Open Season by Jonathan Kellerman

 

The adventures of the crime fighting duo, Dr. Alex Delaware and L.A. Detective Milo Sturgis continue in Open Season.

The body of a young starlet is dumped at an emergency room entrance of a decaying hospital in a seedy area of L.A.  She has been drugged and inspection of her social media leads the crime fighters to a likely suspect known for his misogyny and reputation for date rape.  Before the police can question him, he is shot to death with a 308 rifle.  The rifle used in this killing is quickly tied to other crimes and the M.O. is found to be consistent with several other murders around the country.  Alex goes to work developing a psychological profile while Milo turns his team loose on the now expanding suspect pool.  They think the killer is avenging the victims of men without boundaries but finding and capturing this vigilante takes all the skills Alex and Milo can muster.

Open Season is Kellerman’s fortieth Delaware/ Sturgis novel.  I have read them all and never tire of the formula… it’s all about the chase.  Kellerman is a master of engaging the reader and not letting go until the end.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance look.

The Burning by Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman

Clay Edison is Deputy Coroner for Alameda County California and feels blessed to love his job and his young family.  It’s wildfire season in California and the electricity is out indefinitely in their home so Clay’s wife takes their daughter a goes to visit relatives in L.A.  Edison is called to investigate a murder of a wealthy retired man and is stunned to find his brother’s beloved muscle car in the murdered man’s garage with other collectable cars.  Clay’s brother, Luke has recently been released from prison and is nowhere to be found.  Clay does not reveal his discovery to the police as he frantically tries to contact Luke.  Neither Luke’s wife nor employer have seen him in two days and Clay must assume Luke is associated with the murder, likely with prison pals.  But as Clay gains more information he discovers that Luke may be in trouble because of previous actions Clay took in his job.  Luke could be an innocent victim.  Not knowing who he can trust, Clay sets out to find Luke on his own… a dangerous decision.

 

I’ve always enjoyed Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware novels but must admit the formula is repetitive.  With son, Jesse’s help this new younger protagonist brings a more energetic buzz to the story. But that driving pace of methodically revealing new information that leads to a surprising conclusion remains… a skill that Jonathan K. has mastered in spades.  Fun read.

 

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.

 

 

Half Moon Bay by Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman

Half Moon Bay is the third installment of the father and son team series featuring Alameda County Coroner Clay Edison.  Clay is working the graveyard shift to best participate in the care of his newborn without disrupting his wife’s work schedule.  In his capacity as Deputy Coroner, Clay is called to a local park on the Berkley UC campus where the decade old remains of a baby is found.  To complicate his work, protestors in true Berkley tradition are demonstrating against building within the park.

Clay’s investigation leads him in two directions.  One in following the clues to identify the body and relatives of the dead child and one from a local man who thinks the corpse could be his long lost sister.  Clay becomes entranced by both paths and methodically follows the vaguest of clues to conclusion.

It is hard not to compare Clay Edison to Alex Delaware from Jonathan Kellerman’s mainstay series.  They both have that intelligence and tenacity that make them follow the most subtle clues.  The pacing and building of suspense is classic Kellerman.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced look.

Crime Scene by Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman

What do fiction crime writers do when their protagonist’s age?  In Jonathan Kellerman’s case, he team writes with his son, Jesse and introduces a new twenty something protagonist, Clay Edison.  Clay is a former UC Berkley basketball player whose sports career is cut short by a knee blowout.  But Clay has found a challenging career as deputy coroner in Alameda County, California.  In this role, Clay makes the call over each newly discovered body: death result of natural causes or foul play.  Sometimes circumstances are not clear cut and further investigation is warranted.

When Walter Rennert, a reclusive former psychology professor is found dead at the bottom of the stairs in his house, his drinking and bad heart appear to have caused his demise.  But Rennert’s attractive daughter, Tatiana thinks he was murdered and convinces Clay to dig deeper.  He learns that the good professor’s former grad assistant died in a similar manner.  Further, Rennert was ostracized for his role in some ethically questionable psychological research at UC Berkley.  Was there something to hide? Did Professor Rennert know too much? Who would benefit from his death?  Clay needs answers and the alluring Tatiana keeps him interested.

The elder Kellerman’s presence was clear with the familiar pacing and anticipation present throughout.  However, I have a major problem with the plot.  I didn’t realize that coroners had the responsibility of investigating suspicious deaths to the degree our hero does.  I thought the coroner reported evidence regarding cause of death and the police were responsible for finding the murderer.  Apparently our protagonist takes his job more serious than most but his tenacity triggered some thoughts of implausibility for me.  That’s never good. I’m still a devout Jonathan Kellerman fan but I’m not sold on Clay Edison as the featured character of a new series.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced look.