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Alex Delaware #24
Evidence (Alex Delaware) by Jonathan Kellerman
In a half-built mansion in Los Angeles, a watchman stumbles onto the bodies of a young couple—murdered and left in a gruesome postmortem embrace.Veteran homicide cop Milo Sturgis is shocked at the a twisted crime that only Milo and psychologist Alex Delaware can hope to solve. While the female victim’s identity remains in question, her companion is ID’d as eco-friendly architect Desmond Backer, notorious for his power to seduce women. The deeper Milo and Alex dig for clues, the longer the list of suspects grows. But when the investigation veers suddenly in a startling direction, it’s the investigators who may wind up on the wrong end of a cornered predator’s final fury.
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First published October 6, 2009
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About the author
Jonathan Kellerman
199 books5,797 followersJonathan Kellerman was born in New York City in 1949 and grew up in Los Angeles. He helped work his way through UCLA as an editorial cartoonist, columnist, editor and freelance musician. As a senior, at the age of 22, he won a Samuel Goldwyn Writing Award for fiction.
Like his fictional protagonist, Alex Delaware, Jonathan received at Ph.D. in psychology at the age of 24, with a specialty in the treatment of children. He served internships in clinical psychology and pediatric psychology at Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles and was a post-doctoral HEW Fellow in Psychology and Human Development at CHLA.
IN 1975, Jonathan was asked by the hospital to conduct research into the psychological effects of extreme isolation (plastic bubble units) on children with cancer, and to coordinate care for these kids and their families. The success of that venture led to the establishment, in 1977 of the Psychosocial Program, Division of Oncology, the first comprehensive approach to the emotional aspects of pediatric cancer anywhere in the world. Jonathan was asked to be founding director and, along with his team, published extensively in the area of behavioral medicine. Decades later, the program, under the tutelage of one of Jonathan's former students, continues to break ground.
Jonathan's first published book was a medical text, PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF CHILDHOOD CANCER, 1980. One year later, came a book for parents, HELPING THE FEARFUL CHILD.
In 1985, Jonathan's first novel, WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS, was published to enormous critical and commercial success and became a New York Times bestseller. BOUGH was also produced as a t.v. movie and won the Edgar Allan Poe and Anthony Boucher Awards for Best First Novel. Since then, Jonathan has published a best-selling crime novel every year, and occasionally, two a year. In addition, he has written and illustrated two books for children and a nonfiction volume on childhood violence, SAVAGE SPAWN (1999.) Though no longer active as a psychotherapist, he is a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics and Psychology at University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine.
Jonathan is married to bestselling novelist Faye Kellerman and they have four children.
Like his fictional protagonist, Alex Delaware, Jonathan received at Ph.D. in psychology at the age of 24, with a specialty in the treatment of children. He served internships in clinical psychology and pediatric psychology at Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles and was a post-doctoral HEW Fellow in Psychology and Human Development at CHLA.
IN 1975, Jonathan was asked by the hospital to conduct research into the psychological effects of extreme isolation (plastic bubble units) on children with cancer, and to coordinate care for these kids and their families. The success of that venture led to the establishment, in 1977 of the Psychosocial Program, Division of Oncology, the first comprehensive approach to the emotional aspects of pediatric cancer anywhere in the world. Jonathan was asked to be founding director and, along with his team, published extensively in the area of behavioral medicine. Decades later, the program, under the tutelage of one of Jonathan's former students, continues to break ground.
Jonathan's first published book was a medical text, PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF CHILDHOOD CANCER, 1980. One year later, came a book for parents, HELPING THE FEARFUL CHILD.
In 1985, Jonathan's first novel, WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS, was published to enormous critical and commercial success and became a New York Times bestseller. BOUGH was also produced as a t.v. movie and won the Edgar Allan Poe and Anthony Boucher Awards for Best First Novel. Since then, Jonathan has published a best-selling crime novel every year, and occasionally, two a year. In addition, he has written and illustrated two books for children and a nonfiction volume on childhood violence, SAVAGE SPAWN (1999.) Though no longer active as a psychotherapist, he is a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics and Psychology at University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine.
Jonathan is married to bestselling novelist Faye Kellerman and they have four children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 561 reviews
January 22, 2018
I have really gotten behind on reading the Alex Delaware series, but I was really looking forward to getting back into it. I have enjoyed the partnership of Alex and Milo as well as looking at a crime from both the detective and psychologist angle. Well, this book disappointed me. It should have just been a Milo Sturgis story. Alex was there with Milo, almost like his partner, but there really was no psychological aspect to this story. I also did not like the flipping points of view. I have several more of this series on my bookshelf and the local librarian told me his books were not very good for a while, but that he got back on track. I will see how many it takes to get back on track. It was still a decent read, but not what I was expecting at all.
September 9, 2023
I couldn't get into this at all. I just couldn't get into the story line or relate to the characters.
One star I'm afraid.
One star I'm afraid.
March 13, 2010
The Alex Delaware/Milo Sturgis series written by Jonathan Kellerman have always been reliably enjoyable. The oddball partnership between psychologist and homicide detective made for an unusual focus on most of the books. Kellerman usually tells a good story and I like Alex and Milo so I always grab these off the shelf when they become available, but this one was pretty disappointing.
Honestly, I'm really not sure why Alex was even a part of this case - there wasn't a strong psychological element to the crime nor did it deal with children in any way (both hallmarks of past Alex/Milo pairings). The case was pretty run of the mill with eco-terrorists and a revengeful woman burning up fancy L.A. houses. Even though he was the narrator, Alex's presence felt forced and he came off as a kind of tag-along.
This has been a strong series in the past, but I'm wondering if Kellerman is running out of steam. I've seen that happen in so many other series like this (Patricia Cornwell, I'm looking at you) and it's kind of sad and disappointing. I wish he'd wrap the series up if he's stopped caring about these characters. He has other characters he's written a little about (Petra, the Hollywood homicide detective and Daniel Sharavi, the Israeli homicide detective) and he could expand on their stories. Mostly I think Alex and Milo deserve a whole lot better than this and so do Kellerman's readers.
Honestly, I'm really not sure why Alex was even a part of this case - there wasn't a strong psychological element to the crime nor did it deal with children in any way (both hallmarks of past Alex/Milo pairings). The case was pretty run of the mill with eco-terrorists and a revengeful woman burning up fancy L.A. houses. Even though he was the narrator, Alex's presence felt forced and he came off as a kind of tag-along.
This has been a strong series in the past, but I'm wondering if Kellerman is running out of steam. I've seen that happen in so many other series like this (Patricia Cornwell, I'm looking at you) and it's kind of sad and disappointing. I wish he'd wrap the series up if he's stopped caring about these characters. He has other characters he's written a little about (Petra, the Hollywood homicide detective and Daniel Sharavi, the Israeli homicide detective) and he could expand on their stories. Mostly I think Alex and Milo deserve a whole lot better than this and so do Kellerman's readers.
December 4, 2009
I'm a huge fan of Kellerman, so I was super excited to see he had a new one so close to the holidays. Unfortunately, I was either expecting too much or Kellerman produced too little in EVIDENCE. Normally, I finish an Alex Delaware book in one sitting, this one took two and I had to force myself. I didn't really care about the story. To be honest it was just boring.
Another thing that annoyed me was the shifting point of view. Most Delaware books are written in first person from Alex's point of view. Well, we had that in some chapters, but we also had Milo's third person point of view as well as some other third person point of views scattered here and there. I mentioned before that I'm a stickler for consistent points of view and it annoys me when it's not, especially when there doesn't seem to be a reason for it.
The whole plot was disjointed and all over the place. The tight connection between Alex and Milo seemed missing. There was very little of a personal storyline here, which is one of the things that makes the Delaware stories interesting to me. This was just a little too much of a police procedural style to suit me.
Another thing that annoyed me was the shifting point of view. Most Delaware books are written in first person from Alex's point of view. Well, we had that in some chapters, but we also had Milo's third person point of view as well as some other third person point of views scattered here and there. I mentioned before that I'm a stickler for consistent points of view and it annoys me when it's not, especially when there doesn't seem to be a reason for it.
The whole plot was disjointed and all over the place. The tight connection between Alex and Milo seemed missing. There was very little of a personal storyline here, which is one of the things that makes the Delaware stories interesting to me. This was just a little too much of a police procedural style to suit me.
July 5, 2010
A rent-a-cop watchman stumbles over a double homicide at an obscenely large L.A. mansion where construction has inexplicably stopped. Detective Milo Sturgis is assigned the case and asks his pal, psychologist Alex Delaware, to tag along because the case looks "interesting."
The male victim is quickly identified as the employee of a rather peculiar architectural firm. but it takes quite some time to identify the female victim who had been posed with him in a sexually suggestive manner. From that point on, things simply get stranger and stranger until Milo doggedly works out the solution to this and a number of other crimes.
But the strangest thing about this book is that it's billed as "An Alex Delaware Novel," when Alex is simply along for the ride, playing Dr. Watson while Milo does all the heavy lifting. There is no plausible reason whatsoever for Delaware to be anywhere near this case, and this is a very strange departure from the early books in this series in which Delaware's role as a consulting child psychologist was critical to each of the plots and in which Delaware was the central character.
In this case, he's so thoroughly unessential that the reader can go for long periods of time without even realizing that he's involved with the case. As a practical matter, Delaware serves only to narrate Milo's investigation; he makes no contribution of any significance at all.
As a police procedural, this is a pretty good read, even though by the end, the plot begins to strain credulity beyond usually acceptable limits. But as an Alex Delaware novel, it leaves a lot to be desired. Maybe it's time for Jonathan Kellerman to cut Alex loose and give Milo Sturgis his own series.
The male victim is quickly identified as the employee of a rather peculiar architectural firm. but it takes quite some time to identify the female victim who had been posed with him in a sexually suggestive manner. From that point on, things simply get stranger and stranger until Milo doggedly works out the solution to this and a number of other crimes.
But the strangest thing about this book is that it's billed as "An Alex Delaware Novel," when Alex is simply along for the ride, playing Dr. Watson while Milo does all the heavy lifting. There is no plausible reason whatsoever for Delaware to be anywhere near this case, and this is a very strange departure from the early books in this series in which Delaware's role as a consulting child psychologist was critical to each of the plots and in which Delaware was the central character.
In this case, he's so thoroughly unessential that the reader can go for long periods of time without even realizing that he's involved with the case. As a practical matter, Delaware serves only to narrate Milo's investigation; he makes no contribution of any significance at all.
As a police procedural, this is a pretty good read, even though by the end, the plot begins to strain credulity beyond usually acceptable limits. But as an Alex Delaware novel, it leaves a lot to be desired. Maybe it's time for Jonathan Kellerman to cut Alex loose and give Milo Sturgis his own series.
October 3, 2013
Meh. Milo and Alex banter like an old married couple -- a very, very boring old married couple. They hypothesize various scenarios to explain the clues found at the murder scene, but their explanations seem to be tin-foil-hat quality. Ultimately, the murderer turns out to be the person that everybody hoped would be to blame, but the justification for the murders is bizarre and simply not believable. Fictional murder mysteries had better turn out to be easier to believe than real life or what is the point of writing them?
Perhaps Jonathan Kellerman is simply out of good stories worth telling. I have not read any of the previous 23 members of the Alex Delaware series.
Perhaps Jonathan Kellerman is simply out of good stories worth telling. I have not read any of the previous 23 members of the Alex Delaware series.
September 27, 2020
We agree with the bevy of other reviewers that found this book so boring it almost begged to be dropped long before the sparse excitement the final solution actually generated. Moreover, exemplar of things to come in the second half of this long set, the contribution of Dr. Delaware was little more than an occasional internet search that anyone could have done – so our "star" turned out to be a bit player narrating Milo’s dogged efforts to solve a crime with which we were totally disengaged.
This concludes our reading of all 35 of these episodes. Despite the fine quality of the early tales in the set, where the doc’s specialty was actually pertinent to the story, we just might be embarrassed to provide our justification for sticking with these stories for so long – maybe just a habit reinforced by the extra reading time enforced by the pandemic?! {2.5}
This concludes our reading of all 35 of these episodes. Despite the fine quality of the early tales in the set, where the doc’s specialty was actually pertinent to the story, we just might be embarrassed to provide our justification for sticking with these stories for so long – maybe just a habit reinforced by the extra reading time enforced by the pandemic?! {2.5}
May 10, 2017
Milo Sturgis, veteran homicide cop, and his friend and partner psychologist Alex Delaware are investigating the deaths of a man and a woman whose bodies are found in an old mansion. The case starts out as a simple one but ends involving foreign diplomats and a princess.
What I like about the Sturgis and Delaware series is how author Jonathan Kellerman keeps us in the minds of all the characters by letting us know what they’re thinking and how they come to conclusions. The stories are never boring and are filled with the right amount of psychological thrills.
John Rubinstein was great at drawing readers into the story and making us feel like we’re on location.
What I like about the Sturgis and Delaware series is how author Jonathan Kellerman keeps us in the minds of all the characters by letting us know what they’re thinking and how they come to conclusions. The stories are never boring and are filled with the right amount of psychological thrills.
John Rubinstein was great at drawing readers into the story and making us feel like we’re on location.
August 8, 2017
just finished this one, 7 aug 15, monday evening...right around 8:30. 3.5 stars. i liked it and then some. been some time since i read a story from kellerman. may have noticed before and not that it matters much, but the story is told through dialogue. almost all of it is told that way. nothing wrong with that...for the most, it works. but then...say like the double murder up in the turret of the house that went flop...why not present that as all action...reader looking over the shoulder of the the murderer(s)...and then some? we'd still get alex and milo running theory past each other, maybe this, maybe that, this, that, the other.
i'm beat...put on a lot of siding today...six seven square. almost time to hit the hey? hey.
i'm beat...put on a lot of siding today...six seven square. almost time to hit the hey? hey.
July 1, 2023
3.5 stars
this was the first Jonathan Kellerman book I've ever read and I have to say that I'm not a big fan of his writing style. I find it tiresome, but I do have to say that one can see that he's been writing for ages: the plot is complex and it develops nicely with a good pace (though a bit slower by today's standards). The solution wasn't the most original ever, but I found it satisfying and more than anything, I found it logical.
I do have two more JK novels and will try to read them as soon as possible.
this was the first Jonathan Kellerman book I've ever read and I have to say that I'm not a big fan of his writing style. I find it tiresome, but I do have to say that one can see that he's been writing for ages: the plot is complex and it develops nicely with a good pace (though a bit slower by today's standards). The solution wasn't the most original ever, but I found it satisfying and more than anything, I found it logical.
I do have two more JK novels and will try to read them as soon as possible.
December 20, 2021
Another boring installment. I want to like this series, and I do like Sturgis and Delaware, but I always find the police investigation tedious and the plot stagnating. While that's how police investigations go in real life, here it's fiction and I need more plot advancement and some energy in the way the story unfolds.
I keep dnf'ing reach book but am loathed to give up on the series.
I keep dnf'ing reach book but am loathed to give up on the series.
April 28, 2024
Alex Delaware is back and his friend Milo Sturgis are on a case where a couple was found dead in a home under construction. The young woman could not be identified but the man who was found Desmond Backer who was an architect. Also in this story is another woman, Helg Gemein who was his for former boss. Who killed the two victims?
March 6, 2017
Mr Rubinstein does such an excellent job narrating the Delaware books. His voice for Milo is especially good! I love the gruff, gritty texture he gives to Milo's voice.
This book was more interesting than the previous two or three, however I still wish Kellerman would return to the original premise -- allowing Delaware to actually use his psychology.
This book was more interesting than the previous two or three, however I still wish Kellerman would return to the original premise -- allowing Delaware to actually use his psychology.
November 9, 2021
This wasn’t my least favorite of the books in the series I have read, but it did come kind of close. Not necessarily because of the content, but just because it was simultaneously dull & yet, kind of interesting sometimes 🤷🏻♀️
September 6, 2014
In the 24th installment of the Alex Delaware series, in Jonathan Kellerman's Evidence, Alex and Milo gotten themselves caught up in another difficult case. When a watchman came across a brutally slain couple in a compromising embrace, they were both caught up in the grisly crime scene at an unfinished mega-home owned by an Islamic prince. While they were able to identify the eco-inclined architect who had the power to seduce woman, while his female companion remained a mystery and unidentified. They believed this murder was personal with political charged scandals and a cold case of an European woman's disappearance from years ago. The digger they dug themselves into the truth, the more in peril they find themselves with a growing list of suspects and the direction spiraling towards them in the killer's path.
October 23, 2009
Jonathan Kellerman and Faye Kellerman seem to always have books that come out close to each other these days. The downside to that is that they're always fresh in the memory to do some comparisons...and when it comes to writing good suspense, Jonathan Kellerman wins, hands-down. Yes, he also does a bit of the procedurals that Faye does, but keeps it humorous, interesting, and develops his characters so you actually care what they're doing. I feel like Milo Sturges is not just Alex's best friend, but mine, as well. A good entry to the seriess, tackling a timely subject. Will keep reading future endeavors...but I can't necessarily say the same for Faye's Rina/Peter series.
July 28, 2022
Kellerman's writing style always shines and is dialogue-heavy; here he ups it a notch where it seems almost every sentence is dialogue. The case starts literally page one. There is a distance with the emotional angle and this focuses exclusively on the partner crime unit of the two, with Alex mainly observing but not much alone time other than getting home to take Robin out to dinner or watch the news. The first half was riveting, as usual, but my interest waned the last quarter.
March 27, 2010
Normally I like Jonathan Kellerman; However, I found this book to be completely boring and a drudgery to get through. The story line centers around a murder in an abandoned mansion, owned by an foreign dignitary. The victims and suspects have a history with each other and environmental extremists behavior. The story does not flow and I found the characters totally uninteresting. UGH!
July 17, 2020
Well mr. Kellerman, you did it again. The twists and surprises in this book are tremendously good! I want more Delaware and Sturgis (soon, Steven... very soon)
July 5, 2021
Another great book in a great series.
July 11, 2019
Took me a little bit to get into this one, but ultimately it paid off. The character development of the suspects again started off in the realm of "possible" and then took a slight turn for the weird and outlandish. Still, it was an easy read and enjoyable.
January 1, 2022
Excellent as usual!
March 24, 2022
This was mainly Milo’s show this time when a couple is found dead in a partially built mansion with ties to Ecco-Terrorism.
October 12, 2024
Evidence and how it helps!
A tightly drawn whodunnit with a fantastically entertaining conclusion. No spoilers. Milo and Alex win again. Of course, but how they win this time is going to be hard to surpass in future capers.
A tightly drawn whodunnit with a fantastically entertaining conclusion. No spoilers. Milo and Alex win again. Of course, but how they win this time is going to be hard to surpass in future capers.
December 16, 2020
3...Still chugging along...Enjoyed this case, and characters...but this case has been so very overdone!
April 15, 2024
Another great Sturgis/Delaware novel.
November 24, 2009
The first half of this book was all over the map. the last 150 pages were a little less disjointed. some areas of the dialogue were a little confusing. I don't know exactly why these are called the "alex delaware" series, because the main character seemed to be Milo Sturgis. For someone who had never read another in this series, there isn't much "back fill"information like other novelist do. (James Patterson/D. Balducci do a better job of giving you a little history on the characters)Since I had never read another in this series, I really didn't get connected to the characters or care about them. they just seemed like a detective and a psychologist riding around following up clues that someone else discovered/put together. It wasn't the worst I read, and not the best. 3 stars.
August 3, 2016
YAAAAWWWWWN. Ok, to be fair, it was more interesting in the second half, but the early parts were making my eyes glaze over. Plus, although Alex continues to be the narrator and main character, he now seems to serve no purpose, other than to tag along after Milo, quietly observe everything, and play wannabe cop. What happened to his private practice? Does he just sit around and wait for Milo to invite him to look at dead bodies now? There wasn't even a reason for him to be involved as a "psychological consultant" on this case! Given that I partially blame Jonathan Kellerman for making me think it was a great idea to major in psychology, I kind of wish he'd been writing stinkers like this one back when I was 18. Maybe I'd be a marine biologist or something right now...
July 21, 2016
I was pretty disappointed in this Alex Delaware novel, as I have been, to be perfectly honest, with the last several. I still love Alex, Milo, and Robin, but the plotting is just not as interesting, the descriptions are too bare, and it feels like Kellerman is pounding the new books out without really putting his heart into it. I also thought the plot was a little bizarre (not in a good way) and far fetched. I will probably keep reading the series, just because they are easy and comfortable reads for me, and I still maintain a glimmer of hope that they will once again obtain their former glory. Not really recommended, unless you're already a fan. If you're not, I recommend Kellerman's earlier Alex Delaware books instead, like The Clinic, When the Bough Breaks, or Bad Love, for example.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 561 reviews