Customer Reviews

Billy Straight

5 star:		(59)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

J. Kellerman leads you on a roller coaster ride of twists and turns in his new novel Billy Straight. I could not put this book down. Each character is so detailed. Billy is a fantastic, brave, and yet vulnerable boy, and Petra is a strong willed leader with a very sensitive side -- both are characters I would like to see in future novels. The book is filled with detailed information only a child phycologist could right about. An added bonus was Alex Delaware's cameo role. A must read for J. Kellerman fans.

Want to find out about Kellerman's newest sleuth? Pick up this book and enter the terrifying world of a runaway boy who has witnessed a murder. It is a refreshing change from Alex Delaware. This is not to imply that I am the least bit tired of Alex.I have read all Kellerman's novels and could read about Delaware forever. It is altogether different from his former novels-so it a change of pace and a cleverly woven mystery that wins my applause. That Kellerman can change his tack and produce as equally scintillating a mystery as he has, is mind boggling to me. Petra Connor is refreashingly different, not all brain, not all beauty but an astonishing mixture of both. Her thought processes in solving the many involved aspects of this mystery are fascinating to follow. And Billy Straight is right behind her. He is an intelligent, moral kid whose background does nothing to help him become a survivor, but somehow he manages his day-to-day life in a scary adult world.His character is very believable: if one is a survivor his/herself (and Kellerman has a very good handle on that).

A terrific read: no, the killer is not obvious- you just THINK you know. And the ending is slam-bang! Kellerman is the consumate mystery writer. I particularly am impressed, in all his novels, by the descriptions of people, places and things. He does it in such a way that you do not realize it and suddenly the entire picture is in your mind-down to the color of a man's tie and the shape and color of flowers on the hillside.How interesting that he managed to insert Alex and Milo(from his Delaware novels) in between the cracks of his new mystery. I am curious if they will all be together one of these days. All of his books are great-I have already ordered his next book on Delaware "Monster" due out soon-but I am looking forward to more of Petra Connor,also. Kudos to Kellerman for giving something new and different a try - and succeeding.

... because then I could look forward to a great story and hours of thrilling suspension! I only just recently 'discovered' J.K. and I must say I haven't read a bad book by him so far. And Billy Straight is definitely the best. This is an absolutely great story with plenty of layers and a good plot. I was unable to put it down once I got started and it cost me a good nights sleep and ruined the next day - but who cares :-) Do yourself a favour and read this book - you won't regret it. And then check out some of the other books by Jonathan Kellerman...

I must say, this is the first Jonathan Kellerman novel that I have ever read. The book was quite entertaining, although I find his writing style somewhat awkward (so is Stephen King's - and he sells millions of books!), even at times boring. The ending was definately not a surprise, and it happened so quickly I was left wondering: "Is that it! " There were too many references to O.J., which wasn't really needed (once was enough - but to go on and on about the case, come on, we've had enough!). Billy's character was strong and the writer made you care for him, as he went through his homeless life through the mean urban streets of LA - although I found Kellerman's characterization of Petra kind of flawed, especially the overuse of references to her past. I also found it bothersome and annoying all of the very simple character thoughts throughout the book (she thought, he thought, I thought, etc. etc.). All in all the book was entertaining - although I don't recommend it as the book of the year. But I'll read some other of Kellerman's work and see if it'll change my mind about his writing style and lack of "depth" in the characterization.

Terrific story! I listened to the book on tape of Billy Straight. Alexander Adams is the BEST Kellerman reader. His voice modulation is near perfection. Near the beginning of the book, the child-abuse segments were so disturbing I thought I wouldn't want to finish this book. However, I had faith in Kellerman's skillful writing and he came through BIG TIME. The title character is such a gem. We see his thoughts and his reasoning and are able to appreciate his youthful wisdom. The ending was a BLAST!. Usually I have it all figured out but this one took me by surprise. I thoroughly enjoyed the presentation of each of the characters. The pathetic Mom, "Cowboy-Moron", Petra, even the Villan are tightly sketched and credible. This is a great book. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys murder mysteries.

Billy Straight was a non-stop read. The characters in the book came to life. Let's hope he writes another with the same team of detectives. I loved this book and hope others will enjoy it as much as I did. Dr. Delaware, we didn't miss you at all. Kudos to you Jonathan, you have outdone yourself.

Having read all of Kellerman's Alex Delaware series, and enjoying most of them very much (except The Web), I was very pleasantly surprised by Billy Straight. I couldn't put this book down. Billy Straight and Petra Connor were both great characters. Good plot development and characterization. I loved the idea of a kid actually sneaking into a school to steal books! I'll look forward to seeing more of Petra in other Kellerman novels. It was neat that he worked in Alex and Milo too. I would definitely recommend this book.

I enjoyed this book very much..it kept me up nights - couldn't put it down. I've read all of Kellerman's books and didn't rush out and buy this one for a while because it wasn't an Alex Delaware book but I enjoyed it just as much as those. Always will look forward to the next book by Kellerman - whether a Delaware mystery or not now!

Jonathan Kellerman is one of my favorite authors. I've read all his books including "The Butchers Theatre", the Alex Delaware novels and I've just finished reading "Billy Straight". If I had to pick my favorite Kellerman book it would have to be "Billy Straight". Billy is so lovable and moral and I cared so much for and about him. He's a 12 year old runaway from an abusive home who witnesses the murder that sets off this exciting read. I also admired and respected Petra Connor, the very professional and caring LAPD detective handling the case. "Billy Straight" is a great mystery story and much more. The characters are very well defined, there's lots of suspense and so much human interest. What else can an avid reader like myself ask for!! I recommend this book to all my friends and thank Mr. Kellerman for creating "Billy". I hope we'll be reading more about him and also Petra in the near future.

I have read every one of J. Kellerman's books that have been published. I generally recommend them heartily. In every prior book, Mr. Kellerman exhibited a finely tuned writing style, combining psychological depth and characterization.

When I read this book, I was genuinely puzzled. It seemed to be written by someone else. The shifting perspectives (back and forth from first person, Billy, to third person, Petra)gave the book a disjointed feel rather than building tension. Shifting writing styles seemed to pay homage to other mystery writers. I even wondered if his wife, Faye Kellerman, had written this book.

The plot seemed somewhat disjointed yet predictable. It lacked the usual tightly woven threads of suspense and tension and ended with a whimper not a bang.

I was especially curious as to why a woman who was allegedly disinterested in clothing (Petra Conner) was constantly citing clothing labels. It was very irritating. Maybe it was meant as a joke.