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Book Review – The Museum of Desire, by Jonathan Kellerman

The Museum of Desire by Jonathan Kellerman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The Museum of Desire is Jonathan Kellerman’s latest entry in his long-running Alex Delaware/Milo Sturgis series. Like most of the books in the series, it involves the investigation of a bizarre murder with deep psychological underpinnings. Kellerman is a master of setting as character, and this book does not disappoint with its insightful descriptions of Los Angeles. The characterization is also excellent–we meet a number of diverse and well rounded characters throughout the book. A minor point–Alex’s s.o., Robin, has become little more than window dressing in the later books, and this one is no exception. However, the portrayal of the investigation falls somewhat flat–many passages read like Alex and Milo are just going through the motions. Perhaps Kellerman is getting tired of the series at last. The ending is meh–it’s suitably twisted, but the motivations of the killer were unclear, other than evil for it’s own sake, which always falls flat for me.



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Book Review – The Wedding Guest, by Jonathan Kellerman

The Wedding Guest (Alex Delaware, #34)

The Wedding Guest by Jonathan Kellerman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I’ve been reading Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series since 1985, when I discovered When the Bough Breaks. It’s been a great ride, and the venerable Kellerman shows no signs of losing it with this latest installment.
Unlike some of the other books in the series, this one is a bit understated-it’s just a straightforward investigation into the murder of an unknown woman at a Hollywood wedding. Not that that’s a bad thing. The story really highlights the relationship between Det. Milo Sturgis and Delaware, who’ve been friends for quite a long time. Also unlike some of the other Delaware books, there are no really shocking moments in this story. The chain of events emerges piecemeal from persistence and good, solid investigative technique. The villain is satisfyingly evil, and his motivations believable.
If I have a complaint, it’s the treatment of Delaware’s longtime companion, Robin. She’s been with Alex even longer than Milo, and they’ve had their ups and downs-she even left him for a while at one point in the series. But after she returned, she became pure cardboard. All of the nuances so evident in Alex’s and Milo’s relationship are absent in Alex’s and Robin’s. She comes on stage to provide Alex with food or sex, then vanishes. This was annoying enough for me to dock The Wedding Guest one star.




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