Time Bomb [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Jonathan Kellerman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1990

Edgar Award winner Jonathan Kellerman once more  explores the corruption of California's golden  coast and produces a novel of complex  characterizations and nonstop suspense.  By the time psychologist Dr. Alex  Delaware reached the school the damage was done:  A sniper had opened fire on a crowded playground,  but was gunned down before any children were  hurt.  While  the TV news crews feasted on the scene an Alex  began his therapy sessions with the traumatized  children, he couldn't escape the image of a slight  teenager clutching an oversized rifle. What was the  identity behind the name and face: a would-be  assassin, or just another victim beneath an  indifferent California sky?

Intrigued by a request from the sniper's father  to conduct a "psychological autopsy" of  his child, Alex begins to uncover a strange  pattern of innocence, neglect, and loss. Then suddenly  it is more than a pattern -- it is a trail of  blood. In the dead sniper's past was a dark and  vicious plot. And in Alex Delaware's future is the  stuff of grown-up nightmares: the face of real  human evil.

Also available on BDD Audio Cassette.


From the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

After a sniper opens fire at an elementary school in an L.A. suburb, LAPD Detective Milo Sturgis calls in his friend, child psychologist Alex Delaware (seen last in Silent Partner ). None of the children is hurt, but the shooter, a young woman named Holly Burden, is killed by the bodyguard of one of two politicos visiting the school. While helping the kids overcome the trauma of the shooting, Delaware becomes involved with the edgy, dedicated principal, Linda Overstreet. He also agrees to Holly's father's request to do a "psychological autopsy" to clear his daughter's name. As racist-motivated vandalism at the school accelerates, Milo discovers that a black friend of Holly's was recently killed by police; then one of the politicians is gunned down. Alex's life is threatened as he traces events to a revival of the German American Bund and an unexpected political alliance with roots in an explosion of 20 years earlier, echoed in the fiery resolution here. Kellerman's meticulously constructed thriller, while leaning hard on the anti-Semitic component of its plot, again demonstrates how well the role of sleuth fits that of therapist; Alex, a little lost without former girlfriend Robin, speaks with a a unique, convincing voice. 150,000 first printing; Mystery Guild selection; Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club alternates.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA-- Kellerman provides his fans with yet another of his exciting tales centered on Dr. Alex Delaware, psychologist/sleuth. Set in California, the book opens with a near massacre in a schoolyard. In this intricately plotted story, the hero is challenged to locate a cleverly disguised villain from a collection of normal and not-so-normal suspects. The rapid pace carries readers into a world of politicians who are more than they seem to be on the surface, families that dysfunction in spectacular ways, and suspicious characters with murky and unusual pasts. In his examination of political extremism, the author touches on an issue that is both timely and thoroughly fascinating. Although the psychoanalytical aspect occasionally becomes a bit overbearing--minor characters using professional-level terminology, for example--the overall effect is engrossing. A minor love theme is played out, and a spectacular and violent climax pulls the disparate threads of the story together. Kellerman's fans won't be disappointed.
- Carolyn E. Gecan, Jefferson Sci-Tech, Alexandria,
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; Lrg edition (November 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385415788
• ISBN-13: 978-0385415781
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,243,202 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jonathan Kellerman does it again!, April 3, 2000

By 

Megan "The Book Hunter" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Time Bomb (Alex Delaware Novels) (Paperback)

I got Time Bomb for Christmas and I could not put it down, it was so good, I would stay up late, not wanting to stop. Jonathan Kellerman is the master of psyschological thrillers. Here is a little about the story.

When Alex Delaware gets a call from his friend, LAPD homide detective, Milo Sturgis, he is asked to come down to a school which as been targeted by a sniper, and help the kids. When he gets there, he finds that the details are sketchy and all that he learns is that the sniper has been killed without hurting anyone. Milo tells him that the sniper was a girl, nonviolent, and had mental difficulties. Now, Alex has to figure out, was the sniper a killer, or just another victim?

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE CLOCK IS TICKING....., January 30, 2001

By 

BeatleBangs1964 (United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Time Bomb (Alex Delaware Novels) (Paperback)

towards the final detonation! A sniper has just opened fire on a school playground, creating trauma and mayhem. She was shot to death before she could claim any child casualties.

She? Yes. The mysterious woman who opened fire a propos of nothing had secrets begging to be revealed. Dr. Delaware and his sidekick Officer Sturgis travel down some seedy side streets before they unmask the sniper's identity and reason for opening fire. The attacker's father enlists the aid of the duo, requesting that they do a psychological portrait of his slain daughter. As the men delve deeper into their work, they uncover a Pandora's box of ugly secrets and are left with the question of who was REALLY a victim the day of the shooting?

On the plus side, Alex develops a new romantic partner, principal Linda Overstreet. A tough Southwesterner, she provides more class than Robin ever did. She also appears to be much brighter. She has an interesting psychological background including "cops and music." It would have been wonderful if Robin had been ushered out the door for good.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a book that keeps you thinking long after you close it., June 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Time Bomb (Alex Delaware Novels) (Paperback)

Time Bomb's plot is very well assembled, all the facts fall together amazingly. Nothing from the sleeve, pure logic. The story evolves thrillingly and I found myself reading at 4am. Delaware is so real, so ordinary, you get to know him well and feel with him. Kellerman's detailed descriptive adds to the atmosphere and gives a feeling of being standing right there. What I haven't been able to do is give a face to Milo Sturgis, though he is a wonderful character. This is the 5th Kellerman book I read, and definitely look forward to reading the rest.