Evidence (Alex Delaware Novels)

#1 New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Kellerman writes unforgettable tales of crime and detection that expose the shadowy side of glittering Los Angeles. And in Evidence, readers are once again in the dexterous grip of a master storyteller and stylist equally skilled at teasing your brain and taking your breath away.

In the half-built skeleton of a monstrously vulgar mansion in one of L.A.s toniest neighborhoods, a watchman stumbles on the bodies of a young couple-murdered in flagrante and left in a gruesome postmortem embrace. Though hes cracked some of the citys worst slayings, veteran homicide cop Milo Sturgis is still shocked at the grisly sight: a twisted crime that only Milos killer instincts-and psychologist Alex Delawares keen insights-can hope to solve.

While the female victims identity remains a question mark, her companion is IDd as eco-friendly architect Desmond Backer, who disdains the sort of grandiose superstructure hes found dead in. And the late Mr. Backer, its revealed was also notorious for his power to seduce women.

The rare exception is his ex-boss, Helga Gemein, whos as indifferent to Desmonds death as she apparently was to his advances. Though Milo and Alex place her on their short list of suspects, the deeper they dig for clues the longer the list grows. An elusive prince who appears to harbor decidedly American appetites, an eccentric blueblood with an ax to grind, one of Desmonds restless ex-lovers and her cuckolded husband-all are in the homicidal mix spiced with eco-terrorism, arson, blackmail, conspiracy, and a vendetta that runs deep. But when the investigation veers suddenly in a startling direction, its the investigators who may wind up on the wrong end of a cornered predators final fury.

From the Hardcover edition.

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 has won the Goldwyn, Edgar, and Anthony awards and has been nominated for a Shamus Award.