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Deception: An Alex Delaware Novel (Alex Delaware Novels) [Kindle Edition]

Jonathan Kellerman
3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (83 customer reviews)

Kindle Price: $9.99 includes free wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet
Sold by: Random House Digital, Inc.
This price was set by the publisher

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Book Description

BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Jonathan Kellerman's Victims.

Her name is Elise Freeman, and her chilling cry for help comes too late to save her. On a DVD found near her lifeless body, the emotionally and physically battered woman chronicles a long ordeal of abuse at the hands of three sadistic tormentors. But even more shocking is the revelation that the offenders, like their victim, are teachers at one of L.A.’s most prestigious prep schools. Homicide detective Milo Sturgis is assigned to probe the hallowed halls of Windsor Prep Academy, and if ever he could use Dr. Alex Delaware’s psychological prowess, it’s now. As the scandal-conscious elite close ranks around Windsor Prep, Alex and Milo push to expose the dirty secrets festering among society’s manor-born. But while searching for predators among the privileged, Alex and Milo may be walking into a highly polished death trap.



Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Deputy Chief Weinberg assigns LAPD Lt. Milo Sturgis a particularly sensitive murder case at the outset of bestseller Kellerman's smooth if routine 25th Alex Delaware novel (after Evidence). Elise Freeman, a teacher and tutor at exclusive Windsor Preparatory Academy in Brentwood, is found dead in her Studio City apartment in a bathtub full of dry ice. Despite Elise's having left a DVD accusing three fellow teachers at the academy of repeated sexual harassment, Weinberg wants (for personal reasons) the investigation to involve the school as little as possible. As usual, psychologist Alex Delaware takes an active role in the investigation, which finds the victim had lots to hide. A boyfriend, students, teachers, and administrators are all anxious to keep those secrets hidden—and at least one of them is willing to kill again. Milo and Alex form an odd but effective duo as they trade banter and insights while sorting out the lies and deceptions. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

When Milo Sturgis, the LAPD homicide detective, catches a particularly tricky case, he naturally turns for help to his good friend and frequent partner, psychologist Alex Delaware. At first it looks like a straightforward suicide: a woman records a message on a DVD and then kills herself. But the facts are all wrong. The DVD isn’t a suicide message; it’s an accusation against some of her colleagues at an elite prep school. In addition, the victim’s home computer is missing, and she died by being submerged in dry ice, a particularly slow and painful means of death, hardly a common suicide method. Milo and Alex think it’s murder, and there’s no shortage of potential suspects—the victim’s colleagues, her boyfriend, and others—but, as usual, getting to the heart of the matter requires plenty of investigation and a certain amount of danger. The Delaware novels follow a pretty straightforward formula, but that’s OK: Delaware and Sturgis are engaging characters with whom fans enjoy spending time, as will devotees of Stephen J. Cannell (for the L.A. setting and the procedural aspects), Ridley Pearson (for the cop-psychologist team), and Mark Schorr (for the psychologist as amateur sleuth). --David Pitt

Product Details

  • File Size: 1097 KB
  • Print Length: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Ballantine Books (March 30, 2010)
  • Sold by: Random House Digital, Inc.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B0030DHPCU
  • Text-to-Speech: Not enabled
  • X-Ray: Not Enabled
  • Lending: Not Enabled
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,766 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
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Customer Reviews

In short, I found the book (and characters) flat and uninteresting. book lover  |  10 reviewers made a similar statement
Deception was a fast paced, exciting read. Annabar  |  13 reviewers made a similar statement
Milo, without asking, brings his good friend Alex along, and they investigate. David W. Nicholas  |  6 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
119 of 123 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Not Your Daddy's Alex Delaware April 5, 2010
Format:Hardcover
When Kellerman first brought the Delaware series forward, the books were a welcome and unique entry to the mystery genre: a psychologist who used his unique insights and training to solve crimes, especially those involving children, child psychology being Delaware's specialty as a shrink.

Milo Sturgis was a supporting character to whom Delaware would turn when he needed police support. But what made the series so appealing was the idea that Delaware was getting inadvertently involved in solving mysteries while trying to cure his patients, and his expertise as a psychologist would afford him the unique perspective from which to solve those crimes, in spite of the ineffectiveness of the police.

My, how times have changed.

Milo Sturgis is now the central character; Delaware's simply along for the ride, and to act as a sounding board for Milo so that we readers don't have to sit through endless exposition; his being a psychologist has become completely irrelevant, and isn't even used as a device anymore. Gone are the descriptive passages that establish place and setting, which were so evocative of LA in all its varied motifs. Gone are any personal story elements, such as those involving his girlfriend Robin or his dog; they've become nothing more than set dressing for the few passages when Delaware's in his house (presumably just to have something happen in a different physical scene). Dialogue consists of terse exchanges between Sturgis and Delaware; many of the scenes with witnesses or suspects remind me of the old "Dragnet" TV series, or maybe "Law & Order".

The series has become a hard-boiled detective series starring Sturgis; it's almost on the level of pulp fiction; certainly "police procedural" genre rather than psychological mystery/thriller.

Now, on that level these recent books - including "Deception" - work okay... for what they are. So, I guess I'll give it 3.5 stars on that basis.

But if you're expecting classic Delaware, especially if you're a long-time reader, you're in for a big disappointment.

I understand that over time authors make creative decisions, and sometimes elect to change their approach to a character or series. That's certainly their right. But then we as readers need to be aware of what we're getting. Some people may well like this transition; others certainly won't.

As I said, as a procedural or hard-boiled detective novel, this book works okay. But as an "Alex Delaware Novel", I think it falls far short of the mark, and is overall pretty pedestrian.
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100 of 107 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Deception by Jonathan Kellerman March 31, 2010
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Alex and Milo are back, trying to figure out who-dunnit in Kellerman's newest Alex Delaware novel. I am not a huge fan of the mystery genre- maybe I just haven't read enough to find the authors I would enjoy- but Kellerman has long been the exception.

What I love about Kellerman is that he maintains a certain level of consistency in his writing while avoiding becoming boring and predictable. The trend continues in Deception which has some great twists and turns.

Deception starts off at a steady clip and maintains a good pace throughout. Alex Delaware, psychologist and unofficial detective, is brought onto a homicide case by Lt. Milo Sturgis. Alex and Milo are a seemingly unlikely partnership. Alex provides illuminating insight, drawing on his talent as a psychologist while Milo is the gritty, street-smart cop(who often doubles as the comic relief).

Right from the start, Alex and Milo find the murder of a teacher from an elite prep school raising puzzling questions. Why is there so much interest from above in keeping the case hush-hush? Why has protocol been breached in the handling of evidence? A strange DVD of the victim before her death adds further intrigue and could she have identified her murderer on the recording? And that's just the beginning!!

People are not always what they seem '

Books by prolific authors such as Kellerman are often hit or miss in quality- not so with "Deception"! If you are a fan of Kellerman and his characters, you won't be disappointed. Kellerman does a fantastic job of deftly handling the plot, stringing the reader along as he builds to a riveting finish.

"Deception" is well-written and fast paced as it builds to a big finish. Full of suspense, interesting characters and enough turns to keep even the most seasoned armchair investigator guessing, fans will be greeted by old, familiar friends and those who are new to Kellerman will likely be inspired to check out some of his earlier books after finishing this one. Great read, very entertaining- Kellerman delivers with "Deception".
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it. March 31, 2010
Format:Hardcover
Jonathan Kellerman has developed a winner in the characters of Milo Sturgis and Alex Delaware. Each new novel promises the maximum amount of entertainment with a puzzling new case. Deception, the latest in a growing line of well written novels, promises to turn over a few well place rocks to reveal the creepy humans who hide there.

In Deception, Elise Freeman, a faculty member from prestigious Winsor Prep Academy is found murdered and a DVD is found next to her body. When played, the DVD reveals a woman who has suffered abuse at the hands of multiple abusers for more than a year. As the story unfolds, it appears that the culprits are fellow faculty members and co-workers. As the details become more warped, Detective Milo Sturgis is assigned to the case. Both he and Dr. Alex Delaware must untangle the clues to get to the truth. However, that task is complicated by the resistance of both the school and the wealthy clientele that send their Ivy League bound children there.

Deception is a hand wringer. Should the upper class be allowed to hide behind a curtain thus hiding their own sins and should those that cater to this class be allowed the same privilege? This is an interesting question, because it appears that the answer to this question is usually yes.

Kellerman does a good job in keeping the story fresh and the characters interesting. After-all, after 25 of these books, keeping things moving isn't easy.

All in all, I think you'll be glad you read Deception.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome...
Your gonna love the Alex Delaware novels and the ongoing suspense of every page and every novel you read. A must for avid readers of suspense...
Published 6 days ago by Patrick Flynn
5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT BOOK!
Jonathan Kellerman has out done his self again. This book is fierce with excitement and you will never guess who did it.
Published 9 days ago by amber96101
4.0 out of 5 stars Kellerman Is a Good Read
Kellerman writes the kind of stories I like. He maintains tension throughout the story and know how to end them well. I like his incorporation of real Los Angeles locations.
Published 12 days ago by John Murray, Jr.
5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down.
This has to be the best from Jonathan Kellerman, so far. Quite simply, I could not put this book down. Once immersed in this story it does not let you go.
Published 16 days ago by Raven
5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT READING
I BOUGHT THIS FOR MY HUSAND WITHOUT HIS KNOWLEDGE,HE ISN'T A BIG FAN OF KELLERMAN BUT HE REALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK AND WAS HAPPY I DID BUY IT.
Published 1 month ago by Mrs.G
5.0 out of 5 stars deception
I love this author. I have read all his books except the one just released. It it great to be able
to download to my kindle and just read. Great book. great buy.
Published 2 months ago by Virginia L. Nash
5.0 out of 5 stars Love Kellerman
His books are always gripping and timeless. Very much enjoyed and this one was a page turner. I Highly recommend.
Published 2 months ago by Farnze
5.0 out of 5 stars Love jonathan kellerman
His Alex Delaware novels always amazes me. Great read!!!! I would read this book and more of his books again.
Published 3 months ago by Akia Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars Another good Dr. Delaware novel
I just love Kellerman. Every book of his that I have read has been very enjoyable. And there's always a twist that you don't expect.
Published 3 months ago by Nancy Knapp
3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as his other books in my opinion
I find the constant description of what the various characters are wearing lends nothing valuable to the
storyl. I skip over each description as quickly as I can. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Ruthe Rosenstock
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More About the Author

Jonathan Kellerman is one of the world's most popular authors. He has brought his expertise as a clinical psychologist to more than thirty bestselling crime novels, including the Alex Delaware series, The Butcher's Theater, Billy Straight, The Conspiracy Club, Twisted,and True Detectives. With his wife, the novelist Faye Kellerman, he co-authored the bestsellers Double Homicide and Capital Crimes. He is the author of numerous essays, short stories, scientific articles, two children's books, and three volumes of psychology, including Savage Spawn: Reflections on Violent Children, as well as the lavishly illustrated With Strings Attached: The Art and Beauty of Vintage Guitars. He has won the Goldwyn, Edgar, and Anthony awards and has been nominated for a Shamus Award.

Jonathan and Faye Kellerman live in California and New Mexico. Their four children include the novelist Jesse Kellerman.

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Kindle copy MORE expensive than hardback?!
I always wait until it comes out on the bookshelves BEFORE I buy it. If you notice the publishing date of the Kellerman book it is the end of April. Once it comes out the price goes down to $9.99.
Mar 12, 2010 by Janice A. Nelson |  See all 23 posts
jonathan kellerman books glaring medical errors
Kellerman has written over 25 Alex Delaware novels which have been highly successful and probably amount to millions in sales. Do you honestly think his readers are going to catch errors about insulin or even care about them? I've read all of his books (some of them I admit aren't that great) but... Read more
Aug 26, 2011 by Scarlett |  See all 2 posts
why do i have to wait so long to receive a book i order for my kindle?
I don't know why it take you so long if you have full bars on your wireless. Haven you tried going to the menu to to "look for items"? Some times I do that if i am in a hurry and whispernet is sluggish. If you still have issues I would contact kindle though.
Jun 1, 2010 by Amber L. Moore |  See all 2 posts
So when does Amazon update the NY Times Bestseller list?
Amazon does not guarantee that all books on the bestseller list will be priced at $9.99 or less any more. Since the publishers forced Amazon into the agency model, they state prices will be $9.99 unless otherwise indicated. They have to go with the prices set by the publishers requiring the... Read more
Apr 13, 2010 by Lounging on the Lanai (Lenora) |  See all 4 posts
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