Monster

First an actor/waiter gets killed and stashed in the trunk of his own car. Then a psychologist suffers the same fate - even though the two cases do not seem connected on the surface. And yet, Milo and Alex are convinced that they must be.

The psychologist had worked in one of the mental institutions for the criminally insane - working with the worst of the worst day after day. As turned out, these are also the most harmless members of society - they are so overmedicated that most of them are not better than vegetables. And yet, if some of the clues are to be followed, one of them seems to be somehow involved.

The book is aptly named - the mentally ill man who killed a family had won the name Monster but the real monsters turn out to show more look normal. As is often the case, the truth emerges from the past - while chasing down the two murders, Milo and Alex end up learning more than they wanted to know about a few old massacres. The end of the novel did not come as a surprise either - the suspicions are there from very early, even if Alex does not voice them until almost the end.

And as is occasionally the case with Kellerman's novels, there is a not so subtle commentary on how the mentally ill are treated in the courts - complete with calling out the fakers and the changing laws.

It is a sad book - while most of novels in the series are gory, this one is more sad than anything else. The goriness of the original murders gives way to medical insanity and its exploration - and it is even more unsettling. Good entry in the series - it was about time for an entry where Alex is the one leading the case (more or less). show less

Probably more like 3.5 stars, but anyway, I felt that it started off really slow and was wondering how long it would take me to finish, (The less I like a book the longer it takes me to read) but as I read on, the more interested I got. I wasn't really a fan of the writing style, very "flowery", or needlessly descriptive about inconsequential things, but that also got less irritating as the plot got better, either that or I started skimming over those parts. All in all, the story saved the book, as odd as that sounds. Very interesting, but interesting enough for me to check out other books in the series? That remains to be seen...

Probably more like 3.5 stars, but anyway, I felt that it started off really slow and was wondering how long it would take me to finish, (The less I like a book the longer it takes me to read) but as I read on, the more interested I got. I wasn't really a fan of the writing style, very "flowery", or needlessly descriptive about inconsequential things, but that also got less irritating as the plot got better, either that or I started skimming over those parts. All in all, the story saved the book, as odd as that sounds. Very interesting, but interesting enough for me to check out other books in the series? That remains to be seen...

This was everything I expect from a Jonathan Kellerman--fast-paced, plenty of twists and intrigue, and character and psychology to go around. It was a wonderful escape from the real world, with just enough plotting and complication to be a keep everything interesting while still being a pretty easy read to sink into.

For lovers of suspense and thrillers, I'd absolutely recommend the Alex Delaware series, and this book among the group of them.

Possibly the most disappointing Jonathan Kellerman book I've read to date and I've been working my way through them chronologically. As always, he writes well in describing the investigation and the developing story as more twists in the plot occur. And the interplay between Alex and Milo as they bounce various theories off one another is as readable as ever.
However, ultimately, as with any thriller, it's the dénouement that really justifies the plot. This is always, for me, Kellerman's weak spot - normally the crime and perpretator makes sense, but the action at the end seems a little contrived. In this book, I simply didn't 'buy' the crime and perpetrator. it was plain too odd and unsatisfying, and the police etc. are themselves show more baffled by this guy and why he did what he did. True, I guess that he has to come up with something different each time, but this one was just too weird - and you could see most of it coming a mile off. There wasn't any great twist as we got towards the end - except one character, who weren't supposed to think was a goodie turned out to be a baddie, but I'd guessed that one from the start.... So.... Good writing for the most part, as always. but the thriller part of the plot sucked really. But I still love him! show less

Two murder victims have been discovered in the boots of their cars. The first was would-be actor, Richard Dada; the second Dr Claire Argent, a psychiatrist at a maximum security hospital. Milo Sturgis tends to think there will be plenty of suspects amongst her clientele, but as his friend Alex Delaware remarks, none of his patients ever killed anyone and as they investigate the backgrounds of both victims it appears that Milo needs to look elsewhere, because neither of them are who they made themselves out to be. As they slowly unravel the strands of their lies another, truly monstrous, character emerges: a man who gains his pleasure not from mere mutilattion and murder but from making his victims watch their own forthcoming death on show more film. And somehow he has control over some of the Claire Argent's patients, apparently securely behind bars. In one of the most complex plots he has yet devised, Jonathan Kellerman has created a devastating mystery thriller. show less

Monster is the third Kellerman novel I've read and with every book read,I like his writing even more. I picked up this book at a bargain at a second hand store as i don't normally buy my copies of thrillers and borrow them from libraries.Faintly reminiscent of The silence of the lambs and more of ,Hannibal Lecter, I found the book spine chilling and gripping.The pace is not really high-adrenaline inducing,but Alex Delaware and his LAPD buddy Milo chip away industriously at uncertainty to make sense of madness behind Monster's random babble. Narrated from Alex's point of view,Monster is 13th in the row of Alex Delaware books.I was surprised at Jonathan's style of writing -vivid descriptions and flowery words somehow don't normally get show more associated with crime writing,more so with a psychological thriller,but you'll find that in this book.What I find fascinating about books like these is the psychological profiling that unravels during the course of the investigations.The book gives you a sneak peak into the workings of an institution for mentally unstable criminal-Starkweather hospital in this case.It also made me wonder about the safety of the carers and the techs that man these facilities.Either they must be highly motivated or paid very well to take up a job that is fraught with so much risk.

Character-wise I can't choose between Milo or Alex and say who I liked better.I also liked the way how Kellerman lets us see a bit of Alex's personal life in between the investigations.The murders that take place are slightly disturbing and not for the faint-hearted and in most cases Kellerman describes the crime scene almost clinically,going over details of the onslaught on the victim.Almost 200 pages into the book,we get to know who the possible murderer might be and its more a question of the duo locating him.

Overall ,this might not be the best psychological thriller I've read till date, but it was good nevertheless.4/5 for this book. I recommend it to people who like reading psychological thrillers. show less