Therapy : An Alex Delaware Novel [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Headline (January 1, 2004)
• ISBN-10: 0755307364
• ISBN-13: 978-0755307364
• ASIN: B001KTOZEC
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (76 customer reviews)

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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed, May 14, 2004

By 

A. Christie "bibliofiend508" (Plano, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Therapy (Hardcover)

Psychologist and Police Consultant, Alex Delaware is back to help Homicide Detective, Milo Sturgis investigate the killing of two young adults murdered in a Lover's Lane type setting. The fact that a metal spike, along with a gunshot wound, impaled the woman indicates more than a routine killing. The woman remains unidentified, but the young man turns out to have had a personality change due to a recent car accident. He was seeing noted celebrity psychologist, Dr. Mary Lou Koppel, for his problems. Through the investigation, another similarly murdered patient of Dr. Koppel's comes to light. Before long, Dr. Koppel herself is found murdered. The killings seem to be linked; and Alex and Milo work to find what how.

I usually love the Alex Delaware series and this one started out well enough, but about half way through the book, it turned deadly dull. The characters were not likable and I could just not care what happened to any of them. It was bad enough that the plot was uninteresting, but it turned ridiculous as well. Alex Delaware's personal story was hardly explored at all. First time Alex Delaware readers will be at a loss to know anything about his backstory even though his girlfriend and ex-girlfriend both make an appearance in the story.

First half of the book was perhaps 4 stars and the second half 2 stars for an average of 3 even though it pains me to rate one of my favorite authors so low.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not his best, August 24, 2004

By 

Ratmammy "The Ratmammy" (Ratmammy's Town, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Therapy (Hardcover)

THERAPY by Jonathan Kellerman

August 24, 2004

THERAPY is Jonathan Kellerman's latest Alex Delaware novel. In this novel, Alex and Milo Sturgis are on a mission to figure out the connection between a murder that has just occurred in Beverly Hills, and one that happened previously and left unsolved. The victims of the first murder are a man and a woman, found shot and stabbed in a car parked outside a Beverly Hills home. It almost appears to be a sexually motivated murder, judging by the positions the couple was left in at the murder scene. The male victim was seeing a therapist, Mary Lou Koppel, and that is where the investigation begins. The previously murdered woman was also found in a sexual position, and is later found to have been going to therapy as well.

The connection between the two is rather flimsy until Dr Koppel herself gets murdered. There is definitely a link between all three, and it is up to Alex and Milo to find out the connection.

I've only read a handful of Alex Delaware novels, and I have enjoyed them all, but this one was the least favorite so far. I found myself losing interest during parts of the novel, which were filled with a lot of political rhetoric. I didn't think there was a need to go into that much detail in a novel such as this. A few paragraphs would have sufficed. I also was not happy with the ending, feeling that there were some unanswered questions that could have been resolved. All in all, however, I do recommend THERAPY but for new fans of Jonathan Kellerman, I suggest starting with one of his older novels.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid mystery, October 16, 2004

By 

Mr. Phillips - See all my reviews

This review is from: Therapy (Hardcover)

Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis investigate the murder of a young couple, which soon engulfs them in an increasingly complex mystery.

Jonathan Kellerman is great at creating complicated, well-developed plots and shows no signs here of losing his touch. I also quite liked the supporting characters, especially the Quick family.

My only real problem with Kellerman is his over-reliance on description. I don't really need to know what the bookshelves of some minor character looks like. His descriptions can sometimes run as long as an entire page, and I just wind up skimming.

Otherwise, another highly satisfying book from one of crime's best writers.