Deception

Two and a half stars. When Jonathan Kellerman was first recommended to me, I read all of his books up to that point in a matter of weeks. Now, I was looking for another book but came across this one. Delighted to read it again, I was eager to discover -why- I liked it in a critical way. His books consist of a lot of dialogue that can be repetitive, but it's overall fast-moving. The characters and their relationships are enjoyable. I've always really liked that French bulldogs are supporting characters, and in some cases save the day. I've actually recommended these books to people based on that. I knew as I read this book that the character relationships would be strong, major plot twists near the end but organic, and the action uneven. show more That's true. However, I'd forgotten his reliance on cheap stereotypes whenever one of the characters was a minority, especially if the character was a villain or supporting villain. That really annoyed me. Still, I'd be okay with reading his books again. show less

LAPD Lieutenant Milo Sturgis is a big, feisty, gay man with a love for food and a sharp sense of humor. He’s also one of the city’s top homicide investigators. When the body of Elise Freeman, a substitute teacher, is discovered packed in dry ice alongside a DVD that accuses fellow teachers at an elite preparatory academy of sexual harassment, Milo knows he needs help. He reaches out to LAPD consulting psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware, believing that a psychiatrist's second opinion is crucial.

Together, Milo and Alex unravel a web of deceit involving both students and teachers, leading to a series of murders. Despite facing obstacles from the wealthy and privileged, the duo persists in their quest for the truth, driven by their show more unwavering commitment to uncovering the facts. While the story features minimal action, the plot moves forward through witty and entertaining dialogue. show less

This is the latest Alex Delaware mystery by Jonathan Kellerman (although I feel at this point I should be labeling them Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis mysteries because Milo has taken over, lol). Alex and Milo investigate the death of a teacher at an elite prep school. This one's a lot better than the last two or three (Evidence was especially lackluster, IMHO) but still not as good as the older entries in the series. The conclusion to the mystery isn't too weird or unpredictable, but there's nothing too brilliant in the journey to answers, either. There are some nice moments of interaction between Alex and Milo, and we get to see Robin and Blanche, too, although briefly. Not a bad summer read at all. Three and a half stars.

ood, quick read with some good twists and turns.

A prep school teacher is found dead in a tub of dry ice. A video she made before her death claims she's been the victim of sexual harassments at the school. Alex Delaware and Milo proceed to unravel the case, there are a lot of potential suspects and there's a lot at stake. Quickly they find that someone is desperate to keep them confused.

Right from the start, Alex and Milo find the murder of a teacher from an elite prep school raising puzzling questions. Why is there so much interest from above in keeping the case hush-hush? Why has protocol been breached in the handling of evidence? A strange DVD of the victim before her death adds further intrigue and could she have identified her murderer on the recording? And that's just the beginning. People are not always what they seem.

"Deception" is well-written and fast paced as it builds to a big finish. Full of suspense, interesting characters and enough turns to keep even the most seasoned armchair investigator guessing, fans will be greeted by old, familiar friends and those who are new to Jonathan Kellerman will likely be show more inspired to check out some of his earlier books after finishing this one. Great read, very entertaining- show less

Kellerman is a powerful author. His stories are well told and well constructed and his characters are interesting. How many good books can any successful writer produce? Most of us cannot even produce the first one. So, this one is not on the "best" list, there is no doubt about that. The characters are not fully deployed, the action is not terrific,the plot is not appealing. Forgive the author and lose the book.
One thing I like in all these books is that the bad guys are always different in age, in appearance, in motivation, they are all the same in darkness. It is true for "Deception" as well. The trouble is that this time, the killer is so uninteresting that the book falls flat. It is too much like in real life: I have often been a show more prison visitor, and I got to say most criminals are flat too. show less

I hate reviews that start by quoting the dust jacket, so I'll spare you. This was another good mystery by Kellerman. I like that he spent less time on the angst of Sturgis and Dr. Delaware and more time on the story itself.

Kellerman is one of the very few authors that I have been reading for many years that I think is still able to turn out a well written and interesting mystery.