“Mystery” by Jonathan Kellerman – Cherchez la Femme

Though some may say that Kellerman has let himself go in terms of writing in the last few years, they are all people who haven’t read Mystery, a novel which proves that he still has more than what it takes to dish out magnificent works of art. 

In this book, we once again follow our beloved criminal psychologist, Alex Delaware, as he helps his detective friend, Milo Sturgis, investigate the murder of a young woman.

As it happens, Alex saw that woman at the closing of the grand Fauborg Hotel in Beverly Hills, mysteriously sipping champagne and waiting in solitude for something or someone. 

As Alex and Milo get closer and closer to solving the case, certain facts make themselves known, forcing the two to really consider whether or not they want to and are ready to go deep down the rabbit hole… after all, they may end up paying with their lives.

Mystery may very well be one of the best Alex Delaware novels that Kellerman has written in his time. It has everything you could ever ask for from murder mystery thriller; interesting and multi-faceted characters, a fast plot that makes you turn the pages, plenty of unexpected and yet believable twists, turns and subplots. 

Kellerman even did his homework, carefully and precisely detailing the way in which the police force works in an attempt to catch the killer(s), making it feel as if you are in the middle of the operation and are simply watching it unfold as the hunt goes on. 

On that subject, I just want to assure readers that there are no red herrings here and you are given everything you need to determine who the real culprit is… of course, with that being said, it will be far from easy.

As is usual with Delaware novels, there are plenty of psychological insights here and there into the human mind, with a lot of emphasis being placed on the relationship between doctor and patient and how particular behaviors can be explained. 

Contrary to what is the case most of the time with books like these, Delaware is far from being some kind of Superman who is never wrong; he makes many mistakes, learns from them, and takes a trial-and-error approach to his cases. 

As a matter of fact, most of the fun comes from watching Milo and Alex stumble their way through the case, researching, following, disguising themselves, and doing anything it takes to get that one extra bit of information that could change everything.

All in all, Mystery is without a doubt one of the greater Alex Delaware novels, having awesome characters, great dialog, an enthralling story and an ending that will leave your jaw gaping in awe. 

I definitely recommend this to Kellerman fans or anyone who likes a good murder mystery thriller to fill their days.

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Jonathan Kellerman Personal 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.