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Clay Edison #2
A Measure of Darkness
Deputy coroner Clay Edison goes to extreme lengths for a forgotten Jane Doe in the new thriller from a father-son team of bestselling authors who write "brilliant, page-turning fiction" (Stephen King).
"As for the keen sense of drama, it must be a genetic trait... The Kellermans show compassion for the survivors, including conscientious officials like Edison," - The New York Times Book Review
Former star basketball player Clay Edison is busy. He's solved a decades-old crime and redeemed an innocent man, earning himself a suspension in the process. Things are getting serious with his girlfriend. Plus his brother's fresh out of prison, bringing with him a whole new set of complications.
Then the phone rings in the dead of night.
A wild party in a gentrifying East Bay neighborhood. A heated argument that spills into the street. Gunshots. Chaos.
For Clay and his fellow coroners, it's the start of a long night and the first of many to come. The victims keep piling up. What begins as a community tragedy soon becomes lurid fodder for social media.
Then the smoke clears and the real mystery emerges - one victim's death doesn't match the others. Brutalized and abandoned, stripped of ID, and left to die: She is Jane Doe, a human question mark. And it falls to Clay to give her a name and a voice.
Haunted by the cruelty of her death, he embarks upon a journey into the bizarre, entering a hidden world where innocence and perversity meet and mingle. There, his relentless pursuit of the truth opens the gateway to a dark and baffling past - and brings him right into the line of fire.
"As for the keen sense of drama, it must be a genetic trait... The Kellermans show compassion for the survivors, including conscientious officials like Edison," - The New York Times Book Review
Former star basketball player Clay Edison is busy. He's solved a decades-old crime and redeemed an innocent man, earning himself a suspension in the process. Things are getting serious with his girlfriend. Plus his brother's fresh out of prison, bringing with him a whole new set of complications.
Then the phone rings in the dead of night.
A wild party in a gentrifying East Bay neighborhood. A heated argument that spills into the street. Gunshots. Chaos.
For Clay and his fellow coroners, it's the start of a long night and the first of many to come. The victims keep piling up. What begins as a community tragedy soon becomes lurid fodder for social media.
Then the smoke clears and the real mystery emerges - one victim's death doesn't match the others. Brutalized and abandoned, stripped of ID, and left to die: She is Jane Doe, a human question mark. And it falls to Clay to give her a name and a voice.
Haunted by the cruelty of her death, he embarks upon a journey into the bizarre, entering a hidden world where innocence and perversity meet and mingle. There, his relentless pursuit of the truth opens the gateway to a dark and baffling past - and brings him right into the line of fire.
Hardcover
First published July 31, 2018
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About the author
Jonathan Kellerman
197 books5,791 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 551 reviews
August 9, 2018
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Meet Clay Edison. He works as a Deputy for the coroners office. A tough and sometimes gruesome job. But someone’s got to do it. And the icing on the cake? It typically means being called up at all hours of the night to investigate yet another tragedy somewhere in the Bay Area.
Clay is an extremely likable character that gives you full access into both his personal and professional life.
Wheeee! A late night neighborhood party! Invites via social media to all who are connected through their feed. Only this party ends with a bang! Literally.
Clay is called out to sort through the mayhem for the coroners office. Hard enough on a good day. But add to that, his duties also include the heart-breaking task of notifying the victims and their families.
I love the writing of both Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman. I’ve been reading books by Jonathan for as long as I can remember! And an added bonus with this read? – we’re also treated to a cameo from his most popular character!!
There is an easy flow to this book, taking you on a journey through their story.
My one drawback - the number of characters and apparent victims that were being sorted out. At times, I felt it lacked direction...or maybe it was just me that couldn’t keep up.🤷🏻♀️ Despite that, it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of this book.
If you’re a fan of one or both of these authors then this is a must read for you.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and Jonathan & Jesse Kellerman for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Meet Clay Edison. He works as a Deputy for the coroners office. A tough and sometimes gruesome job. But someone’s got to do it. And the icing on the cake? It typically means being called up at all hours of the night to investigate yet another tragedy somewhere in the Bay Area.
Clay is an extremely likable character that gives you full access into both his personal and professional life.
Wheeee! A late night neighborhood party! Invites via social media to all who are connected through their feed. Only this party ends with a bang! Literally.
Clay is called out to sort through the mayhem for the coroners office. Hard enough on a good day. But add to that, his duties also include the heart-breaking task of notifying the victims and their families.
I love the writing of both Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman. I’ve been reading books by Jonathan for as long as I can remember! And an added bonus with this read? – we’re also treated to a cameo from his most popular character!!
There is an easy flow to this book, taking you on a journey through their story.
My one drawback - the number of characters and apparent victims that were being sorted out. At times, I felt it lacked direction...or maybe it was just me that couldn’t keep up.🤷🏻♀️ Despite that, it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of this book.
If you’re a fan of one or both of these authors then this is a must read for you.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and Jonathan & Jesse Kellerman for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
August 27, 2018
Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman return with another successful collaborative effort as they continue their new series. This comes after a disastrous effort that many readers still remember. A late-night shooting outside an Oakland home brings Clay Edison to the scene. An investigator for the Coroner’s Office, Edison spends much of his time trying to locate the next of kin while also working to better understand the rationale, paralleling some of the work undertaken by the police. While the deaths took place at a single location, bullets were not the only weapon of choice. Adding to the complications, Edison must try to identify the bodies, which proves harder than it might seem. The case branches out and forces Edison into the world of the transgender community, who protect themselves, erecting walls of privacy they feel prevents societal shaming. While Edison must walk on eggshells in this regard, it pales in comparison to some of the other mysteries of the case surrounding an alternative school with a history of bucking the mainstream. The further Edison digs, the more complicated things became. If this were not enough, Clay’s brother appears after a stint in jail with news of his own, enough to topple the apple cart for Clay and those close to him. The Kellerman men provide a fast-paced and highly entertaining piece that explores the criminal process from a unique perspective. Recommended for fans of both authors and their collaborative efforts, as well as readers who love a good police procedural.
I have read most of what Jesse Kellerman has written, though I soured on him after reading the aforementioned literary disaster. However, when I saw such rave reviews for the series debut novel, I took the plunge and was pleased with the outcome. The Kellerman men have a great grasp of writing that puts the reader at ease and keeps them connection to the cases at hand. Clay Edison, a college basketball phenom whose career abruptly ended, has adapted to life as a coroner’s investigator. He’s a great character whose off-hand approach to life and work keeps the story moving along well. He has a way about him that has the reader wondering where his mind is going and what he is thinking, keeping the narrative twisting in numerous directions. The reader sees much of his backstory emerging with the arrival of his brother on the scene. Bringing up memories of their youth and the different paths they chose at an important fork in the road helps the reader to relate a little better with him. Adding a collection of characters who differ greatly from one another, the authors inject an interesting flavour to the story, such that the reader will not likely become tired as the narrative progresses. Tackling a few poignant societal issues, the authors provide an interesting—and I would venture to say, ‘healthy’—discussion of the issues, choosing to offer a perspective that is respectful without being soap box-esque. This provides the reader with some insight that may not have been at their disposal before, perhaps opening the minds or sparking an ongoing debate. The story certainly flows well and reads like a police procedural, though without much of the gritty banter between authorities and witnesses. The seamless writing style of these two established authors is reflected in the ease with which the reader can progress in short order. I am definitely looking forward for more in this series, though understand personal commitments of both Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman may make another novel a distant dream.
Kudos, Messrs. Kellerman, for another stellar piece. You have great fan bases and I hope you’ll continue to cater to them for the foreseeable future.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
I have read most of what Jesse Kellerman has written, though I soured on him after reading the aforementioned literary disaster. However, when I saw such rave reviews for the series debut novel, I took the plunge and was pleased with the outcome. The Kellerman men have a great grasp of writing that puts the reader at ease and keeps them connection to the cases at hand. Clay Edison, a college basketball phenom whose career abruptly ended, has adapted to life as a coroner’s investigator. He’s a great character whose off-hand approach to life and work keeps the story moving along well. He has a way about him that has the reader wondering where his mind is going and what he is thinking, keeping the narrative twisting in numerous directions. The reader sees much of his backstory emerging with the arrival of his brother on the scene. Bringing up memories of their youth and the different paths they chose at an important fork in the road helps the reader to relate a little better with him. Adding a collection of characters who differ greatly from one another, the authors inject an interesting flavour to the story, such that the reader will not likely become tired as the narrative progresses. Tackling a few poignant societal issues, the authors provide an interesting—and I would venture to say, ‘healthy’—discussion of the issues, choosing to offer a perspective that is respectful without being soap box-esque. This provides the reader with some insight that may not have been at their disposal before, perhaps opening the minds or sparking an ongoing debate. The story certainly flows well and reads like a police procedural, though without much of the gritty banter between authorities and witnesses. The seamless writing style of these two established authors is reflected in the ease with which the reader can progress in short order. I am definitely looking forward for more in this series, though understand personal commitments of both Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman may make another novel a distant dream.
Kudos, Messrs. Kellerman, for another stellar piece. You have great fan bases and I hope you’ll continue to cater to them for the foreseeable future.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
July 13, 2018
Dry but good story. 3.5 Stars
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the first time that I have read a book by this author, compilation of authors, I should say. I love cop fiction and suspense thrillers so I was really looking forward to this one.
I have to say I was a bit disappointed in the suspense portion of the story, mainly in that there was little to none. This is a crime solving, cop fiction story that was quite good. The author has good story to tell and it was engaging and interesting. I loved the old school crime solving and great characters they developed. They were unique and varied, which really held the story together.
I also loved the tough to find connection that allowed the crime to be solved. Definitely a plus in the strategy
The problem is that there was no feeling of excitement; no ramp up to a big ending. It just felt a little flat to me. It could be because the crime solving was developed over many months. With no pressing feeling of suspense in the story, it did not leave me overly excited about the story.
Another thing that was interesting to me is as a first time reader, I didn’t know who the main character was. I had to go back to look up his job because I thought it was quite odd that a deputy coroner could do the things he was doing, yet I still wasn’t sure what he did. So in that aspect, I think you have to read other installment of the series to fully understand who the characters are.
I would be interested in reading more from the author. As I said before, the story is solid and very unique so you get great entertainment. There’s just no drama and excitement to really get you to feel "all in" to the story.
* Copy received for review consideration
Full Review- http://amidlifewife.com/a-measure-of-...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the first time that I have read a book by this author, compilation of authors, I should say. I love cop fiction and suspense thrillers so I was really looking forward to this one.
I have to say I was a bit disappointed in the suspense portion of the story, mainly in that there was little to none. This is a crime solving, cop fiction story that was quite good. The author has good story to tell and it was engaging and interesting. I loved the old school crime solving and great characters they developed. They were unique and varied, which really held the story together.
I also loved the tough to find connection that allowed the crime to be solved. Definitely a plus in the strategy
The problem is that there was no feeling of excitement; no ramp up to a big ending. It just felt a little flat to me. It could be because the crime solving was developed over many months. With no pressing feeling of suspense in the story, it did not leave me overly excited about the story.
Another thing that was interesting to me is as a first time reader, I didn’t know who the main character was. I had to go back to look up his job because I thought it was quite odd that a deputy coroner could do the things he was doing, yet I still wasn’t sure what he did. So in that aspect, I think you have to read other installment of the series to fully understand who the characters are.
I would be interested in reading more from the author. As I said before, the story is solid and very unique so you get great entertainment. There’s just no drama and excitement to really get you to feel "all in" to the story.
* Copy received for review consideration
Full Review- http://amidlifewife.com/a-measure-of-...
August 3, 2018
After I finished the debut book in this series, "Crime Scene," last year, I knew I'd keep going. And sure enough - thanks to an advance review copy from the publisher - I got my chance at the follow-up. It is, I believe, better than the first, thus signaling that the father-son author combo may have found its groove. What it lacks in down-and-dirty action is more than compensated for by interesting, likable characters, a good story and expertly turned phrases.
At its heart, though, it's a fairly basic police procedural; the main character, Clay Edison, is a deputy in the Coroner's Bureau. He's got Amy, his live-in love, a wayward just-out-of-jail brother with whom he has a love-hate relationship and, at the start of this one, some dead bodies that went bump in the night.
But one of those bodies is not like the others; she was found elsewhere on the property, was strangled rather than shot and her identity can't be determined. Intrigued, Clay sets out to rectify that latter point, and once accomplished, begins to work on the whodunit and why. That trail leads to the victim's childhood school - a private one that touts total freedom for the students (think Montessori on speed). As all this is unraveling, Clay continues to work on the case of the other victims, one of whom has an identity crisis of his (or her) own. In the middle of it all, here comes his brother Luke - with a rather brash fiance in tow - claiming to be a changed man and offering Clay an investment deal guaranteed to earn a pot of money.
Beyond that, the whole thing is a fairly straightforward look at how all of Clay's professional and personal scenarios are resolved (including his relationship with Amy). Although I'd personally like fewer characters to keep straight, most things get sorted out by the end (leaving, perhaps, one or two little issues unresolved, presumably to be continued in the next adventure. For sure I'll be watching for it!
At its heart, though, it's a fairly basic police procedural; the main character, Clay Edison, is a deputy in the Coroner's Bureau. He's got Amy, his live-in love, a wayward just-out-of-jail brother with whom he has a love-hate relationship and, at the start of this one, some dead bodies that went bump in the night.
But one of those bodies is not like the others; she was found elsewhere on the property, was strangled rather than shot and her identity can't be determined. Intrigued, Clay sets out to rectify that latter point, and once accomplished, begins to work on the whodunit and why. That trail leads to the victim's childhood school - a private one that touts total freedom for the students (think Montessori on speed). As all this is unraveling, Clay continues to work on the case of the other victims, one of whom has an identity crisis of his (or her) own. In the middle of it all, here comes his brother Luke - with a rather brash fiance in tow - claiming to be a changed man and offering Clay an investment deal guaranteed to earn a pot of money.
Beyond that, the whole thing is a fairly straightforward look at how all of Clay's professional and personal scenarios are resolved (including his relationship with Amy). Although I'd personally like fewer characters to keep straight, most things get sorted out by the end (leaving, perhaps, one or two little issues unresolved, presumably to be continued in the next adventure. For sure I'll be watching for it!
June 12, 2018
I love both authors but I can now say I also love them as a writing team. I have read all of Jonathan Kellerman's fiction and some of Jesse's but I will read all of the Clay Edison books as they come out. I enjoy him on the same level as the Alex Delaware character. Clay Edison is the morgue worker who cannot let something go when the details of a death do not quite add up and during a block party shooting when a body is discovered in the backyard shed as more and more details are revealed something just does not quite add up. Once they identify the body things start falling into place. And it turns out this death is not the result of the shooting but an unrelated event that goes back to the dead girls past and an unconventional upbringing. As always Clay Edison is at the heart of it and it is a great read. I would like to thank Net Galley and the Publisher for a chance to read this ARC.
June 12, 2018
This is a good read for those of us who enjoy police procedurals and crime stories. It kept my interest but was very quiet, I like a little more action. We meet up with Clay Edison, a Deputy at a coroner's office in California. In the middle of the night he is called to a shooting. It is on Almond Street where most residents are black, however a white woman who says she is an artist purchases a big house and has been having parties with a DJ and cash bar. A fight breaks out, and with people everywhere trying to leave, shots ring out! Some people are killed, bringing Clay and fellow officers to the scene. It is very hectic and the officers spend hours going over everything, getting bodies out and finding more! Clay has one young lady who was run over by a car, and after long investigating finds that several of the dead were well related to each other.
There is a good plot, with relationships between Clay, his wife and his brother. It is an interesting account with characters who kept me reading through until the end.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley, the author's Kellerman and the publisher who I thank and I give my thoughts in this review.
There is a good plot, with relationships between Clay, his wife and his brother. It is an interesting account with characters who kept me reading through until the end.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley, the author's Kellerman and the publisher who I thank and I give my thoughts in this review.
August 15, 2018
*sigh*
I'm so bummed about this book. The first chapter was genius, money in the bank: a gripping hook with carefully chosen details that made me care about the characters and invest in the story.
So much for that investment. Each ensuing chapter squandered that genius until I found myself near the end of the book, fishing around in the bottom of the barrel for what turned out to be nothing. I skimmed the last few chapters. Who skims the last act of a thriller?
It was all just so boring. There was too much dialogue...boring dialogue. Ugh. Boring details, boring bad guys, boring good guys. The story had no focus, it meandered around and around, first this suspect, then that...weeks pass...then months...I forgot who was who, or why anything or anyone was important.
I'm so disappointed. I didn't hate the book, I can't despise it or scorn it, but ... bleah.
I'm so bummed about this book. The first chapter was genius, money in the bank: a gripping hook with carefully chosen details that made me care about the characters and invest in the story.
So much for that investment. Each ensuing chapter squandered that genius until I found myself near the end of the book, fishing around in the bottom of the barrel for what turned out to be nothing. I skimmed the last few chapters. Who skims the last act of a thriller?
It was all just so boring. There was too much dialogue...boring dialogue. Ugh. Boring details, boring bad guys, boring good guys. The story had no focus, it meandered around and around, first this suspect, then that...weeks pass...then months...I forgot who was who, or why anything or anyone was important.
I'm so disappointed. I didn't hate the book, I can't despise it or scorn it, but ... bleah.
June 1, 2018
A Measure of Darkness (Clay Edison #2)
Last year I read Crime Scene, the first in this series in which father and son collaborate and liked it very much. (reviewed here)
Long a fan of the Alex Delaware novels by Jonathan Kellerman and having enjoyed the first in the Clay Edison series, I genuinely looked forward to A Measure of Darkness.
I'm sorry to say that this one didn't do much for me-- in characterization, plot, or writing. In some places it seemed to try to hard, in others, not hard enough. There were a couple of spots that I had to reread because I thought I'd missed something.
Maybe it was just me because the ratings on Goodreads so far are three 5* and one 4*.
Read in May; blog review scheduled for July 13.
NetGalley/Random House/Ballentine
Crime/Mystery. July 31, 2018. Print Length: 352 pages.
Last year I read Crime Scene, the first in this series in which father and son collaborate and liked it very much. (reviewed here)
Long a fan of the Alex Delaware novels by Jonathan Kellerman and having enjoyed the first in the Clay Edison series, I genuinely looked forward to A Measure of Darkness.
I'm sorry to say that this one didn't do much for me-- in characterization, plot, or writing. In some places it seemed to try to hard, in others, not hard enough. There were a couple of spots that I had to reread because I thought I'd missed something.
Maybe it was just me because the ratings on Goodreads so far are three 5* and one 4*.
Read in May; blog review scheduled for July 13.
NetGalley/Random House/Ballentine
Crime/Mystery. July 31, 2018. Print Length: 352 pages.
December 23, 2019
I love Jonathan Kellerman's books, but this one that was co-authored with Jesse Kellerman,
was a complete disappointment. It had no suspense in it, to me and there were too many characters to keep track of. ( That weren't even interesting) I grew bored with it easy and the story jumped around too much. The main characters in all of Jonathan Kellerman's novels ( Alex Deleware and Detective Milo Sturgis) were mentioned in the story as being contacted for assistance, but they didn't play an active role in the story and that in itself, was also disappointing. I will make it a point to read just the Alex Delaware novels by Jonathan Kellerman from now on. I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway for my honest review.
was a complete disappointment. It had no suspense in it, to me and there were too many characters to keep track of. ( That weren't even interesting) I grew bored with it easy and the story jumped around too much. The main characters in all of Jonathan Kellerman's novels ( Alex Deleware and Detective Milo Sturgis) were mentioned in the story as being contacted for assistance, but they didn't play an active role in the story and that in itself, was also disappointing. I will make it a point to read just the Alex Delaware novels by Jonathan Kellerman from now on. I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway for my honest review.
August 20, 2018
Alameda County Coroner's Deputy Clay Edison caught a busy night as an attempt at neighborhood gentrification goes awry, leaving mayhem and disaster enough to shock even the hardest souls. This is a slow, quiet, methodical story about how Clay and the rest of law enforcement attempt to piece together what the hell happened and who it happened to. Especially difficult is the family notifications for people without the identification and who weren't born the way they now present themselves. To top it off, hostility and suspicion fill the neighborhood. It's definitely the East Bay and it's Bay Area weirdness with nonconformity being the rule not the exception, down to the school based on no rules and complete freedom to new communities based on confidentiality and a break with the past. An easy writing style to read. So absorbing you almost forget there's little in the way of bang bang shoot em up action.
July 3, 2018
A Measure of Darkness is the 2nd book in the Clay Edision series by collaborative Father and Son authors Jonathan & Jesse Kellerman . The series takes place in Northern California, centered around Oakland. The story opens up shortly after the close of Crime Scene, with what appears to be a request to quiet down a neighborhood party, but turns out to be far more.
The overall story has lots of possibilities, but I felt that the pace was uneven, there were too many characters, and just too much going on.
The multiple storylines include:
• The death of Jasmine, a transgender character, and some of the family and societal issues surrounding her choice.
• The death of Wynemah “Winnie” Ozawa, a young woman and her link to the Watermark School.
• A homeless man, his choice of living arrangements and his sex offender status.
• Clay’s brother Luke and his personal life.
• The neighborhood fight, which may or may not be a gang-related event.
• Clay & Amy’s personal life.
I wanted to like the book, as I enjoyed the previous book Crime Scene, and I like Clay’s character. The working relationship between the detectives and the coroner’s office was humorous at times and offset the clutter of the story for me. By the time the Watermark School entered the story, I just couldn’t wait for the book to end, I just wanted to know how and why Winnie died.
In a way, I almost think the authors felt that too much had happened in the book as well, as there was a “wrap-up” chapter to make sure the reader left without those nagging questions.
For me this was a 2.75 star read out of 5 stars, which I will round up to 3.0 stars.
I wish to thank the Publisher, Ballantine Books; the authors; and NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.
The book will be available in multiple formats; the expected publication date is July 31st, 2018.
The overall story has lots of possibilities, but I felt that the pace was uneven, there were too many characters, and just too much going on.
The multiple storylines include:
• The death of Jasmine, a transgender character, and some of the family and societal issues surrounding her choice.
• The death of Wynemah “Winnie” Ozawa, a young woman and her link to the Watermark School.
• A homeless man, his choice of living arrangements and his sex offender status.
• Clay’s brother Luke and his personal life.
• The neighborhood fight, which may or may not be a gang-related event.
• Clay & Amy’s personal life.
I wanted to like the book, as I enjoyed the previous book Crime Scene, and I like Clay’s character. The working relationship between the detectives and the coroner’s office was humorous at times and offset the clutter of the story for me. By the time the Watermark School entered the story, I just couldn’t wait for the book to end, I just wanted to know how and why Winnie died.
In a way, I almost think the authors felt that too much had happened in the book as well, as there was a “wrap-up” chapter to make sure the reader left without those nagging questions.
For me this was a 2.75 star read out of 5 stars, which I will round up to 3.0 stars.
I wish to thank the Publisher, Ballantine Books; the authors; and NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.
The book will be available in multiple formats; the expected publication date is July 31st, 2018.
August 7, 2018
3.75 stars. Clay Edison, deputy with the coroner's office, gets called to the aftermath of a party where several people are wounded or dead and not all by the gunshots fired. One person, a transgender, was killed when run over by a car and one woman was strangled in the back of the property. Clay thinks the death by strangulation is an oddity and he works with Detective Delilah Nwodo to figure out how this murder fits in.
Let's be clear -- this is a police procedural not an action thriller. Clay Edison investigates and that slows the reading down some but I like reading about how a case is solved. We learn more about Clay's personal life with his fiancee and his brother who has been in prison. I liked the way the author brought a brief mention of Alex Delaware into the process. Can't wait until the next book in that series comes out in February 2019!
Let's be clear -- this is a police procedural not an action thriller. Clay Edison investigates and that slows the reading down some but I like reading about how a case is solved. We learn more about Clay's personal life with his fiancee and his brother who has been in prison. I liked the way the author brought a brief mention of Alex Delaware into the process. Can't wait until the next book in that series comes out in February 2019!
June 14, 2020
Nope. Not as engaging as the first in the series. I won't continue on to the third book. Disappointed after the promise of the first. If I had to describe this book, the word that comes to mind is banal.
Library Loan
Library Loan
May 6, 2021
This is not nearly as good as the first book in the series, mainly because the first two chapters are almost indecipherable. After that it gets better and finishes well. I would read a third book if they continue the series.
February 28, 2022
3.5 stars
A Measure of Darkness by Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman is the 2nd in the Clay Edison series.
Series Background: (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)
Clay Edison is a Deputy Sheriff, working for the Alameda Coroner's office in California. His job is mainly to determine the identity of victims and inform their next of kin. But he often takes things a little further than his job description allows, and finds their murderer. He majored in psychology, and has a bum knee that ruined his basketball career. The rest of the team consists of their newly promoted Night Shift Sergeant Brad Moffett, Sergeant Paula Turnbow, the rather neurotic hypochondriac Zaragoza, Nikki Kennedy, Lisa Schupfer (Shoops), and Technician Daniella Botero. In addition, there are the doctors who perform the autopsies.
My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
A party gone wild, with neighbours complaining, and crowds in the street. Gunshots are fired and now people are dead and injured, someone is run down, and another body turns up in rather unlikely place. One doesn't seem to fit with the rest.
Clay knows that determining the identity of the bodies is part of the routine, but this time two of the bodies prove more difficult. Notifying the next of kin is also a challenge. Sometimes finding these people is difficult, and sometimes they just don't want to know.
Meanwhile, Clay is back from a suspension he earned when he went "above and beyond" to redeem an innocent man. His love life has improved, as Amy has moved in, but now that his brother Luke is out of prison, things have gotten a little crazy.
My Opinions:
I like the different direction the cases take in this series, not always looking at it from a pure police investigation.
I continue to cheer for Clay, and his team is an interesting assortment of characters....but there are so many!
The book touched on a rather unorthodox education, racial issues, sexual offences, homelessness, and the LGBTQ+ community. All topics were written with respect.
I again loved the fact that Alex Delaware made an appearance in this book (I really have to re-read and catch up on that series!). The collaboration of father and son works well. The Kellerman's are busy!
Again, as good as the plot was, it seemed to lack any real action, and there were so many characters it was hard to keep track (I'm usually quite adept at this...) Anyway, I found myself skimming occasionally, so that was disheartening.
Be that as it may, I already have the next on in the series, so....until then!
For a more complete review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, as well as author information), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
July 3, 2021
A Coroner to Die For
The first time I read a book by Jesse Kellerman, I gave up. Ugh. Resting on his parents' laurels. But second chances count so I picked up the first Clay Edison book, Crime Scene, and decided a third look was definitely worth it. So yes, the Clay Edison series appears to be a keeper. No Kay Scarpatti he, with blood and guts and serial killers. Rather, a normal, average guy that ventures off the Y-incision path to dig into the story, the lives, behind the death(s). Here's hoping Clay Edison continues to be grounded.
The first time I read a book by Jesse Kellerman, I gave up. Ugh. Resting on his parents' laurels. But second chances count so I picked up the first Clay Edison book, Crime Scene, and decided a third look was definitely worth it. So yes, the Clay Edison series appears to be a keeper. No Kay Scarpatti he, with blood and guts and serial killers. Rather, a normal, average guy that ventures off the Y-incision path to dig into the story, the lives, behind the death(s). Here's hoping Clay Edison continues to be grounded.
November 4, 2018
It appears I may be in the minority with this one. I really enjoyed the first book by this father and son team, so I was looking forward to picking up the second one. Unfortunately I was disappointed but I think this is mainly because of my own issues with some of the writing. I noticed that race comes up a lot with Jonathan Kellerman. Personally if it’s a good story I don’t care I’m reading about purple and green aliens, but this one got to me because of the “black lives matter” issue. I live right outside of the area where the Michael brown shooting occurred… Which also happened to be the street my mother grew up on. It seems that so much of the country has made what occurred that day into something...light?
I’m struggling to come up with the correct words and freezing but I guess what I’m saying is I personally have friends and family members who were hurt, in danger and lost their businesses because of this tragedy and it’s hard for me to Read about it without feeling something. I’m not saying that Mr. Kellerman and his son did this on purpose, just saying how I felt about it.
I’m struggling to come up with the correct words and freezing but I guess what I’m saying is I personally have friends and family members who were hurt, in danger and lost their businesses because of this tragedy and it’s hard for me to Read about it without feeling something. I’m not saying that Mr. Kellerman and his son did this on purpose, just saying how I felt about it.
July 30, 2018
Please see all of my reviews on my blog at www.robinlovesreading.blogspot.com.
3.5 Stars
Clay Edison, Deputy Sheriff for the Alameda County Coroner's office, has just had a banner year. He solved a decades-old crime and redeemed an innocent man. However, his job was put in jeopardy as he went beyond the bounds of his duties. Things are falling into line again for Clay, and as this novel begins, he receives a call in the middle of the night. Shots were fired at a party and innocent people were killed. After all of the identifications are made, there is one woman who cannot be accounted for, and she was strangled, not shot. She is a Jane Doe, and Clay is determined to identify her.
Something curious - and I double-checked - I got to 46% before I fully understood Clay Edison's job. The blurb states that he is a deputy coroner, but his keen investigations had me curious. If he were indeed the coroner, would he have had the leeway to investigate as he did? Please pardon my ignorance. Although I generally strive to read series for that ideal sense of continuity, I did not have the opportunity to read the first in the series, Crime Scene, and so I wonder if indeed A Measure of Darkness served well as a standalone.
Due to a rather stilted delivery, the patently obvious fact that the majority of the writing was done by the younger Kellerman, and a surprising lack of the suspense that I imagined would be in this story, I had a bit of difficulty staying engaged. However, as this is a joint venture between father-and-son writers, and this is indeed my favorite genre, I will be reading the next in this series. I hope that when I do that I will have enough of a connection with Clay Edison to better enjoy the story, as I actually do like Clay's character. By the way, Child psychologist Alex Delaware, from Jonathan Kellerman's NYT bestselling series, has a cameo in this book.
Many thanks to Random House/Ballantine Books and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
3.5 Stars
Clay Edison, Deputy Sheriff for the Alameda County Coroner's office, has just had a banner year. He solved a decades-old crime and redeemed an innocent man. However, his job was put in jeopardy as he went beyond the bounds of his duties. Things are falling into line again for Clay, and as this novel begins, he receives a call in the middle of the night. Shots were fired at a party and innocent people were killed. After all of the identifications are made, there is one woman who cannot be accounted for, and she was strangled, not shot. She is a Jane Doe, and Clay is determined to identify her.
Something curious - and I double-checked - I got to 46% before I fully understood Clay Edison's job. The blurb states that he is a deputy coroner, but his keen investigations had me curious. If he were indeed the coroner, would he have had the leeway to investigate as he did? Please pardon my ignorance. Although I generally strive to read series for that ideal sense of continuity, I did not have the opportunity to read the first in the series, Crime Scene, and so I wonder if indeed A Measure of Darkness served well as a standalone.
Due to a rather stilted delivery, the patently obvious fact that the majority of the writing was done by the younger Kellerman, and a surprising lack of the suspense that I imagined would be in this story, I had a bit of difficulty staying engaged. However, as this is a joint venture between father-and-son writers, and this is indeed my favorite genre, I will be reading the next in this series. I hope that when I do that I will have enough of a connection with Clay Edison to better enjoy the story, as I actually do like Clay's character. By the way, Child psychologist Alex Delaware, from Jonathan Kellerman's NYT bestselling series, has a cameo in this book.
Many thanks to Random House/Ballantine Books and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
August 3, 2018
This is the second in the Kellerman father and son team’s Deputy Coroner Clay Edison series. You do not have to have read the first book, although it would help in providing some background for this character. The Kellermans jumped right into this story, with little introduction to Clay. I think that if I had not read the first, I would have spent a lot of time wondering just who he was. There is some additional insight into his history when his brother is introduced.
My opinion of this book improved over time. I thought the beginning a bit choppy, with some unnecessary fillers such as a play by play of a one on one basketball game. About halfway through, this police procedural story grabbed my attention and I didn’t want to put it down.
I always enjoy the descriptive language used by the Kellermans. I find it observant and often amusing. Fans of Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware character will be pleased to see that he makes another cameo appearance.
My opinion of this book improved over time. I thought the beginning a bit choppy, with some unnecessary fillers such as a play by play of a one on one basketball game. About halfway through, this police procedural story grabbed my attention and I didn’t want to put it down.
I always enjoy the descriptive language used by the Kellermans. I find it observant and often amusing. Fans of Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware character will be pleased to see that he makes another cameo appearance.
July 21, 2018
Review by 2shay..........
I have had a long running relationship with Alex Delaware, although it’s doubtful that he’s aware. So, I guess the relationship is with an iconic character created by Mr. Jonathan Kellerman. When this book became available on NetGalley I was all over the request button. I was a little disappointed.
Everything I loved about the Alex Delaware novels is missing. Mr. Kellerman brought a certain kind of verve and passion to the Delaware books. This one is actually a fairly mundane police procedural. It’s well enough written, with good flow and progression, easy enough to read...but it’s just a little boring. I apologize to hard-core fans, but that’s my opinion.
A lot of readers will like this book. You may be one. Pick up a copy and...
Enjoy! ARC graciously provided by Random House and NetGalley for an honest and voluntary review.
I have had a long running relationship with Alex Delaware, although it’s doubtful that he’s aware. So, I guess the relationship is with an iconic character created by Mr. Jonathan Kellerman. When this book became available on NetGalley I was all over the request button. I was a little disappointed.
Everything I loved about the Alex Delaware novels is missing. Mr. Kellerman brought a certain kind of verve and passion to the Delaware books. This one is actually a fairly mundane police procedural. It’s well enough written, with good flow and progression, easy enough to read...but it’s just a little boring. I apologize to hard-core fans, but that’s my opinion.
A lot of readers will like this book. You may be one. Pick up a copy and...
Enjoy! ARC graciously provided by Random House and NetGalley for an honest and voluntary review.
May 17, 2019
An even paced story about a year in the life of a deputy coroner who can't let go of cases he thinks need a little more or puzzle him. Also mixed in his home life.
Clay Edison is a deputy coroner in California who gets called out for a shooting at a block party. In his work he struggles to identify a Jane Doe who was also found at the shooting but wasn't part of it. He balances trying to identify her and find out what happened to her and why with another victim, a trans woman who's family is hard to find and had issues with her. To top it off his just paroled from jail brother announces he is getting married and wants to open a weed dispensary. All this plods along at and even pace that at times can get a bit frustrating but in the end does pay off. No exciting action or mad romance, this is a simple slice of life book.
Clay Edison is a deputy coroner in California who gets called out for a shooting at a block party. In his work he struggles to identify a Jane Doe who was also found at the shooting but wasn't part of it. He balances trying to identify her and find out what happened to her and why with another victim, a trans woman who's family is hard to find and had issues with her. To top it off his just paroled from jail brother announces he is getting married and wants to open a weed dispensary. All this plods along at and even pace that at times can get a bit frustrating but in the end does pay off. No exciting action or mad romance, this is a simple slice of life book.
August 12, 2018
I have read previous books by the Kellermans, but this one did not do anything for me. I found the storyline difficult to follow and it did not seem to flow.
Deputy Coroner Clay Edison tries to solve a crime that has taken place outside an old Victorian home in Oakland. There was a wild party and then gunshots and chaos and bodies, but one body in particular did not seem to fit in with the other carnage. Clay goes to great lengths to find out who this person is and to be able to inform the family of the deceased. He follows many leads, but just seems to get more embroiled in the mystery.
I had to keep re-reading previous pages to try and keep up with the plot.
Deputy Coroner Clay Edison tries to solve a crime that has taken place outside an old Victorian home in Oakland. There was a wild party and then gunshots and chaos and bodies, but one body in particular did not seem to fit in with the other carnage. Clay goes to great lengths to find out who this person is and to be able to inform the family of the deceased. He follows many leads, but just seems to get more embroiled in the mystery.
I had to keep re-reading previous pages to try and keep up with the plot.
June 25, 2018
Another good solid read from Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman. This is the 2nd book in this series and so far it's adding up to be a great series. Thank you Netgalley and the Publishers for allowing me to read this ARC book and give my own personal opinion.
March 13, 2019
I love Jonathon Kellerman. I have read multiple books by him in the past. So, when I saw this on NetGalley I knew I had to try to get this book. I did enjoy this book but I found myself having a hard time focusing or being engrossed in the characters. It was a decent read if you are into these kinds of books. It just felt like there was something missing. Maybe it’s because I haven’t read the first book in the series. I’m going to give this book 3 stars. I will be reading the first book in this series so maybe my opinion will change. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to review this.
October 3, 2022
I gave up reading this novel after 220 pages but I should've stopped way earlier. Nothing was happening and I didn't see a satisfactory ending in sight.
I've read Jonathan Kellerman before and like his Alex Delaware character, who gets a phone cameo in this yarn. Maybe it's just this story but I found the Clay Edison character a bore. Even his job as a Deputy Sheriff who's main job was to discover the identity of murder victims. Boring.
The story started with a bang and several murders which seemed like plot would blast off from there, but then it fell flat as Edison spends hours searching the internet and making phone calls to track down a murder victim's identity. I didn't quite get all that and I'm a retired cop.
Maybe it all comes together at the end and he actually helps solve the murder case. Guess I'll never know. I can live with that.
I've read Jonathan Kellerman before and like his Alex Delaware character, who gets a phone cameo in this yarn. Maybe it's just this story but I found the Clay Edison character a bore. Even his job as a Deputy Sheriff who's main job was to discover the identity of murder victims. Boring.
The story started with a bang and several murders which seemed like plot would blast off from there, but then it fell flat as Edison spends hours searching the internet and making phone calls to track down a murder victim's identity. I didn't quite get all that and I'm a retired cop.
Maybe it all comes together at the end and he actually helps solve the murder case. Guess I'll never know. I can live with that.
June 4, 2020
4 1/2 out of 5
Good investigation, though not a fast=paced thriller. It has good family story line and character development continues. Some of the original novel plot solutions are referred to here.
The first 3 chapters of the next book are included in this one. Half Moon Bay will continue the Clay & Amy relationship. The next book is due out July 21 2020.
In my opinion, this is a library loan series. It is not worth best seller prices that Kellerman novels list at. It is still worth the time spend to read.
Good investigation, though not a fast=paced thriller. It has good family story line and character development continues. Some of the original novel plot solutions are referred to here.
The first 3 chapters of the next book are included in this one. Half Moon Bay will continue the Clay & Amy relationship. The next book is due out July 21 2020.
In my opinion, this is a library loan series. It is not worth best seller prices that Kellerman novels list at. It is still worth the time spend to read.
July 8, 2020
Pretty good
Pretty good thriller crime novel, but at a slower pace that usual. It could be this is my first novel from a coroners perspective rather than a detective or FBI Special Agent.
Pretty good thriller crime novel, but at a slower pace that usual. It could be this is my first novel from a coroners perspective rather than a detective or FBI Special Agent.
March 14, 2022
Another very good book with great characters and multiple story lines and dramatic action. 3.5/5
September 18, 2018
The Kellerman family is a writing phenomenon. Papa Jonathan has written 33 thrillers in his Alex Delaware series as well as at least 14 other novels and five nonfiction books. Mama Faye is the author of 25 Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus mysteries plus eight other novels. Their son, Jesse, has written a total of 12 novels, four of them collaborations with his father. The most recent production of the Kellerman father-son team is A Measure of Darkness, the second novel featuring Oakland Coroner's Deputy Clay Edison.
A former beat cop, Edison can't seem to reconcile himself to the fact that the Coroner's Office doesn't employ detectives. He has developed the habit of pursuing investigations far beyond the call of duty and often against orders. In A Measure of Darkness, he sticks so closely to the detective leading a murder investigation that she takes to calling him "Barnacle." A Berkeley cop Edison once knew gave him that nickname. Somehow, it seems to have stuck. (Pun intended.)
The latest from the Kellerman father-son team
This latest product of the Kellerman father-son team involves the investigations into the death of four bodies that turn up after a violent confrontation at a late-night West Oakland party. Shooting began when three young neighborhood men approached a large group of mostly white men and women to ask that they turn down the music. A white woman had recently bought the old property and renovated it. As Edison notes after reaching the scene, "The problem was gentrification and a shortage of affordable housing, when you started kicking people out of a neighborhood that had been theirs for decades." Clearly, Edison is politically aware. He seems well suited for the Berkeley-Oakland area.
A star basketball player, now a coroner's deputy
By the way, Edison was a star basketball player at UC Berkeley. In A Measure of Darkness, he demonstrates how he managed to do so well even though he is a little short at 6'3" for a top college basketball player: in a competition with his brother, he sinks 47 straight shots from the foul line. If you don't think that's impressive, just try it sometime.
A former beat cop, Edison can't seem to reconcile himself to the fact that the Coroner's Office doesn't employ detectives. He has developed the habit of pursuing investigations far beyond the call of duty and often against orders. In A Measure of Darkness, he sticks so closely to the detective leading a murder investigation that she takes to calling him "Barnacle." A Berkeley cop Edison once knew gave him that nickname. Somehow, it seems to have stuck. (Pun intended.)
The latest from the Kellerman father-son team
This latest product of the Kellerman father-son team involves the investigations into the death of four bodies that turn up after a violent confrontation at a late-night West Oakland party. Shooting began when three young neighborhood men approached a large group of mostly white men and women to ask that they turn down the music. A white woman had recently bought the old property and renovated it. As Edison notes after reaching the scene, "The problem was gentrification and a shortage of affordable housing, when you started kicking people out of a neighborhood that had been theirs for decades." Clearly, Edison is politically aware. He seems well suited for the Berkeley-Oakland area.
A star basketball player, now a coroner's deputy
By the way, Edison was a star basketball player at UC Berkeley. In A Measure of Darkness, he demonstrates how he managed to do so well even though he is a little short at 6'3" for a top college basketball player: in a competition with his brother, he sinks 47 straight shots from the foul line. If you don't think that's impressive, just try it sometime.
July 16, 2018
Clay Edison is a conscientious deputy with the Coroner's office and gets called in the middle of the night to a shooting with multiple victims. In addition to trying to maintain and move forward his relationship with his girlfriend, his brother is out of prison and back in his life, and Clay's bum knee has a way of slowing him down, especially in a foot chase with criminal suspects.
I’ve been a Kellerman fan for years so I was eager to read an advance copy of this book when I heard about it through NetGalley. Maybe I’m spoiled by so many great Delaware and Sturgis mysteries, but this wasn’t the thriller I anticipated. Mystery, yes, with a little suspense, but it the lacked intrigue and intensity I’ve come to expect from Jonathan Kellerman.
It was a good story and I kept reading because I wanted to find out how everything worked out, but there was no compulsion to stay glued to the page until the end. It never really sucked me in, and truthfully, I could have just as easily set it down and not finished it. The main characters lacked dimension and unique characteristics to make them stand out in my mind, with the secondary characters of Clay's brother and fiancée being the most memorable. If you’re a Kellerman fan, you’ll enjoy this book well enough, and I’ll probably try another novel by this father and son team at some point, in hopes I find a more gripping story in future work.
*I reviewed this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide a review and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source for this review.
I’ve been a Kellerman fan for years so I was eager to read an advance copy of this book when I heard about it through NetGalley. Maybe I’m spoiled by so many great Delaware and Sturgis mysteries, but this wasn’t the thriller I anticipated. Mystery, yes, with a little suspense, but it the lacked intrigue and intensity I’ve come to expect from Jonathan Kellerman.
It was a good story and I kept reading because I wanted to find out how everything worked out, but there was no compulsion to stay glued to the page until the end. It never really sucked me in, and truthfully, I could have just as easily set it down and not finished it. The main characters lacked dimension and unique characteristics to make them stand out in my mind, with the secondary characters of Clay's brother and fiancée being the most memorable. If you’re a Kellerman fan, you’ll enjoy this book well enough, and I’ll probably try another novel by this father and son team at some point, in hopes I find a more gripping story in future work.
*I reviewed this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide a review and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source for this review.
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