Blood Test

The second book in the Alex Delaware series could have been written now - despite the lack of the modern technology and connections - the topic is even more relevant than it was in 80s (or as relevant anyway).

Apparently, some of the earlier novels also have the Milo/Alex partnership reversed - Alex is the one that finds the case here. A boy has cancer - fully curable if he stays in the hospital and is treated. But the parents are reluctant - and Alex is called to try to help and convince them. And when the parents take the boy away and a big amount of blood is found in the parents' hotel room, Milo is pulled into the chase - the boy can be saved but only if he is found on time and the tumors stop developing. The older sister is also show more missing - which leads Milo and Alex to a madam and a service that had given her a job - snagging the girl from the small town into the claws of the big city. That adds some more possibilities to what happened to the family. As do the cult members that have visited the family before they took off.

Alex and Milo start following the boy and the parents (and the older sister) and finding their backstory. And the backstory is terrifying - what happens when a man loses everything he has due to the weather and turns to his dark side. The last part of the story got a bit too surreal for my taste- it never left the land of the possible but still.

It is a terrifying novel. Very well done, very insightful but still leaving you with your skin crawling - the way that horror never can - because that may actually happen. show less

Child abuse, juvenile cancer, drugs, prostitution, and a quasi-religious cult built on perverse notions of sexual liberation make up the plot of Jonathan Kellerman’s second novel, Blood Test. Despite the dark subject matter, this second book to feature child psychologist turned part-time criminal investigator Alex Delaware is as well written and enjoyable as the first.

When Alex Delaware agrees to assist a former colleague in convincing an angry family not to remove their cancer-stricken child from hospital care, he quickly discovers that all is not as it appears. When the patient disappears, Alex is quickly swept up in a complex web of conspiracy and deceit ultimately leading to a showdown with a cult guru and a fight to the death show more with an ax-wielding maniac.

If the plot sounds a tad far-flung, that’s because it is. Yet Kellerman’s deft first-person narrative style and tight prose tie the various story threads together into a suspense-filled and surprisingly emotional tale about the misuse of power and the unintended effects of so-called victimless crimes. Basically, though the author probably didn’t intend this, it’s a story about the far-reaching consequences of sin.

As a psychological thriller, Blood Test succeeds. It is exciting and creepy and satisfying. Readers should be aware, however, that it contains rather graphic depictions of the evil acts carried out by some of the characters, including drug use, prostitution, and physical and emotional abuse, along with one very disturbing description of a sex ritual. It should also be noted that Alex Delaware’s best friend is gay, though the author primarily uses this very likeable character not to promote a homosexual lifestyle but as a means of exploring prejudice and social injustice.

Though it not a “issue book,” Blood Test certainly tackles several issues that are if anything more prevalent today than when the book was written over two decades ago. The disturbing elements of the story may offend some readers, and certainly caution should be exercised in reading, but Alex Delaware’s heroism and Kellerman’s eminently readable writing make this book worthwhile for those who are able to stomach some of the nastier parts and grasp the story’s message that good—at least “good” as seen from a purely secular perspective—ultimately triumphs over evil. show less

Alex Delaware has been asked by a friend, a pediatric oncologist, to speak with a family who is considering refusing cancer treatment for their son. Before he gets a chance to connect with them, they disappear. A local cult called the Touch comes under suspicion, as well as the flaky, lady-killer resident at the hospital.
Alex delves deeper into the mystery, taking a lot of the investigating upon himself, (which I still find unlikely) and putting himself in direct danger again. I've been reminded that this is fiction, and that it's a mystery/thriller, and that I shouldn't expect characters in books to just do their jobs and leave the police work to the actual police. I still have a hard time with it, and it lessens my enjoyment with show more what is actually a very well-plotted and intriguing mystery. I agree with Alex's take on psychology and I like how he pays attention to people's body language and couches his own reactions to the situation based on what he needs to portray in order to manipulate suspects. I did not guess who the "bad guy(s)" were halfway through, which is a bonus. I appreciate that the action and the threads of the tale are well-concluded at the end. Really, my only complaint is that it's a little far-fetched. But it's fiction! I know. Okay. show less

Alex must beat the clock to save a 5-year-old boy with treatable cancer.

The boy, Heywood "Woody" Swope appears to be the one normal foil for his reclusive, fruit obsessed parents and hostile 20-year-old sister, Nona. Named for an apple, Annona Blossom Swope is described in almost feral terms. Matters come to a painful head when Woody is kidnapped from the hospital. The boy's parents and sister also disappear, and Dr. Alex Delaware is immediately in pursuit of this mysterious family.

There is less of a psychological twist in Blood test than in some of the other Jonathan Kellerman books, but plot interest will keep you reading until the end.

No surprise here -- I loved this book!
I loved that I was able to read it in, sort of, piece-meal -- I was able to read a chapter and put it down to get other things done but still picked it up later and be just as interested as I was previous. (And then when I got to the last few chapters I couldn't put it down because it was just perfect for finishing!)

I love the Alex Delaware character and this book, for me, just reinforced that love affair I have with this character. I love him as I know him (Jonathan Kellerman's more recent books on him). Reading this book, written in 1986 and set in that time period (where people could smoke in public places, like a hospital, and there were no cell phones and the fashions were different than they show more are today), it was look learning about your lovers past, before you knew them (and they had hair). Reading this book made me even more interested in the Alex Delaware character : )

I'm definitely not giving this book up!

Adrianne show less

Dr. Alex Delaware is back in action, this time to save a boy dying of cancer. His parents are both obsessed with fruits (they have a farm), and have some serious issues. Nona Swope, the boys brother, is a twenty year old wild child with a serious act to grind with her parents. Then there is The Touch, a cult like group who operates a commune in the same town as the Swope family. And although they preach that they are sincere, and are just trying to get away from the rat race and get back to nature, it becomes more than obvious that they are not what they claim to be.

Although this book has a good bit of drama and suspense, it loses its punch because basically every character in the story besides Alex Delaware, his gay detective friend show more Milo, and the sick boy, everyone else is a complete deviant. When you have basically every person, either being a child molester, drug dealer or killer, it lacks any real sense of believability or credibility. After a while, it's hard not to lose interest after yet another character is revealed to be an evil fiend. It just becomes too much. This is definitely a case where more is less. This overshadows a decent plot and solid writing skills by Jonathan Kellerman.

Carl Alves - author of Two For Eternity show less

In this second installment, Kellerman did get the word count down, in general and in the overly detailed descriptions. They're not completely gone, but no longer a nuisance to the flow of the story. This story was a variation on the theme of the first book and I hope it doesn't repeat itself again for a while. Back in the 80's it was breaking news, today it isn't. I still like however that Delaware is unpredictable, still grappling with the good angel while not completely giving in to the bad. Kellerman makes him quite human and that's an interesting and welcome change for this genre.