Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Mystery - Jonathan Kellerman

I've been a longtime fan of Jonathan Kellerman's Dr. Alex Delaware Series. His latest, Mystery, is the 26th book in the series.

Alex and live in lover Robin are attending a closing for the once grand Hotel Fauborg in Beverly Hills. They're playing that game - you know, the one where you imagine a story for other people. A glamorous young woman sitting alone catches their eye. It seems she has been stood up. It ends up being quite a bit more that that...Alex's sidekick Detective Milo Sturgis stops by a few days later to ask Alex his thoughts (Alex is a psychologist) on the method of murder of an unknown young woman. Alex is startled to recognize the young woman from the hotel.  They are unable to identify her  until an unknown tipster leaves a clue. And that clue leads to unexpected avenues.

I chose to listen to this latest Kellerman. The reader was John Rubenstein. He has read many of the previous books in this series. He does capture the somewhat aloof tone I have in my head for Delaware. Milo's accent however seems somewhat forced and buffoonish at times. his is not how I picture Milo at all.

Mystery was an entertaining listen from characters I have had a long relationship with. But I'm thinking it's time for me to end that relationship. I was able to figure out the whodunit long before the end of the book. I found Alex's actions is going ahead and confronting the suspect on his own without Milo both arrogant and foolhardy. These two have made a great team over the years and faced some really fascinating cases. For me though, Mystery wasn't one of them. The whole book just seemed a little tired. And maybe the characters are too.

Read an excerpt of Mystery.

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