Bruce Von Stiers

Jonathan Kellerman is one of my favorite mystery authors. Yes, I know I say that about a lot of writers. But Kellerman is on my top ten list. His latest book is called Flesh And Blood. This novel features the mainstay in Kellerman’s writings, Alex Delaware.

In this new book, Alex has gotten a disturbing phone call. A young woman that Alex saw only twice as a patient, years before, has turned up missing. The woman’s mother wants Alex’s help in getting the police to begin looking for her. Alex reluctantly agrees and sets off on an investigation that will lead him to question what he’s doing in life and about the risks he takes to help others.

Lauren Teague was a disturbed teenage girl. Her parents brought her to Alex. After a couple of sessions, Alex doesn’t see Lauren any more. And doesn’t have contact with her again until an event puts them in the same place at the same time. This event haunts Alex even years later. Now Alex is determined to find out what happened to Lauren and why she turned out like she did.

There is a murder and Alex sets off on a trail that will strain his relationship with both his girlfriend Robin and his best friend Milo. It seems that Alex can’t help but get in the line of fire. This makes Milo the cop uptight and Robin scared for him and their future.

There are a lot of parallels between characters in the book and real live celebrities. There is a man who made his money on a skin mag. The man and his trappings are similar to Hugh Hefner and Playboy. There is also a Madam in LA that is reminiscent of Heidi and her Hollywood hookers.

As with any Alex Delaware novel, this one has a few twists and turns. You will probably be able to figure out the bad guys pretty easily, but then again, maybe not. Kellerman drops hints here and there, but you never know how everything is going to play out until the very end of the book.

I have been a fan of the Alex Delaware novels ever since the first one, When The Bough Breaks, which was published about seventeen years ago. Kellerman always seems to find the underbelly of human nature and exposes it to us. Flesh And Blood is a prime example of how power, greed and sex make great plot devices.