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Alex Delaware #16
The Murder Book
In seventeen consecutive bestselling novels, Jonathan Kellerman has distinguished himself as the master of the psychological thriller. Now in Kellerman’s most compelling and powerful novel yet, L.A. psychologist-detective Alex Delaware confronts a long-unsolved murder of unspeakable brutality—an ice-cold case whose resolution threatens his survival, and that of longtime friend, homicide detective, Milo Sturgis.
The nightmare begins when Alex receives a strange package in the mail with no return address. Inside is an ornate album filled with gruesome crime scene photos—a homicide scrapbook entitled The Murder Book. Alex can find no reason for anyone to send him this compendium of death, but when Milo views the book, he is immediately shaken by one of the images: a young woman, tortured, strangled, and dumped near a freeway ramp.
This was one of Milo’s first cases as a rookie homicide cop: a vicious killing that he failed to solve, because just as he and his training partner began to make headway, the department closed them down. Being forced to abandon the young victim tormented Milo. But his fears prevented him from pursuing the truth, and over the years he managed to forget. Or so he thought.
Now, two decades later, someone has chosen to stir up the past. As Alex and Milo set out to uncover what really happened twenty years ago, their every move is followed and their lives are placed in jeopardy. The relentless investigation reaches deep into L.A.’s nerve-centers of power and wealth—past and present. While peeling back layer after layer of ugly secrets, they discover that the murder of one forgotten girl has chilling ramifications that extend far beyond the tragic loss of a single life.
A classic story of good and evil, sacrifice and sin, The Murder Book is a gripping page-turner that illuminates the darkest corridors of the human mind. It is a stunning tour de force.
From the Hardcover edition.
The nightmare begins when Alex receives a strange package in the mail with no return address. Inside is an ornate album filled with gruesome crime scene photos—a homicide scrapbook entitled The Murder Book. Alex can find no reason for anyone to send him this compendium of death, but when Milo views the book, he is immediately shaken by one of the images: a young woman, tortured, strangled, and dumped near a freeway ramp.
This was one of Milo’s first cases as a rookie homicide cop: a vicious killing that he failed to solve, because just as he and his training partner began to make headway, the department closed them down. Being forced to abandon the young victim tormented Milo. But his fears prevented him from pursuing the truth, and over the years he managed to forget. Or so he thought.
Now, two decades later, someone has chosen to stir up the past. As Alex and Milo set out to uncover what really happened twenty years ago, their every move is followed and their lives are placed in jeopardy. The relentless investigation reaches deep into L.A.’s nerve-centers of power and wealth—past and present. While peeling back layer after layer of ugly secrets, they discover that the murder of one forgotten girl has chilling ramifications that extend far beyond the tragic loss of a single life.
A classic story of good and evil, sacrifice and sin, The Murder Book is a gripping page-turner that illuminates the darkest corridors of the human mind. It is a stunning tour de force.
From the Hardcover edition.
576 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2002
1149 people are currently reading
4221 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Kellerman
198 books5,795 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 512 reviews
January 24, 2020
Another great volume! The series moves along at a snappy and satisfying pace. If haven’t yet enjoyed Kellerman’s Alex Delaware novels, now is a good time
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January 19, 2009Dear Dr. Delaware,
I get about 2 minutes into this and there's a sex scene already. I can't be doing with it! Solve your crimes and keep your bedroom shenanigans to yourself, please. I do not want to know how many times your girlfriend came. In any case, I have always suspected you as a "projection of the author, but awesome" character - you're just too good at everything, which apparently includes sex, and that makes me suspicious. Indeed, according to you, your only real flaw is the one beloved of job applicants asked "What is your biggest weakness?" - "I expect too much of myself and push myself too hard".
I had high hopes of a lack of further sex scenes when your girlfriend disappears on a music tour for several months. But the next thing I know, some girl is telling you the details of how she was sexually assaulted as a teenager, she brushes your arm or something on her way past, and you get a hard-on. For a psychologist, you're a really sensitive and empathising guy. Also, you know about as much about technology as George W. Bush: "I booted up the computer and downloaded Google".
Having said that, this book does pose an enjoyable mystery and I particularly liked the sections that follow Milo without you on the scene (no offence, of course) - something of a novelty in your books. It seemed a bit heavy on the coincidences, even for the genre, but I guess I can overlook that.
I get about 2 minutes into this and there's a sex scene already. I can't be doing with it! Solve your crimes and keep your bedroom shenanigans to yourself, please. I do not want to know how many times your girlfriend came. In any case, I have always suspected you as a "projection of the author, but awesome" character - you're just too good at everything, which apparently includes sex, and that makes me suspicious. Indeed, according to you, your only real flaw is the one beloved of job applicants asked "What is your biggest weakness?" - "I expect too much of myself and push myself too hard".
I had high hopes of a lack of further sex scenes when your girlfriend disappears on a music tour for several months. But the next thing I know, some girl is telling you the details of how she was sexually assaulted as a teenager, she brushes your arm or something on her way past, and you get a hard-on. For a psychologist, you're a really sensitive and empathising guy. Also, you know about as much about technology as George W. Bush: "I booted up the computer and downloaded Google".
Having said that, this book does pose an enjoyable mystery and I particularly liked the sections that follow Milo without you on the scene (no offence, of course) - something of a novelty in your books. It seemed a bit heavy on the coincidences, even for the genre, but I guess I can overlook that.
March 9, 2011
This is the first book of Kellerman's Delaware series that I haven't been able to finish, and I've read about a dozen of them. I don't know if the series is going downhill or if it's because I've read too many of them, but Kellerman just isn't doing it for me anymore. Whatever enjoyment I had for this series seems to be dwindling with each book--and I'm only halfway through it(reading in order), there's still another dozen or so books to trudge through, and I've heard that they just keep getting worse.
The plots are too convoluted, there's way too many characters--you can never remember WHO is WHO and you just get frustrated. You get bogged down with details and you just lose track of the plot, you don't know what the hell is going on, you end up not caring.
The entire book should have been told from Milo's point of view. Alex needs to go on a break for awhile. We don't care about his on-again, off-again relationship with Robin, it's just not interesting.
Kellerman needs to write more books about Delaware's patients and write a story that takes place IN-THE-NOW. Enough of the cold case bullshit.
The plots are too convoluted, there's way too many characters--you can never remember WHO is WHO and you just get frustrated. You get bogged down with details and you just lose track of the plot, you don't know what the hell is going on, you end up not caring.
The entire book should have been told from Milo's point of view. Alex needs to go on a break for awhile. We don't care about his on-again, off-again relationship with Robin, it's just not interesting.
Kellerman needs to write more books about Delaware's patients and write a story that takes place IN-THE-NOW. Enough of the cold case bullshit.
April 9, 2019
The boom was okay. I am going to still read this author. I would recommend for someone new to this author to try another book in the series. I am not in order with this series. However, this author gives enough information where a person can follow through. I would give this book 3 stars. I still would recommend this series.
I do like cold cases. This one was interesting and had some surprises. For me, I felt it was drawn out. Not everyone has the same tastes. I am happy that justice was done for this one character. Her death and her childhood were horrific.
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I do like cold cases. This one was interesting and had some surprises. For me, I felt it was drawn out. Not everyone has the same tastes. I am happy that justice was done for this one character. Her death and her childhood were horrific.
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This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 9, 2011
More time is spent on Dr Delaware's midlife crisis than it seems is warranted. The wordage spent on resolving Milo being a gay detective in this straight man's world somehow seemed apporpriate, however. This book seemed less riveting than the other Alex Delaware books I've read. The purpose almost seemed to be less about resolving the mystery and more about resolving the characters life issues. BUT, I guess when these characters have been around as much as these guys have, we need some time to focus on them as people, getting to know them better.
April 11, 2008
Oh my God. This book took me like 2 months to read because I never wanted to pick it up. For some reason I couldn't get into the characters or the story. I'm not sure why, it had an interesting plot but the further I got into the book the more I realized that I didn't even care how it ended. There were so many characters that it was difficult to keep them straight. I'd find myself saying, "Who the hell is that?" But then not caring enough to even flip back through and try to find out. This was the first book I've read from Kellerman. I don't know why I disliked it so much, it was probably the terrible ending with no sense of resolution. The high point of my reading came at the end when I realized that I could finally start a different book.
June 7, 2016
I stepped away from my long standing obsession with reading all of my James Patterson books to read this on a recommendation. I have to say that this was one of my least enjoyable books/authors in a very long time! While I did like the idea of the story line, I absolutely hated the style in which Jonathan Kellerman writes.
If you like the idea of explicit details of every conceivable thing a person can describe, down to the strand number of and exact pixel color of the understitch of the thread on the inside band of a cuff of a shirtsleeve hem, then THIS author will give you a mind numbing mind explosion of imagination for you! (I am THAT serious about this!) He left absolutely nothing to describe. It completely distracted from the story line for me and half way through the book I ended up skimming each page to get past descriptions to find where he picked up the story plot again.
This hardcover book has 408 pages and I am guessing that about half of the pages were filled with descriptions of something, leaving the rest to the story. I will most likely never read another Kellerman book again.
Back to James Patterson until I finish all his books that I own!
If you like the idea of explicit details of every conceivable thing a person can describe, down to the strand number of and exact pixel color of the understitch of the thread on the inside band of a cuff of a shirtsleeve hem, then THIS author will give you a mind numbing mind explosion of imagination for you! (I am THAT serious about this!) He left absolutely nothing to describe. It completely distracted from the story line for me and half way through the book I ended up skimming each page to get past descriptions to find where he picked up the story plot again.
This hardcover book has 408 pages and I am guessing that about half of the pages were filled with descriptions of something, leaving the rest to the story. I will most likely never read another Kellerman book again.
Back to James Patterson until I finish all his books that I own!
March 26, 2023
I listened to this as as audiobook while digging the garden, planting three apple trees and building new garden beds. Oh and planting the tomato seedlings we started in February. Yes- life is good and busy, too. This story kept me entertained Kellerman seems to take the long way home when he writes a novel. It's never too much action- but lots of thinking, police work, and a twisty ending that sometimes leaves me scratching my head. Always a moral to his stories- whether it's racism, homophobia, rich kids get the breaks, drug use, etc. Those are the kernels in this novel. Also Robin leaves Alex (after he screws up) to go on tour with the band and he's freaking out!
May 23, 2020
Είχα διαβάσει και παλιότερα ένα βιβλίο του Jonathan Kellerman, «Το Νησί του Φόβου» και μάλιστα μου είχε αφήσει πολύ καλή εντύπωση. Στην συνέχεια, είχα πιάσει άλλο ένα δικό του στα χέρια μου μα το άφησα γιατί μου είχε φανεί ανιαρό. Έτσι, τώρα, μετά από τόσα χρόνια, ανακάλυψα τούτο εδώ στο ράφι του μπαμπά και άρχισα να το διαβάζω στα πλαίσια του #crimaython (3o βιβλίο). Αρχικά να σχολιάσω πως ο συγγραφέας έχει γράψει 35 (!!!!) ιστορίες με τον ψυχολόγο Αλεξάντερ Ντέλαγουερ (ένας λόγος που διάβασα το πρώτο βιβλίο είναι γιατί είδα το όνομά μου στο ανδρικό 😂) και το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο είναι το 16ο της σειράς. Κάθε βιβλίο μπορεί να διαβαστεί κι αυτόνομα φυσικά.
Η πλοκή της ιστορίας αρχίζει όταν ο Άλεξ λαμβάνει από το ταχυδρομείο ένα μυστηριώδες πακέτο μέσα στο οποίο κρύβεται ένα βιβλίο τυλιγμένο με ναυτικό μπλε δέρμα, ακριβώς όπως αυτό που χρησιμοποιείται από την αστυνομία στα βιβλία των φόνων. Πράγματι, το ληφθέν βιβλίο στο εσωτερικό του έχει φωτογραφίες φόνων αλλά περισσότερο μοιάζουν με μακάβρια συλλογή κι όχι με αστυνομικά αρχεία. Ο Άλεξ στην συνέχεια, το δείχνει στον φίλο του, Μάιλο Στέρτζις, από το τμήμα ανθρωποκτονιών του Λος Άντζελες. Εκείνος ταράζεται όταν βλέπει μια συγκεκριμένη φωτογραφία. Απεικονίζει το πτώμα μιας κοπέλας της οποίας τον φόνο δεν μπόρεσε να διελευκάνει δύο δεκαετίες νωρίτερα. Προφανώς, το αχτύπητο δίδυμο θα προσπαθήσει να λύσει τον κόμπο του μυστηρίου γύρω από την δολοφονία.
Δεν ξέρω τι να σχολιάσω γιατί το βιβλίο μου άφησε ανάμεικτα συναισθήματα. Δεν έμεινα πολύ ευχαριστημένη αλλά ούτε δυσαρεστήθηκα ιδιαίτερα. Ας το εξηγήσω καλύτερα.
Οι πρώτες 200 σελίδες ήταν πολύ δυνατές. Βλέπουμε το μυστήριο που αρχίζει να παίρνει μορφή, μαθαίνουμε για το παρελθόν του Μάιλο, με τριτοπρόσωπη αφήγηση από την μεριά του (ο οποίος απ'οτι κατάλαβα είναι μεγαλύτερος από τον Άλεξ ενώ εγώ νόμιζα οτι ήταν μικρότερος 😂). Ο συγγραφέας σε αυτές τις σελίδες έχει χρησιμοποιήσει μια γλώσσα απλή και συνάμα περιεκτική. Σου δίνει τις απαραίτητες λεπτομέρειες αλλά χωρίς να πολυλογεί. Εγώ προσωπικά τις διάβασα σαν 50 γιατί θεωρώ πως είχαν μια ένταση, προσέδιδαν αγωνία στον αναγνώστη με έναν τρόπο που απλώς δεν μπορούσα να σταματήσω να γυρνώ τις σελίδες. Οι επόμενες 200 σελίδες περιείχαν θεωρίες και κινήσεις των δύο ανδρών στην προσπάθεια να βρουν απαντήσει. Εδώ, η γλώσσα του κειμένου κούραζε ελαφρώς γιατί οι επεξηγήσεις γύρω στα πολιτικά θέματα ήταν πολύ λεπτομερείς. Καταλαβαίνω πως ο συγγραφέας ήθελε να δώσει στον αναγνώστη να καταλάβει τα ακριβή κίνητρα των ισχυρών, να τους μεταδώσει με σαφήνεια τον τρόπο με τον οποίο οδηγούνταν σε κάθε κίνησή τους μα νομίζω πως κάπου το παράκανε... Τελικά, στις τελευταίες 153 σελίδες ξετυλίγεται το μυστήριο. Η θεωρία του Άλεξ ήταν σωστή και προσπαθεί να βρει αποδείξεις για να την ενισχύσει. Ούτε βαρετές αλλά ούτε και αγωνιώδεις εξελίξεις θα έλεγα. Υπήρχε δράση και ανθρωποκυνηγητό αλλά δεν ένιωσα την ένταση. (Ίσως φταίει κι η κούραση από το διάβασμα για την σχολή σε αυτό.)
Γενικά, δεν με ενθουσίασε το γεγονός πως ο πρωταγωνιστής είχε βρει την λύση. Ναι, είναι ψυχολόγος, έχει καλά προαισθήματα και μπορεί να μαντεύει ορθά τις περισσότερες φορές. Μπράβο του και άξιος αλλά δεν μου άρεσε τόσο πολύ αυτό το ιδίωμά του σε ένα τέτοιο βιβλίο. Στην αστυνομική λογοτεχνία το καλύτερο, κατά την άποψή μου, είναι να μην αποκαλύπτεται σταδιακά ο δολοφόνος (το έχω πει 50 φορές το ξέρω 😂) αλλά να έχει μια ξαφνική αποκάλυψη που να σε κάνει να θες να φωνάξεις από την έκπληξη. «Το βιβλίο των φόνων» δυστυχώς δεν το είχε αυτό το χαρακτηριστικό. Επιπρόσθετα, εξαιτίας της διαισθητικότητας του Άλεξ, μέχρι και τα plot twists που παρουσιάζονται, φαίνονται προφανή γιατί εκείνος τα ήξερε ήδη. Δεν είδαμε κάποιον θαυμασμό, κάποια έκπληξη από την μεριά του...
Οφείλω να πω οτι τα συναισθήματα δόθηκαν άψογα, οι περιγραφές ήταν πολύ καλές. Μου άρεσε σίγουρα το βιβλίο γιατί είχε πολύ φυσικούς, έξυπνους διαλόγους, ενδιαφέρουσες εξελίξεις και επειδή ούτως ή άλλως διάβασα για την επίλυση μιας αποτρόπαιας δολοφονίας.
Το συστήνω σε όσους θέλουν ένα καλό αστυνομικό βιβλιαράκι για να περάσει ευχάριστα η ώρα τους.
Η πλοκή της ιστορίας αρχίζει όταν ο Άλεξ λαμβάνει από το ταχυδρομείο ένα μυστηριώδες πακέτο μέσα στο οποίο κρύβεται ένα βιβλίο τυλιγμένο με ναυτικό μπλε δέρμα, ακριβώς όπως αυτό που χρησιμοποιείται από την αστυνομία στα βιβλία των φόνων. Πράγματι, το ληφθέν βιβλίο στο εσωτερικό του έχει φωτογραφίες φόνων αλλά περισσότερο μοιάζουν με μακάβρια συλλογή κι όχι με αστυνομικά αρχεία. Ο Άλεξ στην συνέχεια, το δείχνει στον φίλο του, Μάιλο Στέρτζις, από το τμήμα ανθρωποκτονιών του Λος Άντζελες. Εκείνος ταράζεται όταν βλέπει μια συγκεκριμένη φωτογραφία. Απεικονίζει το πτώμα μιας κοπέλας της οποίας τον φόνο δεν μπόρεσε να διελευκάνει δύο δεκαετίες νωρίτερα. Προφανώς, το αχτύπητο δίδυμο θα προσπαθήσει να λύσει τον κόμπο του μυστηρίου γύρω από την δολοφονία.
Δεν ξέρω τι να σχολιάσω γιατί το βιβλίο μου άφησε ανάμεικτα συναισθήματα. Δεν έμεινα πολύ ευχαριστημένη αλλά ούτε δυσαρεστήθηκα ιδιαίτερα. Ας το εξηγήσω καλύτερα.
Οι πρώτες 200 σελίδες ήταν πολύ δυνατές. Βλέπουμε το μυστήριο που αρχίζει να παίρνει μορφή, μαθαίνουμε για το παρελθόν του Μάιλο, με τριτοπρόσωπη αφήγηση από την μεριά του (ο οποίος απ'οτι κατάλαβα είναι μεγαλύτερος από τον Άλεξ ενώ εγώ νόμιζα οτι ήταν μικρότερος 😂). Ο συγγραφέας σε αυτές τις σελίδες έχει χρησιμοποιήσει μια γλώσσα απλή και συνάμα περιεκτική. Σου δίνει τις απαραίτητες λεπτομέρειες αλλά χωρίς να πολυλογεί. Εγώ προσωπικά τις διάβασα σαν 50 γιατί θεωρώ πως είχαν μια ένταση, προσέδιδαν αγωνία στον αναγνώστη με έναν τρόπο που απλώς δεν μπορούσα να σταματήσω να γυρνώ τις σελίδες. Οι επόμενες 200 σελίδες περιείχαν θεωρίες και κινήσεις των δύο ανδρών στην προσπάθεια να βρουν απαντήσει. Εδώ, η γλώσσα του κειμένου κούραζε ελαφρώς γιατί οι επεξηγήσεις γύρω στα πολιτικά θέματα ήταν πολύ λεπτομερείς. Καταλαβαίνω πως ο συγγραφέας ήθελε να δώσει στον αναγνώστη να καταλάβει τα ακριβή κίνητρα των ισχυρών, να τους μεταδώσει με σαφήνεια τον τρόπο με τον οποίο οδηγούνταν σε κάθε κίνησή τους μα νομίζω πως κάπου το παράκανε... Τελικά, στις τελευταίες 153 σελίδες ξετυλίγεται το μυστήριο. Η θεωρία του Άλεξ ήταν σωστή και προσπαθεί να βρει αποδείξεις για να την ενισχύσει. Ούτε βαρετές αλλά ούτε και αγωνιώδεις εξελίξεις θα έλεγα. Υπήρχε δράση και ανθρωποκυνηγητό αλλά δεν ένιωσα την ένταση. (Ίσως φταίει κι η κούραση από το διάβασμα για την σχολή σε αυτό.)
Γενικά, δεν με ενθουσίασε το γεγονός πως ο πρωταγωνιστής είχε βρει την λύση. Ναι, είναι ψυχολόγος, έχει καλά προαισθήματα και μπορεί να μαντεύει ορθά τις περισσότερες φορές. Μπράβο του και άξιος αλλά δεν μου άρεσε τόσο πολύ αυτό το ιδίωμά του σε ένα τέτοιο βιβλίο. Στην αστυνομική λογοτεχνία το καλύτερο, κατά την άποψή μου, είναι να μην αποκαλύπτεται σταδιακά ο δολοφόνος (το έχω πει 50 φορές το ξέρω 😂) αλλά να έχει μια ξαφνική αποκάλυψη που να σε κάνει να θες να φωνάξεις από την έκπληξη. «Το βιβλίο των φόνων» δυστυχώς δεν το είχε αυτό το χαρακτηριστικό. Επιπρόσθετα, εξαιτίας της διαισθητικότητας του Άλεξ, μέχρι και τα plot twists που παρουσιάζονται, φαίνονται προφανή γιατί εκείνος τα ήξερε ήδη. Δεν είδαμε κάποιον θαυμασμό, κάποια έκπληξη από την μεριά του...
Οφείλω να πω οτι τα συναισθήματα δόθηκαν άψογα, οι περιγραφές ήταν πολύ καλές. Μου άρεσε σίγουρα το βιβλίο γιατί είχε πολύ φυσικούς, έξυπνους διαλόγους, ενδιαφέρουσες εξελίξεις και επειδή ούτως ή άλλως διάβασα για την επίλυση μιας αποτρόπαιας δολοφονίας.
Το συστήνω σε όσους θέλουν ένα καλό αστυνομικό βιβλιαράκι για να περάσει ευχάριστα η ώρα τους.
May 18, 2014
I'm relatively new to Jonathan Kellerman, in fact this is only the second or third of his Alex Delaware novels that I have read. Looking through some of the reviews of this 16th instalment in the series, prior to reading it, this may well have been to my advantage. Unlike some of the other reviewers I was able to approach this with a relatively open mind, and I think I probably enjoyed the story more because of this.
The story revolves around a historic unsolved case from the past of detective Milo Sturgis, one that is brought back into the light following the arrival of a 'Murder Book' at the home of Alex Delaware. The book is made up of a series of graphic crime scene photographs. All of historic cases, but arranged to highlight the one unsolved case; that of a young girl brutally tortured, murdered and arranged out in the open above LA. Through this story we finally get a bit of solid back story for Milo, fleshing out his character nicely and providing some insight into events from other novels in the series. In their attempts to discover exactly what had happened Milo and Alex uncover a conspiracy that reaches all the way through the LA political and corporate world. I really enjoyed the complicated storyline, drawing in so many different threads to form a coherent whole. The mystery itself was well written and very interesting.
I did have a few issues though. Having the story unfold through dual narratives was a great idea. Milo and Alex each had something important to offer to the story, and to the reader's appreciation of the finer details. Unfortunately though there were times when following who's narrative I was reading was pretty difficult. I had to go back and double check a fair few times, being charitable I will admit that I was largely reading this quite late at night, but I don't usually struggle to follow narrative threads this much. Another thing that grated a little was the constant references to Milo's sexuality; I think we all get the point that Milo is a homosexual cop working in a prejudiced department, however it did feel as though this fact was brought up in practically every mention of him. I'd hope that the character could be more rounded than this would suggest. Surely there is more to the guy than his sexuality? There are moments where it seems as though we will get more, such as the flashback scenes at the start; but then these come to little.
My final, and by far the biggest issue I have with the novel is how neatly everything falls into place, coupled with the lack of consequences for any of the major characters. To start with we have to initial murder, which has consequences for the people directly involved, but which could apparently be totally removed from the public (and private record). I appreciate that the crux of the story here is the conspiracy, but still it strikes me as a little unlikely that such a total whitewash would have ever been possible. Equally incredible is the fact that the total bloodbath that occurs as a climax to the story is able to be tidied up and dealt with without any involvement of any authorities. We are led to believe that numerous corpses have been quietly buried or left tied up in smouldering buildings, and yet neither Milo nor Alex need to discuss this with any form of police force? This strikes me as maybe stretching reality a little too far.
To sum up this is a very enjoyable thriller with an entertaining crime story and some good character building, just don't expect too much from it because it does require some suspension of disbelief in order to hold together. However I'll certainly be looking out some more Delaware novels in the future.
The story revolves around a historic unsolved case from the past of detective Milo Sturgis, one that is brought back into the light following the arrival of a 'Murder Book' at the home of Alex Delaware. The book is made up of a series of graphic crime scene photographs. All of historic cases, but arranged to highlight the one unsolved case; that of a young girl brutally tortured, murdered and arranged out in the open above LA. Through this story we finally get a bit of solid back story for Milo, fleshing out his character nicely and providing some insight into events from other novels in the series. In their attempts to discover exactly what had happened Milo and Alex uncover a conspiracy that reaches all the way through the LA political and corporate world. I really enjoyed the complicated storyline, drawing in so many different threads to form a coherent whole. The mystery itself was well written and very interesting.
I did have a few issues though. Having the story unfold through dual narratives was a great idea. Milo and Alex each had something important to offer to the story, and to the reader's appreciation of the finer details. Unfortunately though there were times when following who's narrative I was reading was pretty difficult. I had to go back and double check a fair few times, being charitable I will admit that I was largely reading this quite late at night, but I don't usually struggle to follow narrative threads this much. Another thing that grated a little was the constant references to Milo's sexuality; I think we all get the point that Milo is a homosexual cop working in a prejudiced department, however it did feel as though this fact was brought up in practically every mention of him. I'd hope that the character could be more rounded than this would suggest. Surely there is more to the guy than his sexuality? There are moments where it seems as though we will get more, such as the flashback scenes at the start; but then these come to little.
My final, and by far the biggest issue I have with the novel is how neatly everything falls into place, coupled with the lack of consequences for any of the major characters. To start with we have to initial murder, which has consequences for the people directly involved, but which could apparently be totally removed from the public (and private record). I appreciate that the crux of the story here is the conspiracy, but still it strikes me as a little unlikely that such a total whitewash would have ever been possible. Equally incredible is the fact that the total bloodbath that occurs as a climax to the story is able to be tidied up and dealt with without any involvement of any authorities. We are led to believe that numerous corpses have been quietly buried or left tied up in smouldering buildings, and yet neither Milo nor Alex need to discuss this with any form of police force? This strikes me as maybe stretching reality a little too far.
To sum up this is a very enjoyable thriller with an entertaining crime story and some good character building, just don't expect too much from it because it does require some suspension of disbelief in order to hold together. However I'll certainly be looking out some more Delaware novels in the future.
January 12, 2020
To be honest i did not enjoy it. Too much detail and it took way to long to get to the case and any break throughs.
Majority of this book felt like alex and even milo wallowing in self pity for one reason or the other. The one book out of the few i read where milo starred a bit more and it left me disappointed. He still did not for me atleast seem like the brilliant detective he should be and alex was stubborn as ever making more breaks in the case than the detective.
I did complete it after skimmimg alot of pages which i might add casued me to miss a few of the characters intros into the story line.
All in all it dragged on unecessarily long and i just could not get into this one dispite the high raiting.
Majority of this book felt like alex and even milo wallowing in self pity for one reason or the other. The one book out of the few i read where milo starred a bit more and it left me disappointed. He still did not for me atleast seem like the brilliant detective he should be and alex was stubborn as ever making more breaks in the case than the detective.
I did complete it after skimmimg alot of pages which i might add casued me to miss a few of the characters intros into the story line.
All in all it dragged on unecessarily long and i just could not get into this one dispite the high raiting.
October 22, 2010
Not one of Kellerman's better Delaware entries. Sometimes Alex Delaware seems so distant, remote, it's hard to get a handle on him. I never much cared for Robin anyway, so her departure (for now) is a welcome relief. I still love the interaction between Alex and Milo. The plot was a bit, oh, I dunno - over the top. But then, sometimes that's what goes on with a Delaware book; for some reason, however, the formula just didn't work as well this time around. A disappointment, especially since the previous book was so well-done.
July 23, 2010
Delaware in good form -- much about Milo makes great story!
Most of the long-time Kellerman / Alex Delaware fan club readers were as disappointed as we were with his just prior book, "Flesh and Blood." To us, Delaware's character was mostly "out of character", replacing cerebral detecting with inane and inappropriate action that alienated both his domestic partner Robin and his forever police pal Milo. A reasonably interesting plot was about all that held it together.
We worried as we started this one that perhaps more of the same was in the offing. Hardly a fictional day passed between the end of the last story and the start of "Murder Book", with Alex trying desperately to repair things with Robin with a surprise trip to Paris. The bigger surprise came when she told him she was leaving for a new gig with a rock band to be their touring equipment manager for several months. Once before Robin went away and bad things happened.
Then Alex receives a strange package - a "murder book" comprising several dozen photos of homicide scenes ostensibly from police files of troubling slayings spanning many years. Alex quickly turned it over to Milo, who recognized the final photos as those involving one of his first murder cases as a cop, one which was not only unsolved, but quite possibly the subject of a cover-up. From there the plot is off and running, with our heroes working long and hard to restore justice to several members of this 20-year old crime, victims and perpetrators both. The top notch story builds great suspense and delivers to both the fan and casual reader the pleaser Kellerman might just have needed to rekindle this series.
Of particular appeal is that Milo is a really dominant figure in this story. Nearly a hundred pages are devoted to a soliloquy detailing his early days on the force and a rather lousy experience he had with his first partner. By the end, we know a great deal more about Milo than before; and like many readers have discovered, enjoyed hearing much of this tale from his perspective not just Delaware's.
We're left hanging on Alex and Robin, so maybe the next book will resolve that. Just in case, one new female character has piqued Alex's "interest" some, so who knows. In short, we thought this may well be one of the very best to date out of Kellerman, and surely has helped restore our positive feelings about his writing. Highly recommend!
Most of the long-time Kellerman / Alex Delaware fan club readers were as disappointed as we were with his just prior book, "Flesh and Blood." To us, Delaware's character was mostly "out of character", replacing cerebral detecting with inane and inappropriate action that alienated both his domestic partner Robin and his forever police pal Milo. A reasonably interesting plot was about all that held it together.
We worried as we started this one that perhaps more of the same was in the offing. Hardly a fictional day passed between the end of the last story and the start of "Murder Book", with Alex trying desperately to repair things with Robin with a surprise trip to Paris. The bigger surprise came when she told him she was leaving for a new gig with a rock band to be their touring equipment manager for several months. Once before Robin went away and bad things happened.
Then Alex receives a strange package - a "murder book" comprising several dozen photos of homicide scenes ostensibly from police files of troubling slayings spanning many years. Alex quickly turned it over to Milo, who recognized the final photos as those involving one of his first murder cases as a cop, one which was not only unsolved, but quite possibly the subject of a cover-up. From there the plot is off and running, with our heroes working long and hard to restore justice to several members of this 20-year old crime, victims and perpetrators both. The top notch story builds great suspense and delivers to both the fan and casual reader the pleaser Kellerman might just have needed to rekindle this series.
Of particular appeal is that Milo is a really dominant figure in this story. Nearly a hundred pages are devoted to a soliloquy detailing his early days on the force and a rather lousy experience he had with his first partner. By the end, we know a great deal more about Milo than before; and like many readers have discovered, enjoyed hearing much of this tale from his perspective not just Delaware's.
We're left hanging on Alex and Robin, so maybe the next book will resolve that. Just in case, one new female character has piqued Alex's "interest" some, so who knows. In short, we thought this may well be one of the very best to date out of Kellerman, and surely has helped restore our positive feelings about his writing. Highly recommend!
August 13, 2012
One of my favourite Alex Delaware novels - Kellerman is the king of psychological thrillers (I'm looking forwarding to reading the entire series - in order - when I retire). In the meantime, I'm happy to recommend his clever writing peppered with action and humour to anyone willing to listen.
August 2, 2020
Weer een verdomd spannend verhaal over psycholoog Alex Delaware en z’n vriend de homosexuele inspecteur moordzaken, Milo Sturgis. Dit keer krijgt Alex per post een moordboek toegestuurd. Het is een album vol crime scene foto’s van dode moordslachtoffers. Bij 1 foto staat de vermelding: niet opgelost, die van de 16-jarige Janie Ingalls. Milo werkte als beginnend rechercheur even aan die zaak, maar werd toen heel plots en onverwacht overgeplaatst. Dus waarschijnlijk is dit een boodschap voor hem van z’n oude partner en leermeester die destijds met pensioen gestuurd werd en die zaak blijkbaar nooit is vergeten. Hij is onlangs omgekomen door een val van z’n paard. Toeval of niet? Destijds hadden ze slecht één vaag aanknopingspunt, nl een feest in de betere kringen waar Janie en haar (eveneens verdwenen) vriendin naar toe gingen.
Het is een complex en ingewikkeld verhaal met een erg uitgebreide cast waardoor je je aandacht er wel bij moet houden. Maar het verhaal is zoals gewoonlijk wel goed ineen gestoken. Het is al vroeg duidelijk wat er waarschijnlijk gebeurd is, maar toch komen de speurders voor een paar onverwachte ontdekkingen te staan. We hebben te maken met een bende rijke tieners die ondertussen ook invloedrijke mannen geworden zijn; Een verdwenen zusje en mogelijke corruptie in hoge politiekringen. Milo en Alex nemen misschien wel te veel hooi op hun vork, zeker omdat Milo met verlof is en er dus geen officieel onderzoek loopt.
Milo speelt een vrij grote rol in dit verhaal. Het verhaal wordt dan ook afwisselend verteld in hoofdstukken vanuit het POV van beiden. Robin is enkel aanwezig op de achtergrond omdat ze op tournee is. Zoals gewoonlijk, wordt er regelmatig allerlei lekkers verorbert door de hoofdrolspelers. Je zou er zelf honger van krijgen. Wat ik me afvraag is of al die leuke eetgelegenheden inderdaad echt bestaan of dat ze gewoon verzonnen zijn. Niet dat ik betwist dat je lekker en gevarieerd kan eten in LA, daar twijfel ik geen seconde aan. Het zou gewoon leuk zijn om de adresjes uit de boeken te bezoeken als ik er ooit zou komen, als ze (nog) bestaan
Het is een complex en ingewikkeld verhaal met een erg uitgebreide cast waardoor je je aandacht er wel bij moet houden. Maar het verhaal is zoals gewoonlijk wel goed ineen gestoken. Het is al vroeg duidelijk wat er waarschijnlijk gebeurd is, maar toch komen de speurders voor een paar onverwachte ontdekkingen te staan. We hebben te maken met een bende rijke tieners die ondertussen ook invloedrijke mannen geworden zijn; Een verdwenen zusje en mogelijke corruptie in hoge politiekringen. Milo en Alex nemen misschien wel te veel hooi op hun vork, zeker omdat Milo met verlof is en er dus geen officieel onderzoek loopt.
Milo speelt een vrij grote rol in dit verhaal. Het verhaal wordt dan ook afwisselend verteld in hoofdstukken vanuit het POV van beiden. Robin is enkel aanwezig op de achtergrond omdat ze op tournee is. Zoals gewoonlijk, wordt er regelmatig allerlei lekkers verorbert door de hoofdrolspelers. Je zou er zelf honger van krijgen. Wat ik me afvraag is of al die leuke eetgelegenheden inderdaad echt bestaan of dat ze gewoon verzonnen zijn. Niet dat ik betwist dat je lekker en gevarieerd kan eten in LA, daar twijfel ik geen seconde aan. Het zou gewoon leuk zijn om de adresjes uit de boeken te bezoeken als ik er ooit zou komen, als ze (nog) bestaan
May 17, 2016
Author..
JONATHAN KELLERMAN..
Characters..
Alex Delaware, Milo Sturgis, Pierce Schwinn, Cossack brothers (George and Robert), Caroline Cossack aka Aimee Baker, Vence Coury , Brad Larner, Janie Ingalls, Willie Burns, Milenda Walters, John Broussard, and others..
Location..
Los Angels..
Genre..
Suspense ..
PLOT..
Janie Ingalls brutal murder remains unsolved for nearly two decades (to till date). Years back when detective Milo (his first case as a rookie homicide cop) and his senior partner Pierce Schwinn started investigation, they were transferred by Internal Affairs division of the LAPD for unknown reasons. Milo was transferred to West Los Angels section dealing with manpower allocation and his senior partner Pierce Schwinn was forced to take early retirement. A vicious killing of a teenage girl, Milo failed to solve haunts him ever since.
Now two decades later, L.A.psychologist detective Alex Delaware receives a strange, anonymous package in the mail, containing the gruesome crime scene photos. Both Alex and detective Milo is terribly shaken by tortured , strangled and dumped image of Janie Ingalls, among the crime scene photos, a sad remainder of his unsolved homicide case two decades ago. Someone has deliberately chosen to stir up the past.
Milo reopens the case and starts investigating the unsolved homicide case. Assisted by Alex both set out to uncover what really happened twenty years ago. While investigating, Milo and Alex learns that the people associated with Janie and the homicide case, had died under mysterious circumstances. Milo's former senior partner and detective Pierce Schwinn died from accidental fall from the horse nearby his ranch house, victim Janie's dad Bowie, dead in a hit and run truck accident and Lester Poulsenn former LAPD detective, found murdered inside a burning house nearby Los Angels.
Further investigations revels Caroline Cossack , younger sister of Cossack brothers, and Willie burns a black junkie, as the two prime witnesses who were present at the time of Janie's murder and their whereabouts unknown till date.
With the help of Alex's friend psychiatrist Dr.Wilbert Harrison, Alex finds Willie Burns and Caroline Cossack (now living in a new name Aimee Baker) and discovers what happened two decades ago .
Two decades ago, a group of white boys club named "King's men" consisting of rich stupid kids who preferred drinking, smoking dope and partying . Those boys were bad to the core, but they dressed well, and that made everyone happy. The members of the club were George and Robert Cossack, Brad Larner, Vance Coury, Nicholas Hansen and Luke Chapman, all rich kids from families that had higher connections in politics and in police department.
Caroline Cossack was different from the rest of the family, she was less than a dog in the family and was treated like dirt by her brothers. The Cossack brothers took advantage of this, and did nasty things such as stealing money, peddling dope, setting fires, killing neighbor's dog and blaming everything on her. Willie Burns though a homeless junkie , felt sorry for Caroline and starts baby sitting and protecting her.
At a party in big old empty house belonging to Cossack family, Vance Coury the older and senior member of the King's men club raped and murdered Janie and dumped the body near freeway ramp, assisted by other members. Willie Burns who sold dope to the boys of the King's men club happened to be there at the party. He was actually protecting Caroline, from Cossack brothers. Since Willie and Caroline witnessed the murder, they fled from the house started living at a different location with the help of Dr. Wilbert Harrison.
In a face to face encounter, Alex kills Vance Coury and other members of the King's men club commits suicide. Milo was promoted as lieutenant detective by Chief John Broussard, the same officer who kicked him out of the case and transferred him to West Los Angels station.
MY COMMENT...
"confusing elements" in the book..
1. Who sent the "Murder book" to Alex Delaware..?? Is it former detective Pierce Schwinn or Chief John Broussard ..?
2. The deaths of former detective Pierce Schwinn, Bowie Ingalls and detective Lester Poulsenn were accidental or murder..?
3. Who transferred Milo and Pierce from Ingalls homicide investigation? Is it by chief detective John Broussard or by some higher powers in the police department..?
4.How come the members of the "King's men club" commit suicide one by one, after Alex killed their senior member Vance Coury ?? With their healthy financial position, and political background, they could have very well defended their position in the court of Law in two decades old homicide case...why suicide???
5. Is John Broussard, a good cop or rouge cop..? Who is he working for? Is he an errand boy to the money sharks or guardian angel in the Police department..?
THE MURDER BOOK......With lotz of errors, logical flaws, and lack of cogency ..looks pretty ordinary.
JONATHAN KELLERMAN..
Characters..
Alex Delaware, Milo Sturgis, Pierce Schwinn, Cossack brothers (George and Robert), Caroline Cossack aka Aimee Baker, Vence Coury , Brad Larner, Janie Ingalls, Willie Burns, Milenda Walters, John Broussard, and others..
Location..
Los Angels..
Genre..
Suspense ..
PLOT..
Janie Ingalls brutal murder remains unsolved for nearly two decades (to till date). Years back when detective Milo (his first case as a rookie homicide cop) and his senior partner Pierce Schwinn started investigation, they were transferred by Internal Affairs division of the LAPD for unknown reasons. Milo was transferred to West Los Angels section dealing with manpower allocation and his senior partner Pierce Schwinn was forced to take early retirement. A vicious killing of a teenage girl, Milo failed to solve haunts him ever since.
Now two decades later, L.A.psychologist detective Alex Delaware receives a strange, anonymous package in the mail, containing the gruesome crime scene photos. Both Alex and detective Milo is terribly shaken by tortured , strangled and dumped image of Janie Ingalls, among the crime scene photos, a sad remainder of his unsolved homicide case two decades ago. Someone has deliberately chosen to stir up the past.
Milo reopens the case and starts investigating the unsolved homicide case. Assisted by Alex both set out to uncover what really happened twenty years ago. While investigating, Milo and Alex learns that the people associated with Janie and the homicide case, had died under mysterious circumstances. Milo's former senior partner and detective Pierce Schwinn died from accidental fall from the horse nearby his ranch house, victim Janie's dad Bowie, dead in a hit and run truck accident and Lester Poulsenn former LAPD detective, found murdered inside a burning house nearby Los Angels.
Further investigations revels Caroline Cossack , younger sister of Cossack brothers, and Willie burns a black junkie, as the two prime witnesses who were present at the time of Janie's murder and their whereabouts unknown till date.
With the help of Alex's friend psychiatrist Dr.Wilbert Harrison, Alex finds Willie Burns and Caroline Cossack (now living in a new name Aimee Baker) and discovers what happened two decades ago .
Two decades ago, a group of white boys club named "King's men" consisting of rich stupid kids who preferred drinking, smoking dope and partying . Those boys were bad to the core, but they dressed well, and that made everyone happy. The members of the club were George and Robert Cossack, Brad Larner, Vance Coury, Nicholas Hansen and Luke Chapman, all rich kids from families that had higher connections in politics and in police department.
Caroline Cossack was different from the rest of the family, she was less than a dog in the family and was treated like dirt by her brothers. The Cossack brothers took advantage of this, and did nasty things such as stealing money, peddling dope, setting fires, killing neighbor's dog and blaming everything on her. Willie Burns though a homeless junkie , felt sorry for Caroline and starts baby sitting and protecting her.
At a party in big old empty house belonging to Cossack family, Vance Coury the older and senior member of the King's men club raped and murdered Janie and dumped the body near freeway ramp, assisted by other members. Willie Burns who sold dope to the boys of the King's men club happened to be there at the party. He was actually protecting Caroline, from Cossack brothers. Since Willie and Caroline witnessed the murder, they fled from the house started living at a different location with the help of Dr. Wilbert Harrison.
In a face to face encounter, Alex kills Vance Coury and other members of the King's men club commits suicide. Milo was promoted as lieutenant detective by Chief John Broussard, the same officer who kicked him out of the case and transferred him to West Los Angels station.
MY COMMENT...
"confusing elements" in the book..
1. Who sent the "Murder book" to Alex Delaware..?? Is it former detective Pierce Schwinn or Chief John Broussard ..?
2. The deaths of former detective Pierce Schwinn, Bowie Ingalls and detective Lester Poulsenn were accidental or murder..?
3. Who transferred Milo and Pierce from Ingalls homicide investigation? Is it by chief detective John Broussard or by some higher powers in the police department..?
4.How come the members of the "King's men club" commit suicide one by one, after Alex killed their senior member Vance Coury ?? With their healthy financial position, and political background, they could have very well defended their position in the court of Law in two decades old homicide case...why suicide???
5. Is John Broussard, a good cop or rouge cop..? Who is he working for? Is he an errand boy to the money sharks or guardian angel in the Police department..?
THE MURDER BOOK......With lotz of errors, logical flaws, and lack of cogency ..looks pretty ordinary.
September 4, 2018
He could have left out much of the problems with Robin and stuck to the mystery. I had to skip a lot of pages to get to the interesting parts.
March 28, 2019
The Murder Book (Alex De;aware, #16) by Jonathan Kellerman.
This was my first in this series. I've tried to get into another series by this author without success. The focus of this book I thought at the time appealed to me. I stayed with it til the end.
Alex Delaware is a psychologist with a bff Detective Milo Sturgis. Their friendship worked well in this story. A trustworthy relationship that made the story all that more interesting. For that reason I will continue reading this series and hope for the best.
The story itself was just not enough for me. It centers on a mysterious book of victims that have been murdered complete with photos. Where it came from is the mystery that Alex and Milo must unravel. I found Milo to be the action part of this book and easy to follow with Alex analyzing the clues leading up to the perpetrator just ok.
Alex's sexual adventure I found inappropriate and usually when an author uses that in the story it's more about themselves than adding to the story. In fact it may be used when the author is going downhill in their series and becomes a bit desperate.
Three stars only.
This was my first in this series. I've tried to get into another series by this author without success. The focus of this book I thought at the time appealed to me. I stayed with it til the end.
Alex Delaware is a psychologist with a bff Detective Milo Sturgis. Their friendship worked well in this story. A trustworthy relationship that made the story all that more interesting. For that reason I will continue reading this series and hope for the best.
The story itself was just not enough for me. It centers on a mysterious book of victims that have been murdered complete with photos. Where it came from is the mystery that Alex and Milo must unravel. I found Milo to be the action part of this book and easy to follow with Alex analyzing the clues leading up to the perpetrator just ok.
Alex's sexual adventure I found inappropriate and usually when an author uses that in the story it's more about themselves than adding to the story. In fact it may be used when the author is going downhill in their series and becomes a bit desperate.
Three stars only.
September 10, 2020
2...Not even the ending could save this one for me...I love Milo and love this storyline with him, but I want this series to be about CHILD psychology...and am missing that piece...Also why so drawn-out???
September 6, 2022
MAS ISTO É DE GÉNIO, MELHOR LIVRO DE TERROR PSICOLÓGICO QUE COMPREI NA FEIRA DO LIVRO BACK IN 2021!
ADOREI TUDO, O SUSPANSE, OS PLOT TWISTS LIXADOS, O CHASE À PROCURA DO VERDADEIRO CULPADO DOS HOMICÍDIOS, QUE CENA MSM.
ADOREI TUDO, O SUSPANSE, OS PLOT TWISTS LIXADOS, O CHASE À PROCURA DO VERDADEIRO CULPADO DOS HOMICÍDIOS, QUE CENA MSM.
February 22, 2023
Interesting mystery of an unsolved murder case - not a fast read as a lot of background history was given on the characters from their mental state, clothes, locations - after many interviews & travels building the plot, the ending was good!
July 17, 2024
The problem with these books is that the endings are always too pat.
August 10, 2019
A complex story triggered by a murder book sent in the post, which sends Milo and Alex on the trail of an unsolved murder of twenty years ago, an early case in Milo’s career. Alex is separated at least temporarily from his long term partner Robin, as she goes on a music tour.
May 12, 2025
Kellerman is always an easy read but keeps you in suspense. He’s my go to author when I’ve taken a break from reading and want to get back to it.
June 7, 2021
I read the Murder Book once before, a long time ago from the library. I enjoyed it then, same as now - I think I have a better understanding of the characters today, because I've read many more Alex Delaware books in the meantime.
For me the level of intrigue and corruption was through the roof. The complexities of the plot were well crafted, and I was very captivated and highly curious to see how Milo Sturgis and Alex would get to the bottom of this. How can you go up against covers up within the department and involvement of powerful people?
I must say the end was a bit anti-climatic. The bad guys were punished in a sense, but I had hoped for more true justice - and still hope that more good news on that case will shared in the next installments. But like I said, this book had it all, the sympathetic victims, the colorful side-characters, the degenerate rich boys, mix that with a 20 year old cold case, the unorthodox investigation, the corruption, the political games; all that made it quite a satisfying read.
For me the level of intrigue and corruption was through the roof. The complexities of the plot were well crafted, and I was very captivated and highly curious to see how Milo Sturgis and Alex would get to the bottom of this. How can you go up against covers up within the department and involvement of powerful people?
I must say the end was a bit anti-climatic. The bad guys were punished in a sense, but I had hoped for more true justice - and still hope that more good news on that case will shared in the next installments. But like I said, this book had it all, the sympathetic victims, the colorful side-characters, the degenerate rich boys, mix that with a 20 year old cold case, the unorthodox investigation, the corruption, the political games; all that made it quite a satisfying read.
March 21, 2017
I liked this book more than some of its predecessors because it actually showed Dr. Alex Delaware vulnerable and not as smug and perfect as usual. We learned some back story about his childhood and got a quick summary of the previous book, which led to his mid-life crisis in this book. Alex's desire to solve a previous case has put his relationship with Robin at risk, and she accepts a gig on a music tour to get some space from him. Alex later receives a book anonymously in the mail with photos of murdered people, and while he doesn't recognize or have a connection to any of them, his cop best friend Milo does. The two work together to find out who sent it to Alex and why, and to finally solve a cold case of Milo's featured in the book. A complaint I have had for awhile with this series, is that the character of Alex never grows or ages. That there was a degree of change and growth in this book, makes me wish the author would address this more often in current books.
August 21, 2014
Just finished the book and yes I did like it. Didn't like the way it ended that is why I gave it 4 stars. Alex got himself in a tight spot and I was seriously a little worried that he wouldn't get out of it. Would of liked the villains to get their just desserts. Maybe they did but not the way I would hope, not a one.
January 3, 2022
This was a cold case of Milos that got sent to Alex for resurrection that just got bogged down with so many characters and a storyline that wasn’t that engaging. Additionally continued drama with Alex and Robin.
May 27, 2014
I really enjoyed reading The Murder Book. I would read more of Jonathan Kellerman's books.
December 19, 2021
This was my third Jonathan Kellerman novel I have read. I would rate this novel my third favourite out of the three. I enjoyed it, but when I would set it down after reading, nothing really made me want to get back at it, even for me, the story line seemed to drag on. I still rated it as a 4/5 though. Enjoy.
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