Bones (Alex Delaware, No. 23)
by Jonathan Kellerman
Book Summary Information
Author: Jonathan KellermanEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2009-02-24
ISBN: 0345495179
Number of pages: 448
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780345495174
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
- Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices
Book Reviews of Bones (Alex Delaware, No. 23)
Book Review: Why Bother With Delaware At All In "Bones" ?
Summary: 2 Stars
Have never read Kellerman before. On starting "Bones" & not knowing Delaware is a recurring character I was almost immediately struck by the resemblance between the narration by him and an old Philo Vance book from the 1930s I have here someplace.
In the Vance book, the story is told by (and from the observational viewpoint of) a friend of the great detective. The friend obviously had to tag along with Vance on everything Vance did to be able to chronicle his cases, but the friend contributed nothing to the story, the advancement of the plot, or the solution of the crime. His sole purpose in being there was to tell the reader what Vance was doing throughout the entire book.
Unlike Watson or Captain Hastings who at least interacted with "their" primary detective characters, provided comic relief, and occasionally contributed (even inadvertently) to the solution of the mystery, Delaware as of the first 200 pages I've read so far is largely irrelevant to the story in "Bones". He does little beyond tagging along, his personal life with Robin is devoid of interest or relevance, and he offers no earthshaking bits of wisdom or psychological insight to justify his presence.
Until I got curious, looked for reviews, and discovered Delaware is a long-running character I was actually wondering if Kellerman had deliberately set out to write an updated insider "joke" using the old Philo Vance formula.
Reality aside (this is not the way a genuine consulting police psychologist operates), I keep waiting for an interesting premise to develop more...interestingly, and I'm beginning to skip sections of pointless dialogue.
I'm waiting for Delaware to pay for his ticket to ride along.
For Kellerman fans who find familiar characters in an apparently long-running series, it may be enjoyable. As a stand-alone book it's not doing much yet.
Summary of Bones (Alex Delaware, No. 23)
When it comes to writing deftly layered, tightly coiled novels of suspense, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Kellerman reigns supreme as "master of the psychological thriller" (People). Now, Kellerman has worked his magic again in this chilling new masterpiece.The anonymous caller has an ominous tone and an unnerving message about something "real dead . . . buried in your marsh." The eco-volunteer on the other end of the phone thinks it's a prank, but when a young woman's body turns up in L.A.'s Bird Marsh preserve no one's laughing. And when the bones of more victims surface, homicide detective Milo Sturgis realizes the city's under siege to an insidious killer. Milo's first move: calling in psychologist Alex Delaware.
The murdered women are prostitutes-except the most recent victim; a brilliant young musician from the East Coast, employed by a wealthy family to tutor a musical prodigy, Selena Bass seems out of place in the marsh's grim tableau.
Conveniently-perhaps ominously-Selena's blueblood employers are nowhere to be found, and their estate's jittery caretaker raises hackles. But Milo's instincts and Alex's insight are too well-honed to settle for easy answers, even given the dark secrets in this troubled man's past. Their investigation unearths disturbing layers-about victims, potential victims, and suspects alike-plunging even deeper into the murky marsh's enigmatic depths.
Bizarre details of the crimes suggest a devilish serial killer prowling L.A.'s gritty streets. But when a new murder deviates from the pattern, derailing a possible profile, Alex and Milo must look beyond the suspicion of madness and consider an even more sinister mind at work. Answers don't come easy, but the darkest of drives and desires may fuel the most devious of foes.
Bones is classic Kellerman-relentlessly peeling back the skin and psyches of its characters and revealing the shadows and sins of the souls beneath. With jolt after jolt of galvanizing suspense, it drives the reader through its twists and turns toward a climax as satisfying as it is shattering.
From the Hardcover edition.
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