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Alex Delaware #5
Time Bomb
Edgar Award winner Jonathan Kellerman once more explores the corruption of California and produces a novel of complex characterizations and nonstop suspense.
Psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware was called. Unfortunately, by the time he reached the school, the damage was done. A sniper had opened fire on a crowded playground, but was gunned down before any children were hurt.
"Though a time bomb is ticking away at the heart of this novel, readers will forget to watch the clock once they begin it." 'Chicago Sun Times.'
While the TV news crews feasted on the scene, Alex began his therapy sessions with the traumatized children. But he couldn't escape the image of a slight teenager clutching an oversized rifle. What was behind the name and face? A would-be assassin, or just another victim beneath an indifferent California sky?
Intrigued by a request from the sniper's father to conduct a "psychological autopsy" of his child, Alex begins to uncover a strange pattern of innocence, neglect, and loss. Then suddenly it is more than a pattern, it is a trail of blood. In the dead sniper's past was a dark and vicious plot. And in Alex Delaware's future is the stuff of grown-up nightmares: the face of real human evil.
Psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware was called. Unfortunately, by the time he reached the school, the damage was done. A sniper had opened fire on a crowded playground, but was gunned down before any children were hurt.
"Though a time bomb is ticking away at the heart of this novel, readers will forget to watch the clock once they begin it." 'Chicago Sun Times.'
While the TV news crews feasted on the scene, Alex began his therapy sessions with the traumatized children. But he couldn't escape the image of a slight teenager clutching an oversized rifle. What was behind the name and face? A would-be assassin, or just another victim beneath an indifferent California sky?
Intrigued by a request from the sniper's father to conduct a "psychological autopsy" of his child, Alex begins to uncover a strange pattern of innocence, neglect, and loss. Then suddenly it is more than a pattern, it is a trail of blood. In the dead sniper's past was a dark and vicious plot. And in Alex Delaware's future is the stuff of grown-up nightmares: the face of real human evil.
496 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
1626 people are currently reading
4444 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Kellerman
197 books5,794 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 420 reviews
August 4, 2022
“A sniper had opened fire on a crowded playground, but was gunned down before any children were hurt.”
TIME BOMB, the fifth in Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series, was written in 1990. So its opening scenes of a school shooting, the “good guy with a gun” scenario saving the day, and the plot segue into the black holes of far right-wing hatred – neo-Nazism, racism, anti-Semitism, and homophobia – held out the promise of a thriller that was prescient and thrilling today in a way that Kellerman could not possibly have predicted when he put his proverbial author’s pen to paper over two decades ago. Sadly, the plot is driven purely by emotions, by that hatred, and it seems appropriate that Alex Delaware, as a psychologist, puzzles out the solution to the thriller solely on the basis of psychoanalysis and the extended psychological autopsy of the young girl who was thought to be the original shooter. The plot unfolds at the pace of a turgid cerebral snail and the novel’s only saving grace is the heartwarming development of a new love interest for Delaware in the person of the school principal, Linda Overstreet.
TIME BOMB was a chore to finish and, while I haven’t put paid to the Alex Delaware series yet, I can’t say that this one makes me look forward to PRIVATE EYES, #6 in the series, with any degree of anticipation.
Paul Weiss
TIME BOMB, the fifth in Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series, was written in 1990. So its opening scenes of a school shooting, the “good guy with a gun” scenario saving the day, and the plot segue into the black holes of far right-wing hatred – neo-Nazism, racism, anti-Semitism, and homophobia – held out the promise of a thriller that was prescient and thrilling today in a way that Kellerman could not possibly have predicted when he put his proverbial author’s pen to paper over two decades ago. Sadly, the plot is driven purely by emotions, by that hatred, and it seems appropriate that Alex Delaware, as a psychologist, puzzles out the solution to the thriller solely on the basis of psychoanalysis and the extended psychological autopsy of the young girl who was thought to be the original shooter. The plot unfolds at the pace of a turgid cerebral snail and the novel’s only saving grace is the heartwarming development of a new love interest for Delaware in the person of the school principal, Linda Overstreet.
TIME BOMB was a chore to finish and, while I haven’t put paid to the Alex Delaware series yet, I can’t say that this one makes me look forward to PRIVATE EYES, #6 in the series, with any degree of anticipation.
Paul Weiss
August 11, 2023
3 Stars. Reading this critically important novel many years after it came out, I found it overloaded. So many societal issues crammed into one thriller. The action starts in the 4th line - talk about getting into the story fast. Detective Milo Sturgis, Dr. Delaware's alternate ego, calls and exclaims, "Alex, turn on your TV." A snipper had been shot dead after invading Nathan Hale Elementary School in L.A.'s Ocean Heights. None of the children or teachers were injured or killed. A relief. With Milo's recommendation, Dr. D. gets a contract; he is retained by the school's principal, the attractive Linda Overstreet, to run a course of counselling for the students. Properly tailored to the ages of each class. It is successful. But it's not long before Alex finds that he's stepping on toes at the school board and those of a pompous psychologist named Dobbs who thought he was their designated hitter. Oops. The societal issues? In no order, domestic terrorism, school violence, workplace harassment, busing, political corruption, anti-Semitism, racism, discrimination against gays, abuse of professional standards, Nazism, I could go on. Too many can spoil a good story. (August 2022)
August 1, 2017
Great series! a little bit of everything: mystery,romance etc...well researched,by looking into the Holocaust History and descendants of its victims...plus extra storyline/topics..well written (paperback!)
September 24, 2017
“Therapist’s dilemma: those who need help the most, run the farthest from it.”
Since I found this series in my teens, I’ve re-read a few of them quite a bit. It looks like this one was mainly forgotten, though, so I was able to be glued to the mystery and be semi-surprised at the ending. It’s a promising start with a school shooting and a bizarre villain, but the story unfortunately starts slowing and lagging during the middle.
The ending is creative but unrealistic as the odds of these two running into this type of organization on top of everything else they run into is a bit too much to fathom and stay as hooked to. I do dig the nods toward class and racial issues and how these can cause so much dysfunction and damage in so many lives. Politics makes a play and gets sneered out in multiples situations as well.
Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis have always been one of my top favorite fictional pairings. The psychologist is both compassionate and intelligent, and a bonus with these books is learning little tidbits about psychology and different conditions. Milo has always been unconventional since he struggles with weight, unibrows, unpopularity, and being ostracized for his homosexuality – but this along with his sarcastic humor make him an intriguing character who steals scenes when he’s present. Some books he’s in the background but here we get plenty of the pairing working together – a win.
Taking a break from Robin is still fine since she was always a little doll-like to me anyway, but Linda isn’t a huge improvement since she has so many hang-ups it’s almost off-putting. She does redeem herself with a few scenes though, so I wasn’t fully against the new relationship. It’s refreshing the author puts in ups and downs in the individual lives of his characters to keep them fresh instead of just game pieces who are there to solve crimes.
There’s also some unique villains and side characters who make the book shine. A real narcissistic personality blends with a mysterious wallflower and intelligent but flawed brother. Throw in a demented history with Nazis and racism and you get a creative story that – again, is far-fetched – but gripping enough.
Since I found this series in my teens, I’ve re-read a few of them quite a bit. It looks like this one was mainly forgotten, though, so I was able to be glued to the mystery and be semi-surprised at the ending. It’s a promising start with a school shooting and a bizarre villain, but the story unfortunately starts slowing and lagging during the middle.
The ending is creative but unrealistic as the odds of these two running into this type of organization on top of everything else they run into is a bit too much to fathom and stay as hooked to. I do dig the nods toward class and racial issues and how these can cause so much dysfunction and damage in so many lives. Politics makes a play and gets sneered out in multiples situations as well.
Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis have always been one of my top favorite fictional pairings. The psychologist is both compassionate and intelligent, and a bonus with these books is learning little tidbits about psychology and different conditions. Milo has always been unconventional since he struggles with weight, unibrows, unpopularity, and being ostracized for his homosexuality – but this along with his sarcastic humor make him an intriguing character who steals scenes when he’s present. Some books he’s in the background but here we get plenty of the pairing working together – a win.
Taking a break from Robin is still fine since she was always a little doll-like to me anyway, but Linda isn’t a huge improvement since she has so many hang-ups it’s almost off-putting. She does redeem herself with a few scenes though, so I wasn’t fully against the new relationship. It’s refreshing the author puts in ups and downs in the individual lives of his characters to keep them fresh instead of just game pieces who are there to solve crimes.
There’s also some unique villains and side characters who make the book shine. A real narcissistic personality blends with a mysterious wallflower and intelligent but flawed brother. Throw in a demented history with Nazis and racism and you get a creative story that – again, is far-fetched – but gripping enough.
September 20, 2019
This book is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone novel. In this one, Milo is at the scene of a school shooting and asks Alex to come to the scene to help the children. Alex finds himself in more than a school shooting.
There were both highlights and low points to this offering in this series. I absolutely loved the beginning as we get to see the affected children after surviving an event like this. I was amazed while reading the beginning how it was still relevant to today's world even though it was written twenty years ago. I was also wondering why this book had low scores for reviews. Then the conspiracy started to kick in and I soon saw why. This book had everything. It touches upon racism, social class, political corruption, drugs, parental influence on a child, and finally Nazis. Yep, you read that right. It was just too much and sometimes less is more. The conspiracy became convoluted and I soon lost interest. I found myself wishing that we could get back to the perpetrator of the shooting and her motives.
Sometimes keeping it simple is the best way to go and sometimes an author tries to make a plot too involved. This is one of those times. I believe if the author just went with the shooting and made that the central plot this would have been a better book. This book seems to be the beginning of Milo becoming more of a main character so that is a big positive for this series.
There were both highlights and low points to this offering in this series. I absolutely loved the beginning as we get to see the affected children after surviving an event like this. I was amazed while reading the beginning how it was still relevant to today's world even though it was written twenty years ago. I was also wondering why this book had low scores for reviews. Then the conspiracy started to kick in and I soon saw why. This book had everything. It touches upon racism, social class, political corruption, drugs, parental influence on a child, and finally Nazis. Yep, you read that right. It was just too much and sometimes less is more. The conspiracy became convoluted and I soon lost interest. I found myself wishing that we could get back to the perpetrator of the shooting and her motives.
Sometimes keeping it simple is the best way to go and sometimes an author tries to make a plot too involved. This is one of those times. I believe if the author just went with the shooting and made that the central plot this would have been a better book. This book seems to be the beginning of Milo becoming more of a main character so that is a big positive for this series.
October 4, 2009
If you want something to help you go to sleep then read "Time Bomb," which, to put it bluntly, is a real bomb. One word best summarizes it, however, and that is "boring." For one, the story is implausible; two, Alex Delaware comes across as pompous; and, three, Milo Sturgis plays a very small part in the story and Milo is by far Kellerman's best character. In fact, now that I have reconsidered my rating, one star would be more appropriate.
September 30, 2018
Fifth in the Alex Delaware psychological thriller series and revolving around a semi-retired child psychologist.
My Take
It's all about exploitation and corruption. Using the kids to further their own political agendas. People promoted for who they know and what they know that may be destructive to another. The lack of consideration or care from public officials and law enforcement. It's disgusting and fascinating. Disgusting for what these politicians and quacks will do to make a buck, to further their own agendas. Fascinating for Kellerman laying it out for us and how Alex discovers the truth. The stupidity of law enforcement refusing to share information with each other.
The truth about Dobbs' need to be involved in "helping" the children is disgusting, as is Massengil's involvement. That Dobbs was some shyster doing some scummy pandering. Sending out his assistants, claiming they're doctors, doctors who see nothing wrong with interrupting someone's session. Their idea of therapy is to blow in, do their spiel, and fly out. Badgering parents into sending their children in for paid therapy sessions. I do love how Alex took that Mendez down.
By using first person protagonist point-of-view, we get Alex's perspective, and I gotta say I loved his verbal beatdowns on the politicians, Dobbs, his assessment of Holly's father, and that REALLY tense scene at the end. Whew...
Kellerman definitely made me see Burden as a cheap narcissist, but Kellerman did not make me feel it, and it was definitely an area that should have been exploited. Oh, it's not that Kellerman doesn't have plenty of scenes that make me want to strike out at someone, but it was more intellectual than emotional. In Holly's case, I really wanted that emotion. Not that I enjoy crying...
Matthew's experience demonstrates how "dinner table conversation" can affect a child's choices and outlooks. That PC switch from melting pot to "we are a salad bowl" sounds "Californian" to me. Interesting note about zip codes and mailing lists. Wonder if I can move to a place that doesn't have zip codes and still be in the US? Also interesting, in a purely negative way, is all that rhetoric spouted about Zionists, Rozenvelt, Jewish brainwashing, ape cultures... Gimme a break. How stupid can people be?
This comment from Cecelia was pretty damned sad: "'Actually,' she said, 'we can't do nothing. We're kids. If people wanna be mean to us all the time, they can.'" As was that comment on the plethora of Spanish street names in this so-very-white community that "street names are one thing; letting them marry your sister's another."
There is also Milo's series-spanning problem of being gay and out of the closet in a cop shop. The crap that's thrown at him is, yeah, disgusting.
A sad memory of a more revolutionary time when the government was scared and reactive, susceptible to inner plotting to achieve individual ends. Scary, ain't it? That nothing has changed. Kellerman's story was originally written in 1990, and it could be set in 2018. Of course, Terry's own escape was in direct contrast to the other rebels who slipped back into their wealthy families' bosoms.
The Story
By the time psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware reached the school, the damage was done: A sniper had opened fire on a crowded playground, but was gunned down before any children were hurt.
While the TV news crews feasted on the scene and Alex began his therapy sessions with the traumatized children, he couldn't escape the sight of that slight teenager clutching an oversized rifle. Were they really a would-be assassin, or just another victim?
Intrigued by a request from the sniper's father to conduct a "psychological autopsy" of his child, Alex begins to uncover a strange pattern of innocence, neglect, and loss. Then suddenly it is more than a pattern, it is a trail of blood. In the dead sniper's past was a dark and vicious plot.
And in Alex Delaware's future is the stuff of grown-up nightmares: the face of real human evil.
The Characters
Dr Alex Delaware is a child psychologist who keeps getting caught up in murder cases thanks to his friend Milo. The shoe is on the other foot with Alex's ex-girlfriend, Robin, an artist building musical instruments. Seems she wants back in.
Westside PD Division
Detective Sergeant Milo Sturgis is a friend of Alex's and has been promoted to D-Three, a supervising detective at his division in Robbery Homicide. Dr Rick Silverman is Milo's partner who also does good words at the Free Clinic.
Detective Maurice Smith, who's putting in his time until retirement, is with Southeast Division and investigated Novato's shooting. Detective Mehan from the Pacific Division investigated Gruenberg's disappearance. Officers Burdette and Ziegler are on the Massengil case with help from Martinez and Pelletier.
Anti-Terrorist Division (ATD)
Lieutenant Kenny Frisk is more interested in the sound bite.
Nathan Hale Elementary School had been...
...a school in Ocean Heights, a housing tract originally conceived for engineers and techs, that has falling enrollment (capacity for 900 with only 86 students) that is now upped by busing. The principal, Linda Overstreet, majored in psychology. She's estranged from her daddy, a Texas Ranger, for an excellent reason. Jerk. Carla is her secretary. Miz Williams and the bigoted Esme Ferguson are some of the teachers. The students include Ramon, Tranh, Anna, Martha, and Cecelia. Pete and Mrs Buchanan's son, Matthew, is easily led.
Holly Lynn Burden, who had been a student at Nathan Hale, is described as slightly above retarded in a family of intellectually superior people. I'd say most of her problem came from her father Mahlon Burden, a control-obsessed widower self-employed in producing health and security catalogs and mailing lists, as New Frontiers Technology, Ltd — and who used to be with Intelligence in the army and then with the US Census Bureau. Gregory Graff, Esq, is an actor Burden hired to be photographed as Chief Consulting Officer of Burden's company. Betty was the mathematician mother who died. Howard Burden is Holly's brother. Gwen is his wife. Amy is their child. None of them see Mahlon. Dr George Goldberg helped Howard with his childhood issues.
Dinwiddie's is the local grocers run by the wanna-be charitable Ted Dinwiddie. Isaac "Ike" Novato was a light-complected black who was bright and a straight arrow who worked at Dinwiddie's and took pity on Holly. Sophie Gruenberg was his landlady, described by all as either a cossack or a commie.
The Beth Shalom Synagogue
David Sanders is the rabbi from Auckland, New Zealand, who teaches elementary school on weekdays; he's also married with five children. Sophie Gruenberg is his landlady as well. We first meet him leading a discussion that segues into the participants' — Mrs Cooper, Sy Morgenstern, Dora Sindowsky, and Rose Steinberg, — personal interests.
The Holocaust Center is...
...a Jewish museum. Judy Baumgartner is a senior researcher. Janie and Ike had worked there.
Wannsee was a conference that took place in Berlin during World War II. Werner Kaltenblud had been "president of the Poison Gas Club". Fritz Kuhn had been the Bundesführer in America during World War II. Wannsee II is an "upgrade" that allies the radical left and right.
The Politicians
The quick-to-judge State Assemblyman Samuel Massengil is a loudmouthed jerk with a rep of law-and-order and a stance against pornography who is insisting on Dr Dobbs seeing the children. Hattie is his wife. Beth Bramble is his executive assistant. DiMarco is not one of Massengil's fans.
The self-promoting Dr Lance L Dobbs is billed as an expert on childhood stress. "Dr" Patricia Mendez claims she's a clinical psychologist when she's actually a psychological assistant to Dobbs.
City Councilman Gordon Latch is a typical politician, helpful when it helps him. He had been a hippie back in the day and married Miranda Brundage, the only child of a movie tycoon, Fritz Brundage, a crypto-fascist. Darryl "Bud" Ahlward is his chief administrative assistant (and bodyguard).
The New Walden group at Bear Lodge, Idaho, was on...
...some land owned by Mountain Properties (land inherited by Randy from her dad). Members included Thomas Bruckner, a founding member of the Weathermen; Catherine Blanchard Lockerby was living with Bruckner; Antonio Rodriguez, a forger and burglar, and his wife, Teresa Santana, a suspected FALN cell leader had a son, Fidel; Mark Grossman was another Weathermen founder; Harold Cleveland "Big Skitch" Dupree was a murderer and armed robber; Terry Crevolin who went on to work in television; Norman Green is believed to be the leader; and, Melba Johnson-Green was Green's wife while Malcolm Green was their two-year-old son. The second tier group included Harry and Debbie Delage, Ed Maher and Julie Bendix, Lyle Stokes, Gordy and Miranda Latch, and Jack Parducci.
Dayton Auhagen was a buckskin-clad trapper. Southern Idaho Regional FBI Agent-in-Charge Morrison Stowe has his own perspective. Nellie Barthell owned the Maybe Drop Inn Tavern and Truck Stop in Bear Lodge, Idaho.
FBI "Task Force
Special Agents Hoyt Henry Blanchard and Audrey Crisp pick up Alex.
San Antonio PD, Texas
Linda's father had played the fiddle and encouraged Linda to enjoy music. Armando Bonilla Mondo was a rookie on the force who also played in a band, Magnum Four, which became Magnum Four and Lady Derringer, when Armando hooked up with Linda Overstreet. Rudy was another cop and band member.
Dr Ada Small is Alex's own psychologist. Superior Court Judge Steve Hupp has requested Alex's help on several child-custody cases. Julie is his wife. Brigitta is their Swedish au pair. Cheryl "Cheri" Jane Nuveen, a.k.a., Sherry Nuveen, Sherry Jackson, Cherry Jackson, Cherry Burgundy, Cherry Gomez, and actually Sheryl Jane Jackson, is a "recreational counselor" who works out of her house. Her son, André, has a great voice. Vagabond Books has a big section on the 1960s. Dejon "the Chiller" Jonson is an entertainer whose time was requested by Latch.
The Cover and Title
The cover is spare with its deep brown background. A pale thin banner in peach spans the top with an info blurb in brown. The author's name is in a bright embossed orange. Just below that is a disembodied hand atop the handle of a detonator. The title is in a limey yellow to the left of the plunger handle. Beneath that at the very bottom is the series information in white.
The title refers to the hidden reasons behind it all, a Time Bomb that is about to go off.
My Take
It's all about exploitation and corruption. Using the kids to further their own political agendas. People promoted for who they know and what they know that may be destructive to another. The lack of consideration or care from public officials and law enforcement. It's disgusting and fascinating. Disgusting for what these politicians and quacks will do to make a buck, to further their own agendas. Fascinating for Kellerman laying it out for us and how Alex discovers the truth. The stupidity of law enforcement refusing to share information with each other.
The truth about Dobbs' need to be involved in "helping" the children is disgusting, as is Massengil's involvement. That Dobbs was some shyster doing some scummy pandering. Sending out his assistants, claiming they're doctors, doctors who see nothing wrong with interrupting someone's session. Their idea of therapy is to blow in, do their spiel, and fly out. Badgering parents into sending their children in for paid therapy sessions. I do love how Alex took that Mendez down.
By using first person protagonist point-of-view, we get Alex's perspective, and I gotta say I loved his verbal beatdowns on the politicians, Dobbs, his assessment of Holly's father, and that REALLY tense scene at the end. Whew...
Kellerman definitely made me see Burden as a cheap narcissist, but Kellerman did not make me feel it, and it was definitely an area that should have been exploited. Oh, it's not that Kellerman doesn't have plenty of scenes that make me want to strike out at someone, but it was more intellectual than emotional. In Holly's case, I really wanted that emotion. Not that I enjoy crying...
Matthew's experience demonstrates how "dinner table conversation" can affect a child's choices and outlooks. That PC switch from melting pot to "we are a salad bowl" sounds "Californian" to me. Interesting note about zip codes and mailing lists. Wonder if I can move to a place that doesn't have zip codes and still be in the US? Also interesting, in a purely negative way, is all that rhetoric spouted about Zionists, Rozenvelt, Jewish brainwashing, ape cultures... Gimme a break. How stupid can people be?
This comment from Cecelia was pretty damned sad: "'Actually,' she said, 'we can't do nothing. We're kids. If people wanna be mean to us all the time, they can.'" As was that comment on the plethora of Spanish street names in this so-very-white community that "street names are one thing; letting them marry your sister's another."
There is also Milo's series-spanning problem of being gay and out of the closet in a cop shop. The crap that's thrown at him is, yeah, disgusting.
A sad memory of a more revolutionary time when the government was scared and reactive, susceptible to inner plotting to achieve individual ends. Scary, ain't it? That nothing has changed. Kellerman's story was originally written in 1990, and it could be set in 2018. Of course, Terry's own escape was in direct contrast to the other rebels who slipped back into their wealthy families' bosoms.
The Story
By the time psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware reached the school, the damage was done: A sniper had opened fire on a crowded playground, but was gunned down before any children were hurt.
While the TV news crews feasted on the scene and Alex began his therapy sessions with the traumatized children, he couldn't escape the sight of that slight teenager clutching an oversized rifle. Were they really a would-be assassin, or just another victim?
Intrigued by a request from the sniper's father to conduct a "psychological autopsy" of his child, Alex begins to uncover a strange pattern of innocence, neglect, and loss. Then suddenly it is more than a pattern, it is a trail of blood. In the dead sniper's past was a dark and vicious plot.
And in Alex Delaware's future is the stuff of grown-up nightmares: the face of real human evil.
The Characters
Dr Alex Delaware is a child psychologist who keeps getting caught up in murder cases thanks to his friend Milo. The shoe is on the other foot with Alex's ex-girlfriend, Robin, an artist building musical instruments. Seems she wants back in.
Westside PD Division
Detective Sergeant Milo Sturgis is a friend of Alex's and has been promoted to D-Three, a supervising detective at his division in Robbery Homicide. Dr Rick Silverman is Milo's partner who also does good words at the Free Clinic.
Detective Maurice Smith, who's putting in his time until retirement, is with Southeast Division and investigated Novato's shooting. Detective Mehan from the Pacific Division investigated Gruenberg's disappearance. Officers Burdette and Ziegler are on the Massengil case with help from Martinez and Pelletier.
Anti-Terrorist Division (ATD)
Lieutenant Kenny Frisk is more interested in the sound bite.
Nathan Hale Elementary School had been...
...a school in Ocean Heights, a housing tract originally conceived for engineers and techs, that has falling enrollment (capacity for 900 with only 86 students) that is now upped by busing. The principal, Linda Overstreet, majored in psychology. She's estranged from her daddy, a Texas Ranger, for an excellent reason. Jerk. Carla is her secretary. Miz Williams and the bigoted Esme Ferguson are some of the teachers. The students include Ramon, Tranh, Anna, Martha, and Cecelia. Pete and Mrs Buchanan's son, Matthew, is easily led.
Holly Lynn Burden, who had been a student at Nathan Hale, is described as slightly above retarded in a family of intellectually superior people. I'd say most of her problem came from her father Mahlon Burden, a control-obsessed widower self-employed in producing health and security catalogs and mailing lists, as New Frontiers Technology, Ltd — and who used to be with Intelligence in the army and then with the US Census Bureau. Gregory Graff, Esq, is an actor Burden hired to be photographed as Chief Consulting Officer of Burden's company. Betty was the mathematician mother who died. Howard Burden is Holly's brother. Gwen is his wife. Amy is their child. None of them see Mahlon. Dr George Goldberg helped Howard with his childhood issues.
Dinwiddie's is the local grocers run by the wanna-be charitable Ted Dinwiddie. Isaac "Ike" Novato was a light-complected black who was bright and a straight arrow who worked at Dinwiddie's and took pity on Holly. Sophie Gruenberg was his landlady, described by all as either a cossack or a commie.
The Beth Shalom Synagogue
David Sanders is the rabbi from Auckland, New Zealand, who teaches elementary school on weekdays; he's also married with five children. Sophie Gruenberg is his landlady as well. We first meet him leading a discussion that segues into the participants' — Mrs Cooper, Sy Morgenstern, Dora Sindowsky, and Rose Steinberg, — personal interests.
The Holocaust Center is...
...a Jewish museum. Judy Baumgartner is a senior researcher. Janie and Ike had worked there.
Wannsee was a conference that took place in Berlin during World War II. Werner Kaltenblud had been "president of the Poison Gas Club". Fritz Kuhn had been the Bundesführer in America during World War II. Wannsee II is an "upgrade" that allies the radical left and right.
The Politicians
The quick-to-judge State Assemblyman Samuel Massengil is a loudmouthed jerk with a rep of law-and-order and a stance against pornography who is insisting on Dr Dobbs seeing the children. Hattie is his wife. Beth Bramble is his executive assistant. DiMarco is not one of Massengil's fans.
The self-promoting Dr Lance L Dobbs is billed as an expert on childhood stress. "Dr" Patricia Mendez claims she's a clinical psychologist when she's actually a psychological assistant to Dobbs.
City Councilman Gordon Latch is a typical politician, helpful when it helps him. He had been a hippie back in the day and married Miranda Brundage, the only child of a movie tycoon, Fritz Brundage, a crypto-fascist. Darryl "Bud" Ahlward is his chief administrative assistant (and bodyguard).
The New Walden group at Bear Lodge, Idaho, was on...
...some land owned by Mountain Properties (land inherited by Randy from her dad). Members included Thomas Bruckner, a founding member of the Weathermen; Catherine Blanchard Lockerby was living with Bruckner; Antonio Rodriguez, a forger and burglar, and his wife, Teresa Santana, a suspected FALN cell leader had a son, Fidel; Mark Grossman was another Weathermen founder; Harold Cleveland "Big Skitch" Dupree was a murderer and armed robber; Terry Crevolin who went on to work in television; Norman Green is believed to be the leader; and, Melba Johnson-Green was Green's wife while Malcolm Green was their two-year-old son. The second tier group included Harry and Debbie Delage, Ed Maher and Julie Bendix, Lyle Stokes, Gordy and Miranda Latch, and Jack Parducci.
Dayton Auhagen was a buckskin-clad trapper. Southern Idaho Regional FBI Agent-in-Charge Morrison Stowe has his own perspective. Nellie Barthell owned the Maybe Drop Inn Tavern and Truck Stop in Bear Lodge, Idaho.
FBI "Task Force
Special Agents Hoyt Henry Blanchard and Audrey Crisp pick up Alex.
San Antonio PD, Texas
Linda's father had played the fiddle and encouraged Linda to enjoy music. Armando Bonilla Mondo was a rookie on the force who also played in a band, Magnum Four, which became Magnum Four and Lady Derringer, when Armando hooked up with Linda Overstreet. Rudy was another cop and band member.
Dr Ada Small is Alex's own psychologist. Superior Court Judge Steve Hupp has requested Alex's help on several child-custody cases. Julie is his wife. Brigitta is their Swedish au pair. Cheryl "Cheri" Jane Nuveen, a.k.a., Sherry Nuveen, Sherry Jackson, Cherry Jackson, Cherry Burgundy, Cherry Gomez, and actually Sheryl Jane Jackson, is a "recreational counselor" who works out of her house. Her son, André, has a great voice. Vagabond Books has a big section on the 1960s. Dejon "the Chiller" Jonson is an entertainer whose time was requested by Latch.
The Cover and Title
The cover is spare with its deep brown background. A pale thin banner in peach spans the top with an info blurb in brown. The author's name is in a bright embossed orange. Just below that is a disembodied hand atop the handle of a detonator. The title is in a limey yellow to the left of the plunger handle. Beneath that at the very bottom is the series information in white.
The title refers to the hidden reasons behind it all, a Time Bomb that is about to go off.
May 23, 2016
Last month I read one of the latest Delaware installments and realized I'd missed a few (or 7-8) along the way, so I decided to go back and read the missed books. So glad I did!!
While the technology has changed (cell phones missing and computers not the norm), the chemistry between pals Milo and Alex reminded me why I liked this series. And the story itself was richer and more layered than some recent entries in the series. What started as one kind of mystery turned into something altogether different and more interesting.
On to the next oldie I missed!
While the technology has changed (cell phones missing and computers not the norm), the chemistry between pals Milo and Alex reminded me why I liked this series. And the story itself was richer and more layered than some recent entries in the series. What started as one kind of mystery turned into something altogether different and more interesting.
On to the next oldie I missed!
December 21, 2021
Published in 1987, this one is about a school shooting. I picked it specifically because its plot is still relevant today, unfortunately.
In Los Angeles County, young school children are being bussed from poorer, "browner" parts of the county into more affluent, traditionally white schools. On an otherwise ordinary morning, gunfire breaks out in the schoolyard during recess. The police arrive quickly and the sniper - a teenaged girl - is the only one dead. Both mayoral candidates soon show up at the school, telling news crews their perspective on the motive. One claims tensions over bussing laws exploded out of control; the other side says a lone crazy person is all there was to it.
Meanwhile, Detective Milo Sturgis calls in Dr. Delaware to provide the children with post-traumatic therapy. Predictably, neither side is thrilled to have him there. Alex questions each political camp as well as those who knew the sniper best and slowly, a conspiracy of dark manipulation reveals itself.
Turns out I correctly picked the person behind it all during their first encounter with Dr. Delaware. Overall, this was pretty straight-forward and kinda interesting except for Alex's new love interest (in this one, he and long-time girlfriend Robin are taking a break). The audio narrator uses a stupid, syrupy Southern accent for Linda, and Alex psychoanalyzes her in every scene together (barf).
In Los Angeles County, young school children are being bussed from poorer, "browner" parts of the county into more affluent, traditionally white schools. On an otherwise ordinary morning, gunfire breaks out in the schoolyard during recess. The police arrive quickly and the sniper - a teenaged girl - is the only one dead. Both mayoral candidates soon show up at the school, telling news crews their perspective on the motive. One claims tensions over bussing laws exploded out of control; the other side says a lone crazy person is all there was to it.
Meanwhile, Detective Milo Sturgis calls in Dr. Delaware to provide the children with post-traumatic therapy. Predictably, neither side is thrilled to have him there. Alex questions each political camp as well as those who knew the sniper best and slowly, a conspiracy of dark manipulation reveals itself.
Turns out I correctly picked the person behind it all during their first encounter with Dr. Delaware. Overall, this was pretty straight-forward and kinda interesting except for Alex's new love interest (in this one, he and long-time girlfriend Robin are taking a break). The audio narrator uses a stupid, syrupy Southern accent for Linda, and Alex psychoanalyzes her in every scene together (barf).
June 11, 2020
4...Wowzah...I don't usually enjoy novels, which seem like they were taken straight from the headlines, YET this one...Written decades before now...Was eerily similar to TODAY'S headlines...CREEPY!!! No wonder people scream conspiracy about everything! VERY WELL DONE!!
February 16, 2017
After a failed school shooting, in which no children were killed but the female sniper was, Alex is called in to counsel the traumatized students. The shooter is atypical, with no clear motives as to why she would attempt such a horrible act, until Alex digs deeper. Then a convoluted Neo-Nazi conspiracy is revealed, and Milo helps take out the bad guys. Alex begins to date someone else in this book, Linda whom he meets at the school, and for awhile she is a welcome change from Robin.
August 26, 2021
I’m still trying to figure out what I really think about this book. It was slow going. Took almost 3 weeks to finish this.
What I found really interesting is, this book started out almost like a school shooting. This book was published in 1990, 9 years BEFORE Columbine.
One other thing I found very interesting...Even in 1990, there seemed to be the same type of racism and political issues we have today. Like nothing much has changed except for the media and the magnitude of it.
This book plodded along. There were a lot of characters and a lot of detail. The plot revealed a piece of the mystery very slowly. Kept your interest but if you are an impatient person, this would frustrate you. It did me.
The resolution was revealed at the end. It was interesting, but almost a little too unrealistic.
And the twists and turns kept coming....
I was glad to finally finish this book.
This is not one of my favorite series, however, I like the Psychological theme in the plots of these book, as well as, the characters.
What I found really interesting is, this book started out almost like a school shooting. This book was published in 1990, 9 years BEFORE Columbine.
One other thing I found very interesting...Even in 1990, there seemed to be the same type of racism and political issues we have today. Like nothing much has changed except for the media and the magnitude of it.
This book plodded along. There were a lot of characters and a lot of detail. The plot revealed a piece of the mystery very slowly. Kept your interest but if you are an impatient person, this would frustrate you. It did me.
The resolution was revealed at the end. It was interesting, but almost a little too unrealistic.
And the twists and turns kept coming....
I was glad to finally finish this book.
This is not one of my favorite series, however, I like the Psychological theme in the plots of these book, as well as, the characters.
April 11, 2015
Recently i read this book for the second time. The first time I had read it was nearly twelve years ago. The younger me didn't have enough perspective to give this book enough credit. The older me upon second reading upgrades its star rating by two stars.
Originally when reading this book, i had already read book 1 in this series, but then skipped straight to this book (book 5) omitting books 2-4. But now that I have read those three in between stories and reread this book. I can see that while the continuation of the characters from books 2-4 is somewhat minimal, it is still nevertheless quite important.
Characters in this story are not up to par with the previous story (Silent Partner) the mystery itself still lacks compared to Book 1, but overall this book still has a lot of redeeming quality to it. I think aside from reading stories in order, two other rules can be established when reading these early Kellerman novels which every reader should adhere to, or else will be likely to miss the quality of the work.
The first rule is, A. Do not start one of these Deleware stories unless you have time to read from the story almost every day, and will be able to finish the book within several weeks of starting. If this luxury is not available to you, wait until it is, because you will likely lose track of the story arc if you put the book down for too long.
Secondly, one of my favorite things about When the bough Breaks, was how Kellerman described beautiful southern California geography. Especially the city of Los Angeles. In the 2-5 stories that would continue, he continued to describe many beautiful details, but often his description of roads and neighborhoods, would become less intimate as he as a writer perhaps got a little lazier, or maybe couldn't find descriptions he had not already written in past stories as Deleware and Sturgis had driven down many of these same streets in previous adventures, or also probably presumed that most readers of books three through five in his series had already been down these famous LA streets at least once in their lives before.
The 20year old me who read this book first time around had never been within a 2500 mile radius of those streets and LA was only a dream. Without including more intimate details of the setting, the story wore thin. But now upon second reading, having explored many of the described roads and neighborhoods previously in rental cars as well as my own beat up old SUV, i can imagine the scene far more vividly even if Kellerman's description may sometimes lack. So Rule B. if you've never been to Southern California before, its still ok to read "Bough Breaks" and "Blood Test" and i hope you will love them just like i did even though i'd never been to Cali back then. But don't bother to read books three through five until you pop your "So-Cal" cherry first. If you don't live within 500 miles of there currently, i hope anybody reading this will be fortunate enough to visit someday.
Originally when reading this book, i had already read book 1 in this series, but then skipped straight to this book (book 5) omitting books 2-4. But now that I have read those three in between stories and reread this book. I can see that while the continuation of the characters from books 2-4 is somewhat minimal, it is still nevertheless quite important.
Characters in this story are not up to par with the previous story (Silent Partner) the mystery itself still lacks compared to Book 1, but overall this book still has a lot of redeeming quality to it. I think aside from reading stories in order, two other rules can be established when reading these early Kellerman novels which every reader should adhere to, or else will be likely to miss the quality of the work.
The first rule is, A. Do not start one of these Deleware stories unless you have time to read from the story almost every day, and will be able to finish the book within several weeks of starting. If this luxury is not available to you, wait until it is, because you will likely lose track of the story arc if you put the book down for too long.
Secondly, one of my favorite things about When the bough Breaks, was how Kellerman described beautiful southern California geography. Especially the city of Los Angeles. In the 2-5 stories that would continue, he continued to describe many beautiful details, but often his description of roads and neighborhoods, would become less intimate as he as a writer perhaps got a little lazier, or maybe couldn't find descriptions he had not already written in past stories as Deleware and Sturgis had driven down many of these same streets in previous adventures, or also probably presumed that most readers of books three through five in his series had already been down these famous LA streets at least once in their lives before.
The 20year old me who read this book first time around had never been within a 2500 mile radius of those streets and LA was only a dream. Without including more intimate details of the setting, the story wore thin. But now upon second reading, having explored many of the described roads and neighborhoods previously in rental cars as well as my own beat up old SUV, i can imagine the scene far more vividly even if Kellerman's description may sometimes lack. So Rule B. if you've never been to Southern California before, its still ok to read "Bough Breaks" and "Blood Test" and i hope you will love them just like i did even though i'd never been to Cali back then. But don't bother to read books three through five until you pop your "So-Cal" cherry first. If you don't live within 500 miles of there currently, i hope anybody reading this will be fortunate enough to visit someday.
April 14, 2014
3.5 stars
After reading 5 books in Alex Delaware series I get the formula down to the "t". The motive is not always as simple as it seems and it is always, ALWAYS, rather over-the-top explanation. Like this one, starting from a 'simple' shooting at school, and the shooter was shot, and it developed into something related to "Nazi" principles of white supremacist.
Yeah. That.
But I still enjoyed it -- mainly because Milo played quite a nice role here (he always made the book more fun somehow) and I actually liked the 'break' that Alex took from Robin (somehow that woman didn't rock my sock). Plus Alex was quite a bad ass, when he protected the kids from those politicians...
And considering that my Kindle clocked this at 520+ pages, it didn't feel as long as the previous three books (excluding book 1) that I felt were boring.
After reading 5 books in Alex Delaware series I get the formula down to the "t". The motive is not always as simple as it seems and it is always, ALWAYS, rather over-the-top explanation. Like this one, starting from a 'simple' shooting at school, and the shooter was shot, and it developed into something related to "Nazi" principles of white supremacist.
Yeah. That.
But I still enjoyed it -- mainly because Milo played quite a nice role here (he always made the book more fun somehow) and I actually liked the 'break' that Alex took from Robin (somehow that woman didn't rock my sock). Plus Alex was quite a bad ass, when he protected the kids from those politicians...
And considering that my Kindle clocked this at 520+ pages, it didn't feel as long as the previous three books (excluding book 1) that I felt were boring.
December 5, 2022
Time Bomb, 5th in the Alex Delaware series of psychological thrillers, was a hard slog. It's complicated, with lots of characters, and the story rolled out just too slowly. Had there been 1/2 as many pages this could have been a 5. Another thing I noticed was that Kellerman seems to fee the need to describe EVERYTHINGin minute detail, especially when it doesn't matter. When the action heats up the adjectives drop off a cliff. It's like he realizes the reader is going to be bored, so tries to fll in with "atmosphere". It doesn't work and after a short while becomes tiring.
Alex himself, along with his police buddy Mils Sturgis are excellent, fascinating characters that make me want to try yet another one of these, but after this one I'm becoming reluctant. Time will probably cure that.
Alex himself, along with his police buddy Mils Sturgis are excellent, fascinating characters that make me want to try yet another one of these, but after this one I'm becoming reluctant. Time will probably cure that.
February 18, 2018
I really enjoy the Alex Delaware series by Jonathan Kellerman. This particular book had a great beginning and great ending. A little slow in the middle. Almost like he (Kellerman) was trying to stretch out the book. That's why I only give it three stars. Otherwise a great story. Still worth reading!
December 16, 2021
Time Bomb by Jonathan Kellerman is the 5th book in the Alex Delaware Mystery series. Psychologist Alex Delaware is called in after a school shooting. A rather complex book with a lot of political and racial overtones. I found that it seemed to drag a bit with all the complexities but was still interesting although rather long. The narcisistic father of the sniper also seemed a bit overdone.
July 27, 2022
DNF - I love Kellerman and the Delaware/Milo series. But when the power struggle for who is going to ‘help the kids’ moves to the local congressman’s office the conspiracy is revealed and it will take us deep onto a bureaucracy that is set on doing more harm than good. It’s been 25 years since this was written and the bureaucrats are killing our schools.
May 18, 2019
Live and love this series. Alex as always is great? This hateful group sneaks up on you. Who is hat when why?
March 18, 2022
Another real good Alex Delaware book, some kids, some killin, some figuring it out.
June 21, 2025
Like every book in the series, this suffers from excessive descriptions of every person Alex meets and every room he enters. But I was happy to get back to it each time I had a chance to read.
March 4, 2023
DNF. The tone of this series changed and I just wasn’t enjoying it.
August 16, 2021
I couldn't choose between 3 and 4 stars so let's say 3.5. I enjoyed it. I do feel like this book went off on tangents but it also went in a direction I wasn't expecting and I love to be taken by surprise. This is also the first book in the series, I think, where the child psychologist is actually brought in to work with children. It wasn't about a missing child or a story that starts with a child and then ends up being just about adults. I don't mind the adult drama by any means. I just used to think "why is a child psychologist doing this?" In this book, it is obvious why he got involved. Well, mostly. No spoilers. To be overly vague, he gets tasked with doing something and my first thought was "Whey did they choose a child psychologist to do this?" But that is not such a big deal and it is fascinating how it all pans out with some twists I wasn't expecting. I am glad I am reading this series and look forward to the next book.
July 8, 2018
Unabridged audio from Penguin 2014 thru OverDrive
Unabridged ebook from Random House 2003 thru OverDrive
The audio book was missing 5-10%. Liberal lexicon and math if that is 'unabridged'
I came to this series having seen the 1986 TV movie "When the bough breaks" when first shown.
It was an excellent movie with Ted Danson as Alex and Richard Masur as Milo.
I wasn't disappointed with the first two books then the newness wore off and the irritation began.
Goodreads genre omits that his work is: fashion commentary, architectural commentary, romance. and anything that he may have a tangential thought about. Must get paid by the word.
For me, too little time left for Kellerman.
Unabridged ebook from Random House 2003 thru OverDrive
The audio book was missing 5-10%. Liberal lexicon and math if that is 'unabridged'
I came to this series having seen the 1986 TV movie "When the bough breaks" when first shown.
It was an excellent movie with Ted Danson as Alex and Richard Masur as Milo.
I wasn't disappointed with the first two books then the newness wore off and the irritation began.
Goodreads genre omits that his work is: fashion commentary, architectural commentary, romance. and anything that he may have a tangential thought about. Must get paid by the word.
For me, too little time left for Kellerman.
July 6, 2021
Another excellent read in the Alex Delaware series where the murder of a young girl turns cascades into many more deaths across time from past to present.
September 18, 2017
Child psychologist Jonathan Kellerman writes complex murder mysteries featuring his alter ego, Alex Delaware. There are 32 such novels to date. Time Bomb, published in 1990, was the fifth in the series—and the first I found disappointing.
The set-up in Time Bomb is much like that of the earlier entries: to help children after a school shooting, Alex finds himself drawn further and further into a murder mystery. That seemingly straightforward mystery quickly morphs into a complex case that heads off in several seemingly unrelated directions. Working with his friend, LAPD detective Milo Sturgis—though taking the lead himself—Alex weaves these disparate threads into a logical set of relationships that don't become clear until the end of the book.
As in the preceding novels, the tension steadily mounts, the complexities become progressively more confusing, and both Alex and Milo's lives are threatened, but all comes out well following a violent climax. That school shooting turns out to have been far more complicated than it seemed at first. Unfortunately, in a way that's disturbingly reminiscent of the formulaic whodunits of Agatha Christie and her ilk, sorting it all out at the end requires far too much explanation. And one central character demonstrates technological capabilities that might well have been within the reach of the National Security Agency in 1988 but were surely out of reach of any individual.
Despite these disappointments, reading the novel brings rewards. Kellerman's research into the Holocaust, though it reveals nothing new, is well done. His exploration of the history of neo-Nazi activities in the United States is engaging. The insight Kellerman offers about how children react to trauma is obviously on point. And it's always a pleasure to learn more about the work of Alex Delaware, which surely reflects the author's personal experience.
The set-up in Time Bomb is much like that of the earlier entries: to help children after a school shooting, Alex finds himself drawn further and further into a murder mystery. That seemingly straightforward mystery quickly morphs into a complex case that heads off in several seemingly unrelated directions. Working with his friend, LAPD detective Milo Sturgis—though taking the lead himself—Alex weaves these disparate threads into a logical set of relationships that don't become clear until the end of the book.
As in the preceding novels, the tension steadily mounts, the complexities become progressively more confusing, and both Alex and Milo's lives are threatened, but all comes out well following a violent climax. That school shooting turns out to have been far more complicated than it seemed at first. Unfortunately, in a way that's disturbingly reminiscent of the formulaic whodunits of Agatha Christie and her ilk, sorting it all out at the end requires far too much explanation. And one central character demonstrates technological capabilities that might well have been within the reach of the National Security Agency in 1988 but were surely out of reach of any individual.
Despite these disappointments, reading the novel brings rewards. Kellerman's research into the Holocaust, though it reveals nothing new, is well done. His exploration of the history of neo-Nazi activities in the United States is engaging. The insight Kellerman offers about how children react to trauma is obviously on point. And it's always a pleasure to learn more about the work of Alex Delaware, which surely reflects the author's personal experience.
August 12, 2023
Just okay. This is the first book I've read by this author and the 5th in a series about a psychologist and detective friendship/partnership. Maybe Kellerman fleshed out the personalities of the main characters in previous books, because there was precious little character development here, with one exception. One of the main characters introduced in this novel was a man with narcissistic personality disorder. Kellerman nailed him. Anyone who has known a malignant narcissist will recognize him immediately. But then Kellerman himself is a psychologist, so it makes sense.
One thing that annoyed me was Kellerman's over-the-top details about what people looked like and, especially, what they were wearing! Did we really need to know the color and pattern of everyone's ties and the fabric/color of shirts and suits?! Sleeve length? Shoes?
The book was overly long, as well, but it does have some very clever turns of phrases which I enjoyed enough to highlight. On balance, however, this is probably the one and only book I'll read by this author.
One thing that annoyed me was Kellerman's over-the-top details about what people looked like and, especially, what they were wearing! Did we really need to know the color and pattern of everyone's ties and the fabric/color of shirts and suits?! Sleeve length? Shoes?
The book was overly long, as well, but it does have some very clever turns of phrases which I enjoyed enough to highlight. On balance, however, this is probably the one and only book I'll read by this author.
April 24, 2019
"Time Bomb" is Jonathan Kellerman's fifth Alex Delaware novel and was published in 1990. I started collecting this mystery series in the late 80's when there was the book club mailings and you received a hardcover each month.
Delaware is a psychologist based in LA who earns his living as a consultant - working with the courts and the police.
By the time psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware reached the school the damage was done: A sniper had opened fire on a crowded playground, but was gunned down before any children were hurt. While the TV news crews feasted on the scene an Alex began his therapy sessions with the traumatized children, he couldn't escape the image of a slight teenager clutching an oversized rifle. What was the identity behind the name and face: a would-be assassin, or just another victim beneath an indifferent California sky?
I found it to be well-written, with great characters, lots of twists and turns. It was an enjoyable book, I would recommend to almost anyone looking for a good mystery. Can be read as a stand alone.
Delaware is a psychologist based in LA who earns his living as a consultant - working with the courts and the police.
By the time psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware reached the school the damage was done: A sniper had opened fire on a crowded playground, but was gunned down before any children were hurt. While the TV news crews feasted on the scene an Alex began his therapy sessions with the traumatized children, he couldn't escape the image of a slight teenager clutching an oversized rifle. What was the identity behind the name and face: a would-be assassin, or just another victim beneath an indifferent California sky?
I found it to be well-written, with great characters, lots of twists and turns. It was an enjoyable book, I would recommend to almost anyone looking for a good mystery. Can be read as a stand alone.
September 4, 2022
I’ve read Kellerman’s books before, and enjoyed them. So, when this 1990 novel popped up on BookBub for 2 bucks, I downloaded it. Like his other books, this one is written in the first person from the POV of Alex Delaware, a psychologist who often works as a consultant to the LAPD by way of his friendship with Detective Milo Sturgis.
Kellerman’s style is spare, focusing more on the physical elements of a scene rather than expose the emotions of his characters. For those insights, we are fortunate to have the observations of Dr. Delaware, who is clinical but describes the motives of other characters colorfully. Frankly, that’s the draw of the book and what sets it apart from other thriller/mysteries.
I enjoyed the story primarily because of the author’s writing skills. My one complaint is the book is just too damn long. If it was 200 pages shorter it would have been a great book.
Kellerman’s style is spare, focusing more on the physical elements of a scene rather than expose the emotions of his characters. For those insights, we are fortunate to have the observations of Dr. Delaware, who is clinical but describes the motives of other characters colorfully. Frankly, that’s the draw of the book and what sets it apart from other thriller/mysteries.
I enjoyed the story primarily because of the author’s writing skills. My one complaint is the book is just too damn long. If it was 200 pages shorter it would have been a great book.
July 1, 2025
I actually give this a 2.5 based on the good fact that I was surprised by the ending. There were too many holes in the story line for me to "suspend my disbelief." First and foremost, there is a school shooting and the solution provided is to send our hero, Alex, to attend to the affected students. One person for say 10 classes ? 20 classes of students? I think not.
Then there was the ever-present love interest with the beautiful, available principal, not principle as these were thrown out the door when Alex went canoodling with said babe, even during school hours. What ever happened to professional ethics?
As mentioned earlier, I had no idea how the case conundrums would resolve until the end of the book.
Then there was the ever-present love interest with the beautiful, available principal, not principle as these were thrown out the door when Alex went canoodling with said babe, even during school hours. What ever happened to professional ethics?
As mentioned earlier, I had no idea how the case conundrums would resolve until the end of the book.
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