Compulsion (Alex Delaware, No. 22) | Jonathan Kellerman

Compulsion (Alex Delaware, No. 22) | Jonathan Kellerman | An Old Friend. . .

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Compulsion (Alex D...

	Compulsion (Alex Delaware, No. 22) Jonathan Kellerman Ballantine Books, 2008 - 416 pages average customer review:based on 69 reviews view larger image
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Once again, the depths of the criminal mind and the darkest side of a glittering city fuel #1 New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Kellerman?s brilliant storytelling. And no one conducts a more harrowing and suspenseful manhunt than the modern Sherlock Holmes of the psyche, Dr. Alex Delaware.

A tipsy young woman seeking aid on a desolate highway disappears into the inky black night. A retired schoolteacher is stabbed to death in broad daylight. Two women are butchered after closing time in a small-town beauty parlor. These and other bizarre acts of cruelty and psychopathology are linked only by the killer?s use of luxury vehicles and a baffling lack of motive. The ultimate whodunits, these crimes demand the attention of LAPD detective Milo Sturgis and his collaborator on the crime beat, psychologist Alex Delaware.

What begins with a solitary bloodstain in a stolen sedan quickly spirals outward in odd and unexpected directions, leading Delaware and Sturgis from the well-heeled center of L.A. society to its desperate edges; across the paths of commodities brokers and transvestite hookers; and as far away as New York City, where the search thaws out a long-cold case and exposes a grotesque homicidal crusade. The killer proves to be a fleeting shape-shifter, defying identification, leaving behind dazed witnesses and death?and compelling Alex and Milo to confront the true face of murderous madness.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

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Compulsion

Book is well written and intriguing. I love that you don't always know what the next turn is going to be but that following it is relatively simple. The people are well described, even though I have read all the Alex Delaware books, I don't think you need that to get a feel for the characters.

An Old Friend. . .

I have done a lot of Kellerman's books on audio; John Rubenstein is a superb reader. I purchased this Kellerman out of state while fleeing Hurricane Ike, and needed something to read in my motel room.

This is the latest in a long series of Delaware books, and the reader is assumed to know his history. The books are rather chronological, and fortunately Kellerman doesn't waste a lot of words filling in past history. I have to agree that I don't hold a lot of affection for Robin, Delaware's former girlfriend who has returned from her rock star romance. She is, however, no more irritating than Allison, who had more hangups than his patients. I really enjoy reading about Milo more than Delaware, and he's entertaining in this book.

I don't find Kellerman's plots all that interesting, but I really like his dialogue. Doctor Delaware always seems to make enough money to live on despite doing only intermittent work, but I try not to focus on that bit of fantasy. Those who are familiar with, and enjoy, this series of books will enjoy this one also. Not too short, not too long, and not too complicated with excessive characters. Some writers of mystery require a legal pad and notes just to keep up with everyone!

A good read and not an overly long one. I finished it by the time I was allowed back in from the hurricane.

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fan of this author

I read any and all books by this author. They vary in quality, but all are well worth the reading.

Expecting Too Much

I think loyal reader's are expecting too much from Kellerman and Alex Delaware.

We used to look here for crime novels that offered real insight into American life, as lived on the Left Coast.

Now we realize that this is just another series of detective novels, turned out on a regular schedule, and they're going to keep coming forever. Criticizing COMPULSION would be like criticizing THE CASE OF THE WORRIED WAITRESS as "not up to the standard of previous Perry Mason adventures."

This is a standared Delaware/Sturgis adventure. We get still more foreshadowing of the heart attack Milo will have one of these days. The only real surprise is a "hit the pagecount, cut it off" ending in which Milo and Alex are tracking down yet another clue and run into the killer, who has a hostage with him, pretty much by accident.

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