Rating: 
Summary: A Good Whodunnit !
Review: Someone is murdering people involved in the art and music world. The first known victim is a blues singer by the name of Baby Boy Lee. Petra Connor (from the novel Billy Straight) is assigned to this case. However, after the next killing, that of an artist trying to make a come back, Milo Sturgis calls Alex Delaware into the case. Milo and Alex are puzzled over the motive to these crimes. As they proceed through their investigation, a young "zine" writer becomes a top suspect. Is he killing them out of jealousy? Or, is he even the killer?
What is different about this Kellerman novel is the shift in narration from chapter to chapter (one chapter Alex is narrator, another Petra, and so on....) I found Petra's new partner Eric Stahl very mysterious and intriquing.This is a good novel by Jonathan Kellerman. It's not one of my favorites, however it kept me interested, and I found the ending quite satisfying.
Rating: 
Summary: On a roll
Review: The author has found a way to keep these books moving. Changing narrators has added zip to the series. Good job.
Rating:
Summary: Fast moving again.
Review: The style of A Cold Heart brought back memories of Billy Straight which was the book that got me hooked on Jonathan Kellerman. I last read The Murder Book and was disappointed with its plodding style but not with this one. The sharp, quick action moves along at good clip and yet still adds descriptions which create vivid pictures in the mind. This story brings together all the characters in the other books and weaves them around a case which is solved by their cooperative work. I finished it in two sittings and was sorry it was over. This is my idea of a good read. I am glad there is a new love interest for Delaware finally. The on again, off again business with Robin was getting very boring. I look forward now to what ever comes next. Thanks, Mr. Kellerman for a good story, well told.
Rating: 
Summary: a cold heart
Review: the usual good book by kellerman but i would like to see robin back as delewares girlfriend, dont like the new one. too many characters in this book. would like to see det. petra and her new partner in a separate book, and would also like to see a little more focus on milo and rick. bring back robin!
Rating: 
Summary: Pass it By
Review: The usual Kellerman appeal is absent--this book feels very tired. Not much of a mystery--and nothing new in the relationships of Kellerman's (usually) intriguing characters. Alex, Robin, Milo and Rick deserve better than this.
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: His Best
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: In a series, comparisons are misleading
Review: This is an excellent Alex Delaware novel. It has pathos, the breakup of the lovely, artistic Robin and Dr. D; it has confusuion in new loves, for both, it has great dialogue between the angry Petra and the new Eric; it has just the hint of things to come without readers being able to say "I knew it!"; and of course it has 'murder most foul' and not one and not two and not three but four reasonable perps. When we have a series that has withstood the test of time, Crais' Elvis and Joe, Parker's Spenser and Hawk come to mind, there's bound to be an occasional letdown. Some authors like Lehane merely stop, saying, inter alia, "I don't want to do these folks anymore." (I kind of miss Patrick and Angie.) But we as readers can't have it both ways. The alternative to us knowing every nuance of the protagonist(s) (this is #17 for Alex and Milo) is cessation. I don't want that; I'll take the once-in-awhile predictable storyline. This isn't it. Someone is killing the artists, blues musicians, dancers, potters, painters, and the only clue in a limited field is that the victims appear to have won it all, lost it all, and are making a comeback. Great dialogue, nice characters, good dose of unpredictability. Highly recommended. Five stars. Larry Scantlebury
Rating:
Summary: FREEZE AND READ THIS BOOK!
Review: This is an extraordinarily well written and well crafted mystery. Kellerman has once again outdone himself. A brilliant guitarist has been found stabbed to death in an alley. The only witness cannot provide an adequate description of the killer. A young punk rock wannabe star is also murdered. Her connection to Dr. Delaware other than a heated verbal exchange is that his then live in love Robin built a guitar for her. Several more people are murdered - a ballerina in Boston; a musician in Southern California; a homeless woman and possibly others. A young writer whose whereabouts cannot be accounted for seems a likely suspect; his e-magazine is rife with nihilism and 1980s style punk fueled venom some 20 years later. Delaware, his friend LAPD Homicide Detective Milo Sturgis and two Sturgis' colleagues, Petra Connor and Eric Stahl make for a very unlikely quartet indeed. The quartet work in separately and in pairs (Delaware/Sturgis and Connor/Stahl) tracking down all possible leads. What if any connection could there possibly be to a homeless woman and a group of artists living in different parts of the United States? The e-magazine leads the sleuths to a small private university where its creator graduated; a trip to the university fails to uncover any possible leads or links. Who killed these people and why? Once again, Jon Kellerman has presented a masterpiece of a mystery with plenty of plot twists to keep readers riveted. His use of names and descriptions is clever; for example, a minor character aptly named Christian BANGSley is described as "Beatle mopped." I loved that. I also liked Dr. Delaware's new girlfriend Allison. Robin more or less was relegated to a minor role and I didn't like it when she tried to seduce Dr. Delaware when he came to see how she was doing. I also found it interesting that Robin wound up with the French bulldog she and Alex Delaware had owned. I still don't care for Robin. I loved Elizabeth Martin, the brilliant department chair at the mysterious Charter College. A committed academic, she is interesting and believable and I really found her to be a strong character who made a good story even better.
Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: This true Kellerman at his best!!! A little drag in a few spots but that also is Kellerman's style-not drag; detail!!!
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