Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing Point in Series
Review: This installation of Kellerman's series on Alex Delaware has
to be the best of the bunch. His usual book is full of complexity
that most readers enjoy, but this one brings to full light the
additional work and personality of detective Petra Connor, who,
along with long-time pal detective Milo Sturgis, work with Delaware's psychological insights to find the killer of rising
artists.
At first, no one notices the connection among a handful of murders, which have happened in different districts, and even
far-flung jurisdictions, but someone finally notices that a series of
killings have involved victims who were all either rising young artists, or long-suffering artists finally on the brink of success.
But who would want to kill such a diverse bunch of artists, including a concert pianist, a blues guitar player, a drugged, out-of-control modern singer (who is more of a screamer, really), and
others who never knew each other and who never traveled in the
same circles, either artisticallly or physically?
The story realistically involves some false starts and phony leads, all of which the police (and Alex) must pursue, so the reader can
share the real frustration of police and detective work which requires them to work with insufficient information, reluctant witnesses and outright liars while trying to track down a relentless
killer who is getting more bold and lethal.
All the characters are fully developed, and the author has made
each of them interesting to the point where we want to know more
about them and to share their thought processes.
Of course, as in the Alex Delaware books in general, the hero
himself is in a personal turmoil, and he suddenly finds that he might be the target of the killer himself; but worse, he shockingly
realizes the fear that the next target may be someone very near
and dear to him.
So Alex has to help the police unravel a complex series of murders, all the while dealing with his own inner conflicts.
His psychological insights are helpful to the police, but the insights into himself are more elusive.
For anyone with any interest in this type of psychological thriller
or mystery, this is a must. And most readers will find it very
difficult to put down, as the story rolls forward with intensity.
Rating: 
Summary: Very average (tired?) 17th entry in Alex Delaware series
Review: We read every Kellerman (even his wife Faye!) novel that comes out, but didn't notice at first that this was another police-helper, psychologist Alex Delaware story. Indeed, detective Petra Conner returns (from "Billy Straight") with a new and quite mysterious partner, and we presumed the unfolding murder plot would be a second entry in that series. Lo and behold, a couple of chapters later, Milo Sturgish (Delaware's buddy) catches a murder weird enough he calls in Alex to help. Alex soon develops the theory that the killing was related to Petra's homicide, along with a few other unsolved cold cases from across the country, and so we're off and running with his 17th outing. The (weak) similarity that the victims were aspiring artists (from various fields of endeavor) on the brink of success added little or no compelling interest or suspense to the goings-on.It seems Kellerman has had difficulty in his last three or four efforts generating the kind of zest present in his earlier works that featured crimes involving children, Alex's true specialty as a professional (as is author Dr. Kellerman in real life). His mooning over lost love Robin is way beyond old, and a new love interest in this one does little to defray that nonsense. The strange actions of Petra's new partner provided almost more mystery than the mystery did -- and we really didn't understand why Milo, a competent cop, was posed as so goofy in this one. Lastly, by the time the pros decided whodunit, we readers had all figured it out. We've heard Kellerman's next outing will feature an entirely new character; that's good news in our judgment. Fine writing skills, never a problem here, are just not enough to carry off more Delaware machinations. We suggest he go back to his original practice and let us all get on with life.
Rating:
Summary: Not the best in great series
Review: When an has-been blues artist is murdered in Los Angeles, the police don't have much to go on--until psychologist Alex Delaware notices a connection to other deaths. Could someone really be killing artists who are on the verge of success? With his long-time partner Milo, police detective Petra Connor, and Petra's new and possibly psychotic partner Eric Stahl, Alex starts looking for clues to a possible serial killer. Psychological profiling serves to narrow the suspect list, but can they act quickly enough to prevent the killer from striking again? Author Jonathan Kellerman has delivered a series of wonderful police/psychologist novels featuring Milo and Alex in the past, but A COLD HEART is not the best of these. The early novels in this series deal extensively with child abuse--a crime that cannot help to tug hard on any reader's emotions. Although a serial killer has the potential for similarly powerful emotional impact, Kellerman doesn't quite milk the material. Many readers may also find the killer's identity a little easy to guess, and the action-packed conclusion to be telegraphed a little too obviously. Being far from the best in this series does not mean that A COLD HEART isn't worth reading. Kellerman is a strong writer who involves the reader, delivers smooth and fascinating insights into humanity, and can be counted on for a clever plot twist.
|
