True Detectives: A Novel (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: marsh murders, mason book, Gemma Dement, Rory Stoltz, Lem Dement (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

PI Aaron Fox and L.A. cop Moe Reed, interracial half-brothers who played minor roles in 2008's Bones, take center stage in bestseller Kellerman's routine 24th Alex Delaware novel. When Fox, who used to work for the LAPD, looks into the missing-persons case of 20-year-old Caitlin Frostig, he runs into conflict with Reed. The brothers end up pursuing some predictable lines of inquiry, checking out Rory Stoltz, Frostig's college boyfriend, as well as links to a filmmaker, Lem Dement, who's suspected of domestic abuse. More A-list connections surface after the investigators learn Stoltz was the personal assistant for actor Mason Book, whose rumored suicide attempt came shortly after Frostig's disappearance. The strains between Fox and Reed don't generate much heat, while the pacing and writing aren't up to Kellerman's best. Hopefully, Delaware and detective Milo Sturgis, relegated to cameos, will be back in their usual starring positions next time. (Mar. 24)
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From Booklist

Instead of the usual Delaware/Sturgis investigative duo, Kellerman returns to two new crime solvers, stepbrothers who appeared briefly in last year’s Bones. Though both are sons of cops, they couldn’t be more different. Biracial Aaron pulls in a sweet six figures as a PI, which allows him to indulge in Ferré shirts and Magli shoes; younger Moses, a forthright, muscle-bound blond, does things by the book for the LAPD. Childhood rivalries, misunderstandings, and different personalities have kept them at odds throughout their lives. Then, suddenly, they find themselves working on the same case: the disappearance of a young college student. Competitors at first, the brothers gradually become a kind of team, each one adding bits and pieces to a sprawling case that morphs into something completely different from what it was to begin with—involving a washed-up celebrity, an abusive Hollywood director, a drug pusher, a couple of prostitutes, and a missing baby. Kellerman continues to play fast and loose with his plotting, but everything eventually comes together here, with a few surprises. What’s best, though, is seeing Kellerman step outside of the all-too-familiar he relies on in the Delaware novels and introduce a couple of characters that have the potential to take his work in fresh directions. --Stephanie Zvirin

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; First Edition first Printing edition (March 24, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345495144
• ISBN-13: 978-0345495143
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (69 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #54,848 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not One Of His Best., April 2, 2009

By	Peter W. Reed (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This tale is complicated by lots of characters with the two main ones brothers who don't trust each other: one a private detective, the other a police officer, both working on the same case. I had a good bit of trouble keeping track of which brother knew what, had done what, told the other one what. I found it very confusing. Far too many descriptions of "fashion" clothes worn by the private detective...who cares? And there just seemed to be too many characters for the plot, some not at all well developed. Kellerman has written a lot of good, enjoyable novels; I don't find this to be one of them.

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars who's doing his writing these days?, April 9, 2009

By	--pat (around) - See all my reviews

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The Jonathan Kellerman writing style has changed so much, I suspect someone else ghost wrote this book. I can barely wade through the metaphors and slang to figure out what he's saying. It's really awful. Can't imagine whoever wrote this stuff thinks it's clever, but I bet they do. J Kellerman just dropped off my favorite authors list and probably off my future purchases list. And, by the way, the story just goes nowhere.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, April 3, 2009

By	Phoenix_dream (Wheaton, Il USA) - See all my reviews

I am a huge fan of Jonathan Kellerman, and I really, really wanted to like this book. I just could not get into it. I actually stopped reading after about 1/3 of the book because I found myself feeling that reading it was a chore rather than a pleasure. I found I just could not make myself care about the characters. They do not appeal to me at all. The plot just did not capture my interest and I agree that it seemed overly complicated. I imagine authors sometimes get tired of writing about their usual characters but please don't use your faithful readers as guinea pigs for poorly thought experiments.