Flesh and Blood

Rating:
Summary: IT'LL GET BETTER...
Review: I agree with reviewer C.M. Lyons---Kellerman is definitely on a descent: writer's block? Contract demands? Fact is, his latest novels are superficial, inattentive, unsatisfying: we seem to get a ready-made formula, with a sprinkling of action and the usual structure---a laundry list of personage description: as soon as you meet a character, first thing the author does, he stops everything and gives a tailor's appraisal of their attire.
I'm sick of dress details, and I'd prefer some deeper insights.
As details go however, Kellerman appears to lose track of some of them (inexcusable in a thriller writer), i.e., in his latest "Flesh and Blood", his character Dan has a wife that first he names as 'Jan' and later (last chapter) becomes 'Marge'. Moreover, to reach a suffered conclusion, he doesn't find it hard to use the "deus-ex-machina" trick by getting one of his characters arrive at the crucial moment when Alex is about to be shot: how did he happen to get there, out of the blue? No motive.

So: inconsistencies, lack of logical consequence, poor character insight, monotonous story development. What's happening to Kellerman? Reviewer Lyons has given a good suggestion, perhaps: I too believe the author should look somewhere else for a story, and change track. Maybe he'll find deeper inspiration.
The "Butcher's Theater" was excellent, and so his "Billy Straight"... A shift of perspective will do the author good, I'm sure.
Pity, though---I was fond of Alex and Milo.

And I am a Kellerman fan, wishing to stay so.

Rating:
Summary: Another Disappointment from Kellerman
Review: This will be the last review, or reading, of Kellerman's work. In the years I've been reading the Alex Delaware series, it seems that the author peaked at book two, and continued his downward descent ever since. Though there have been some incredible highlights here and there, for the most part I don't buy the hype that is Kellerman's media marketing.

In "Flesh and Blood", I found myself trudging through the emotionally devoid writing, trying hard to find something likable about the paper cutout characters and weak storytelling...to no avail. It appeared that somewhere along the line, Kellerman lost his passion for writing, and continues to do so only to meet his contract requirements with the publisher, or else compete with his wife, novelist Faye Kellerman. It's as if Kellerman, himself a psychologist, writes an analytical report of what a book SHOULD look like, then tweaks a few areas and submits the results as a novel. I find it impossible to care about his relationship with Robin, who would be better off hooking up with gay Detective Milo Sturgis. At least there she'd find something akin to the passion that Delaware/Kellerman sorely lack. The plots have become replications of every other plot in the series, with no new twists or turns...perhaps Kellerman is banking on familiarity, and therefore afraid to break new ground with new material.

For the first time, I count myself as not one of an author's avid fans, but a strong dissenter. My suggestion would be for Kellerman to try writing something else, or give up altogether.

Rating:
Summary: not a talented author, just a prolific one....
Review: Jonathan Kellerman is an irritating writer to read---the plots are okay, it's his prose style...especially in the Delaware books, which I check out occasionally from the library. I did like Billy Straight, and keep hoping another of his books will approach that one. You practically roll your eyes as you read his purple prose in Flesh and Blood. I wasn't even able to finish this one....

Rating:
Summary: Not a good writer....
Review: I wasn't able to finish this book. This author has the most irritating style. Sometimes you just have to roll your eyes as you read his purple prose.

Rating:
Summary: My First but not last Kellerman book
Review: This is my first Jonathan Kellerman book and I am very impressed with the saga of Dr. Delaware, Robin and Milo. Now I will need to go and buy all the previous Delaware books and start from the beginning. This book features Dr. Delaware delving into the life of a past patient, a patient he had only seen twice. The patient, Lauren ends up brutally murdered and Alex and Milo team up in search of her killer. The journey takes them into the world of prostitution and the sex industry. Lots of twists and turns here....hold on to your seat!

Rating:
Summary: Troubled young girls are murdered
Review: Lauren Teague, a former patient of psychiatrist Dr. Alex Delaware, is found murdered in a dumpster. Her distraught mother comes to Alex, requesting that he help in the murder investigation. There are virtually no clues and Alex and his buddy Milo Sturges, LAPD investigator, have to dig hard to find answers in this case. They find out that another young girl disappeared a year earlier in a similar scenario, and Alex is convinced that the two cases are connected. The investigation takes them into the lives of university psychology professors and to the home of a Hugh Hefner clone. The case also includes some sticky and interwoven family lives and loyalties. This is well-written and is a good mystery.

Rating:
Summary: Attraction
Review: FLESH AND BLOOD by Jonathan Kellerman

Another Alex Delaware psychological thriller and a very good one, up to Kellerman's standard. A patient's mother called 10 years after someone, a 15 girl he had started therapy with when her father pulled her out, and he had not really got to know. The patient was a pretty and smart girl who looked to Alex like she was headed for self--destruction. She was impatient during the therapy sessions with the meeting with Alex and finally didn't show up for one.

Now six years later after Alex observed her participating in a sex act with another girl at a bachelor's party, he immediately left the party, and went home. She recognized him at the party as well and paid him a penitent visit the next day.

Then four years later her mother called. Lauren, the girl who had been Alex's patient was missing. Lauren had it seems that she got her act together, passes a GED and was attending a University for a psychology degree. Apparently, she had admired Alex and wanted to be a therapist. Now, she was missing and her mother called, and asked Alex for help.

Alex got in contact with a friend, a Los Angeles detective, Milo, and told him about the missing girl. Milo's response was about what he expected when one reports a 25 year old college girl missing, which was she properly went somewhere with friends and did not tell her mother. But the case really opened up when they found Lauren's body in a trash dump with two bullet holes in her head.

Alex had a feeling of responsibly, because of his long ago unfinished work with Lauren when she was a 15-year old girl. He had done work with the LA police as a psychosis consultant. He felt guilty about not being able to help Lauren before, and decided he would try and help them find her murderer.

The case caused Alex to re-analyze himself, his emotions and his thoughts, as he got into it deeper. He almost lost his long-time girl friend Robin, and as he got closer to the murderer, his life.

I've read most of Kellerman's books and liked the Alex Delaware series most. This one was excellent and up to his four-star standard.
Roger L. Lee

Rating:
Summary: Snoozer!
Review: This book is so boring that I can't even finish it. It sounded so good on the jacket and usually Kellerman's books are much better.

Rating:
Summary: disappointed
Review: was not what i am use to from his work.

Rating:
Summary: Well, maybe next time..............
Review: I have been a Kellerman fan for years. I love a series, but this time Alex Delaware is dull, needs to get a life and bring himself into 2002!He is so bored he is boring!Kellerman would do good to revamp Delaware's character so that he does not sound like all of the other characters in his book.More than reading, I would say I skimmed this book trying my best to find substance.Delaware has become a shadow of his former self and that is sad.