Jonathan Kellerman

In a half-built mansion in Los Angeles, a watchman stumbles onto the bodies of a young couple--murdered and left in a gruesome postmortem embrace. Veteran homicide cop Milo Sturgis is shocked at the sight: a twisted crime that only Milo and psychologist Alex Delaware can hope to solve. While the female victim's identity remains in question, her companion is ID'd as eco-friendly architect Desmond Backer, notorious for his power to seduce women. The deeper Milo and Alex dig for clues, the longer the list of suspects grows. But when the investigation veers suddenly in a startling direction, it's the investigators who may wind up on the wrong end of a cornered predator's final fury.

TRUE DETECTIVES follows half-brothers Moe Reed and Aaron Fox on the twisted trail of a missing girl; a dark, baffling whodunit that forces the brothers to put aside their mutual animus to work with psychologist Alex Delaware - and to confront the unresolved family mystery that turned them into enemies. 'No one does psychological suspense as well as Jonathan Kellerman' (Detroit Free Press), and the New York Times No. 1 author's novels, such as KILLER and BREAKDOWN are perfect for fans of Patricia Cornwell and Harlan Coben. PIs can do things, legally, that cops can't. And cops have access to resources denied their private counterparts. Only by pooling their efforts - and by consulting a man both brothers respect, psychologist Alex Delaware, do Fox and Reed stand a chance of peeling back the secrets in high places that explain the fate of an outwardly innocent young woman. And, by doing so, the brothers learn about much more than murder.

Moses Reed and Aaron Fox have the same mother; their respective fathers were cops, friends, and partners. And despite their shared calling, their turbulent family history has set them at odds. Moses is a no-frills LAPD detective; Aaron is a smooth-talking private eye. Usually they go their separate ways, but the disappearance of straight-A student Caitlin Frostig isn't usual. Reluctantly tag-teaming to crack a cold case that won't die, Moses and Aaron descend into the sinister underside of the City of Angels. Surrounded by twisted millionaire moguls, tarnished trophy wives, and famous faces with hellish secrets, they pull no punches as they penetrate the strange, seductive world of glamour, wealth, and power to keep L.A.'s dark dreamland from claiming another lost soul.

One night a young woman disappears . . .In broad daylight a retired teacher is stabbed to death . . .In a small-town beauty parlor two women are butchered . . .Three baffling cases, linked only by a lack of motive until psychologist Alex Delaware and LAPD Detective Milo Sturgis stumble upon a clue. A stolen luxury car is found undamaged and unblemished - except for a tiny, solitary bloodstain. Soon they uncover other expensive cars 'borrowed' before a killing. Soon the pair are hunting for a multiple killer, from LA high society to its desperate slums, even to New York and a forgotten cold case.However the killer proves to be a fleeting shape-shifter, defying identification. To unmask him, Alex and Milo will have to understand his murderous compulsion . . .

In DOCTOR DEATH, New York Times No. 1 bestselling author Jonathan Kellerman demonstrates once again his unique insights into the darkest corners of the human psyche. 'Kellerman is the acknowledged king of the psychological thriller' (Dallas Morning News) and his novels are perfect for fans of Michael Connelly and Harlan Coben.People are voluntarily dying before their time in California. Some call it assisted suicide when cancer, heart disease or painful old age make the quality of life unbearable. Others say it is murder, that no-one has the right to help others take their own life. As the debate rages over whether euthanasia should be legalised or not, the man at the centre of the row, nicknamed Doctor Death, continues his work. Dr Alex Delaware joins in the argument, but when Detective Milo Sturgis comes to him with the suspicion that some of Doctor Death's patients are not willing collaborators, Delaware finds himself on the frontline of the affair, and increasingly believes that euthanasia is not the prime motivation. So what is driving Doctor Death to kill so many?

New York Times No. 1 bestseller Jonathan Kellerman, author of KILLER and BREAKDOWN, gives psychologist Alex Delaware a gruesome and twisting case to unravel in MONSTER. Kellerman's stories are 'ingenious and horrifying' (The Sunday Times), and are perfect for fans of Harlan Coben and David Baldacci.A corpse is found in a car trunk. The victim was a twenty-five-year-old would-be actor called Richard Dada. He had been sawn in half. Eight months later, the body of Claire Argent, a psychologist at a hospital for the criminally insane, is discovered. She was mutilated in the same horrific way. Detective Milo Sturgis is put on the case and, when the incoherent ramblings of a patient locked up in a mental hospital for the criminally insane begin to make terrifying sense, he calls on psychologist Alex Delaware to help him delve into the muddy waters of insanity.Can Alex and Milo unravel this dark web of family secrets, vengeance and manipulation in time to stop further killing?

From New York Times No. 1 bestseller Jonathan Kellerman, author of KILLER and BREAKDOWN, BONES is a disturbing thriller in which psychologist Alex Delaware must delve deep into the mind in order to catch a serial killer. 'Kellerman always writes intelligently, treading with compassion and understanding through the minefield of the human psyche' (Harpers & Queen). Jonathan Kellerman's thrillers are perfect for fans of Harlan Coben and Linwood Barclay. A woman's body is found in marshland outside LA. By the next morning the police have discovered the decaying corpses of three more women. They were all prostitutes except for the most recent victim; a classically trained pianist employed by a wealthy family, Selena Bass seems out of place in the grim tableau. Psychologist Alex Delaware is drafted in by homicide detective Milo Sturgis to help with the case. Details of the crimes suggest a serial killer is prowling LA's gritty streets. But when a new murder deviates from the pattern, derailing a possible profile, Alex and Milo must look beyond the suspicion of madness . . . and consider an even more sinister mind at work. There are no easy answers, for the darkest of drives and desires will fuel the most devious of foes.

In BILLY STRAIGHT, detective Petra Connor must protect a young boy from a brutal killer. The compulsive thrillers of Jonathan Kellerman, bestselling author of KILLER, MOTIVE and BREAKDOWN, show 'a sense of humanity and justice' (Publishers Weekly), and are perfect for fans of Harlan Coben and David Baldacci.When beautiful Lisa Boehlinger Ramsey is found brutally stabbed to death in LA's Griffin Park, Detective Petra Connor and her partner Stu Bishop investigate. Lisa had publicly revealed that her ex-husband, millionaire TV star Cart Ramsey had beaten her, making him the prime suspect. Still, Petra and Stu must tread carefully; the top brass don't want a repeat of the OJ Simpson scenario on their hands.But there's a witness - twelve-year-old Billy Straight, too frightened to come forward. And when Lisa's parents put a reward out on Billy, only Petra realises the true extent of the danger he is in. She must act quickly if this little boy is not to be wiped out...

Weaving together the threads of a mystery that lead from a child's murder to a young scientist's suicide, Kellerman draws one of the most chilling, frighteningly realistic portraits of evil you will ever experience in SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST. New York Times No 1 bestseller Jonathan Kellerman is the author of KILLER and BREAKDOWN, and this thriller is perfect for fans of Harlan Coben and Michael Connelly.The mentally disabled daughter of a diplomat is killed in cold blood in a deserted corner of the Santa Monica mountains. Her father adamantly denies the possibility of a political motive, which leaves LAPD detective Milo Sturgis and his friend Alex Delaware to pose the question: why? The father is so intent on controlling the investigation that Alex and Milo start to wonder if he wants to find the truth - or keep it buried. Within days, and after another killing, Alex finds himself ensnared in one of the darkest, most menacing cases of his career. Driven to find answers, Alex goes undercover, alone, to expose the smug brutality of a murderous conspiracy and a terrifying contempt for human life.

When it comes to writing deftly layered, tightly coiled novels of suspense, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Kellerman reigns supreme as "master of the psychological thriller" (People). Kellerman has worked his magic again in this chilling masterpiece. The anonymous caller has an ominous tone and an unnerving message about something "real dead . . . buried in your marsh." The eco-volunteer on the other end of the phone thinks it's a prank, but when a young woman's body turns up in L.A.'s Bird Marsh preserve no one's laughing. And when the bones of more victims surface, homicide detective Milo Sturgis realizes the city's under siege to an insidious killer. Milo's first move: calling in psychologist Alex Delaware. The murdered women are prostitutes-except the most recent victim; a brilliant young musician from the East Coast, employed by a wealthy family to tutor a musical prodigy, Selena Bass seems out of place in the marsh's grim tableau. Conveniently-perhaps ominously-Selena's blueblood employers are nowhere to be found, and their estate' s jittery caretaker raises hackles. But Milo's instincts and Alex's insight are too well-honed to settle for easy answers, even given the dark secrets in this troubled man's past. Their investigation unearths disturbing layers-about victims, potential victims, and suspects alike-plunging even deeper into the murky marsh's enigmatic depths. Bizarre details of the crimes suggest a devilish serial killer prowling L.A.'s gritty streets. But when a new murder deviates from the pattern, derailing a possible profile, Alex and Milo must look beyond the suspicion of madness and consider an even more sinister mind at work. Answers don't come easy, but the darkest of drives and desires may fuel the most devious of foes. Bones is classic Kellerman-relentlessly peeling back the skin and psyches of its characters and revealing the shadows and sins of the souls beneath. With jolt after jolt of galvanizing suspense, it drives the reader through its twists and turns toward a climax as satisfying as it is shattering.

An ingenious and terrifying thriller from New York Times No. 1 bestseller Jonathan Kellerman, author of KILLER and BREAKDOWN. An 'absorbing thriller in which Kellerman steers deftly round blind alleys and false clues to arrive at intolerable truths' (Literary Review), perfect for fans of James Patterson and Harlan Coben.Lucy Lowell is traumatised after serving jury duty on the trial of a depraved killer. Horrific images haunt her waking life and at night she's terrorised by the recurring nightmare of a small child watching a terrible scene unfold in a darken wood.Lucy's terrified that she's losing her grip on reality. Her psychologist, Alex Delaware, thinks her dreams are repressed memories of something very real - a very real murder. Alex knows that delving into Lucy's mind might awaken past terrors but nothing could have prepared him for the horrors about to be unleashed.

BAD LOVE turns murderous in this gripping novel from No. 1 internationally bestselling Jonathan Kellerman, author of KILLER, MOTIVE and BREAKDOWN. 'Kellerman really knows how to keep those pages turning' (The New York Times Book Review) and the tension of his nail-biting writing is perfect for those who love Harlan Coben and Patricia Cornwell.It starts with a tape delivered to psychologist Alex Delaware's house - a recording of a soul-sickening scream followed by a twisted, childlike voice chanting 'Bad love. Bad love. Don't give me the bad love . . .' Alex heard that phrase a decade ago, at a symposium for Dr Andres de Bosch and his work with troubled teens, why is he hearing it now? Then there are strange phone calls, a horrific act of vandalism and the discovery that other symposium delegates have been murdered. Unless Alex can make sense of the mind games being played he will be next . . .

Ideal for fans of Michael Connelly and Karin Slaughter, DEVIL'S WALTZ is a harrowing case for psychologist Alex Delaware and he must summon up every bit of his knowledge and skill to solve it. A riveting read from Jonathan Kellerman, bestselling author of KILLER AND BREAKDOWN, exhibiting 'strong insights into the quirks of human and criminal behaviour' (Guardian).It's a living hell . . .Twenty-one-month-old Cassie Jones has spent most of her short life in and out of Paediatrics Hospital. Cassie is persistently, seriously ill and when no amount of testing can identify the cause, her doctor is lead to a disturbing diagnosis - Cassie's mother could be making her daughter deliberately sick.Child psychologist Alex Delaware is brought in to make an independent assessment of the Jones family. But Alex's attempts to find the answers and save a young girl's life will reveal a terrifying circle of corruption, abuse and murderous hatred.

Complex and compelling, PRIVATE EYES is a formidable thriller from the internationally bestselling Jonathan Kellerman, author of KILLER and BREAKDOWN, and perfect for fans of Harland Coben and Patricia Cornwell. 'A thriller which gives your wits a work-out. Endlessly intriguing; as good as they come' (Literary Review)Psychologist Alex Delaware regards Melissa Dickinson as one of his greatest achievements. A tormented seven year old when she first appeared in his LA surgery, two years on she was fully recovered. Years later, Melissa contacts Alex, desperate for him to help her mother, Gina. Gina was a budding Hollywood starlet until a vicious acid attack left her disfigured. Crippled with fear, Gina has hidden from the world for two decades. But before Alex can help, she disappears. Now Alex is locked in a search leading him into a grotesque labyrinth of hidden histories and desires . . .

Once again, the depths of the criminal mind and the darkest side of a glittering city fuel #1 New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Kellerman's brilliant storytelling. And no one conducts a more harrowing and suspenseful manhunt than the modern Sherlock Holmes of the psyche, Dr. Alex Delaware. A tipsy young woman seeking aid on a desolate highway disappears into the inky black night. A retired schoolteacher is stabbed to death in broad daylight. Two women are butchered after closing time in a small-town beauty parlor. These and other bizarre acts of cruelty and psychopathology are linked only by the killer's use of luxury vehicles and a baffling lack of motive. The ultimate whodunits, these crimes demand the attention of LAPD detective Milo Sturgis and his collaborator on the crime beat, psychologist Alex Delaware. What begins with a solitary bloodstain in a stolen sedan quickly spirals outward in odd and unexpected directions, leading Delaware and Sturgis from the well-heeled center of L.A. society to its desperate edges; across the paths of commodities brokers and transvestite hookers; and as far away as New York City, where the search thaws out a long-cold case and exposes a grotesque homicidal crusade. The killer proves to be a fleeting shape-shifter, defying identification, leaving behind dazed witnesses and death-and compelling Alex and Milo to confront the true face of murderous madness.

Psychologist Alex Delaware is confronted with a dark and vicious plot of violence and murder in TIME BOMB, an enthralling thriller from New York Times No. 1 bestselling Jonathan Kellerman, author of KILLER and BREAKDOWN. Fans of Harlan Coben and Michael Connelly will love the compulsive writing of Jonathan Kellerman. 'Though a time bomb is ticking away at the heart of this novel, readers will forget to watch the clock once they start it' (Chicago Sun Times). You're living on borrowed time . . .A sniper opens fire on a crowded Californian schoolyard but is killed before any children are harmed. When the sniper's identity is revealed, a media frenzy erupts. Why would they want to take innocent lives?Psychologist Alex Delaware is brought in to help the kids cope with the ordeal but is drawn into investigating the motives of the would-be assassin. Alex soon finds himself on a bloody and twisted trail into the world of political extremism from which there may be no way back . . .

SILENT PARTNER is a sophisticated, multi-layered and absorbing thriller from international bestseller Jonathan Kellerman, author of KILLER and BREAKDOWN, perfect for fans of Harlan Coben and James Patterson. 'A complex and haunting story of tangled personalities, deeply buried family secrets, and of violence lying thinly under the surface . . . hits the reader right between the eyes' (Los Angeles Times Book Review)Dr Sharon Ransom is the most beautiful woman in the room; she's also the most troubled. So when former lover, psychologist Alex Delaware, bumps into her at a lavish LA cocktail party, though still attracted to her, fear of reviving unhappy memories prevents him from offering the help she seems so desperate for. Hours later, Sharon's body is discovered with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Tortured by guilt, Alex wants answers. As his investigation begins, dark memories of his past with Sharon emerge, and a present full of madness, murder and sexual violence unfolds.

L.A. psychologist-detective Alex Delaware has received a strange, anonymous package in the mail. Inside is an album filled with gruesome crime-scene photos. When his old friend and colleague, homicide detective Milo Sturgis, views the compendium of death, he is immediately shaken by one of the images: a young woman tortured, strangled, and dumped near a freeway ramp. The murder was one of Milo's first cases as a rookie homicide cop: a vicious killing that he failed to solve--and has haunted him ever since. Now, two decades later, someone has chosen to stir up the past. As Alex and Milo set out to uncover what really happened twenty years ago, their relentless investigation reaches deep into L.A.'s nerve centers of power and wealth--past and present. While peeling back layer after layer of ugly secrets, they discover that the murder of one forgotten girl has chilling ramifications that extend far beyond the tragic loss of a single life.

Perennial bestseller and acknowledged master of the psychological thriller, Jonathan Kellerman has created a riveting and memorable Alex Delaware novel about a troubled and elusive young woman whose brutal murder forces the brilliant psychologist-detective to confront his own fallibility. Lauren Teague is a beautiful, defiant, borderline-delinquent teenager when her parents bring her to Alex Delaware's office. But for all Alex's skill and effort, Lauren resists--angrily, provocatively. Reluctantly, the psychologist chalks Lauren up as one of the inevitable failures of a challenging profession. But years later, when Alex encounters Lauren as a stag party's featured entertainment, both doctor and patient are sticken with shame. And the ultimate horror takes place when, soon after, Lauren's brutalized corpse is found dumped in an alley. Alex disregards the advice of his trusted friend, LAPD detective Milo Sturgis, and jeopardizes his relationship with longtime lover, Robin Castagna, in order to pursue Lauren's murderer. As he investigates his young patient's troubled past, Alex enters the shadowy worlds of fringe psychological experimentation and the sex industry, and then into mortal danger when lust and big money collide in Southern California. Jonathan Kellerman's L.A. is evil, seductive, and unforgiving, and Flesh and Blood is mind-opening in its drama of a driven man's personal quest, breathtaking in its ingenious plot, filled with unforgettable characters, and topped off by a terrifying climax. This is suspense fiction at its finest.

Who killed the killer? In this brilliant and startling psychological thriller, Jonathan Kellerman, perennial bestselling author, gives a sharp and timely twist to homicide's central question. Someone has murdered euthanasia champion Dr. Eldon Mate--a self-styled Dr. Death responsible for scores of assisted suicides. In a burst of bloody irony, the killer chooses to dispatch the doctor in the back of Mate's own suicide van, hooking him up to the killing apparatus dubbed "the Humanitron"--and adding some butchering touches of his own. The case is assigned to veteran LAPD homicide detective Milo Sturgis, who turns, once again, to his friend Dr. Alex Delaware. But working this case raises a conflict of interest for Alex so profound that he can't even discuss it with Milo. The tension that develops between cop and psychologist further complicates an already baffling and complex murder investigation--one whose suspects include the families of Dr. Mate's "travelers," Mate's own son, and a psychopathic killer who relishes the geometry of death. Dr. Death is a rich brew of unforgettable characters, labyrinthine plotting, page-turning prose, and the unique insights into the darkest corners of the human mind that have earned Jonathan Kellerman international accolades as the master of psychological suspense.