Rating: 
Summary: Did Kellerman write this?
Review: There are so many ludicrous and unbelievable aspects to this plot that it seems that this book might have been written as a joke. It displays none of the polish and continuity of the Alex Delaware novels. The coincidences are far too outlandish, the characters unbelievable. Definitely reads like a rush to a dealine. A great disappointment to this Kellerman fan.
Rating: 
Summary: One of Kellerman's better books.
Review: What a riveting book. Billy's fears and anxieties are almost palpable as you follow Billy through his life at home and, subsequently, his life on the streets after running away from home. Here is a smart, sensitive, 12-year-old boy who runs away from home to escape his mother's abusive boyfriend, only to find himself living on the streets and a witness to murder. What follows is a race to see who can find Billy first. The police, who want to protect him; his mother's boyfriend, who wants to turn him in for the money; and the killer, who wants to elimiate him. Definitely a must read.
Rating: 
Summary: Straight to the TOP!!!
Review: Terrific story! I listened to the book on tape of Billy Straight. Alexander Adams is the BEST Kellerman reader. His voice modulation is near perfection. Near the beginning of the book, the child-abuse segments were so disturbing I thought I wouldn't want to finish this book. However, I had faith in Kellerman's skillful writing and he came through BIG TIME. The title character is such a gem. We see his thoughts and his reasoning and are able to appreciate his youthful wisdom. The ending was a BLAST!. Usually I have it all figured out but this one took me by surprise. I thoroughly enjoyed the presentation of each of the characters. The pathetic Mom, "Cowboy-Moron", Petra, even the Villan are tightly sketched and credible. This is a great book. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys murder mysteries.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Premise that Slowly Disolves to an Unsatisfying End
Review: Twelve-year-old Billy Straight has fled the chaos and abuse of his life at home and is fighting to survive on LA's meanest streets. Late one night he watches from his hiding place as a man viciously butchers a woman. The victim turns out to be the ex-wife of a television celebrity with a history of domestic violence. Billy becomes the center of terrifying attention--from the media, from violent bounty hunters, and from the murderer himself. As he runs for his life, relying on his native wit and instincts for survival, Billy is also tracked by a potential savior: Petra Connor, a tough, gifted, beautiful LAPD detective.Well, of course she's gifted and beautiful. Of course the murderer is cunning and manipulative, trying to implicate his best friend, his faithful protector as the true felon. Of course Billy is the long-lost grandson of a Hollywood matron. The story is predictable--and disappointing.
Rating:
Summary: I just wanted to take him home and...
Review: and give him a good feed. Kellerman has always been on my list of "Buy the newest one as soon as it's out" novelists. I've been slightly disappointed by one or two of his books (well - I would have given a couple of the Delaware yarns only four stars...) and yes, I did feel that Kellerman needed a break. He took a break, and produced a book that stands up with his "Butcher's Theatre" as his best. Billy Straight is told from a number of perspectives... but the young lad who populates everyone's thoughts is definitely Kellerman's character masterpiece. The murder / mystery story is almost incidental. I just wanted Billy to find a way of loving himself. However, the crime is vital to the raison d'etre of the book.. and, like all Kellerman crimes, is well thought out, and baffling. The heroine is all-too-human, engaging, tenacious - she'd be good to know. And the villains are expertly drawn - as appalling a pair of dirt-bags you're never likely to meet. And it was nice that Delaware and Sturgiss got a mention at the end. Viva la master!
Rating:
Summary: Jonathan Kellerman does it again
Review: If you like Jonathan Kellerman, you will again be pleased by Billy Straight.
Rating:
Summary: Not his best effort by far
Review: I have read other Kellerman books and this one was not like the others. The writing seemed forced (meeting a deadline, perhaps?) and the sentences read like haiku rather than prose. Example: "Firm and loud. No one to hear her. The missus was upstairs. So many other rooms between them, all empty and closed off." The shifting point of views were distracting. It would have been an excellent book if he had chosen Billy's voice as the main one. Petra was a whiny character for such a "strong" woman. Skip this one, read the Delaware novels.
Rating:
Summary: A very subtle mystery!
Review: This has been my first J. Kellerman novel. And I liked it very much. You notice right away that he is a professional child psychologist. The way he describes Billy shows a subtle understanding of troubled children. But the author is also a pro novelist with a highly developed sense of plot and suspense. I read this novel not like other mysteries, I forced myself to read it slowly to enjoy all the characters with their daily and unusual troubles and their psychologically solid presentation. This has not been my last Joe Kellerman. I thank amazon.de for the recommendation!
Rating:
Summary: A Refreshing Change!
Review: Taking a departure from the immensely popular Alex Delaware, this novel focuses on Billy Straight, a 12 year-old runaway who is witness to a murder of Lisa Ramsey who happens to be the ex-wife of Cart Ramsey, washed up actor of a TV detective series. Now, did Cart, who has accosted Lisa in the past, stab her or was it his old football sidekick, Greg Balch? Only Billy has the answers and time is running out for Petra. Kellerman does a bang up job bringing these characters to life and I hope that he will bring them back in another novel someday.
Rating: 
Summary: An experiment gone awry.
Review: I have read every one of J. Kellerman's books that have been published. I generally recommend them heartily. In every prior book, Mr. Kellerman exhibited a finely tuned writing style, combining psychological depth and characterization. When I read this book, I was genuinely puzzled. It seemed to be written by someone else. The shifting perspectives (back and forth from first person, Billy, to third person, Petra)gave the book a disjointed feel rather than building tension. Shifting writing styles seemed to pay homage to other mystery writers. I even wondered if his wife, Faye Kellerman, had written this book. The plot seemed somewhat disjointed yet predictable. It lacked the usual tightly woven threads of suspense and tension and ended with a whimper not a bang. I was especially curious as to why a woman who was allegedly disinterested in clothing (Petra Conner) was constantly citing clothing labels. It was very irritating. Maybe it was meant as a joke.
| 
