This book gave me a serious case of nostalgia… I started reading Jonathan Kellerman from the very beginning, and this is his 34th book. So I have been reading his stories with Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis all through my life.
The Characters
Alex Delaware was a child psychologist, and Milo Sturgis a gay detective in the 1980s where he had to face opposition and hate from all his colleagues. The author had courage to write stories with darker themes right from the very beginning, and a gay police detective was practically unknown in those times. Hence his books fascinated me.
And this book too had a murder mystery in the upstairs loo of a wedding reception, a converted bar. A woman in red was found garotted along with a cocktail of opioids injected into the base of the brain. And Milo and Alex get to what they do best… Pure investigation.
This could be read as a standalone and it was just as interesting. Jonathan Kellerman stuck to his trademark theme – the dark human psyche. Alex Delaware provided the psychological insight to Milo’s investigative deductions.
The thing that niggled me was that the book appeared a bit disjointed in the grand reveal as it didn’t go with the flow. I missed the pizzazz of the prose which used to be goose-bumpy.
Overall, a good book for hard-core Jonathan Kellerman fans!!
I received an ARC from NetGalley and publisher Random House, and this is my journey into its pages, straight from the heart!!
All my reviews can be found here
Are you a Jonathan Kellerman fan? When did you start reading his books?
Jonathan Kellerman is the Number One New York Times bestselling author of more than forty crime novels, including the Alex Delaware series, The Butcher’s Theater, Billy Straight, The Conspiracy Club, Twisted, True Detectives, and The Murderer’s Daughter.
When a horrified bridesmaid finds the body of a young woman at a wedding reception, it makes the bride and groom’s choice of a Saints and Sinners theme all the more macabre.
There are no means of identification and nobody knows the victim.
The bride is convinced someone is trying to sabotage her big day. The groom is sure it’s a dreadful mistake.
It’s up to brilliant psychologist Alex Delaware and LAPD Lieutenant Milo Sturgis to uncover the truth. They have a hundred guests to question, and a strong suspicion that the motive for murder is personal…
The party’s over – and the hunt for the killer is on.
Publication Date: 7th February 2019
Publisher: Century
45 Responses
Amazing review, want to read one time.
Thank you so much. Read the first few in the series. He has been writing for 30 years now
Not heard of this author, but I know friends who might enjoy his work.
He has been writing for 30 years now… I love him.. And his earlier works
Oh, I love it when you revisit an author you’ve read for a while and get that sense of nostalgia. Wonderful review, Shalini! ♥️
Thank you Jennifer… I generally don’t review their books.. I read and think and be with myself… I used to read his books in between my text books… 😂
Like you I have been reading the books from the begging along with wife’s book. I don’t think they as violent now as the earlier books. Good review.
I agree with you, he has become milder now. I liked his previous works.
Betty, It is wonderful you like both of their books. Do you remember the Max series about different children who have wings.. I found it confusing and didn’t really progress on with Faye Kellerman.
I don’t remember the Max as I never heard it before. I like her books better than Jonathan. In the first book the homicide detective, Peter Decker sets out to solve a case that involves Rina Lazarus who is a Jewish widow and has two sons. I would love to read the story from the beginning again.In one book she describes how a mountain lion killed and eats the villain and no one was able to interfere. It was chilling and I still remember it. I lost track when they Decker moved to New York. The books are on my TBR list.
Omg Betty.. I may have been confused… I wonder which husband wife duo I was thinking of… Forgive me… I am down with flu… My brain is slow
The Max series was from James Patterson, not Kellerman Shalini. You read too much that you are getting your authors confused. 😄😄
Hahaha true… I checked later.. 😂😂
Hmn looks interesting 🤔 saving this 😄
Hope you like it too 😍😘
It’s been awhile since I’ve read a Kellerman book. I think the last time was when I was in my twenties…so, yeah, a while indeed. 🙂 Another nice review, Shalini. Happy Thursday to you! 🙂
Hehehe Kellerman was famous then.. How you doing, darlin… 😍💖 Have a wonderful week and a lazy peaceful weekend
I checked Goodreads to be sure, but I have never read this author – and judging by your lovely review – I certainly should have – what is wrong with me?!?
Never? DJ He used to write dark thrillers 30 years ago when nobody ever wrote about a gay cop.. His books looked into the darker underbelly of crime…. Surprisingly not many know about him.. Read his earlier works… This one was mild.. 😍😘
34th book? That’s impressive!! Great review!
Thanks Meggie… He has been writing for 30 years… His earlier books are fabulous and darker
It has been YEARS since I last read a book in this series and I don’t know why!!! I must fix that, wonderful review.
Me too… I lost the last 5 years as books had become expensive… Now I am back to his books
Reblogged this on Angie Dokos.
Thank you Angie… 💖
I have never heard of the author, but this sound like a gripping read.
Nobody seems to have heard of him I have been reading his books since the very beginning… He is an awesome author.. His earlier books were darker and gripping
Wow, author has been writing for 30 years! It’s shame I never heard about his books before. I will check out previous work and will try them some time. It’s daunting to read such long series though. great review!
Read the first few books Yesha, they were hard and gritty..
Thank you ❤️
Fabulous review
Thank you so much ❤️
Sounds interesting! May put this on my TBR 😊 Great review!!
Thank you ❤️
I read several of the Kellerman books over the years, then when I started blogging and reading ARCs, I got behind. I have a few on my shelves at home, I need to get back to them. I found there was a lull for a while and I didn’t think his books were as good, but they got back on track, too bad to hear this one might have missed the mark a bit. Great review regardless.
For me his books became too expensive, hence I had to stop buying… Was shocked when I got approved for this ARC
That was a nice surprise then.
Shock and then a surprise 😂