaac's work with great curiosity - and soon a spellbinding hunt for a possible serial killer is on. Some amusing (and sexy) incidents at the research library meanwhile shed some light on the murders, and a nice twist at the end wraps things up in a very cool fashion. Kellerman's writing crafts have never been in question, but it just seemed lately he might be tiring. However, "Twisted" ranks to us with his best work: a clever plot, an intriguing mystery, some dogged police and amateur investigative work, with plenty of time to identify with and care about the principals, all add up to a most entertaining tale that was difficult to put down. One of the best books we've read this year deserves our high praise and five stars!

Warning #1: Alex Delaware does not appear in this novel; he is only mentioned briefly due to the fact that he has worked with one of the detectives previously. Warning #2: There are some truly horrific murders described in gruesome and prolonged detail in this story. Normally such violence would disqualify a book for a five star rating from me, and in fact I might not have read the book if I had been aware of their inclusion. However, since in my view this depiction of detailed violence is essential to Kellerman's extremely clever plot, rather than reduce my rating I have chosen simply to warn potential readers that this is a book that has a true psychopath as one of the villains. This is a police procedural that has it all: murderers to apprehend, character relationships to explore, and the tension of a race against time. Hollywood homicide detective Petra Conner (already known to Kellerman readers) hopes to take it easy after just solving two murders; however, she is awakened by a 1:15 AM call that four teenagers have just been gunned down in the parking lot of the Paradiso Club on Sunset Boulevard. Disappointingly, the eighteen "know-nothing" witnesses provide minimal information, no leads and no motive. In fact, the mystery is compounded by the fact that one of the young victims has no identification and as tare received matching her description. Thus, the department quickly reduces the manpower assigned to the case and it appears that it may end up in the cold casr file. While Petra (you will also find out why she is called Barbie and what happened to Ken) doggedly continues to search for leads in that case, she is approached by Isaac Gomez, a twenty-one year old who genius who is writing his Ph.D. thesis in epidemiology and biostatistics. While Isaac researches his topic, which involves patterns of LA homicides, he is working as an LAPD intern assigned to Petra by a captain who dislikes her intensely. Isaac's statistical analysis has uncovered a seeming repetitive pattern linking several unsolved murders which previously seemed totally random and unrelated. Worse yet, if Isaac's seemingly bizarre analysis is correct, the serial killer will violently kill another victim in a few short weeks. After some initial skepticism, Petra decides she needs to privately investigate Isaac's thesis even as she hopes that he is wrong. Juxtaposed against these investigations but extremely central to the plot are the frustrations of Petra's and Isaac's private lives. Due to his Special Forces military background, Eric Stahl, Petra's former partner and current lover, has been sent on a secret mission abroad as part of the new Homeland Security Squad. Meanwhile, Isaac has to handle the dichotomy between his evenings with his poor family in the marginal neighborhood in which they live and the elite world to which his intellect has gained him access. This plot definitely has more than enough misdirection and action to keep it interesting. Meanwhile, the

LA Homicide Detective Petra Connor looks at the corpses of the four dead lying in a dance-club parking following a drive by massacre and wonders what connections beyond the club and death link these victims. A few days later, the girl in pink shoes remains a Jane Doe and the case is going nowhere frustrating Petra At the same time that Petra struggles with no leads except rumors of a possible witness in hiding, twenty-two years old Ph.D. candidate Isaac Gomez has been analyzing homicide statistical patterns. He believes he has uncovered a trend involving a murderer who murders on June 28th and has for six years in row. No one in LAPD seems interested in the genius' findings writing him off as intellectual civilian and thereby ignoring any connections between these homicides though the MO are the same and none have been resolved. No one that is except Petra who knows that June 28th is coming soon and with the help of this young genius plans to end the serial killing of a twisted genius. Petra is a strong effective cop as she makes her lead debut after being a minor player as an officer in A COLD HEART. However, she seems overshadowed by Isaac a refreshing character who brings trend analysis into the LAPD (and police procedurals) and struggles with what his family wants of him (not police work that for sure). The two prime cases are cleverly designed and Petra does a solid job, but TWISTED really soars when Isaac is front and center as even his personal life especially in the library is invigorating. Harriet Klausner