Rating: 
Summary: ANOTHER GREAT FOR KELLERMAN!
Review: I really enjoyed this book! Loved it! Great plot, complicated and all coming together. Good writing. Thanks, JK for giving us more about Milo. He's a great character, and this book gave him depth and made him real. Also, thanks for moving Robin out of the picture (hope its permanent). She was always a weak character and not a soulmate for Alex. Hopefully, he will develop his "new lady psychiatrist connection" and move her into Alex's life.
Susan
Rating: 
Summary: DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME...
Review: I read a lot of books by a variety of different authors and Jonathan Kellerman's The Murder Book ranks amongst the worst I've ever had the displeasure to read. While the story lacks any real substance, the actual writing is practically intolerable, if not downright laughable. For example: "Novelty had always been my drug. I craved insomnia and menace punctuated by long stretches of solitude, puzzles that hurt my head, infusions of bad company and the delicious repellence of meeting up with the slimy things that coiled under psychic rocks" (and that's only page 3). Get it? Heed my advice and don't waste your time.
Rating: 
Summary: A Good Stretch
Review: In his 16th outing, Alex Delaware finally admits to himself what all his nearest and dearest have known for years: he is a danger junkie. "The Murder Book" broadens the narrative scope in that we get to hear from Detective Milo Sturgis in the first person as well as Alex. This is a welcome change and gives Milo a depth lacking in previous books. I always saw Milo as a set of traits (rubbing his face as if washing, desert boots, too much booze, acne scarred) and frankly, was bored with him. The saintly Robin is on hiatus this trip; she may be permanently fed up. We are treated to Alex really behaving like a jerk to her via long distance that amused me; they have always been far too idyllic.Alex receives a mysterious photo album entitled "The Murder Book" with 50 pages of glossy scene-of-the-crime photos of disparate victims. They are clearly police photos, and Alex thinks they are meant for his friend Milo. Sure enough, one of the photos is a victim of a 20-year old unsolved case of Milo's when he was a rookie detective. A young girl was savagely murdered and the higher-ups shut down the investigation. Milo's edgy partner took early retirement, and Milo was transferred to another division. Alex and Milo investigate and find themselves thwarted at every turn. The highest and lowest of LA enter into the mix (making for a huge cast of characters) as the pair follows a tortuous trail. There is a whiff of Ross MacDonald here in the multi-generational corruption. The author handles all the threads neatly and carries the reader to a fine twist-and-turn conclusion. "The Murder Book" is first-rate Kellerman. Previous to reading this book, I had read two or three other bestseller mysteries, including Sue Grafton's "Quarry." Kellerman's writing ability shines in comparison. He succeeds in making even his worst villains human (though he is a bit hard on second generation rich Beverly Hills types), and even the most saintly (including Alex) have their not too attractive quirks. Most admirable is Kellerman's ability to stay out of the rut with a long ongoing series. There is no particular need to start at the beginning of the series; "The Murder Book" stands alone nicely. Recommended.
-sweetmolly-Amazon(.com) Reviewer
Rating:
Summary: LOVED IT!
Review: I love the entire Alex Delaware series. I buy the books as soon as they come out. This book was great and the theme of the book was slightly different than the others in the series. This book dives deeper into Milo's experiences rather than Alex's. It gives you good insight into the "big guy". Every time I read one of these books, I can't wait for another!
Rating:
Summary: a great one
Review: When I first read the synopsis, I thought that Kellerman had run out of story ideas. First, Alex digs into his past with a former patient murdered. Now, Milo digs into his. But, I was hooked from the start. It was great to read about Milo's early years on the job, and to hear more about him and his personal life.
Rating:
Summary: Great story - a bit wordy
Review: If you're at all into the Alex Delaware books, do not skip this one! It has revealing background on both Alex and Milo. As in the previous book in the series, the tie-in between past and present gives the story extra depth. Milo's early career is especially intriguing, and, as always, Kellerman makes the characters come alive. But . . . I found some descriptions unnecessarily long and tedious. I either slogged through or only skimmed too many sections. Every once in a while, a phrase struck me as cliche. So the story frequently dragged and lost momentum. The parts that move are exciting, and throughout (yes, including the sloggy parts) you want to keep reading to find out the next development. Though it could've used a few snips, THE MURDER BOOK's a stirring and provocative read.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best!
Review: I've read about 6-7 of Kellerman's Alex Delaware's novels, and this was definitely one of the best. While some could tell you that the story line might be implausible - a 20 year old unsolved murder somehow getting resurrected and the culprits still actively involved with hiding their involvment - it is nevertheless a very interesting book and one that I found difficult to put down. All I know is that it had great entertainment value, and, after all, that's what I am looking for in a novel. When I find myself taking a book with me everywhere and reading it every spare moment, I know I've found a great one. Others can say what they want about the literary value and the writer's style, but as far as I'm concerned, this one had great entertainment value and that;s what I want.
Rating:
Summary: Another great Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis novel
Review: Jonathan Kellerman has a way of writing that puts you there, you can picture the characters and the setting very clearly. I have always enjoyed his novels and found The Murder Book right in line with his others. I was happy more background on Milo Sturgis' character was included. I have always been curious about Milo's police career and more so about his personal relationship with his companion Rick. This novel expounds on both, with more details on Milo's early detective days and experiences as a gay detective in LAPD and also we witness more dialogue between Rick and Milo. Alex's problems with Robin seem to be at a critical point. She is equipment manager on a tour that has just been extended and the conversations between the two are strained at the least. The novel ends with just a hint of a possible new "interest" for Alex. The actual murder case that is the basis of the book is a bit tiresome. The usual bunch of spoiled rich boys getting away with murder for twenty years and then being brought to justice had a nice twist. The "justice" turns out to be a series of deadly "accidents" that dispatch the guilty quickly. All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and I'm looking forward to the next installment of Alex Delawares's life.
Rating: 
Summary: Not nearly his best stuff
Review: I found this book to be cumbersome to read, filled with too many boring conversations, non-enticing tidbits, and not enough of Robin, or even suspense (yawn). I'm an avid Kellerman fan, but this one definitely didn't make the grade with me. I found I had to force myself to pick it up from time to time, something that has never happened to me with one of his books before - usually I can't put them down! I kept finding myself thinking, "did Kellerman really write this book?" It felt rather offbeat for him. I bought the hard copy, but wish I had rented this one from the library.
Rating:
Summary: Sorry State of Affairs
Review: I've enjoyed Kellerman's books, even when they were not his best work, but this one is not only mind-numbing but contains an error that SHOULD have been caught and and has thus spoiled the whole book for me. Call me picky, but when JK describes one of the important "bit" players as being 55 years of age, and even goes to some lengths to support that (he maps out her schooling and how old she was at that time) and then expects me to swallow the idea she was a teenager just 20 years ago... Well, you do the math. I thought maybe it was a typo, but no, rechecking it 3 times it still comes out wrong. Says to me JK maybe needs to take a vacation. A very long one. The rest of the book is so slow I'm about to go into a coma. There is nothing there to hold my interest, in spite of what all the glowing sycophantic reviews from other readers have to say. dull dull dull dull. Oh for a new John Sandford novel!
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