RAGE by Jonathan Kellerman
Jonathan Kellerman created the character of Dr. Alex Delaware several novels ago. In each successive story the good doctor has become more and more fascinating and so have his cases. In RAGE the doctor is "in" and trying to solve a murder mystery. This is Kellerman at his best and Delaware at his most brilliant.
The book opens to a flashback. A horrendous crime has taken place as a toddler was kidnapped and killed by two teen-agers. Delaware was called in to do a psychiatric consult on one of the boys. Now, some seven years later the boy calls Delaware. He has been released from the youth facility where he was sent and wants to talk to Delaware. They agree to meet but the young man never shows up.
Later Delaware's police buddy Milo tells him the young man's body has been found. This murder sets off an investigation into the circumstances of the kidnapping and the deaths of several people who were somehow related to the crime.
The people Delaware encounters while helping Milo with the case are fascinating. There is a very religious couple who take in foster children. Strangely they only take in girls - no boys. They had tried to help one of the two young boys who were involved in the kidnapping, and had worked as character witnesses at the trial.
There is also the woman who defended one of the boys. She is known to jump at cases that have a degree of publicity and sensationalism surrounding them. But now some seven years later she seems to have dropped out of sight. When she is found her appearance and actions have grown bizarre.
While all of this is going on Delaware is balancing his work life and his love life. He still harbors some feelings for his "ex-romantic partner" Robin, but has moved on to a relationship with another psychiatrist by the name of Allison. This case causes some conflicts in the current relationship.
Kellerman is the master of the complex plot. He sets up circles of strangeness and plays them out logically. He is not an author who feels compelled to tie up every loose end. Some he leaves to the readers' imagination.
If you like involved, complex mysteries then you will be able to lose yourself in RAGE. It is a chance to continue following the life of Dr. Alex Delaware; or if you are new to the series, to meet a new and compelling character.
RAGE is published by Ballantine Books. It contains 365 pages and sells for $26.95.