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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER In one of the most frightening and challenging cases of his career, Dr. Alex Delaware must confront a strange medical mystery involving a child. "Reads like wildfire . . . harrowing suspense."--The New York Times Book Review Twenty-one-month-old Cassie Jones is the picture of health. Yet her parents rush her to the emergency room night after night with symptoms no doctor can explain. Cassie's parents seem genuinely concerned. Her favorite nurse is a model show more of devotion. When Delaware is called in to investigate, instinct tells him that one of them could be a monster. Then a physician is brutally murdered. A shadowy death is revealed. And Alex and his friend, LAPD detective Milo Sturgis, have only hours to uncover the link between Cassie's terrifying condition and these shocking, seemingly unrelated events. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Jonathan Kellerman's Guilt. show lessTags
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One of my favorite earlier Alex Delaware mysteries.
Alex is called in by someone else other than Milo this time - his past with the hospital has earned him an in with another mystery, this time at first investigating to protect a child rather than investigate an actual crime. Much of the plot is dedicated to preventing a potential horror rather than bringing justice to something already accomplished. Munchausen by proxy is a horrific mystery of psychological taboos, and it was a cerebral treat to read a thriller focused on the possibility of it.
Throw in Kellerman's skill in creating layered characters who are as convincing in their dysfunctions as much as their innocence, and it gets even better. I stood on my toes wondering who was show more guilty, if anyone was, and unsure which side I should really be rooting for. On one hand, my mother's side was wanting to protect the child at all costs if there's any doubt, but on the other hand, nosy doctors who sometimes overreach grated my mother's security.
It ended up with a treat that not only covered the unusual psychological ailment, but added twists to make it something even more unique. The resolution satisfied my uncertainty on who I should have been rooting for. I can't ruin the ending, but it worked with my doubts about characters I liked during the investigation.
Devil's Waltz digs into the psychological and medical side of thrillers more than the police procedural, reversing the roles of the story - with Alex bringing in Milo after awhile instead of the other way around. I enjoyed this change of pace. show less
Alex is called in by someone else other than Milo this time - his past with the hospital has earned him an in with another mystery, this time at first investigating to protect a child rather than investigate an actual crime. Much of the plot is dedicated to preventing a potential horror rather than bringing justice to something already accomplished. Munchausen by proxy is a horrific mystery of psychological taboos, and it was a cerebral treat to read a thriller focused on the possibility of it.
Throw in Kellerman's skill in creating layered characters who are as convincing in their dysfunctions as much as their innocence, and it gets even better. I stood on my toes wondering who was show more guilty, if anyone was, and unsure which side I should really be rooting for. On one hand, my mother's side was wanting to protect the child at all costs if there's any doubt, but on the other hand, nosy doctors who sometimes overreach grated my mother's security.
It ended up with a treat that not only covered the unusual psychological ailment, but added twists to make it something even more unique. The resolution satisfied my uncertainty on who I should have been rooting for. I can't ruin the ending, but it worked with my doubts about characters I liked during the investigation.
Devil's Waltz digs into the psychological and medical side of thrillers more than the police procedural, reversing the roles of the story - with Alex bringing in Milo after awhile instead of the other way around. I enjoyed this change of pace. show less
This book was so primal, it ought to have been narrated as an audiobook by a screaming Kurt Cobain. It was so shocking. You know there cannot be a lot of red herrings, but the author did not let that bother him.
Is Kellerman really inferior in writing to his wife Faye? That's what someone told me. Faye better than even Jonathan? Scary.
I read book 34 first. Reason for that simply was the title, 'The Wedding Guest'. I thought I was going to be treated with a cozy like experience. But I can no longer convey my impressions. I've forgotten about book 34.
Maybe that's Kellerman's sins. His books don't stick in the mind. I never see his name in the bestsellers list. He ought to out dough James Patterson. Patterson's books too are forgettable. show more But will the latter get 5 stars from me? No. show less
Is Kellerman really inferior in writing to his wife Faye? That's what someone told me. Faye better than even Jonathan? Scary.
I read book 34 first. Reason for that simply was the title, 'The Wedding Guest'. I thought I was going to be treated with a cozy like experience. But I can no longer convey my impressions. I've forgotten about book 34.
Maybe that's Kellerman's sins. His books don't stick in the mind. I never see his name in the bestsellers list. He ought to out dough James Patterson. Patterson's books too are forgettable. show more But will the latter get 5 stars from me? No. show less
The doctors call it Munchausen by proxy, the terrifying disease that causes parents to induce illness in their own children. Now, in his most frightening case, Dr. Alex Delaware may have to prove that a child's own mother or father is making her sick. Twenty-one-month-old Cassie Jones is bright, energetic, the picture of health. Yet her parents rush her to the emergency room night after night with medical symptoms no doctor can explain. Cassie's parents seem sympathetic and deeply concerned. Her favorite nurse is a model of devotion. Yet when child psychologist Alex Delaware is called in to investigate, instinct tells him that one of them may be a monster. Then a physician at the hospital is brutally murdered. A shadowy death is show more revealed. And Alex and his friend LAPD detective Milo Sturgis have only hours to uncover the link between these shocking events and the fate of an innocent child. show less
Was in the mood for a little Alex Delaware and this was next up on the list. I was not disappointed. I’m not sure why, but in this one Kellerman has struck a balance of sorts and it was an enjoyable read beginning to end. I wasn’t sure how the medical information would hold up several years later, but it never had that written twenty years ago patina to it. I also really liked the brief mentions about previous characters, be they patients, old loves, previous interactions, et al. He wasn’t too heavy-handed, but those really added to the likeability of Delaware and successfully kept this from feeling dated.
Devil’s Waltz by Jonathan Kellerman
3 stars
Over the course of eighteen months, young Cassie Jones has spent her life in and out of Western Pediatrics Hospital. Her doctors are baffled as they can find no underlying causes to her episodes of breathing troubles, gastric distress and seizures. Finally, her primary care physician calls in Alex Delaware, a psychologist as a consult. Alex’s instinct tells him the problems may not be medical but rather the result of outside interference with the likely suspects being Cassie’s parents, Chip and Cindy Jones. And the more time he spends at the hospital he becomes aware of an institution that is harboring its own secrets, long time employees leaving in droves, the security is enforced like a show more police state, a staff that is completely demoralized. Then, even as Cassie suffers another setback, a physician is brutally murdered. Alex turns to his police detective friend, Milo Sturgis, to help him seek answers to the many questions that keep popping up.
While this book is part of a series starring Alex Delaware, it stood well by itself. There were interesting discussions regarding a possible psychological syndrome that was responsible for Cassie’s ill health. It became a little more convoluted as to the happenings in the hospital and its troubles. And I lost some interest in reading that. All in all, it was a decent read and I would consider reading others in the series if I happen to come across them. show less
3 stars
Over the course of eighteen months, young Cassie Jones has spent her life in and out of Western Pediatrics Hospital. Her doctors are baffled as they can find no underlying causes to her episodes of breathing troubles, gastric distress and seizures. Finally, her primary care physician calls in Alex Delaware, a psychologist as a consult. Alex’s instinct tells him the problems may not be medical but rather the result of outside interference with the likely suspects being Cassie’s parents, Chip and Cindy Jones. And the more time he spends at the hospital he becomes aware of an institution that is harboring its own secrets, long time employees leaving in droves, the security is enforced like a show more police state, a staff that is completely demoralized. Then, even as Cassie suffers another setback, a physician is brutally murdered. Alex turns to his police detective friend, Milo Sturgis, to help him seek answers to the many questions that keep popping up.
While this book is part of a series starring Alex Delaware, it stood well by itself. There were interesting discussions regarding a possible psychological syndrome that was responsible for Cassie’s ill health. It became a little more convoluted as to the happenings in the hospital and its troubles. And I lost some interest in reading that. All in all, it was a decent read and I would consider reading others in the series if I happen to come across them. show less
I usually like Kellerman's books but this one was a little rough for me to get through. I found the idea of writing a book around Munchhausen by proxy interesting but there was too much other stuff mixed in with it. I am not good with financial stuff so I got lost in parts of the book. I do not feel like it was necessary to include so much detail in the sub-story of the financial mystery. I think if Kellerman had left out some of the confusing financial detail, it would have been a much better book and easier to get through. This is not a Kellerman book that I would recommend to a friend.
Devil's Waltz is a book with several different problems. The characters are all believable as well as the settings. Four stars were given to this very short review.
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Author Information
123+ Works 71,798 Members
Jonathan Kellerman is one of the world's most popular authors. He has brought his expertise as a child psychologist to 16 consecutive bestselling novels of suspense, including The Butcher's Theater, Jerusalem, and Billy Straight and 32 previous Alex Delaware novels, translated into two dozen languages. He is also the author of numerous essays, show more short stories, and scientific articles, two children's books, and three volumes on psychology, including Savage Spawn: Reflections on Violent Children. (Publisher Provided) show less
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Series
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Devil's Waltz
- Original title
- Devil's Waltz
- Original publication date
- 1992
- People/Characters
- Alex Delaware; Cassie Jones; Milo Sturgis; Cindy Jones; Vicki Bottomley; Stephanie Eves (show all 9); Robin Castagna; Charles Jones, Sr.; Charles Jones, Jr.
- Important places
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- Epigraph
- Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold.
—Alfred, Lord Tennyson - Dedication
- To my son, Jesse, a gentleman and a scholar.
Special thanks to Reuben Eagle, Allan Marder, Yuki Novick, Michael Samet, Dennis Payne, and Harry Weisman, M.D. - First words
- It was a place of fear and myth, home of miracles and the worst kind of failure.
- Quotations
- "The Tujunga detective—a gal, actually, named Dunn—said Vicki was home when it happened, watching TV in the next room."
—Reference to Marge Dunn, a character in the Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus mysterie... (show all)s written by Faye Kellerman. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)We drove away without thanking him.
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- Reviews
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- Rating
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- 11 — Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Spanish, Swedish
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 45
- ASINs
- 17