A Cold Heart, by Jonathan Kellerman

An Alex Delaware / Milo Sturgis novel. This was an audio book. Published in 2003.

This book begins with the murder of a blues guitarist named Baby Boy who has just come out of rehab and is on the road to making a comeback with his music. As Delaware and Sturgis become involved, as well as Det. Petra Connor and a new character named Det. Stahl, it becomes evident that this murder is related to others, and the mystery deepens.

I was a bit worried about Detective Eric Stahl, as he seemed doomed from the beginning of the story, similar to the joke about the nameless character you've never seen before in any given Star Trek episode, but he turned out to be a bit more multi-dimensional.

It's a good mystery with decent denoument. Kellerman is a master of the form.

At this stage of the series, Delaware is not living with Robin, and has a new woman-friend named Allison, who is also a psychotherapist. Milo is still with Rick, Petra is single. Eric Stahl's story is revealed near the end of the book.

This recording enhanced many miles of commuting.

Books: recent, on the way and thought of.

The Red Tree, by Caitlin R. Kiernan is at the library waiting for me to pick it up.

I just received Fatal System Error, by Joseph Menn, and read the first few pages last night.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman is on the way from Better World Books.com. I learned about the book and the bookseller on Twitter today. Neil Gaiman is @neilhimself.

M & I recently finished reading Union Atlantic, by Adam Haslett, a newer novel that deals with modern finance and life in the USA. I highly recommend it.

I'm currently reading Bones, by Jonathan Kellerman, and listening to Bridge of Sighs, by Richard Russo, as I drive back and forth.

And so, a backlog is developing. Rather than order another book and put it on the pile, let me note that Scott Turow has released a new novel called Innocent. I eagerly await this particular feast, as I've never failed to enjoy one of Turow's books.

Obsession, by Jonathan Kellerman

2007 Ballantine Books ISBN 978-0-345-45264-1. 458 pages.

Another great Alex Delaware novel. Robin is back, and a new French bulldog.

Alex is approached by a former client, Tanya, the adopted daughter of a woman recently deceased, Patty Bigelow. Patty was a nurse, well-known and respected by Rick, partner of Delaware's longtime friend, Detective Milo Sturgis.

Tanya's concern is that she thinks her mother was trying to confess something on her deathbed, something horrible. Knowing that Delaware is a psychologist, and that he has a friend in the police (Sturgis), she asks him to help find out what, if anything, Patty had on her conscience, and help her stop thinking about it.

Both Tanya and Patty have suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and as the stress of the mystery increases, so do Tanya's symptoms.

The mystery unfolds in LA as all good Delawares do, and this is one of the most satisfying of the collection.

Therapy, by Jonathan Kellerman

The Alex Delaware series by Jonathan Kellerman has long been one of my favorites. Therapy, (2004) is a recent addition to the series.

Obviously I've missed one or two before this novel, as Alex Delaware is no longer with his lady of many adventures, Robin, the guitar-maker. Robin does appear briefly in the role of "ex," however, as does the bulldog, and the indispensable Milo Sturgis is still prominent in this story. Delaware's new lady, Allison Gwynn, is an interesting replacement. She is a teacher, a hospice volunteer, and a psychotherapist.

Alex Delaware is a child psychologist that over the years has formed a working relationship with the LAPD. Milo Sturgis is his good friend, and a homicide detective with the force. Together they become involved in the mysterious murder of two young people found in a parked car in the driveway of an uninhabited house.

The mystery is as good as any of the others that I remember. And so is the psychology. Another important character in this book is "Dr. Mary Lou Koppel," a psychotherapist who has a popular radio call-in show. Koppel once treated the young man who was found murdered in the car. The identity of the young woman found with him remains a mystery until much later in the book.

There's a tremendous amount of intrigue and plot-twisting in this thoroughly enjoyable book, and the resolution of "whodunit" is quite satisfying. Even more skillfully done, however, is the portrayal of all the characters. The relationship between Delaware and Sturgis is the foundation of all these stories, and here it is continued and well utilized. There are many psychologists involved, and a lot of "shop talk" that sounds very authentic to my ears. (I work in the mental health treatment industry, although I am not a therapist, I'm a computer geek.)

Delaware and Sturgis are involved in a complicated plot that takes us as far away as South Africa and Rwanda. They encounter some really surprising characters, and uncover very high-level corruption. I love stuff like this, and used to read Robert Ludlum just because of these type of plot twists. I finally gave up on Robert, though. He just wrote too much for me, I guess, and I couldn't keep up.

Jonathan Kellerman has never disappointed me in the past, and his record is perfect with this novel as far as I am concerned.

EL