Book Review - Evidence by Jonathan Kellerman

Synopsis:  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 he’s cracked some of the city’s worst slayings, veteran homicide cop Milo Sturgis is still shocked at the grisly sight: a twisted crime that only Milo’s killer instincts–and psychologist Alex Delaware’s keen insights–can hope to solve.

While the female victim’s identity remains a question mark, her companion is ID’d as eco-friendly architect Desmond Backer, who disdains the sort of grandiose superstructure he’s found dead in. And the late Mr. Backer, it’s revealed was also notorious for his power to seduce women.

The rare exception is his ex-boss, Helga Gemein, who’s as indifferent to Desmond’s 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 Desmond’s 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, it’s the investigators who may wind up on the wrong end of a cornered predator’s final fury.

First Line:  "This was a zero job, but Doyle was getting paid."

Random Quote:  "Turns out, it's more complicated because they ran the thread and the bullet angles don't fit exactly.  I'm not such a big thread fan, but if it looks like science, juries love it, right?"

Review:  The Alex Delaware/Milo Sturgis series written by Jonathan Kellerman have always been reliably enjoyable.  The oddball partnership between psychologist and homicide detective made for an unusual focus on most of the books.  Kellerman usually tells a good story and I like Alex and Milo so I always grab these off the shelf when they become available, but this one was pretty disappointing.

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Honestly, I'm really not sure why Alex was even a part of this case - there wasn't a strong psychological element to the crime nor did it deal with children in any way (both hallmarks of past Alex/Milo pairings).  The case was pretty run of the mill with eco-terrorists and a revengeful woman burning up fancy L.A. houses.  Even though he was the narrator, Alex's presence felt forced and he came off as a kind of tag-along.

This has been a strong series in the past, but I'm wondering if Kellerman is running out of steam.  I've seen that happen in so many other series like this (Patricia Cornwell, I'm looking at you) and it's kind of sad and disappointing.  I wish he'd wrap the series up if he's stopped caring about these characters.  He has other characters he's written a little about (Petra, the Hollywood homicide detective and Daniel Sharavi, the Israeli homicide detective) and he could expand on their stories.  Mostly I think Alex and Milo deserve a whole lot better than this and so do Kellerman's readers.

Reading Challenges:  Thriller and Suspense Challenge 2010, 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge