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Cover of COMPULSION
courtesy of Ballantine Books
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COMPULSION by Jonathan Kellerman
COMPULSION is the latest novel in the “Alex Delaware Series” by Jonathan Kellerman. It is a story about murders and the people who commit them. Delaware is the psychologist who works with his friend Los Angeles Detective Milo Sturgis to solve them. For all intents and purposes a volunteer, Delaware appears to be a crime junkie who gets his thrills from being involved in the hunt for the killer.
The crimes in COMPULSION are murders that take place in random areas of the country. The link appears to be the use of a luxury car in the commission of the crimes and the acting/disguise abilities of the murderer. When the first murder occurs, which is the death of a retired school teacher, Alex and Milo do a search of “cold cases” across the country involving a luxury car. They get some hits.
It seems there is a man of many disguises who is killing just for the thrill of the kill. This “shape shifter” of sorts has many names and many faces. It takes all of Milo’s determination and Alex’ insight to solve the crimes. But as in all Delaware stories, this duo comes through in the end.
The best thing about reading Kellerman’s Delaware stories is that they are always logical. You never feel any element of the mystery and its solution are contrived in any way. Kellerman follows the investigation step by step and never forces or rushes it.
This time out he has two subplots going at the same time as the main mystery. One involves a missing teenager and the other involves Delaware’s girlfriend Robin. Neither of these other stories adds much to the enjoyment of the book and a total devotion to the main crime story would have been sufficient.
Kellerman also plunges into the story without giving much background information on the two main characters. The reader is assumed to know who they are and what their backgrounds are. Anyone who picks up this book and starts reading without having knowledge of the Delaware back story might be at a loss for a while.
As a mystery writer Kellerman is one of the best. He knows his plot, he knows his characters, and he knows how to tie it all together. You never end a Kellerman novel and feel dissatisfied. He is a complete writer, a complete storyteller.
It is good to have Delaware and Milo back for another story. This one focuses more on the crimes and less on the characters and that was fine. In the past we have gotten an overabundance of information on Delaware’s practice and love life. This time Kellerman sticks to the crimes and their solutions.
COMPULSION is published by Ballantine Books. It contains 337 pages and sells for $27.00. |
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©2008 Jackie K. Cooper |
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