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Alex Delaware #30
Motive
Even hundreds of closed cases to his credit can't keep LAPD police lieutenant Milo Sturgis from agonising over the crimes that don't get solved - and the victims who go without justice. Victims like Katherine Hennepin, a young woman strangled and stabbed in her home. A single suspect with a solid alibi leads to a dead end - one even psychologist Alex Delaware's expert insight can't explain. The only thing to do is move on to the next murder case - because there is always a next one.
This time the victim is Ursula Corey, a successful, attractive divorcee who's been gunned down - not a robbery but an execution, a crime that smacks of simple, savage revenge. And along with that theoretical motive come two strong contenders for the role of suspect: the dead woman's business partner/ex-husband and her divorce lawyer/secret lover. But just as Alex and Milo think they're zeroing in on the killer, a bizarre new clue stirs up echoes of the unsolved Hennepin murder. And the discovery of yet another crime scene bearing the same taunting signature raises the spectre of a serial killer on a mission, whose twisted method is exceeded only by his manipulative and cunning madness.
This time the victim is Ursula Corey, a successful, attractive divorcee who's been gunned down - not a robbery but an execution, a crime that smacks of simple, savage revenge. And along with that theoretical motive come two strong contenders for the role of suspect: the dead woman's business partner/ex-husband and her divorce lawyer/secret lover. But just as Alex and Milo think they're zeroing in on the killer, a bizarre new clue stirs up echoes of the unsolved Hennepin murder. And the discovery of yet another crime scene bearing the same taunting signature raises the spectre of a serial killer on a mission, whose twisted method is exceeded only by his manipulative and cunning madness.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published February 10, 2015
1709 people are currently reading
4680 people want to read
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 942 reviews
May 12, 2016
Police consultant/psychologist Alex Delaware and his sidekick, Homicide Detective Milo Sturgis, return for the thirtieth time in this novel, and perhaps my lack of real enthusiasm for the book simply reflects the fact that I've read all of the twenty-nine earlier entries and the formula seems to have gotten somewhat repetitive and stale, at least for me.
Part of the problem, I think, is that the characters have not grown, developed or changed in any significant way for a very long time. The two main characters have been settled in their respective committed relationships for a long time now; there's no news there, and each of their partners makes a token appearance or two in the book, for no real apparent reason, save to remind us, I guess, that they're still around.
I've also grown really tired of Milo Sturgis who may be a fairly good detective but who otherwise is really an unlikable slob. I long ago tired of the way he stuffs himself like a pig at every opportunity and he really doesn't seem to have any especially appealing characteristics. This is not a guy I would like to hang out with in real life for any length of time, and I don't especially enjoy hanging around with him in these books much any more.
Also, as I've complained before, unlike the earlier books in this series, there often seems to be no real need for Milo to be dragging Delaware along on these cases. He's no longer being paid by the department to officially consult, at least in this book. So what's he doing getting involved?
As this book opens, Milo has a case he hasn't been able to solve involving the murder of a young woman and so, rather than turning to other detectives or experts in the department he decides to ask Alex to take a look at it, which really isn't very logical. There is an aspect of the case that might benefit from some psychological analysis, but it's a pretty thin reed upon which to hang Delaware's involvement.
Alex is of no real help and then another woman is killed. Initially, there's no apparent connection between the two cases, but nonetheless, Alex is along for the ride here too. As the book progresses, other victims will fall and it soon becomes apparent that there are at least a few pretty sick people around the fringes of this case. Alex will offer some psychological insights, but if the killer or killers are to be found, what's really going to be needed is some good, basic, old-fashioned police work, and there's simply no plausible reason why Delaware should be doing it, save for the fact that he's the main protagonist in the series.
The story itself is OK, but it doesn't rise to the standards of the earlier books in the series and really didn't get my heart racing as much as a thriller should. I'm still holding out hope, though, that sooner or later we'll get a new book that recaptures the mojo that made this series and Alex Delaware so compelling early on.
Part of the problem, I think, is that the characters have not grown, developed or changed in any significant way for a very long time. The two main characters have been settled in their respective committed relationships for a long time now; there's no news there, and each of their partners makes a token appearance or two in the book, for no real apparent reason, save to remind us, I guess, that they're still around.
I've also grown really tired of Milo Sturgis who may be a fairly good detective but who otherwise is really an unlikable slob. I long ago tired of the way he stuffs himself like a pig at every opportunity and he really doesn't seem to have any especially appealing characteristics. This is not a guy I would like to hang out with in real life for any length of time, and I don't especially enjoy hanging around with him in these books much any more.
Also, as I've complained before, unlike the earlier books in this series, there often seems to be no real need for Milo to be dragging Delaware along on these cases. He's no longer being paid by the department to officially consult, at least in this book. So what's he doing getting involved?
As this book opens, Milo has a case he hasn't been able to solve involving the murder of a young woman and so, rather than turning to other detectives or experts in the department he decides to ask Alex to take a look at it, which really isn't very logical. There is an aspect of the case that might benefit from some psychological analysis, but it's a pretty thin reed upon which to hang Delaware's involvement.
Alex is of no real help and then another woman is killed. Initially, there's no apparent connection between the two cases, but nonetheless, Alex is along for the ride here too. As the book progresses, other victims will fall and it soon becomes apparent that there are at least a few pretty sick people around the fringes of this case. Alex will offer some psychological insights, but if the killer or killers are to be found, what's really going to be needed is some good, basic, old-fashioned police work, and there's simply no plausible reason why Delaware should be doing it, save for the fact that he's the main protagonist in the series.
The story itself is OK, but it doesn't rise to the standards of the earlier books in the series and really didn't get my heart racing as much as a thriller should. I'm still holding out hope, though, that sooner or later we'll get a new book that recaptures the mojo that made this series and Alex Delaware so compelling early on.
December 11, 2016
This is the 30th in the series featuring Dr. Alex Delaware, a child Psychologist and his close friend, LA police lieutenant Milo Sturgis. Wow!! I can't believe we are up to number 30. I feel like I've been reading this series forever....and I guess I have!
Milo calls upon Alex to assist in an investigation into the murder of a prominent woman shot in the parking garage as she leaves her lawyers office. The usual suspects? Estranged husband? Perhaps, but soon there are additional murders that tie into this case. Now the field of suspects is spread wide open. You may ask why a child psychologist would be consulted for a murder investigation where no children are involved? Well? Good question! But he always is...and somehow he always helps solve the crime.
Un-like previous books in this series, the emphasis is on the murder investigation rather than the personal lives of Alex and Milo. Robin, Alex's long time girlfriend plays a very minor role in this book. (As does their French bulldog Blanche).
I"ve always enjoyed this series. This book holds up to all his previous work and is another great addition.
Milo calls upon Alex to assist in an investigation into the murder of a prominent woman shot in the parking garage as she leaves her lawyers office. The usual suspects? Estranged husband? Perhaps, but soon there are additional murders that tie into this case. Now the field of suspects is spread wide open. You may ask why a child psychologist would be consulted for a murder investigation where no children are involved? Well? Good question! But he always is...and somehow he always helps solve the crime.
Un-like previous books in this series, the emphasis is on the murder investigation rather than the personal lives of Alex and Milo. Robin, Alex's long time girlfriend plays a very minor role in this book. (As does their French bulldog Blanche).
I"ve always enjoyed this series. This book holds up to all his previous work and is another great addition.
July 8, 2017
4.5★s
The murder of Katherine Hennepin had baffled LAPD police lieutenant Milo Sturgis from start to unfinished – Dr Alex Delaware could see his frustration. But it was the murder of a high flying divorcee by the name of Ursula Corey that brought the two men back together on the cases. As Milo bounced theories off Alex, they realised they had a psychopath on their hands – a person who left a sick, misdirecting signature again and again.
But Milo had more than one suspect, and working out who was who; what the motive was and where the next murder would be was consuming him and his team. Alex was working his line of ideas – but would they be able to put their thoughts together? With more bodies turning up, the clock was ticking to resolve the situation quickly. Would they? Could they? And were the murders connected?
Motive by Jonathan Kellerman is another in the Alex Delaware thrillers and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Fast-paced with high octane thrills, and a touch of humour along the way, Motive is one I highly recommend.
The murder of Katherine Hennepin had baffled LAPD police lieutenant Milo Sturgis from start to unfinished – Dr Alex Delaware could see his frustration. But it was the murder of a high flying divorcee by the name of Ursula Corey that brought the two men back together on the cases. As Milo bounced theories off Alex, they realised they had a psychopath on their hands – a person who left a sick, misdirecting signature again and again.
But Milo had more than one suspect, and working out who was who; what the motive was and where the next murder would be was consuming him and his team. Alex was working his line of ideas – but would they be able to put their thoughts together? With more bodies turning up, the clock was ticking to resolve the situation quickly. Would they? Could they? And were the murders connected?
Motive by Jonathan Kellerman is another in the Alex Delaware thrillers and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Fast-paced with high octane thrills, and a touch of humour along the way, Motive is one I highly recommend.
February 24, 2015
This was an ok read.......I have read all the books in this series but the last couple of ones have been a bit disappointing.
I don't feel the magic between Alex Elaware & Milos Sturgis that was there in the beginning.
The plot was set in the usual dark and sinister side of LA, which the author writes so well about.
I must admit that I never expected the revelation of the baddies at the end...so I guess JK still surprises me!!!
I don't feel the magic between Alex Elaware & Milos Sturgis that was there in the beginning.
The plot was set in the usual dark and sinister side of LA, which the author writes so well about.
I must admit that I never expected the revelation of the baddies at the end...so I guess JK still surprises me!!!
July 12, 2018
Much like Patricia Cornwall and Kay Scarpetta, Kellerman has run this series into the ground. Whether he's bored or just plain lazy, everything that made it a good read for so many years is gone.
February 25, 2015
The big mystery here is Why oh Why do I continue to waste eye-time with these books. Typical Kellerman drivel.
Too much time spent describing every single article of clothing each character is wearing--but then again, when the characters are as shallow and one-dimensional as Kellerman's, clothing matters.
Every. Single. Character. except for Alex Delaware is an idiot. Delaware himself isn't all that bright, but compared to his compatriots, he's a rocket surgeon.
One sentence paragraphs. Save me from one sentence paragraphs! And sometimes the paragraphs aren't even a proper sentence...not even an interesting fragment...just some words thrown out there. Does he do this to add white space to the page so as not to discourage the semi-literate? Or does he do it to irritate? Who knows? Who cares?
ARGH!
Too much time spent describing every single article of clothing each character is wearing--but then again, when the characters are as shallow and one-dimensional as Kellerman's, clothing matters.
Every. Single. Character. except for Alex Delaware is an idiot. Delaware himself isn't all that bright, but compared to his compatriots, he's a rocket surgeon.
One sentence paragraphs. Save me from one sentence paragraphs! And sometimes the paragraphs aren't even a proper sentence...not even an interesting fragment...just some words thrown out there. Does he do this to add white space to the page so as not to discourage the semi-literate? Or does he do it to irritate? Who knows? Who cares?
ARGH!
February 23, 2015
A great read from an author I've been reading for over 20 years and one I look forward to every year.
I enjoyed this one. Kellerman fell flat for a couple of books in the last few years, but this one was solidly back on track. Great plot; although it's easy to pick out the who in Kellerman's books, it's always the why that keeps me reading, and this one was no exception. I also liked that it flowed well and was well-focused; right from the first page, it got right into the plot. No easing into it, and the pace didn't let up until the end. I've noticed in several books that it gets bogged down in the middle (usually with Alex massaging his OCD) but there was little (if any) of that in this book.
A solid read to curl up with on a winter weekend.
I enjoyed this one. Kellerman fell flat for a couple of books in the last few years, but this one was solidly back on track. Great plot; although it's easy to pick out the who in Kellerman's books, it's always the why that keeps me reading, and this one was no exception. I also liked that it flowed well and was well-focused; right from the first page, it got right into the plot. No easing into it, and the pace didn't let up until the end. I've noticed in several books that it gets bogged down in the middle (usually with Alex massaging his OCD) but there was little (if any) of that in this book.
A solid read to curl up with on a winter weekend.
August 12, 2015
The Alex Delaware in this book is nothing like he used to be. But then, neither is Kellerman it seems. In the earlier novels, the plotting was clever and the characters were excellently rendered: flawed and human and real. Now, they all just seem like filler.
Instead of being great, these books are just ok. Another reviewer said there was no magic left, and for me, that sums up this book. It was entirely unmemorable.
Still, thank you to Netgalley and Headline for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
Instead of being great, these books are just ok. Another reviewer said there was no magic left, and for me, that sums up this book. It was entirely unmemorable.
Still, thank you to Netgalley and Headline for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 25, 2016
#30, really? LAPD detective Milo Sturgis consults Dr. Alex Delaware about a murder case, where he is making no progress. The strangled, stabbed victim is a young woman, and an elegant dinner for two has been set at the murder scene. Then a divorcee is gunned down in a Century City parking garage, after a visit to het lawyer. Unrelated? Hardly although the tie-in takes awhile. Many suspects are introduced, and much of the novel is Alex theorizing about the identity and psychoses of the killer. Milo plays, at best, a supporting role. Lots of violence, with an unexpected ending.
February 14, 2015
Like the previous two books in the author's series featuring psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware - I believe this is the 30th - Motive falls a bit short of a 5-star rating in my book. Mostly, I attribute that to a few too many characters who seem to be included just for the heck of it (to throw readers off track, perhaps?) and an abrupt, somewhat unsatisfying ending. Ah yes, and one other thing: So many run-on sentences that I lost count in the first two chapters. I admit to being picky when it comes to grammar, but God made semicolons and dashes for a good reason.
But on the plus side, it's still Kellerman - and chalk up another better-than-decent one that brings together the good doctor, a consultant to the LAPD, and his good friend, police lieutenant Milo Sturgis. The latter calls Alex to help when a young woman is found murdered in her home. That murder is followed by the gunning down of a gorgeous and successful woman who's been in the process of divorcing her business partner husband for the past three years.
The plot thickens when it appears that the killer may have set up fake meals for two at the victims' homes after the fact, leading the investigators to a suspect who's a chef with a fiery temper (whoa, Nelly, what a concept!) who dated one of the victims. New suspects pop up all over the place, from the chef to the ex-husband to the respective divorce attorneys, but solid evidence does not; perhaps that explains why the usual gruff but go-get-'em Sturgis seems to adopt an almost ho-hum attitude. Even his usually super-healthy appetite is a bit more subdued than usual (but only a bit).
Not the best I've read in the series (which includes virtually every one), but definitely worth a shot.
But on the plus side, it's still Kellerman - and chalk up another better-than-decent one that brings together the good doctor, a consultant to the LAPD, and his good friend, police lieutenant Milo Sturgis. The latter calls Alex to help when a young woman is found murdered in her home. That murder is followed by the gunning down of a gorgeous and successful woman who's been in the process of divorcing her business partner husband for the past three years.
The plot thickens when it appears that the killer may have set up fake meals for two at the victims' homes after the fact, leading the investigators to a suspect who's a chef with a fiery temper (whoa, Nelly, what a concept!) who dated one of the victims. New suspects pop up all over the place, from the chef to the ex-husband to the respective divorce attorneys, but solid evidence does not; perhaps that explains why the usual gruff but go-get-'em Sturgis seems to adopt an almost ho-hum attitude. Even his usually super-healthy appetite is a bit more subdued than usual (but only a bit).
Not the best I've read in the series (which includes virtually every one), but definitely worth a shot.
August 27, 2015
I've been a fan of the Alex Delaware series right from the start (well I say from the start, I read the first 6 or so all in a heap and since then have not missed a single one) and they never fail to get my reading mojo going - excellent reads every time.
Milo of course. Can't have Alex without Milo - the best "buddy" pairing around in crime fiction as far as I am concerned and both are on top form in "Motive" as Milo is landed with a randomly strange case involving dead bodies and a lot of food stuff. As Alex is his go to guy for the weird and horrific, they start to try and make some sense of it all. But as ever these things are never easy and before we know it BAM things are getting darker..
I'm a big fan of the prose that Kellerman uses to involve the reader in the plot, it just kind of gently flows over you but before you know it you are engrossed and utterly addicted. The characters have grown so beautifully over time, with all the ups and downs, you know them so well - and yet every time you have something new and even after all this time those we know best can act in an unpredictable manner - it keeps things fresh and never fails to keep you intrigued.
Motive was basically another great story, involving some terrifically drawn characters with all the disturbing twisty turns you can hope for within a series that could potentially run a good few years yet. Here's hoping.
Happy Reading Folks!
Milo of course. Can't have Alex without Milo - the best "buddy" pairing around in crime fiction as far as I am concerned and both are on top form in "Motive" as Milo is landed with a randomly strange case involving dead bodies and a lot of food stuff. As Alex is his go to guy for the weird and horrific, they start to try and make some sense of it all. But as ever these things are never easy and before we know it BAM things are getting darker..
I'm a big fan of the prose that Kellerman uses to involve the reader in the plot, it just kind of gently flows over you but before you know it you are engrossed and utterly addicted. The characters have grown so beautifully over time, with all the ups and downs, you know them so well - and yet every time you have something new and even after all this time those we know best can act in an unpredictable manner - it keeps things fresh and never fails to keep you intrigued.
Motive was basically another great story, involving some terrifically drawn characters with all the disturbing twisty turns you can hope for within a series that could potentially run a good few years yet. Here's hoping.
Happy Reading Folks!
April 17, 2017
I've read all the Alex Delaware books and they have become very, very formulaic. There is a murder. Det. Milo Sturgis teams up with Dr. Alex Delaware to try to solve it. Alex is constantly asking himself a lot of questions as he ponders the crime. Milo eats a lot. Throw in a lot of red herrings. The perpetrator turns out to be someone barely mentioned at the start of the book. Rinse and repeat for the next book.
This wasn't a bad book, it just wasn't anything special. Kellerman needs to do something to get out of this rut. Also, when Alex and Milo are talking, he needs to do more to indicate who is saying what. After a few lines, it's hard to keep the dialogue straight.
I used to buy these books when they first came out. Now I wait until they come out in paperback, and let my husband read them first. They've just lost their special appeal. Other authors are doing this genre much better, sadly.
This wasn't a bad book, it just wasn't anything special. Kellerman needs to do something to get out of this rut. Also, when Alex and Milo are talking, he needs to do more to indicate who is saying what. After a few lines, it's hard to keep the dialogue straight.
I used to buy these books when they first came out. Now I wait until they come out in paperback, and let my husband read them first. They've just lost their special appeal. Other authors are doing this genre much better, sadly.
February 25, 2015
Motive is the latest installment in Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series. It opens with the murder of a young woman in her apartment. The aberration is that her table has been set up post crime with a dinner for two. When another woman is murdered and her table for two is set, the case moves into Dr. Delaware’s area of expertise: motive.
This novel is classic Kellerman. It’s a fast paced story that is a quick enjoyable read. There are plenty of red herrings along the way. In fact, Kellerman is known for this. He throws out red herrings like a crazed jester throwing beads at a Mardi Gras parade. I know this. I expect this. Every time I read a Kellerman novel, I have a conversation with myself. “You know he’s going to try to lead you down the garden path, right? Yep. You’re not going to fall for all those false clues, right? Nope.” Of course, I do fall for his misdirections and slight of hand. I don’t know why I even bother.
For fans of Kellermans, you will not be disappointed. If you’ve never read this author, what are you waiting for?
This novel is classic Kellerman. It’s a fast paced story that is a quick enjoyable read. There are plenty of red herrings along the way. In fact, Kellerman is known for this. He throws out red herrings like a crazed jester throwing beads at a Mardi Gras parade. I know this. I expect this. Every time I read a Kellerman novel, I have a conversation with myself. “You know he’s going to try to lead you down the garden path, right? Yep. You’re not going to fall for all those false clues, right? Nope.” Of course, I do fall for his misdirections and slight of hand. I don’t know why I even bother.
For fans of Kellermans, you will not be disappointed. If you’ve never read this author, what are you waiting for?
February 27, 2015
I don't know why I keep reading books in this once great series, because it's just depressing. I think he wrote this book while an episode of "Hannibal" was on in the same room. A fiendish serial killer who murders women and carefully arranges dinner scenes next to the corpses? Yeah, that's your typical Southern California crime.
The dialogue is even loonier than usual, with everyone from Vietnamese businesswomen to patrol cops to chefs spouting the same unlikely sentences. (Here's an elderly Jewish lawyer: "Listen, I'm a geezer who's had two types of cancer and what the heck, what can anyone do to me? So here's the dirt: once day I noticed Grant's pudgy paw finding its way to Ursula's shapely buttocks when no one was looking.")
Also, Kellerman needs to spend some time with actual teenagers, because -- at least here in L.A. -- they do NOT say "totally bogus" or use "frickin'" as their favorite cuss word.
The dialogue is even loonier than usual, with everyone from Vietnamese businesswomen to patrol cops to chefs spouting the same unlikely sentences. (Here's an elderly Jewish lawyer: "Listen, I'm a geezer who's had two types of cancer and what the heck, what can anyone do to me? So here's the dirt: once day I noticed Grant's pudgy paw finding its way to Ursula's shapely buttocks when no one was looking.")
Also, Kellerman needs to spend some time with actual teenagers, because -- at least here in L.A. -- they do NOT say "totally bogus" or use "frickin'" as their favorite cuss word.
July 3, 2015
Another enjoyable book in the Alex Delaware series. Delaware and LAPD Detective Milo Sturis again team up in #30 in the series. I have them all except Thriller(#29) in this series and just ordered from the library.
February 10, 2015
Another great Alex Delaware book,exciting and engaging through out! Had to read it all at once!!
April 25, 2018
Always love a good Alex Delaware novel . . . didn't get into this one quite as much as I usually do. Still, a solid read.
October 2, 2018
Like the interaction between Alex and dectective Sturgis in this one, and a interesting who done it w/ all the loose ends tied up the way I like it. Nice comfortable read with familiar characters, which is a good thing.
February 16, 2020
I haven't ready a Delaware novel in a long time. Great story!!! I had the bid guy picked out early, then talked myself out of it...Kellerman does that every time!
February 16, 2015
Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware books are reliably good reads, but some are much better than others. I always love Alex's best friend Milo, the scruffy, socially inept but dogged and gifted crime-buster, and he's fine in this one. Robin, Alex's girl friend, is also an excellent character, but her role in this one is minuscule. Too bad, because Alex was robotic and strangely flat. Even the witty repartee of musical or literary allusions and puns that Alex and Milo usually exchange fell flat. The victims and villains (there were plenty of both) were potentially interesting, but unconvincingly or underdeveloped. There was also one vile example of animal abuse that did further the plot, but things of this type always sour me on the book...and I think the author could have found a way to circumvent the villain's intentions in this one and saved the non-human victims. The "motive" of the title was definitely the best part, but most of that wasn't fleshed out enough either. And at the end, the fates of several characters were left hanging or hastily explained away. If this had been the first book of the series, I don't think I'd have gone on to read more.
June 10, 2019
I have enjoyed this series for years. This is the 30th book in the series. I may have missed a few but not many.
I like this entry into the series where there appears to be three unrelated homicides---until some clues point to a serial killer. I am not going to try to summarize such a complex plot in one paragraph. Suffice it to say, I rated this a four. Almost all of Jonathan Kellerman's book get four stars from me, but a few get three. In such a long series, some books of course are stronger than others.
I heartily recommend this book and the entire "Alex Delaware" series. Good dialog and characterization and interesting plots abound. Each book stands alone, so you can read them in any order. There occasional references in passing to previous books, but it does not affect the current story. Of course should you be lucky enough to find some of the earlier ones, I find it does enhance the enjoyment for me.
Try any Alex Delaware novel if you have never read any. You will be glad to discover this series.
I like this entry into the series where there appears to be three unrelated homicides---until some clues point to a serial killer. I am not going to try to summarize such a complex plot in one paragraph. Suffice it to say, I rated this a four. Almost all of Jonathan Kellerman's book get four stars from me, but a few get three. In such a long series, some books of course are stronger than others.
I heartily recommend this book and the entire "Alex Delaware" series. Good dialog and characterization and interesting plots abound. Each book stands alone, so you can read them in any order. There occasional references in passing to previous books, but it does not affect the current story. Of course should you be lucky enough to find some of the earlier ones, I find it does enhance the enjoyment for me.
Try any Alex Delaware novel if you have never read any. You will be glad to discover this series.
April 6, 2015
Alex did more police work than Milo in this case. Two women are murdered at different times and in different ways. They don’t seem connected, except they each have an uneaten meal for two set on their dining tables. The first woman was killed in her home, so the meal didn’t not seem all that odd. The second woman, however, was killed in a parking garage after visiting her lawyer. The table was set at her home after her murder. Very odd. Are the two murders connected? If so, how? What would be the common motive? Alex must have had some time on his hands because he did a lot of the legwork on this one while Milo chased a McGuffin. I always enjoy spending time with Alex and Milo.
February 27, 2015
Another fine entry in the Alex Delaware series. Alex and L.A. homicide detective Milo Sturgis are investigating a series of murders--but are they the work of a serial killer, the related crimes of several killers, or just a lot of very bad luck? Alex begins to suspect that none of the murders are not quite what they seem, that he and Milo are dealing with some truly brilliant misdirection. Will a killer go free this time?
December 20, 2019
Contrary to other Alex Delaware's plots, I think, as a big fan, I got less closure and satisfaction with this one. It's funny seeing the title is Motive. That's the one thing that wasn't provided. In the end, I truly wondered what was in that killer's head? It's clear that Milo and Alex are in pursuit of a pure psycho, and after endless days of surveilling several persons of interest, they finally are able to identify the killer (surprisingly not whom everyone thought), and they are able to track him down. Unfortunately, we don't get any answers as to the why of all his vile acts, and have to rely on the speculations of Alex and Milo to get some satisfying answers.
Be assured, there are other and many things to like about this book : Milo and Alex are as always authentic and witty. Furthermore, the many sub-characters and peripheral characters are evenly unique, and brought to life in a wonderful way by narrator John Rubinstein.
Be assured, there are other and many things to like about this book : Milo and Alex are as always authentic and witty. Furthermore, the many sub-characters and peripheral characters are evenly unique, and brought to life in a wonderful way by narrator John Rubinstein.
March 25, 2021
3...I enjoyed this one, but couldn't get into it like the last couple! But it was still decent, Milo and Alex have become staples in my heart....
April 21, 2021
How does he do it?!! Kellerman keeps coming out with new mysteries. He has his style—short quips of dialogue. But he invents new characters, giving minute descriptions. It’s true, his formula is predictable, but you know what you are going to get when you read one of his books. My only criticism is that this one was long and, to my mind, still didn’t resolve some elements of the plot. I’ve seen the books that he has written with his son, but not read any of them. Maybe the next time I want a Kellerman fix, I’ll try one.
December 10, 2025
Just meh 🫤
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November 3, 2017i thought that this book was a good book. this book was about a murder case and how i was solved. if i had a little bit more time to think about reading this book i probably wouldn't have read it, but i did because i needed the pages and something to read and it was on the book shelf. i liked this book a little bit more than gathering prey by John Sandford because he used a lot of curse words. i would recommend this book to a person who likes a murder mystery or someone who needs a okay book to get a thousand pages on good reads.
February 21, 2024
These Jonathan Kellerman Alex Delaware books continue to be good crime/mystery fun with pretty good audio. This wasn't the best one I have listened to but it was still solid and kept me guessing until the end. I was worried for a while that the puzzle pieces to the mystery wouldn't add up to make sense, but thankfully Kellerman is a better writer than I was giving him credit for. I'll continue to fit these in as palate cleansers.
August 28, 2018
fun to meet Alex and Milo again
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