Compulsion

February 25, 2008
Bestseller Kellerman serves up all the elements his fans have come to love in the 22nd entry in his Alex Delaware series (Obsession
, etc.), including an intriguing plot, likable regular characters supported by an interesting secondary cast, diabolical villains, witty dialogue and a sense of humanity and justice. Alex and his LAPD detective partner, Milo Sturgis, are investigating several murders that, at first, appear to have only one thing in common: the perpetrator's use of expensive black automobiles while committing his crimes. Kellerman sticks to his usual modus, the patient and sometimes painfully slow accumulation of detail, as Alex and Milo slowly build their case. A subplot involves a missing child last seen selling magazine subscriptions in a tony neighborhood 16 years earlier. On the domestic front, Alex is again living with his girlfriend, Robin, with whom he has broken up several times over the course of the series. In the end, a nice twist reminds Robin and Alex to be more careful in the future about drawing assumptions in their private life before all the facts have come to light.

May 26, 2008
Rubinstein, who has had a long, successful run as the voice of Kellerman's popular hero, Dr. Alex Delaware, has seldom been more appreciated than on this rather mediocre entry in the series. While the doctor and his gruff, gay LAPD detective pal Milo Sturgis slog through a now too-familiar witness-to-witness search for a killer (in this case, a particularly loathsome one who uses disguises and pricy black automobiles), Rubinstein revs up the action, providing the secondary characters with an energetic array of on-target vocals and refining and deepening his stellar interpretations of the leads. Thanks to him, there's a nuanced wistfulness in Delaware's approach to both the hunt for the killer and his ever-shifting relationship with girlfriend Robin. And Sturgis's gravelly growl has a definitive quality that suggests a maturity both tougher and more thoughtful than in the past. Simultaneous release with the Ballantine hardcover (Reviews, Feb. 25).

February 15, 2008
When a retired schoolteacher is brutally stabbed in her driveway, LAPD Detective Milo Sturgis and psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware must figure out who would want to kill her. Their ensuing investigation uncovers other, possibly related murders. The methods of killing vary, but the motives share a twisted altruistic element: the victims somehow "deserve" their deaths. The only things that seem to tie the crimes together are expensive scarves and black luxury cars. Although the story can be quite complex at times, the action is fast paced, and the many plot twists leave readers on the edge of their seats. Kellerman's writing is neat and not overly burdened by extraneous detail. His 22nd Alex Delaware thriller is recommended for all public libraries as demand is sure to be high for this best-selling author. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 12/07.]Amanda Scott, Cambridge Springs P.L., PA

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2008
L.A.psychologist Alex Delawares insights into human behavior once again prove invaluable tohis friend, Lieutenant Milo Sturgis. In the duos twenty-first crime outing, narrated as usual by Delaware, a stolen black luxury carprovides the two with the first link in a case of brutal murders thatultimatelyleads to one of Kellermans mostwarpedvillains. When Sturgis is called in by a young officer to consulton a bloodstain found in a recovered Bentley, Delaware rides along, as he does later when Sturgis hurries to the scene ofthe brutalstabbing of an elderly woman, which took place in broad daylight. The perpetrator of this second crimewas identified as an elderly man driving apricey black car. Add to this the mystery ofa missing thirtysomething party girl, and theres plenty tooccupyinvestigators. Though theirpath to success seems less grounded than usual, the comfortable banter that has helped make Delaware and Sturgis such durable crime-story heroes is as rapid-fire, keen, and wryly funny as ever, and the mystery they aim to solve is certainly not routine. Enhanced by an assortment of quirky supporting characters cut from vintage Kellerman cloth, this is a genuine page-turner sure to please the authors legion of devoted fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)