The Murder Book, by Jonathan Kellerman

September 17 2006 (21:16:00)

Ah, yes. Another Kellerman. Another Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis story, and absolutely fine from start to finish.

In this novel we learn about the split between Alex and Robin, which I discovered in a later novel with scant explanation. This is the penalty I pay for being a scattered and disorganized Kellerman fan.

The mystery of the "murder book" in the title, a scrapbook of ghoulish crime-scene photos sent anonymously to Delaware, takes us into Milo's past, uncovers a great deal of dirt in the LAPD at high levels (this is fiction, remember), and includes enough psychology to keep Dr. Delaware involved.

Alex and Milo in this story solve an old cold case from Milo's first months as a detective. It involves a young girl who disappears, and involves rich and powerful people in the Los Angeles area. Because of this, inquiries into the crime have been squelched in the past. But murder, as the bard said, will out, and people touched by the evil in this crime and the people around it eventually cause it to come to the attention of our two sleuths.

This was a great and entertaining read that lessened the discomfort provided by Delta Airlines in bringing me across the continent last month.