Victims: Alex Delaware 27 [Versión Kindle]

As I have mentioned in previous reviews of Alex Delaware novels, I am a huge fan of Jonathan Kellerman who has been disappointed by the progressive deterioration in the quality of Alex Delaware novels. The nadir was the previous entry Mystery, which had an absurd and unpleasant plot, conventional gore to shock the reader rather than any chills and characters who had become entirely divorced from reality doing predictable shticks--while the author's main concern seems to be keeping alive plot lines from prior books and planned sequels.

I would not have even picked this one up, except it was available on Vine and I retain enough affection or the earlier and non-Delaware books to give it one more try. I am glad I did. From the first line of the book, "This one was different," it promises and delivers a fresh, exciting mystery, and an education to boot.

The basic story is familiar enough, a series of brutal murders with psychotic mutilations calls for a combination of meticulous procedural police work from the bottom up, and brilliant psychological insight from the top down. As in the best novels in this series, Alex and Milo play off each other effortlessly. Important clues are (or seem to be) a man in a heavy shearling coat inappropriate for the weather, some unpleasant interactions the victims had before being killed and details that point faintly to mysterious treatments in a long-closed psychiatric facility. There are some terrific recreations of places in the book, Alex doesn't spend the whole time in mildly-depressed musings next to his koi pond listening to Robin's wood shaving. The characters are true, but their minor issues and quirks don't overwhelm the story. There are even two excellent action scenes, although one is cut a bit short for my taste.

I don't know what happened to Mr. Kellerman, but Victims is as crisp and elegant as any books in this series. Milo and Alex are real people again, who can surprise you, and who you can imagine might be real. The plot turns on Kellerman's psychological expertise, both in the setting and the minds of the characters. There's gore aplenty, but the chills are honest and psychological, not pornographic. The plot is logical and compelling. The resolution is a surprise, but one that seems inevitable after it is revealed.

All-in-all, a classic mystery from a master. I'm not ready to say it's as good as my favorites, like When the Bough Breaks or Billy Straight, it takes time to make a judgment like that. But at least it's a candidate, and that is a tremendous pleasure. If you are new to Kellerman, start with his classics, but be sure you get to this one. If you are like me and have been disappointed by some recent books, forget your qualms and buy this one. If you loved the recent Alex Delaware's, I don't understand you enough to have any useful recommendations.

I have read Kellerman's Alex Delaware series since the very first book When the Bough Breaks was published over 25 years ago (actually I've read all his books except his non-fiction). In the beginning he was probably one of my Top 10 favorite writers. Over the last few years, though, the spark seemed to have almost died out of his writing.

Well, it's back! I enjoyed "Victims." It was almost like meeting old friends again. Milo and Alex are back.

While the plot line wasn't a totally original one, Kellerman handled the story with aplomb, building the suspense, dropping clues, peeking inside the minds of monsters - which is really what he does so well.

The story was believable, even though horrifying. We didn't have to spend half a book reading about Alex's marriage problems or Milo's many idiosyncrasies. We got to read about the crimes, the psychology behind them, and the solving of said crimes.

Good job. I'm overjoyed that I got to read this as an Advanced Reading Copy.

Reviewers have been concerned about some of the recent Kellerman novels, believing that JK has stumbled a bit and not been up to his former standard. Not to worry. This is a superb new novel, its success coming from its faithfulness to its core elements.

Those core elements lie in the central conceit: the usefulness of a trained clinical psychologist to a grizzled, gay Robbery/Homicide lieutenant. Alex and Milo seem to be opposites and in many ways they are, but they work together beautifully and almost seamlessly. In Victims we get great dollops of both. This is their case and their story. Robin and her luthier business are far off in the distant background. Puppy dog Blanche makes an appearance or two, but this is not her story either; it's Alex and Milo's.

The plot arc is a sequential investigation--talking to people, checking records, driving from point a to point b, digging up the elusive truth, testing hypotheses, avoiding blind alleys. The body of a middle -aged woman is found. She has been eviscerated in an exotic, violent fashion. Everyone hated her. Suddenly the body of a man is found. He has been eviscerated in the same fashion as the woman. Everyone loved him? What in the world has happened here? And why?

The answers are found in the past and they center on a now-closed hospital for the deeply troubled, including the criminally insane. Alex once interned there and his experience and skills will be of considerable use in the investigation. The hospital also had a `special' wing for `special' treatments. Alex was dissuaded from ever visiting it. Could it still exist, in some form or other?

The investigation is fascinating and the narrative sparkles with great one-liners. I never thought Jonathan Kellerman was gone, but for those who did think so--he's back. And he and Milo are walking down some very mean streets with some very dark inhabitants.