Customer Reviews

Compulsion: An Alex Delaware Novel

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(18)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

It's early spring, time for Jonathan Kellerman's latest addition to his Alex Delaware crime novel series. For those who don't know Alex is an LA psychologists who often works with LAPD detective Milo Sturgis to solve crimes perpetrated by crazed psychopaths. The strength of these novels is Kellerman's clear crisp writing and his knack for describing LA life (in this latest novel Alex also makes a quick trip to Manhattan) for the poor, the mighty and those in between. The weakness is the preposterous elements of some of his latest plots though this years COMPULSION is actually better than last years really unlikely OBSESSION. Another weakness in many of the latest books in the series is Alex's ever annoying, "perfect", girlfriend, Robin, but thankfully she is off stage for most of this outing. Milo, Alex's gay detective sidekick is a much more interesting and sympathetic character.

The plot of COMPULSION involves a series of disparate murders and the victims include a twenty something shop clerk, a retired school teacher and two beauty salon workers. All these crimes seem to have in common is the murderer arrived in a large dark luxury car and the murders were especially brutal. Will Alex and Milo be able to tie the cases together and solve them with one suspect? Well, what do you think? There is also a subplot about a young boy who has been missing for years and of course our heroes are able to tie that crime up too. COMPULSION is a fast paced very readable novel and Kellerman is a good enough writer that this reader forgives his increasing "by the numbers" approach to plotting.

We've read every single Alex Delaware novel, so are big fans, well-informed about this series. What started out great - the child psychologist by profession who consults with the police; specifically Milo Sturgis, a gay, very interesting, and persistent homicide cop; on murders where the police feel they need a consultant's help - has resolved into little more than two detective buddies, one paid, the other an amateur hardly more skillful than we at surfing the web, chasing clues until typical procedure dissolves into dénouement. Alex joins Milo seemingly whenever he wants (presumably being paid at premium consultants' rates), often as little more than a pastime, not because his skills are pertinent, which is pretty far-fetched in terms of the state of most public budgets! His relationship with live-in girlfriend Robin, always an on-again, off-again, "affair", barely gets a nod herein, with a silly custom musical instrument buyer paying too much attention to her a lame attempt at stalker suspense, resolved equally poorly in our opinion. Meanwhile, the excuse for the plot, a serious of murders involving luxury autos, barely holds our attention, and while we plodded along to see whodunit, we hardly cared by the time we got there.

To us, the series has run its course. While Milo per se is one of the more interesting police characters to come along over the last couple of decades, and while the original premise of Delaware's involvement was novel, there's virtually nothing left to excite or entertain us. It seems to us we're at that deadly state of an author not knowing what to do or where to go except to the bank, as he churns out contract-fulfilling installments of mediocrity. Sorry `bout that!

I have enjoyed all of Jonathan Kellerman's novel, particularly the ones featuring his Alex Delaware character. Unfortunately, this latest effort stretches the reader's imagination with some particularly convoluted plot logic. We are expected to accept the fact that an internet search for crimes committed with the perpetrator using a large black luxury car should readily yield a common denominator who is then found and brought to justice. No matter that years and continents have separated the victims and the circumstances. I've had many comfortable hours with Jonathan Kellerman's characters and I've been able to excuse most of the plot excesses in the past, but I'm afraid this one is just too much of a stretch.

Compulsion is evoking diametrically opposed responses. Some say it's JK's best, some say his worse. I think the answer lies in between. The relationship between Alex and Milo is handled well and it's good to see Milo's assistant, Sean. The relationship between Alex and Robin, which is not to my taste, is here handled very nicely, with a touching coda at the end. The problem with the novel is that the plot is somewhat disjunct in the second act. The beginning is fine and the resolution is fine. It's simply a little difficult to follow in the middle. We need some more signposts--not to tip us off but to keep us clear on the who's who and the possible relationships between people and events. The book is still very readable. It's not perfect, but neither is it awful.

I've been a fan of Kellerman's work for a long time and have read every single book he's written. I have to say that this is not only the worst Kellerman novel to date, but it's one of the worst books I've read in a long time.

Disjointed, confusing, not suspenseful in the least. There was little to enjoy and even the series distinguised and well-developed stars, Alex and Milo, came across dull and one-dimensional.

The story starts slow and convoluted. With a number of "seemingly" random crimes that are obviously connected yet fail to deliver a compelling backbone to the story. Then there's the other mystery the duo follows involving a death row inmate's deathbed confession. Cliche, obvious, and little more than a distraction to an already dull story.

I was looking forward to this novel after the surprisingly good Obsession but I would not recommend this book, escpecially for anyone discovering Kellerman for the first time. Read some of his earlier works instead. This book was a disappointed.

I was profoundly disappointed. The characters are tired, the plot is just silly, and worst of all, there is very little mystery in this novel. The whole car angle was pointless, too many marginal characters and no believable connections between them. Also, it's time to either involve Robin or retire her entirely. I have read every Kellerman novel, and this is by far the weakest. Very, very disappointing.

Did J.K. get tired of writing this one part way through? Did he realize how much he was reaching to come up with the premise to begin with? Did he have a contract deadline and have to write a book, however bad?

I don't know, but "Compulsion" is not worth the money as far as I am concerned. Cross-dressing, killing for no particular reason sometimes, money sometimes, who know why othertimes, Kellerman's bad guy in this one is someone we don't even get the "joy" of getting to know. He/she is just a paper villain, and we are left at the end, wondering what the heck happened to make this person the way they were. No explanations were given.

The subplot with Robin and a customer who may or may not be starting to stalk her is thin, too.

And, oh, by the way, why don't Robin and Alex get married already?? Or something. Instead of drifting in and out on each other. Commit, you two!

I have been a follower for years, since the beginning, and look forward with enthusiasm to each new book, buying it in hardcover as soon as it comes out, so I was very disappointed in this contribution, on many levels.

The basic plot line was great, but the true strength, the relationship between the characters, was totally missing, especially considering that Alex and Robin are newly back together. There should have been some angst about that.

While the identity of the bad guy was somewhat surprising, it was almost as though Kellerman needed another mortgage payment, and was churning out "stuff".

I have been a big fan of Johnathan Kellerman, especially the Alex Delaware series. I love his vivid and descriptive writing style. For this book he left that style at home (or should I say in the word processor). The basic story line is OK, not as good as most of the others, but the robust and fluid writing of his past novels is just gone. It's like an editor came along and just erased it. I'll certainly read his next effort but if it is as poor as this one it will be my last one. I big disappointment.

Alex Delaware and his homely, bulldog detective, pal Milo Sturgis have been around for a long time and Mr. Kellerman is to be applauded for how he's developed these characters, especially Milo, who is much more acceptable today, then he was way back when he was first introduced. The fact that Kellerman has been able to keep him alive all this time is a testament to his craft.

I have to confess that when a new Alex Delaware book comes out a whole day is trashed for me, because I'll spend all night reading, then spend the following day in sort of a sleep fog, reliving the story and this one, was no exception, Delaware is better than ever here, even if he's a little more acceptable to Milo's bosses by now.

It's dark out and Katrina Shonsky has run out of gas. The auto club won't come, because she hasn't renewed her membership. The battery in her cellphone dies. We know Kat's in trouble deep when a black Bentley stops and a woman gets out to offer aid.

Milo is asked to investigate a small blood stain in a black Bentley. The car had been stolen, but was found right away and not far away from where it was supposed to be. How did the blood get there?

Other women die and black luxury cars are spotted by the crime scenes. Are they connected? We find out early on they are and we know who the killer is, well if we've every read a mystery before, we do. What makes this book is how Kellerman takes us along with Alex and Milo as they solve the crime. Like all the Delaware books, the relationship, the banter and dialogue between these two keeps the reader glued to the story and propels the book along.

I can't imagine a year without Alex and Milo in it. Well, actually I can, because a few years back when Mr. Kellerman released the thriller The Conspiracy Club a fine stand alone, I thought he was finished with Delaware and crew, that he had killed them off, but fortunately I was wrong.

However, I have to admit there is one character I'm kind of tired of and who dragged the book down just a bit in my opinion and that's Alex's on again, off again girlfriend Robin. She needs to go. Hey, I've got an idea for the next Delaware book, how about if it opens with Robin running out of gas on a dark night.