Rating: 
Summary: Kellerman's best in a while
Review: I first read Jonathan Kellerman when his first book, "When the Bough Breaks" came out in paperback. I've been following him pretty closely ever since. He's a good story teller, and his first person narratives, at their best, are wonderful updates of the old Raymond Chandler novel from the forties. I like Steven King's line about how Kellerman had saved the Private eye novel when it was just about dead as a literary form.Given that, Kellerman's been somewhat dissappointing lately. The last several books have featured weak plots that were difficult to follow, and which had hooks (unexplained puzzles to get Alex interested in the case) which were never resolved at the end of the plot. He also has gotten long in his stories, averaging about 500 pages these days. (In answer to the one reviewer who asked why they stopped editing him, most writers don't like to be edited, or edited much, by strangers in a publisher's office. They probably stopped out of fear he'd find another publisher.) And so things have gotten a bit stale. This novel's different. For one thing, while Alex Delaware narrates, the chapters alternate into Milo Sturgis investigating the case, complete with comments on his friend Alex, and what a pain he can be. This is kind of jarring when it first occurs (Kellerman has only ever done one non-first person novel before, the non-Delaware Butcher's Theater) and there's no indication that it's going to happen, or explanation for it. It just occurs. Fortunately, Milo is a fun character, and holds this end of the book up quite well. For those who aren't aware, Milo Sturgis is Alex Delaware's alter ego. He's a big bear of a man, shambling and somewhat sloppy, profane, bitter, and somewhat cynical, and gay. This last is one of the most fun things about the character, and it's been fun watching Kellerman build the character and add to him over the years. He is, to put it bluntly, the anti-stereotype. Everything you have heard about gay men, as a stereotype, Milo isn't. For instance, he has appallingly bad taste, and doesn't care if anyone knows it. It can be hilarious at times. In this installment, Alex gets sent a photo album full of pictures of dead bodies. They mean nothing to him, but he calls Milo over, and Milo is brought up short by one of the pictures. When he started out in LAPD homicide, twenty and a few years before, he'd been assigned a pill-popping neurotic loner named Pierce Schwinn for a partner, and one of their first cases was that of a young woman. This picture is one of the crime scene photos taken at the time of the discovery of the body, twenty years before. Milo and Pierce investigated the case, but before they could make much progress, Pierce left the LAPD under mysterious circumstances, and Milo got transferred to another division. He forgot about the case, and went on with his life. Now it's been twenty years, and when he goes back to look, there's no record that there ever was a murder, let alone an investigation, in the record books. Finding anyone connected with the case turns out to be a challenge, and meanwhile there seem to be people who wish to prevent the case from being reopened. It gets rather convoluted, but finally makes some sense at the end. I did enjoy this book a good deal, much more than Kellerman's previous several books. I would recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: What book were these other reviewers reading?
Review: I read many of the reviews on Amazon.com, and often base my purchasing decisions on them. But I'm taken aback by the negative reviews here. I've read every one of Kellerman's Alex Delaware series, and I think this is the best book yet. Perhaps if I had come to this book cold, not having followed the progression of characters in the series for several years, I would have been less impressed. But for a Kellerman fan, "The Murder Book" is a delight, full of intricate details that fill in the "back story" for several characters -- particularly Det. Milo Sturgis. My advice would be to read several of Kellerman's earlier Alex Delaware mysteries before you pick this one up. (Personal favorites: "Time Bomb"; "Flesh and Blood," which is the precursor this this book; and "The Devil's Waltz," where I learned about Munchausen's Syndrome By Proxy.) If you're familiar with some of the earlier plots referred to in the beginning of this book you'll enjoy it much more.
Rating:
Summary: Change in style
Review: Kellerman has indeed as others have said changed his style in this book. It was the first I have read in his series and interested me enough to encourage me to purchase the rest. I am now a fan. It is not an easy read. The style requires an awareness that the others did not. The jumps between the killer [few, short and spare with a change in style and no indication of who is "talking"]and Alex and Milo were confusing to my other half who read it and hated it. I picked up on it immediately. Why I like it and recommend it?
I have a background in psychology... Forensic psychology to be exact. I find the earlier ones too simple. It is not for the average reader. However it is much closer to the "real" thing than most books. It requires you to engage your brain. There are style problems however it is well worth the read for those looking for a taste of reality. I related to it immediately. My other half who has never worked in psych and forensic psych hated it while he loves the earlier novels. He found it hard to understand and relate to. It all depends what you are looking for. Not for the average reader but fantastic if you love the psych aspects of his novels.
Rating: 
Summary: Slow moving
Review: I have been trying to read this book for over a month now and just cannot get into it. It is slow moving and not enough actions or events that keep you locked in. The flashback to 20 years earlier seemed to take 20 yrs to get through.
Rating:
Summary: Old Cases
Review: Alex Delaware is always a favorite hero along with Milo Sturgis. Usually though we hear more about Alex and his crime solving than about Milo. In the Murder Book we get more character developoment on Milo who is super educated, gay, and a loner in the L. A. police department. It's no secret that Alex and Milo have worked together on other cases and are long time friends. Dr. Delaware receives a "Murder Book" which is actually an album of crime scene police photos of many different murders. There is no note and no apparent reason for the book to have been delivered to Alex. After a quick look through the book Alex calls Milo and together they discover that one of the murders is an old unsolved case that Milo worked when he was a young cop. His partner at the time was hostile and unwilling to provide any real mentoring as they worked together. Now years later, Milo learns that the partner had a grudging respect for him, and was himself corrupt and on drugs. Alex and Milo began investigating the years-old cold case and discover layers of coverups. Throughout the book Alex laments the fact that Robin, his long time girl friend has finally left him. He becomes involved in a new relationship that lacks the intensity that he had in previous books with Robin. For a psychologist and an analytic guy, Alex is pretty inept in his dealings with women he cares abut. The Murder Book is really Milo's story and the suspense unfolds as he reopens the case without much backup and a lot of interference in the department. It's a good read.
Rating:
Summary: I'M HOOKED
Review: I'm not an easily enticed reader, if the author can't grab me within the first few pages,I won't continue to read it.But this is one that caught me.I enjoyed the characters in this novel very much.Alex Delaware, Milo of course the most.And although the outcome was a bit easy to surmise it was the dialouge between the characters that kept the pages turning and Kellerman's style of writing.The reason why I did't give this novel 5 stars was because I got a little bored of the bad guys,with the exception of one villian.But all in all it was a good read and I am about to start another Alex Delaware novel today.
Rating:
Summary: Another Great Alex Delaware Novel
Review: Jonathan Kellerman has written another terrific tale of suspense involving LA psychologist Alex Delaware and homicide detective Milo Sturgis. Anyone that has read the other books in this series will enjoy this book. The book begins with Alex receiving a mysterious package through the mail. The package contains a book full of crime scene photographs. Alex calls Milo to tell him what he has received. Milo looks through the book and discovers that all of the photos are from solved homicides except for one- a teenage girl who's murder he had investigated twenty years earlier, during his first year as a detective. Milo and Alex go to work trying to figure out why someone has decided to stir up the past by bringing up a crime that hasn't been on anyone's mind in years. What they find leads them into a twisting adventure full of suspense as they try to solve the case. This book is a little different from past Alex Delaware novels by Jonathan Kellerman in that we are also given some insight into Milo's thoughts. Some of the chapters are written from Milo's point of view, which is a little different than usual. Kellerman's descriptions are extremely detailed and the suspense is nonstop throughout this book. This one's definitely a winner.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: I like a book I can pick up and not put down. This was one of those. The writing is clean and clear; the plot moves quickly and keeps you in the story. I hate being bogged down in unnecessary language and I hate reading authors that over explain as if I'm stupid (a recent book by another author only allowed me to get page three before throwing the book across the room). This author does none of that, just writes a good story with enough action to keep me reading.
Rating:
Summary: Exhausted and Bored!
Review: In reading this Kellerman novel I find the switch from first person to third person exhausting. I find the decription of events taking place too long and decription of characters too short. The characters are boring. The detective work is slow. Not to mention the significance of Alex Delaware's failing relationship to the rest of the story line eludes me. Kellerman seems to be writing just to see his own pen. The story line feels like it is taking the 20 years it spans to be delievered.
On a more upward note, I love the third person narrative of Milo's character. The explaination and interaction of the homosexual relationship between Milo and his partner Rick is wonderfully described and I found it very interesting.
In the end I find this book very disappointing and frustrating. Not what I would consider a New York Time best selling author to deliver.
Rating:
Summary: A Backseat Reviewer
Review: When it comes to reviewing Kellerman, I'm nothing more than a backseat reviewer, offering comments and advice whether solicited or not. Even worse, I've read only one other Alex Delaware novel, "The Web"--I'm told it's one of the weakest--so I can't provide deep insight into the series. This new entry does stand alone, though, and I recommend it to other newbies such as me. Despite my lukewarm response to the previous Delaware book, I decided to give "The Murder Book" a try. Even in "The Web" I liked Kellerman's prose and characterization, but nothing hooked me. Here, Kellerman ensnared me quickly with his murder book concept. Although I'm not terribly familiar with the relationships between Alex and Milo and Robin, I did find myself emotionally involved in the outcome of their personal struggles. Alex and Robin are estranged by distance and emotionally barriers--a briefly, but believably handled struggle; Alex and Milo are taunted by the unexpected arrival of the murder book, reopening a twenty-year old homicide case; and Milo is forced to face his past failures and insecurities as a gay police officer in West LA...a portrayal that is not only nuanced and without cliche, but somehow remains PG rated for the easily offended. I sped through this mystery. Having once lived in that sprawling metropolis of Los Angeles, I found myself back on the streets as I read through the book. I believed the story Kellerman told. He slowly unfolds the magnitude of the murder coverup, then begins to cinch the strings together until all are caught up in the same net of intrigue. The finale was satisfying and just, and I found myself wanting more of the Alex Delaware series. For now, I'm just the guy in the backseat yelling out my thoughts. Give me a chance behind the wheel, though, and I have a feeling I could speed through this series in a heartbeat.
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