Twisted

Rating:
Summary: Kellerman hits home run
Review: As a longtime fan of Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware/Milo Sturgis novels, I have been less impessed with some of his recent work. This novel, featuring detective Petra Connor who starred in a couple of previous novels, ranks among his better yarns.

Two main plots underpin the story. One involves the shooting of several teenagers on the parking lot of Club Paradiso on Sunset Boulevard, one of whom remains unidentified. The second plot involves the discovery by boy genius Isaac Gomez,a Ph.D. student interning at the police station where Petra is based, of six murders on June 28 of different years by a hard blow to the base of the skull.The victims come from diverse backgrounds and appear unrelated.

Petra tracks down the culprits in the Paradiso shootings but is suspended because she didn't play by the rules and leave the apprehension to the downtown LA gangbuster task force. While suspended, Petra continues to pursue the idea that a serial killer is at work in the June 28 killings. Meanwhile Isaac becomes involved with a middle-aged librarian who comes up with a key to the mystery in an old book. This reinforces Petra's view as to the likely suspect being the husband of the first known victim. While she and her partner Eric stakeout the suspect, Isaac boots up his computer and realizes that they have missed an important clue. Singlehandedly, he apprehends the killer and catches himself a beautiful girlfriend in the process.

I would like to see more adventures featuring Isaac but I alsso miss Alex and hope to see him again soon.

Rating:
Summary: One of Kellerman's best
Review: Excellent book!! Once I started the book I knew it would be non stop reading. It was refreshing to read one of his books with someone other than Alex Delaware as the main character. I hope he does more Petra Connor novels! After reading his last novel, Therapy, I was very disappointed. I've read all of his books and I just couldn't get myself to finish Therapy, too boring and slow paced. I'm glad he's back on his feet again. For now I'll be waiting on his next work, "Rage", in the mean time I think I'll try his wife's, Faye Kellerman, novels.


Rating:
Summary: A fine twist
Review: I really enjoyed this book. I'm a huge fan of the Alex Delaware novels. This book features another one of M. Kellerman's characters, Petra Connors. We have met her in Billy Straight. Kellerman introduces another person in this book, a young genius named Isaac. I guess Isaac might make a comeback in a future novel. Who knows?

The book was nice and interesting. I liked that we learn more about Petra and her relationship with Eric. I'm hoping we will see more of Eric in another novel...

Without giving the story away, Petra is investigating what looks like a gang shooting when young Isaac comes to her with a possible, previously undetected serial killer-on-the-loose. This one is undetected because it's a once-a-year thing. We follow Petra as she tries to solve the gang shooting and starts looking into the June 28 killings.

I enjoyed the back and forth. Another good book by Mr Kellerman.

Rating:
Summary: Losing Ground in my Top-10 Favorite Authors List
Review: I was surprised to find that the majority of other readers actually enjoyed Jonathan Kellerman's latest novel Twisted. Since 1984 when his first novel When the Bough Breaks was published, I have eagerly awaited the next thrilling Delaware novel. To this extent, I do agree with the other reviewers; Alex Delaware has become humdrum of late. However, I am far more invested in Alex and Milo (Please, please get rid of Alison!) than Petra Conner. Petra strikes no interesting chord, and even less, Eric. The only interesting character is the whiz kid Isaac, but I can't see how he can continue in a Petra series - and his own life.

It seems to me that Jonathan Kellerman has taken the meanderings of Alex and Milo (call this person, eat this meal and drive this freeway) and transferred them to another character. The story ambles and lags its way to a fairly good conclusion, but it's still a long journey. Isaac's rendezvous with the lascivious if not matronly librarian was fun, but I still think Kellerman has lost his punch. I would love to see more Alex Delaware, but with a lot higher octane.


Rating:
Summary: Great to see Petra back in action!
Review: It's great to see Petra back in action. I'm starting to enjoy this Kellerman series more than the Alex Delaware/Milo Sturgis novels, which seem to have run their course. I'm also betting that the genius/nerd character in this book will be back for more in the future.

Exciting, and not too obvious, this book will keep you reading long past your bed-time. I'm not going to spoil anything by revealing plot points, but will just recommend this as the best Kellerman I've read in a long time.

Rating:
Summary: Kellerman departs from Delaware but gets back to his roots
Review: Most of author Jonathon Kellerman's previous novels feature Dr. Alex Delaware, a LA-area psychologist who assists the LAPD in solving homicides. Being a psychologist myself, I've been a big fan of the Delaware series, but I felt that the most recent Delaware novels had grown stale. In his current novel, Twisted, Kellerman takes a character who appeared in two of his past works, Billy Straight and A Cold Heart, and makes her the protangonist, thus breathing new life into his writing.

Like Alex Delaware's friend Milo Sturges, Petra Connor is a homicide detective. At the end of A Cold Heart, we saw her become romantically involved with her enigmatic partner, Eric, but at the start of this book, we learn that Eric has been sent overseas to work in anti-terrorist activities. Petra, left flying solo both professionally and romantically, is assigned to supervise a genius intern working for the department. When the intern, Issac, comes to her to report that six seemingly unconnected homicides share both the same weapon of choice and the same murder date, Petra takes a break from her current case--a mass shooting which left four teenagers dead--to investigate.

This novel has everything that made the earlier Alex Delaware novels so engrossing: several interesting plotlines going on at once, intriguing characters with an air of mystery about them, and superb suspense leading up to a surprising but believable conclusion. Petra is a tough but likeable character, and the glimpses into her and Eric's relationship make them both seem more human. The conclusion left plenty of openings for future novels featuring Petra, Eric, and even Issac; although I'd miss Dr. Delaware, I'll definitely continue to read any future Petra Connor books.

Rating:
Summary: A Fresh Start with Great New Characters
Review: Petra Connor is back in a follow-up to BILLY BATHGATE, the novel in which she makes her full story debut. Joining her is the intriguing brainiac, Isaac Gomez. Isaac is researching homicide statistics and finds a bizarre correlation of murders that have taken place on June 28th for the last six years. The victims have nothing in common for that they died on the same day and in the same way.

The last several Kellerman books have not been as good as most of the earlier books. There is something to be said for writers not to write more than one book a year in the same series. It starts feeling stale after awhile. I was pleasantly surprised at how engaged I was in this book. I really had trouble putting it down. I found the characters both interesting and sympathetic. I look forward to further development of Petra's relationships with both Isaac and her lover, Eric. As much I have liked the Alex Delaware novels, it might be time for Jonathan Kellerman to move on to Petra Connor.


Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: Three books you MUST read are these: TWISTED (obviously-why else would we be here?), SHOPAHOLIC AND SISTER, and the current and stellar CHILDREN'S CORNER by Jackson McCrae. TWISTED is the best, though. Petra Conner, Hollywood homicide detective is the star of this new Kellerman novel. She has played A role in other Kellerman Novels like 'Cold Heart' but this time the Witty yet sensitive Conner is the center of the story. The story starts with dead bodies spread across a night club parking lot and Petra takes an interest in on Jane Doe. Petra's investigation takes her to the seemier side of LA's seamy underbelly. Overall the plot is tight and moves at a nice pace with plenty of action. I did not really feel the Petra character while well developed is strong enough for her own series. inspite of this the book is still above average for the genre. My favorite character, who I thought stole the show is the nerdy whiz kid grad student Issac Gomez who discovers the a connection between the timing of the deaths, and that more are sure to come! All in all this is an entertaining if not perfect thriller.

Rating:
Summary: Headline News!
Review: What a story! drive by's and each lead leads to nothing. Scenes are extremely vivid and gut-wrenching to the point of regurgitation. However, if you have a strong stomach, you will love this mystery of murders. Clever, clever, clever. Also, you'll enjoy the novel, LUST OF THE FLESH by Beverly Rolyat, a compelling, riveting, pageturning novel about a district attorney who gets caught up in a web of deceit, lies, murder, mystery, suspense, love, lust, romance and sex galore! Is he really the biological father of his wife's promiscuous teenage daughter's infant son? Or has he been set up? A different type read that offers very enlightening messages throughout the book. Enjoy your read.

Rating:
Summary: PETRAFIED
Review: While I tend to agree that Jonathan Kellerman's latest Alex Delaware novels (particularly THERAPY) aren't up to par to his earlier works, TWISTED shows his return to form. Using Petra Conner as his main protagonist and with a marvelous new character named Isaac Gomex, Kellerman weaves a complex tale of murder and deceit. Petra is not an easy character to like at times; she seems emotionally void at times, and her loose cannon approach gets frustrating. However, paired with Isaac, she manages to overcome these obstacles and helps Kellerman deliver a fine thriller.
The double plots at first seem clumsy and one has a hard time deciding which one is the main one. However, with the June 28 serial killings still a prominent threat, Kellerman wisely folds up the Paradiso drive-bys, and focuses on the more intricate serial killings.
To Kellerman's credit, the identity of the serial killer is a good surprise, although one can see it coming after Isaac does his chat room search. But it's close enough to the end, you aren't cheated. Petra's romantic involvement continues, although Eric Stahl still remains too enigmatic to care a lot about. The return of Stu Bishop late in the book should provide some interesting sparks in Petra's next novel.
Taut and well written, TWISTED should please Kellerman's fans who feels he's been too prolific lately. New fans shouldn't have any difficulty in reading this one as a standalone.