The Wedding Guest

“The Wedding Guest” by Jonathan Kellerman is number thirty-four in the Alex Delaware series, but that should not discourage new readers. Even though I have read several other novels by Kellerman, I somehow missed the Alex Delaware series; however, I had no trouble following along. The book is structured as Delaware’s first person narrative, so it took a little while to discern the last names and exact roles of the participants, but the narrative was clear, cool, rational, and easy to follow.
The book opens with a scene that is every woman’s nightmare. Bridesmaid Leanza is waiting in a very long line for the public bathroom at the wedding venue, a converted strip joint. Out of desperation, she runs upstairs to the bathroom near show more the wedding party’s dressing rooms. There she finds the unthinkable, a body.
This was to have been the happiest day of her life for bride Brearely “Brears” Rapfogel and soon to be husband Garrett Burdette. “It’s terrible, worse than terrible, it’s it’s … tragic” LAPD consultant Dr. Alex, Delaware is called to the scene by Lieutenant Sturgis Milo. No one admits to knowing the victim, surprising since she was obviously dressed for the occasion in a designer gown and expertly coiffed black hair. “Hair falls that nicely, you’ve got a good cut.” The guests were mostly from the bride’s side, but were both the killer and the victim on the official guest list? Clues seem to be rare, but the CSI investigator finds what looks like a needle puncture.
The plot is conversation driven and the dialogue is intelligent, plausible, and revealing. Readers get to know the various players through their conversational style and the little things that they let slip in the conversations. Readers investigate right with the team and learn where guests were, how they feel about what happened, and how they feel about everyone else and everything else. Pieces of the puzzle fall into place, gradually, but it is difficult to discern who is a victim and who is a co-conspirator, who is an innocent bystander and who is a murderous psychopath. When the final picture emerges, it is scary and frantic.
Kellerman’s descriptions paint vibrant pictures of every participant:
“Milo had on one of his fossilized gray suits , a white wash-’ n’-wear shirt, and a skinny brown tie. Respectable enough if you didn’t get too close.”
“A small plain girl with dark eyes as animate as coffee beans and a husky, strangely flat voice that verged on electronically processed. She’d piled her ponytail into a careless top thatch. Errant brown hair frizzed like tungsten filament.”
And every location:
“An empty box from a West Hollywood baker and the crumbs that went with it littered his desktop. Ditto for a grease-splotched take-out carton from a pizza joint near the station. A mug filled with cold coffee sat perilously close to the edge.”

“The Wedding Guest” can certainly be enjoyed as a stand-alone mystery with a perpetrator who will be a surprise. I received a review copy of “The Wedding Guest” from Jonathan Kellerman, Random House Ballantine Publishing, and NetGalley. The pace is slow but steady, and the main characters show companionship and a determination to solve the crime. Along the way, there is both humor and thoughtful analysis of the human behavior. It is appropriate for readers who have not read the previous thirty-three books, as well as fans of the series. show less

I have read and re-read the majority of the series but determined to finally catch-up with this long-running series, so this is one of those which is a first-time read for me. The series is still standing strong. Milo calls in Alex for a case that is a bit unusual, although I'm not sure why he pulls him in on this particular one compared to others. Either way, the story stays interesting with the two paired primarily together and not as much individual leg-running scenes on the side. When Alex does discover a few things on his own, it's almost as if Milo gets annoyed on an occasion or so. What made this one more endearing were some of the side characters were particularly interesting to me - and a barnyard of animals with the vet. The show more mystery is less complicated in its way than some, but the villain was a psychopathic terror for sure.

And yes, sometimes opposites really do attract the strongest, as shown by our main merry couple here. show less

I finished this book a few days ago and while I can recall its general premise, I can barely remember the details. Because there are too many... characters, locations, possibilties, etc.

So why do I continue to read this series? Because I like and care about the 3 main characters: Alex, Robin and Milo. But I have to re-think this 'addiction' to a writer who succeeds by confusing his readers. Does/can anyone actually follow along?

I also don't like that the characters don't develop or evolve. I would have thought Milo would have had a heart attack by now based on his weight and eating habits. Why not change that up a bit? Doesn't his husband, the doctor, try to get him healthier? And hard for me to believe that Robin and Alex are content show more stagnating with one dog, and no kids.

Isn't it time for me to move on? show less

Would actually rate this a 4 1/2 stars.

This is one of those books that you just dont want to put down. The writing is solid, as one would expect with Kellerman. The narratives are simply engrossing (Jonathan Kellerman's greatest strength). The story line above average. As usual with Kellerman it is very easy for the reader to feels comfortable with the characters. Being a long time Kellerman fan it is almost like just spending times with long time acquaintances. The other characters in the story are portrayed adequately so the reader understands their necessity to the story and the role they play.

The story opens with the discovery of a twenty some young lady in a red dress found dead in a bathroom during a wedding reception. She is not show more known to any of the guests and the initial investigation fails to turn up her identity. From there it is a search for who she is why she was there and her link to the wedding party. Nothing is obvious, nothing seems to lead anywhere and from there is a complex journey to an interesting and unexpected conclusion.

Have to say really enjoyed this book and is up there with some of Jonathan Kellerman's best writings. show less

The Wedding Guest is everything I have come to expect from Alex Delaware. The story line is tense and well written. Every detail unfolds smoothly at a good pace. There are many twists and turns to keep you reading until the end. The hero of the story is intelligent, flawed, engaging and likeable. I enjoyed this book. Jonathan Kellerman does not disappoint in this novel. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

The Wedding Guest is number 34 in a very long running series and Jonathan Kellerman does not disappoint.

Kellerman has consistently shown that you can have a successful series without overdeveloping the main characters or having them continually overthink everything with most of the action taking place in the mind of the main character such as Cornwell’s Scarpetta and unfortunately more recently MacDiarmid’s Hill & Jordan.

A good blend of detective work and Delaware’s psychological insights into the mind and the motive of the killer. Of course there is the usual repetitive rounds of eating, interviewing witnesses, LA traffic jams and Delaware solving the case via Google but overall a good solid book from Kellerman.

In the middle of a wedding that takes place in an unusual venue, a former strip club, a young woman is found murdered. The bride and groom do not know who she is, nor do any of the guests.

In their familiar pattern, detective Milo Sturgis and psychologist Alex Delaware chase down leads and red herrings in what becomes a more and more complex case.

I am a fan of Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series and always look forward to the next one (can this really be #34)?. This one did not disappoint.

These novels tend to be formulaic, but I enjoy them. Alex and Milo chase down leads, generate and discuss different theories, interview persons of interest, enjoy a few good meals. Kellerman’s descriptions are particularly picturesque and show more entertaining and he always seems to put a fresh spin on cases. show less