Synopses & Reviews
Jonathan Kellerman is a master at creating psychologically nuanced novels of suspense—an author whose name is synonymous with unrelenting action, intriguing plot twists, and penetrating insight into the criminal mind. Now he ventures into bold, new territory with his biggest and best novel yet.
A Cold Heart features Kellermans brilliant signature style—but in this tour-de-force he mines even deeper the emotional landscape of his characters: psychologist-sleuth Alex Delaware, LAPD homicide detective Milo Sturgis, Milos colleague Petra Connor, and Alexs ex-lover, Robin Castagna—bringing them all vividly to life as never before.
“Ive got a weird one, so naturally I thought of you,” says Milo Sturgis, summoning his friend Alex to the trendy gallery where a promising young artist has been brutally garroted on the night of her first major showing. What makes it “a weird one” is the lack of any obvious motive, and the luridly careful staging of the murder scene—which immediately suggests to Alex not an impulsive crime of passion . . . but the meticulous and taunting modus operandi of a serial killer.
Delawares suspicion is borne out when he compares notes with Milos associate, Petra Connor, and her new partner, a strange, taciturn detective with a past of his own named Eric Stahl. The Hollywood cops are investigating the vicious death of Baby Boy Lee, a noted blues guitarist, fatally stabbed after a late-night set at a local club. What links Baby Boys murder with that of painter Juliet Kipper is the shadowy presence of an abrasive fanzine writer. This alias-shrouded critics love-the-art/disdain-the-artist philosophy and his morbid fascination with the murders leads Alex and the detectives to suspect theyre facing a new breed of celebrity stalker: one with a fetish for snuffing out rising stars.
Tracking down the killer proves to be maddening, with the twisting trail leading from halfway houses to palatial mansions and from a college campus to the last place Alex ever expected: the doorstep of his ex-lover Robin Castagna, whose business association with two of the victims casts her as an unavoidable player in the unfolding case. As more and more killings are discovered, unraveling the maddening puzzle assumes a chilling new importance—stopping a vicious psychopath whos made cold-blood murder his chosen art form.
Review
"Often, mystery writers can either plot like devils or create believable characters. Kellerman stands out because he can do both. Masterfully." USA Today
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"[F]ortunately for readers of a series that still ambles on confidently, [Dr. Alex Delaware is] smarter about murder than he is about love." Janet Maslin, The New York Times
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"Detective fiction's best-loved shrink, handsome, intrepid, immeasurably sensitive, is in top form, even though the 400 pages of his latest case might have called for some shrinking themselves." Kirkus Reviews
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"Of course, Kellerman provides a meaty layer of interpersonal relationships beneath the surface of his plot....Booksellers should have little trouble moving this along." Publishers Weekly
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"Kellerman...is able to underscore the crime-solving thrills with enough psychological insight to engage more cerebrally inclined readers....The eighteenth Delaware novel is not one of the best, but that won't stop the cash registers from ringing." Connie Fletcher, Booklist
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"Kellerman has shaped the psychological mystery novel into an art form." Los Angeles Times Book Review
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"[A Cold Heart] shows all the Kellerman class we have come to expect. I proclaim 'his best yet' with every new book, but and this should be no surprise he manages to trump himself every time....A bloomin' good whodunit." Wichita Falls
Synopsis
The 17th New York Times bestseller featuring psychologist-sleuth Alex Delaware is now in mass market paperback. Delaware joins a chilling police hunt for a killer who preys on promising young artists.
Synopsis
Jonathan Kellerman is a master at creating psychologically nuanced novels of suspense an author whose name is synonymous with unrelenting action, intriguing plot twists, and penetrating insight into the criminal mind. Now he ventures into bold, new territory with his biggest and best novel yet.
About the Author
Jonathan Kellerman is one of the worlds most popular authors. He has brought his expertise as a clinical psychologist to numerous bestselling tales of suspense (which have been translated into two dozen languages), including seventeen Alex Delaware novels; The Butchers Theater, a story of serial killing in Jerusalem; and Billy Straight, featuring Hollywood homicide detective Petra Connor. He is also the author of numerous essays, short stories, and scientific articles, two childrens books, and three volumes of psychology, including Savage Spawn: Reflections on Violent Children. He has won the Goldwyn, Edgar, and Anthony awards, and has been nominated for a Shamus Award. He and his wife, the novelist Faye Kellerman, have four children.