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Alex Delaware #9

by Jonathan Kellerman, Γιάννης Γαλάτης (Translator)

Ο ψυχολόγος Άλεξ Ντέλαγουερ δε δέχεται πια πολλούς ασθενείς, όμως η Λούσυ Λόουελ αποτελεί ξεχωριστή περίπτωση. Όπως και το όνειρο που τη βασανίζει.

Την έχει στείλει σε εκείνον ο φίλος του Μάιλο Στέρτζις, ντετέκτιβ της αστυνομίας του Λος Άντζελες. Ένορκος στη συγκλονιστική δίκη ενός κατ' εξακολούθηση δολοφόνου, η Λούσυ ξεπέρασε την τραυματική της εμπειρία, άρχισε όμως να κατατρέχεται από έναν επαναλαμβανόμενο εφιάλτη: ένα μικρό παιδί στο δάσος, μες στη νύχτα, παρακολουθεί μια παράξενη και ύποπτη σκηνή.

Η δύναμη του εφιάλτη και η επίδρασή το στα συναισθήματα της Λούσυ είναι τόσο μεγάλη, που ο Άλεξ αρχίζει να υποψιάζεται πως δεν πρόκειται απλώς για ένα όνειρο. Αλλα και μια καταπιεσμένη παιδική ανάμνηση ενός πολύ πραγματικού γεγονότος. Όπως ο φόνος...

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Audiobook

576 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Jonathan 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.

Reviews

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Just because others have it worse doesn’t mean you have to suffer in silence.”

As usual, Jonathan Kellerman writes a potent tale with his lead detective/psychologist sleuth team. Alex Delaware, renowned retired psychologist, is enlisted by his best friend, detective Milo Sturgis, to help recover a potentially hidden murder from the memory of Lucy Lowell. It's nice to see Delaware in personal clinical setting again, delving into intense emotional sessions to uncover a morbid mystery. Suspense is here as always, and some of the characters such as Lucy's father, are unearthly revolting.

Kellerman's books featuring Alex Delaware have in-depth characterization and intelligent dialogue that seems genuine for the most part. Much of the writing style is dialogue based with short, colorful sentences.

One of the better parts of the books, especially if you've been a fan of the series, is that the witness/juror Lucy has a crush on Milo. I loved this awkward situation! Perfect! Alex shows a little more humor than he used to, although he still manages to get into hot water as much as ever.

Speaking again of Lucy, Alex delves into hypnotism, something I'm still not sure about. Is it valid? I have doubts. The scene almost seemed to be stretching it due to that, and also all the convenience that rolled into the plot as a result of this "quick-acting method."

Robin is again in the background as a supportive romance interest that doesn't add much, and again the highlights are the friendship and contrasts between Milo and Alex.

Twists abound and the ending left me surprised, uncovering something I hadn't been able to guess. This wasn't as captivating as some of his others, however. Some of the plot threads weren't as interesting, some seemed a bit too convenient, and there's a lot going on that can feel disjointed.

[jv poore · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I am a huge fan of Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware novels, this one was a bit challenging to follow. It seemed to have too many characters, and the connections weren't very clear. I enjoyed the book, just not quite as much as usual. I did read this book rather quickly, which may not have been the best idea.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the doctor's patients has a recurring dream that turns out to be a repressed memory from her childhood, that ties in with murder. Looking back at these early books, it is interesting to see the legwork that Milo and Alex put into researching crimes before personal computers and cell phones. Alex actually had to write Robin a note to tell her where he would be instead of texting her ;)

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Self-Defence by Jonathan Kellerman is the 9th book in the Alex Delaware series. A juror at the trial of a convicted sadistic serial killer is haunted by nightmares involving her childhood and seeing a dead girl being buried. Police detective Milo Sturgis asks psychologist Alex Delaware to take her on as a client, while at the same time a copycat killer starts up. A complex case involving a severly dysfunctional family and a narcissistic, disturbed, famous and particularly horrible father. Alex seemed to be alone for most of the time with Milo being tied up with the copycat killer. Rather slow moving as Alex delves into the past to try to discover how much of the nightmare is a real memory. There is a lot going on with things moving in different directions and plenty of twists. I like that we get to see more of Alex and his treatment styles including the controversial use of hypnosis to uncover repressed memories. We see very little of Robyn in this book, with her mainly dealing with building works after the fire in the previous book. The best parts are the friendship and camaraderie between Alex and Milo. A very intense and complex mystery.

[Marleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now that I've finished this book, I still can't see how this title reflects on the story, but that's just a minor observation. What was most particular about this story, was that Alex Delaware did all the investigating practically on his own, taken the risks of getting involved with characters that don't appear directly dangerous, but clearly are.
I was intrigued that Alex took the time for this patient and gave credence to her dreams that tortured her. There is also a particular fact about this book; namely how Milo related to this young woman, as a big brother, but also out of some sort of nostalgia.
It's clear from this story that LA is full of glamour seekers, phonies, con artists, and criminals. It seems the author is not even mitigated by that fact. For every decent person in show business there are 3 or 4 with bad intentions, it seems.

[Tk Good · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Kellerman but this wasn't one of my favorites. The plot was weak and predictable and the story too long, I skipped most of the end when they're interviewing the bad guys, just didn't seem relevant. What I loved was the dialogue of old man Lowell - I don't think I've ever read anything so creatively cruel come out of a character's mouth. Ever. You have to admire someone who can come up with it! Really genius stuff.

[Tgordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book in this series. They always keep my attention! Always moving and working your mind. This one again about family. Oh family... can’t live with them can’t kill them and get away with it? Ha ha. Just the ones you should always trust right? They have your back! Maybe...

[Wonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3...A little bit better than the last couple novels in this series...sibling rivalry over money, with a side of copy cat murders...But the main plotline is once again...a tale as old as time...

[Rama Bader · Rating 5 out of 5]

alex, alex, alex!

[Gary Cupitt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Having read some pretty decent Jonathan Kellerman/Alex Delaware books, then seeing some glowing reviews (including one from Stephen King who to be fair would give an IKEA instruction manual a good review), I thought I'll give it a crack.
Alex Delaware pissing about with a juror's dream is the main theme to this unbelievable tosh. Add in a few psychopaths or would be psychopaths, the ludicrous juror's father who sounds like a William Burroughs tribute act (not a good one), some truly obnoxious characters, add a couple of wet drips, a shady half brother, a nurse maid (yeah right) and there you have it. The ending isn't clever, just felt rushed, even the twist was more of a jerk, not a good read

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

For my notes:
Ah yes, this one came back to me in lots of small pieces. I finally visited the "Sand Dollar"when I went to Paradise Cove.

I liked this one a lot. Starting with the dream it was an intriguing start. The narcissistic, compassionless, failing once genius artist was a really interesting character. I could see how damaging he could be to children and yet we get to see him as this bedridden, repulsive old man who still is trying to stand on his laurels.

It is cracking me up to read a book that was set over 10 years ago as I watch Alex Delaware do research in the library on microfilm and leave messages on an answering machine.

[Mike McAdam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it. *shrug* There wasn't anything wrong with it per se but it also wasn't amazing either. I have to laugh. This is a book series about a child psychologist and most of the books have nothing to do with children. In this case, a former child patient (now an adult - not the first time this has happened in this series) comes back as an adult with some adult problems. There is some cleverness to the plot (I will skip the plot recap - you can find that elsewhere). I like these characters but don't find them particularly exciting. I like the idea of Milo and his situation but he is a minor character and doesn't always figure in a lot. He is in this one a little more than some of the others but never more than a minor supporting character. I wish he was in it more. I find him more interesting than the lead. This one doesn't have much of an impact. I will continue with this series... for now.

[Hayley Shaver · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like suspense filled mysteries, this is the book for you. Alex Delaware may be one of my favorite characters in literature. Doctor Delaware treats a referral made from his friend Milo. After a trial of a killer, Lucy survived but began to be tormented by a strange recurring dream. It is disrupting her life, and Delaware is afraid maybe sexual or homicide filled memories are coming up in Lucy's dream. Lucy receives strange phone calls and little incidents happen that scare her. Then she ends up in a hospital for something she can't remember happening. When she is able, she tells Delaware someone is probably out to kill her. Are Lucy's fears self induced or is she right to take extra, maybe life saving, precautions? This book was especially good because it had great red herrings. Hurry and read it.

[Elaine Nickolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I randomly picked this installment of the Alex elaware series. I find they can usually stand on their own. This time, a woman is referred to Alex by his good friend, Milo Sturgis. She has started having a dream about a young girl that witnesses a woman being abducted. As Alex tries to help Lucy, her dreams start to become more descriptive and it has begun to look like maybe this is not a random dream.
All in all this was a good "mystery" that Alex helps to solve.

[John Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good story of the good Dr. Delaware. This story has a few twists that has you going in all sorts of directions.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex is back helping a juror from a nasty trial at Milo’s request. Turns out an ongoing dream from her childhood has some real elements to it sending Alex on a mission to find the truth and help his patient.

[R · Rating 3 out of 5]

I let this book sit a lot. When I read the reviews, I had lots of hope that it would be a nail biter. It wasn't. It was current Hollywood/California deviance. I did find the end somewhat predictable.

[Kitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a pretty quick read, perfect for a holiday week or extra long weekend. Kellerman is no Louise Penny (the measure of all thoughtful mysteries for me), but it was well-plotted, kept me guessing to the end. Recommended, if you like this sort of book.

[Mădălina · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5*

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thirteen months after the end of "Bad Love" (so 1990 by my math), Alex, Robin and Spike have settled into Malibu while their (his, technically) house is being rebuilt. Though normally a child psychologist, Alex has agreed to a referral from best friend Milo - 26 year old Lucy Lowell, a juror on a gruesome case who is now experiencing recurring nightmares.

At first, Alex is skeptical, but once he learns Lucy's father was once a famous author who fell from grace in the early 1970's, he begins to wonder if Lucy's nightmare is actually a repressed memory of something that happened during her father's heyday. With Milo busy chasing a copycat of the man Lucy helped convict, Alex sets off on his own (once again) to get to the bottom of what really happened 21 years ago.

This was an interesting book, mainly because Alex and Milo both found themselves questioning their usually top-notch gut instincts, both wondering at times if Lucy was a master manipulator who was just playing them. Milo was a little too much behind the scenes for my taste and I found myself wondering if I take a peek at future books if I will find that Alex at some point bites the bullet and actually becomes a detective.

While this book did hold my attention, for the most part, I agree with other reviewers who said that the ending dragged on. I did find myself tuning most of the last half hour of the audiobook out as once things were resolved, I didn't care about the nitty-gritty details - I think because this section of the book didn't really involve any of the main characters and those who it did involve were irrelevant to me in terms of the overall series. One detail I did really enjoy, however, was that at one point Alex notices that Lucy is reading "Grievous Sin," - Kellerman once again making a nod to his wife Faith's Decker/Lazarus series. I love these little nods they give to each other in their books!

[Nanosynergy · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Book 9 of author's Alex Delaware/Milo Sturgis series.) This is one of Kellerman's better books in this series. The narrator of this audiobook version, Alexander Adams, is very good. The plot has many twists and turns, as well as a largely interesting cast of dysfunctional characters. Milo Sturgis is further fleshed out through his friendship with Lucy Lowell. He befriends Lucy after she serves as a juror for the trial of a vicious murderer. The trial causes Lucy to develop nightmares. These turn out to be repressed 21-year old memories of the burial of a young woman which she witnessed at age 4. Milo, of course, refers Lucy to his psychologist friend Alex Delaware. Delaware does more detective work than psychotherapy, inevitably nearly getting himself and his patient killed, but for Milo. Nonetheless, Delaware does unravel the mystery to a satisfying conclusion. Kellerman’s use of hypnosis on Lucy is a weak point, but keeping Delaware’s stick figure girlfriend, Robin, in the background a plus. She rarely adds anything to this series. I purchased this book from Audible.com. The unabridged version is 11 hours and 45 minutes in length.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex Delaware takes on an adult woman as a patient, a rarity. She appears to be self-destructive, yet denies it. He begins to investigate her childhood based on information she reveals while hypnotized. This leads to a cast of characters that becomes a consuming interest for the reader. There are novelists, ex-convicts, Hollywood types and most of all, the siblings and family of the woman. The plot is intricate and absorbing. The writing, once again, excellent.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up thinking it was new and then couldn't get over the fact that it seemed so familiar. Turns out, it's an oldy! I had read it before and that's why it seemed so much like "some other book I had read".

As always, I do like Jonathan Kellerman's writing style, his characters, and his mix of Alex's detective work vs. therapy work.

[Melody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slighltly dissapointed. Jonathon Kellerman is usualy one of my faves but I had a hard time with this one at about page 450 or so. The book started off well but seemed to lose steam as Dr Delaware started his questioning of one of the female characters....I won't say who because I hate spoilers!!

I hope the other books I have by this author are better!!

[Nicole]

Good book! I got it at a yard sale for a quarter, not realizing that it was part of a series. I love Dr. Alex Delaware....not as much as I love Dr. Alex Cross, but that's ok. This one was published in 1995 and it's interesting to see detective work without the use of the Net or cell phones.

[mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this on cd. Well read, easy to listen to. Story told mostly by dialogue. Child psychologist turned detective, Alex Delaware walks into a room, describes it, what his subject is wearing and looks like, then has a conversation. Everything is explained in depositions at the end.

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jonathan Kellerman's early works are just okay. I thought this book was slightly better than the Clinic eventhough the Clinci was newer than this one. It had an intersting storyline about his patient the sleepwalker.

[aPriL does feral sometimes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this story is very unique - not so much because of a dream that turns out to be a clue to a repressed memory (which totally happens for real, by the way), but because of the revealing look into how it was in the California Art/Movie/Drug scene. Probably still is this way.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Self-Defense (Alex Delaware) by Jonathan Kellerman (2002)

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good page-turning crime fiction book. The perfect light-reading antidote for some heavier stuff I've been reading recently.