“Guilt” by Jonathan Kellerman – How Truth Finds its Way
While of course there are arguments for the other side of this belief, I’m not here to really argue semantics. Rather, I’d like to talk about a fantastic murder mystery book I've read recently: Guilt by Jonathan Kellerman.
In Guilt, Kellerman presents us (although not for the first time) with Alex and Milo, a duo that can be compared to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. This time around, they are brought in to investigate a particularly puzzling murder. What makes it so? Well, for one, it took place more than sixty years ago, with the corpses of a child and a lady being recently found in the same upscale neighborhood.
After some digging, Alex and Milo find out about a very curious story involving a beautiful nurse, a wealthy doctor, and a mysterious lover… however, all of the acting parties are long gone today.
Yet the mystery of the murder still remains, and Alex and Milo aren't the types of give up easily. Forcing their way through the investigation, Alex and Milo unleash some long-buried ghosts, uncovering a completely decadent world underneath the idyllic white picket fences and two-story houses.
First, I’d just like to say that those of you out there who have seen David Lynch’s Blue Velvet aren't dreaming: there really is a resemblance between the two novels. In both cases, crimes from the past make themselves known, unearthing a tragic, violent and gruesome layer of the world that lies just beneath the perfect neighborhood.
First, I’d just like to say that those of you out there who have seen David Lynch’s Blue Velvet aren't dreaming: there really is a resemblance between the two novels. In both cases, crimes from the past make themselves known, unearthing a tragic, violent and gruesome layer of the world that lies just beneath the perfect neighborhood.
Whether or not Keller was inspired by the movie is hard to say, but I can tell you one thing: it sure as heck is up to par with it. Cold cases have always been a bit of a fascination for me in murder mysteries, and this one is no exception, especially considering how Kellerman masterfully unwraps the story bit by bit, always keeping you hungry enough to want to know where the threads are going to lead you.
Alex and Milo are at their best here, overcoming challenges and hurdles that would put many others on their knees. It is interesting to be exposed to the way they reason, to the method of approach they take to a case that seems almost impossible to solve, especially seeing as how it is very likely that all those involved in it are already dead and gone from this world.
Alex and Milo are at their best here, overcoming challenges and hurdles that would put many others on their knees. It is interesting to be exposed to the way they reason, to the method of approach they take to a case that seems almost impossible to solve, especially seeing as how it is very likely that all those involved in it are already dead and gone from this world.
Nevertheless they persevere, and the closer they get to the truth, the harder I found it to put the book down and do whatever it is I had to do. All in all, it’s a very gripping murder mystery that doesn’t let you go for even one second, and if you’re a fan of those, you can’t afford to miss out on Guilt.
 | Jonathan KellermanPersonal site Jonathan Kellerman has already written more than thirty crime novels that have turned into bestsellers, creating riveting characters that appeared in numerous books, such as Alex Delaware. Of course, he has dabbled in many different aspects of literature, though he always stuck close to what he knows best: criminality. |
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