Serpentine (Alex Delaware Series #36)
- Downloads：8496
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-02-04 04:16:18
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Jonathan Kellerman
- ISBN：9780525618553
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
Notes From Your Bookseller
Our favorite mystery novels give us a sense of the crime， the investigators and the locale。 Check。 Check。 CHECK on all three points here with the return of Alex Delaware and detective Milo Sturgis in Southern California。 Kellerman continues to explore the human psyche in all its elaborate mazes。 This is a journey you’ll jump into head first。
Psychologist Alex Delaware and detective Milo Sturgis search for answers to a brutal， decades-old crime in this electrifying psychological thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense。
LAPD homicide lieutenant Milo Sturgis is a master detective。 He has a near-perfect solve rate and he’s written his own rule book。 Some of those successes—the toughest ones—have involved his best friend， the brilliant psychologist Alex Delaware。 But Milo doesn’t call Alex in unless cases are “different。”
This murder warrants an immediate call。 Milo’s independence has been compromised as never before， as the department pressures him to cater to the demands of a mogul: a hard-to-fathom， megarich young woman who is obsessed with reopening the coldest of cases—the decades-old death of the mother she never knew。
The facts describe a likely loser: a mysterious woman found with a bullet in her head in a torched Cadillac that has overturned on infamously treacherous Mulholland Drive。 No physical evidence， no witnesses， no apparent motive。 And a slew of detectives have already worked the case and failed。 But as Delaware and Sturgis begin digging， the mist begins to lift。 Too many coincidences。 Facts turn out to be anything but。 And as they soon discover， very real threats lurking in the present。
This is Delaware/Sturgis at their best: traversing the beautiful but forbidding place known as Los Angeles and exhuming the past in order to bring a vicious killer to justice。
LAPD homicide lieutenant Milo Sturgis is a master detective。 He has a near-perfect solve rate and he’s written his own rule book。 Some of those successes—the toughest ones—have involved his best friend， the brilliant psychologist Alex Delaware。 But Milo doesn’t call Alex in unless cases are “different。”
This murder warrants an immediate call。 Milo’s independence has been compromised as never before， as the department pressures him to cater to the demands of a mogul: a hard-to-fathom， megarich young woman who is obsessed with reopening the coldest of cases—the decades-old death of the mother she never knew。
The facts describe a likely loser: a mysterious woman found with a bullet in her head in a torched Cadillac that has overturned on infamously treacherous Mulholland Drive。 No physical evidence， no witnesses， no apparent motive。 And a slew of detectives have already worked the case and failed。 But as Delaware and Sturgis begin digging， the mist begins to lift。 Too many coincidences。 Facts turn out to be anything but。 And as they soon discover， very real threats lurking in the present。
This is Delaware/Sturgis at their best: traversing the beautiful but forbidding place known as Los Angeles and exhuming the past in order to bring a vicious killer to justice。
Editor Reviews
★ 12/14/2020
In Edgar winner Kellerman’s top-notch 36th Alex Delaware novel （after 2020’s The Museum of Desire）， a cold case preoccupies the L。A。 consulting psychologist and his friend and colleague， Lt。 Milo Sturgis of the LAPD: the death of Dorothy Swoboda， whose burned body was found in a car below Mulholland Drive 36 years earlier。 Dorothy’s 39-year-old daughter， Ellie Barker， who recently sold her lucrative exercise wear business for millions， remains haunted by the loss of her mother， who abandoned her when she was three。 Now Ellie wants an explanation for what one report at the time called a murder and another a one-vehicle accident。 Armed with the thinnest of case files， Milo and Alex uncover a disturbing number of murders that seem related to Dorothy， and they realize that the killing spree might not yet be over。 Kellerman maintains pace and suspense through the interactions of the characters—witnesses， detectives， relatives of the victims—all of whom are rendered in striking and precise detail。 This entry is pure pleasure， intelligently delivered。 （Feb。）
About the Author
Jonathan Kellerman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than forty crime novels， including the Alex Delaware series， The Butcher’s Theater， Billy Straight， The Conspiracy Club， Twisted， True Detectives， and The Murderer’s Daughter。 With his wife， bestselling novelist Faye Kellerman， he co-authored Double Homicide and Capital Crimes。 With his son， bestselling novelist Jesse Kellerman， he co-authored Half Moon Bay， A Measure of Darkness， Crime Scene， The Golem of Hollywood， and The Golem of Paris。 He is also the author of two children’s books and numerous nonfiction works， including Savage Spawn: Reflections on Violent Children and With Strings Attached: The Art and Beauty of Vintage Guitars。 He has won the Goldwyn， Edgar， and Anthony awards and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Psychological Association， and has been nominated for a Shamus Award。 Jonathan and Faye Kellerman live in California and New York。
Excerpt
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
My best friend， a seasoned homicide detective， is a master of discontent。
Some say Milo Sturgis enjoys the cold comfort of a sour mood。
Grumbling， grimacing， and mumbled curses peak during the muddled middle of murder investigations， when promising leads break their promises。 He always gets past it; his solve rate is near-perfect。 Which is why his bosses tolerate the biliousness， messages ignored， memos tossed in the trash unread。
I’ve come to think of Milo as allergic to obedience， wonder if it’s rooted in his rookie days when gay cops didn’t “exist” in the department and he had to look over his shoulder and write his own rulebook。
But I could be wrong。 Temperament’s a strong factor in determining personality so it could just be the way he is。 I wonder what his baby pictures look like。 Imagine him as one of those infants who look as though they’ve been weaned on sour pickles。
Like a lot of things， we don’t talk about it。
He doesn’t call me in on all of his cases， just the ones he terms “different” once he’s gotten his bearings。 This time， he didn’t wait。
I picked up his phone message when I returned from an eight a。m。 run up Beverly Glen。 “Misery lusts for company， I’m coming over。 If it’s a problem， text me。”
I left the door unlocked and headed for the shower。 Before I took two steps， the bell rang。
He’d called from the road。
“Open。”
He barreled through， convex gut leading the way， head lowered， bulky shoulders piled up around his neck like a muscular shawl。
A charging bull if a bull could find an aloha shirt that fit。
He took a moment to stoop and pat the head of my little French bulldog， Blanche， murmured， “At least someone’s smiling，” and continued toward the kitchen。
Blanche cocked her head and looked up at me， expecting clarification。 When I shrugged and followed him in， she gave a world-weary sigh and padded along。
Milo’s usual thing is to raid the fridge and assemble snacks worthy of construction permits。 This time he filled a coffee cup， sat down heavily at the table， and tugged at the aloha shirt as if aerating his torso。 The shirt was sky-blue polyester patterned inexplicably with cellos and bagels。 He wore it tucked into baggy khaki cargo pants that puddled over scuffed desert boots。
My true love is a master artisan。 She’d designed the kitchen to be sunlit from the south， and this morning’s glow was kind to Milo’s pallid， pockmarked face。 But nothing could mask the cherry-sized lumps rolling up and down his jawline。
I filled a mug and settled across from him。 “Now I’m scared。”
“By what？”
I pointed to his cup。 “No food。”
“Sorry for defying your expectations。” His lips curled but the end product wasn’t a smile。 “Maybe I had a big breakfast？ Maybe I’m showing discretion？”
“Okay。”
“That was a shrink okay if I’ve ever heard one—which is fine， I need therapy。”
I said nothing。
He said， “There it is， the old strategic-silence bit 。 。 。 sorry， I’ll dial it down。” He breathed in and out。 Pressed mitt-like palms together。 “Namaste or whatever。 Glad I caught you。” Sip。 “Hoping you’re free today。” Sip。 “Are you？”
“Appointments from two to five。”
“That’ll work。” He picked up his cup， put it down。 “I plead guilty to acute petulance。 But it’s called for。”
“Tough case。”
“It should be so simple。” Sausage fingers drummed the table。 Another long inhale–exhale。 “Okay， here’s the deal。 Just got a mega-loser shoved in my face like I’m a goddamn rookie。 Thirty-six-year-old unsolved。 We’re talking freezer burn。”
“There’s a new cold-case campaign？”
“No， there’s just this。 Listen to the chain of command， Alex。 An equally rich buddy of Andrea Bauer—remember her？—sits next to a relative of the victim at a rich persons’ thing。 Bauer butts in， she’s connected to the cops， can help。 Instead of calling me directly， Bauer contacts a state assemblyman。 He hands off to the mayor who can’t even clear the goddamn sidewalks of garbage， couple of cops downtown just got typhus at a homeless encampment。”
He pushed his cup to the side。 Lowered a fist to the table but stopped short of contact。
“City’s returning to the Dark Ages but Handsome Jack’s got time to personally contact the chief who punts to Deputy Chief Veronique Martz who calls me yesterday just as I’m about to go off-shift。 Important meeting， her office， can’t be handled over the phone。 I drive eighty-six minutes downtown， cool my heels in her waiting room for another twenty， finally get ushered into her sanctum for the ninety seconds it takes for her to give me the victim’s name and the basics and warn me not to argue。”
I said， “Thin file？”
“She didn’t have the goddamn file， locating it is part of my assignment。 I asked where the basics came from。 She said there a coroner’s summary， I should ask for that， too。 I called Bauer to ahem thank her。 She’s in Europe。”
Andrea Bauer was the widow of a developer who’d left her a couple hundred million bucks’ worth of real estate。 Her home base was an estate in Montecito but she owned board-and-care facilities for mentally challenged adults in several states。 Last year one of her charges had been murdered along with five other human victims and two dogs。 A week after closing the case， Milo had received a Rolex from Bauer。 Against the rules。 He’d groused， “Steel， not gold？” and sent it back。
I said， “Maybe you should’ve kept the watch。”
He stared at me。 Cracked up。 Brought the cup back to arm’s reach and drank。
As he ingested caffeine， his shoulders lowered a bit。 Running his hand over his face， he shot up， went to the fridge and pulled out an apple， sat back down and chomped。 “Don’t say a thing。 This is for the pepsin。 Good for digestion。”
One bite later: “Thirty-six years。”
I said， “Look at it this way: You’re the A-student who got rewarded with extra homework。”
“The bright side， huh？”
“You said you wanted therapy。 Who’s the victim？”
“Woman named Dorothy Swoboda， all Martz could tell me is she was found shot to death on Mulholland east of Coldwater。 Which isn’t even my shop， it’s Hollywood Division。 Which I noted to Martz。 Only to be ignored。 Google gives up nothing on it， only thing I’ve found is in the Times archives。 Twenty-four years old， found in her car over the side of a cliff， everything burned up。 Nothing in the article about murder， the implication was a one-vehicle accident。”
I said， “Maybe a bullet was found at autopsy and the paper didn’t follow up。”
“That would be par for the course，” he said。 “Even back then， you’re not Natalie Wood or O。J。 or Baretta， who cares？”
“Who’s the relative？”
“Swoboda’s daughter， woman named Ellie Barker。 Her， Google likes。 She made a fortune from exercise wear， sold out a couple years ago for gazillions。”
“How old is she？”
His eyebrows arched。 “Thirty-nine。”
“Three at the time，” I said。 “She probably has no memories of Mommy。”
“Exactly， Alex。 This isn’t a police thing， it’s a psych thing， that’s one reason I’d like you along when I talk to her。 Maybe you can slide some insight her way and she’ll realize she needs you more than me。” His smile was an off-center crescent。 “Think of it as a potential high-end referral， we both come out ahead。”
“What are the other reasons you want me there？”
“Just one，” he said。 “Turn on the laser， give me your impression of her， so I know who I’m dealing with。 Ultra-rich folk expect the world to spin around them。 If she’s unbalanced on top of that， it could get nasty when I fail。”
“When not if。”
“I’m being realistic。 You know what usually solves the oldies: DNA， bad guy’s in CODIS。 Thirty-six-year-old homicide， the body burned to a crisp？ What’s the chance any bio-material was there in the first place， let alone collected。 This is a woman who can activate politicians with a phone call。 I don’t give her what she wants， she’s not gonna be charitable。”
“A woman who lost her mother at three might be more humbled than you think。”
He finished the apple。 “You’ve made a new friend without meeting her？”
“Just pointing out possibilities。”
He got up， tossed the core in the trash。 “Fine。 I’ll give her a chance。 But the case may not give me one。”
“When are you due to meet her？”
“Forty-five minutes， Los Feliz。”
“If we leave now， barely enough time to get there。”
“So she’ll wait，” he said。 “Good moral training。”
Reviews
RobinD
，
This was an entertaining， well-written book。 The book was fast-paced， held my attention and I didn't want to put it down。 I enjoyed this book and this author is a must-read for me。
dona
，
A woman’s body discovered with a bullet in her head in a torched Cadillac at the bottom of a ravine off Mulholland Drive， decades ago。 That is all Milo Sturgis LAPD detective has to go on when this cold case is literally dumped in his lap after a direct order from the head of the department。 An uber wealthy children’s book author and illustrator wants to determine if it may be the body of a mother she never knew 。 Milo’s best friend， psychologist Alex Delaware is asked for help。 Clues are rare， A woman’s body discovered with a bullet in her head in a torched Cadillac at the bottom of a ravine off Mulholland Drive， decades ago。 That is all Milo Sturgis LAPD detective has to go on when this cold case is literally dumped in his lap after a direct order from the head of the department。 An uber wealthy children’s book author and illustrator wants to determine if it may be the body of a mother she never knew 。 Milo’s best friend， psychologist Alex Delaware is asked for help。 Clues are rare， this is the coldest of cases and Sturgis is getting pressure from above to solve this case。Lots of psychological twists， great plot， characters。Another great book from Kellerman！5 stars- Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my unsolicited comments， 。。。more
Hazel
，
My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Random House UK， Cornerstone， for the ARC。I have read a few of the Alex Delaware series and you can happily read this as a standalone。 I enjoyed it - it has a complex and twisty plot which can't be guessed at， I found myself totally absorbed in it， from the first tentative steps of this excellent investigation where there is absolutely nothing to go on， to the gradual development of varying strands coming together to solve the mystery。Ellie Barker's mother， D My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Random House UK， Cornerstone， for the ARC。I have read a few of the Alex Delaware series and you can happily read this as a standalone。 I enjoyed it - it has a complex and twisty plot which can't be guessed at， I found myself totally absorbed in it， from the first tentative steps of this excellent investigation where there is absolutely nothing to go on， to the gradual development of varying strands coming together to solve the mystery。Ellie Barker's mother， Dorothy Swoboda， disappeared from her life when Ellie was 3yrs-old。 Now， a self-made millionaire aged 39， she wants to find out the truth because her mother's body was found in her burned-out car at the bottom of a ravine - assumed to be a car accident。 Through a chance conversation at a charity benefit - and friends of friends in high places - the Deputy Chief Veronique Martz personally assigns this very cold case to LAPD homicide Lieutenant Milo Sturgis。 Having scant information to go on， except for the fact that Dorothy had been shot in the head， he engages the assistance of psychologist extraordinaire， and best friend， Alex Delaware。Together they start digging-around and in the process uncover some strange coincidences - previous detectives assigned the cold case turn up dead， as does Dorothy's widower。 What on earth went on all those years ago - and is the past bleeding into the present？I thoroughly enjoy the relationship between Milo and Alex， Milo's propensity for food， Alex's wife and dog。 Thoroughly enjoyable read which is totally absorbing。 。。。more
Cheryl
，
Another winner from one of my all-time favorite authorsI have been reading Jonathan Kellerman books since he first started publishing fiction in 1985。 SERPENTINE is the 36th offering in his Alex Delaware series and I have read them all - 。 and enjoyed them all。 I have also read some of his other fiction but have never ventured into his non-fiction world。 Before becoming a novelist， Kellerman was a child psychologist and has written some non-fiction books based on that time in his life。 These boo Another winner from one of my all-time favorite authorsI have been reading Jonathan Kellerman books since he first started publishing fiction in 1985。 SERPENTINE is the 36th offering in his Alex Delaware series and I have read them all - 。 and enjoyed them all。 I have also read some of his other fiction but have never ventured into his non-fiction world。 Before becoming a novelist， Kellerman was a child psychologist and has written some non-fiction books based on that time in his life。 These books look interesting but - you know - so many books and so little time。I feel like I'm catching up with old friends every time I read an Alex Delaware book。 I love Delaware， his wife， his dog， his lifestyle， and the partner he helps out - LAPD Homicide Detective Milo Sturgis。In this book， Sturgis is told to find out what he can about an ancient "cold case。" He's not thrilled to be doing this especially because someone higher up in rank than him is doing a favor for someone。But soon Milo and Alex find themselves not just with one "cold case" but many along with a whole slew of secondary characters。These books always ring true to me， maybe because author Kellerman is also a child psychologist like Dr。 Alex Delaware plus the stories are usually based in the Los Angeles area， which the author is very familiar with。I highly recommend this newest。 Alex Delaware book - and if you've never read the series and love psychological thrillers like I do， start at the beginning and work your way through them （it doesn't have to be expensive。 I don't know of any library system that doesn't carry this best-selling author's books）。I received this book from Random House through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review。 。。。more
Faith Hurst-Bilinski
，
A solid procedural。 This is another great installment of an old school detective with a twist， You do not have to read the previous books， I've only read a few， to follow the story or enjoy the characters。 I like this one more than the last one I read。 A solid procedural。 This is another great installment of an old school detective with a twist， You do not have to read the previous books， I've only read a few， to follow the story or enjoy the characters。 I like this one more than the last one I read。 。。。more
TrashyT
，
ExcellentThis latest release from Jonathan Kellerman is， in my opinion， right up there with the best of his work。 Highly recommend。
Robin
，
This was an entertaining， well-written book。 The book was fast-paced， held my attention and I didn't want to put it down。 I enjoyed this book and this author is a must-read for me。 This was an entertaining， well-written book。 The book was fast-paced， held my attention and I didn't want to put it down。 I enjoyed this book and this author is a must-read for me。 。。。more
Jenn Brouwer
，
Coming back to Alex and Milo is like visiting family。 I adore these characters and any book with this duo in it is going to be great。 A fast paced thriller with a great story line。 This book moves along and rapidly draws you in start to finish。 When you think it will zig it zags and you are guessing till the last jaw dropping page。 Suspense galore combined with the characters we love make this one unputdownableThe one critique I have was that I did find there were a lot of characters and names t Coming back to Alex and Milo is like visiting family。 I adore these characters and any book with this duo in it is going to be great。 A fast paced thriller with a great story line。 This book moves along and rapidly draws you in start to finish。 When you think it will zig it zags and you are guessing till the last jaw dropping page。 Suspense galore combined with the characters we love make this one unputdownableThe one critique I have was that I did find there were a lot of characters and names to remember in this one which took a tiny bit away from my enjoyment as I had to put in extra effort to remember who was who。 。。。more
Carol Custer
，
I always like Kellerman's books with Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis。 It's like checking in to see what old friends are doing。 The writing in this book - as with all the previous ones - is concise， witty， and interesting。 I liked the story of the cold case and how they went about solving it。 I hope Kellerman never stops writing this series！ I always like Kellerman's books with Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis。 It's like checking in to see what old friends are doing。 The writing in this book - as with all the previous ones - is concise， witty， and interesting。 I liked the story of the cold case and how they went about solving it。 I hope Kellerman never stops writing this series！ 。。。more
PWRL
，
O
Diane Saul
，
Milo Sturgis is pressured to take on a 36 year old case and asks Alex Delaware for help。 The case has been investigated previously ， but with no evidence， no witnesses and no motive how can they solve it。 We’re talking Mila and Alex， who better to figure it out。 Entertaining reading from the first pages， this is a great addition to the Alex Delaware series。 Thank you to net galley for a copy。
Lori Sinsel Harris
，
I have read every Alex Delaware novel there is。 Jonathan Kellerman has always been one of my go-to authors i can depend on for a fast witty read。 "Serpentine" does not disappoint。 Written in Kellerman's unique style， told from Alex's point of view， i felt as if i had been reunited with old friends， Alex and his cop buddy Milo。 Alex is a child psychologist who sometimes consults for the LAPD homicide division， partnering with Milo Sturgis， his gay homicide detective friend to solve unusual cases I have read every Alex Delaware novel there is。 Jonathan Kellerman has always been one of my go-to authors i can depend on for a fast witty read。 "Serpentine" does not disappoint。 Written in Kellerman's unique style， told from Alex's point of view， i felt as if i had been reunited with old friends， Alex and his cop buddy Milo。 Alex is a child psychologist who sometimes consults for the LAPD homicide division， partnering with Milo Sturgis， his gay homicide detective friend to solve unusual cases that have psychological twists。 In this book the duo team up to silve a cold case that is over 30 years old。 Pressured by the higher-ups in the police department and pilitical arenas， Milo enlists Alex's aid in looking into the case of a murdered mother whose daughter was 3 at the time of her death。 The daughter remembers nothing about her mother or how she died。 With reluctance Milo delves into the past bringing Alex along with him and what they uncover endangers the present and maybe the future。 Told with the quick-witted banter that has made Kellerman one of my favorite authors， this one lives up to my expectations of what a Alex Delaware novel should be。 I felt the last couple of Alex Delaware novels were becoming routine and losing their "edge"， but with this one i feel Kellerman is back to his best and at the top of his game once again。 As always there is good character development， the dialogue is quick-witted， intelligent， and humerous at times。 Kellerman weaves psychological insights into his stories with great skill and precision， never failing to give the reader insight into the inner workings of the mind。 Reading this book was like spending time with my old friends， familiar， comfortable， and just plain fun。 5 stars for sure， this novel publishes on February 4th， 2021， don't miss this one。 I recommend for all crime and mystery novel fans。 Thank you for the free ARC from the publishers at Random House UK and NetGalley， i am giving my honest review in return。 #NetGalley#Serpentine#randomhouseuk#jonathankellerman 。。。more
Janis Rich
，
Detective Milo Sturgis and Psychologist Alex Delaware get involved with a decades old murder mystery when Sturgus is given a special assignment at the request of well-to-do friends of the Police Department。 The case rapidly morphs into multiple “cases” with a cast of very diverse and interesting characters and crimes。 The backdrop centers in the friendship and foibles of the two men reminiscent of a Stuart Wood’s style mystery。This is a read that covers it all。 Even while dealing with a horrific Detective Milo Sturgis and Psychologist Alex Delaware get involved with a decades old murder mystery when Sturgus is given a special assignment at the request of well-to-do friends of the Police Department。 The case rapidly morphs into multiple “cases” with a cast of very diverse and interesting characters and crimes。 The backdrop centers in the friendship and foibles of the two men reminiscent of a Stuart Wood’s style mystery。This is a read that covers it all。 Even while dealing with a horrific plot， there are humorous， entertaining moments carrying the story along。 I will definitely be reading more of the Alex Delaware novels。 。。。more
Sharon
，
Thank you to NetGalley， the publisher and the author， for an ARC of this book， in exchange for an honest review。Serpentine is #36 in Mr。 Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series and I have been a fan of this series for many years。As I have stated before， I love this series because I love the relationship that exists between the 2 main characters， Alex and Miles， and I love how all of the murder mysteries that they are involved in are very complex， original and well thought out。This book had so many twis Thank you to NetGalley， the publisher and the author， for an ARC of this book， in exchange for an honest review。Serpentine is #36 in Mr。 Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series and I have been a fan of this series for many years。As I have stated before， I love this series because I love the relationship that exists between the 2 main characters， Alex and Miles， and I love how all of the murder mysteries that they are involved in are very complex， original and well thought out。This book had so many twists and turns that kept me very interested and entertained that I couldn’t wait to find some free time everyday to be able to continue reading it。I can’t wait for book #37。 。。。more
Jeanne
，
This is the 36th outing for Alex and Milo and I still find them entertaining。 They have a unique and close friendship。 Milo is assigned a cold case。 Ellie Barker， a wealthy young woman， is searching for answers regarding the disappearance of her mother when she was three years old。 A body was found in a burned out car that went over the cliff that was presumed to be her， Dorothy Swoboda， but there were no DNA findings。 It was assumed to be a suicide but could it be murder？ It's not a fast paced This is the 36th outing for Alex and Milo and I still find them entertaining。 They have a unique and close friendship。 Milo is assigned a cold case。 Ellie Barker， a wealthy young woman， is searching for answers regarding the disappearance of her mother when she was three years old。 A body was found in a burned out car that went over the cliff that was presumed to be her， Dorothy Swoboda， but there were no DNA findings。 It was assumed to be a suicide but could it be murder？ It's not a fast paced mystery。 A couple of things thrown in that seemed to add to the mystery were then dismissed。 I felt like I needed a street map of California because there seemed to be a large amount of time dedicated to the traffic in LA， what detours they took， where the back ups were and how long it took to get places。 Also Robin just seems like a fixture in Alex's life。 He comes home and she is fiddling with a mandolin。 I understand that she is an artisan but after 36 books I wish she was involved more in the process。 Overall I liked the story。 With not a lot of clues to go on in a 36 years old cold case there were plenty of interviews with interesting people and I was kept guessing to the end。 I am looking forward to Alex Delaware #37。I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and Random House Ballantine。 。。。more
Pat Pullum
，
Very rich Ellie never really got to know her mother who was found in her car with a bullet through her head。 Someone had set fire to the car also。 Ellie was overheard talking about the cold case and Sturgis and Alex decided to investigate。 What they found were some very new clues which made them realize that this case was far from old。 It takes place in LA and sometimes becomes overly descriptive。 There are several characters to keep up with。 I usually like Jonathan Kellerman's books， but this o Very rich Ellie never really got to know her mother who was found in her car with a bullet through her head。 Someone had set fire to the car also。 Ellie was overheard talking about the cold case and Sturgis and Alex decided to investigate。 What they found were some very new clues which made them realize that this case was far from old。 It takes place in LA and sometimes becomes overly descriptive。 There are several characters to keep up with。 I usually like Jonathan Kellerman's books， but this one was not one of my favorites。 I do thank the author， publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Brenda Feinen
，
What a ride！ Read in one day。 Alex， a psychologist， and Milo， a homicide lieutenant， often team up to solve crimes。 Ellie's mother was murdered in her early twenties， when Ellie was three。 Ellie knows nothing about her mother - over thirty-five years later， she mentions her mother's death to a politician - and now it's assigned to Milo。 Together Milo and Alex delve deep into 1980s Los Angeles - a shady night club， a man who collected blondes， and a daughter simply wondering who she is。 Excellent What a ride！ Read in one day。 Alex， a psychologist， and Milo， a homicide lieutenant， often team up to solve crimes。 Ellie's mother was murdered in her early twenties， when Ellie was three。 Ellie knows nothing about her mother - over thirty-five years later， she mentions her mother's death to a politician - and now it's assigned to Milo。 Together Milo and Alex delve deep into 1980s Los Angeles - a shady night club， a man who collected blondes， and a daughter simply wondering who she is。 Excellent plot。 Lenghty descriptions to lend the sense of a femme fatale noir。 。。。more
Kimberly
，
Review featured at www。books-n-kisses。comThis is the 36 in the series… Yes 36th！！！ I have read a number of this series but not all of them。 But the problem is if you read too many of them near to each other it is easy to figure out and that is what was happening here。 The story was a bit slow。 And easy for me to figure out。 The characters are abundant and while there are some twists and turns nothing that wasn’t expected。While there are so many in this series each can be a stand alone。 I wish Ke Review featured at www。books-n-kisses。comThis is the 36 in the series… Yes 36th！！！ I have read a number of this series but not all of them。 But the problem is if you read too many of them near to each other it is easy to figure out and that is what was happening here。 The story was a bit slow。 And easy for me to figure out。 The characters are abundant and while there are some twists and turns nothing that wasn’t expected。While there are so many in this series each can be a stand alone。 I wish Kellerman would move beyond this series and try to lead us onto a different adventure。 Kellerman writes well and can be very enjoyable but I believe this series has grown stale。 Disclaimer:I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Dez Nemec
，
Lieutenant Milo Sturgis is back seeking the help of his long-time friend， psychologist Alex Delaware。 But this case is quite different from his usual ones。 Sturgis has been specifically sought out to solve a cold case， over 30 years old。 A young woman， with lots of money and friends in high places， has gotten Milo assigned to her mother's long-unsolved case。 Dorothy Swodoba was shot before her car burnt to a crisp off Mulholland Drive。 While multiple detectives had looked at it， nothing was ever Lieutenant Milo Sturgis is back seeking the help of his long-time friend， psychologist Alex Delaware。 But this case is quite different from his usual ones。 Sturgis has been specifically sought out to solve a cold case， over 30 years old。 A young woman， with lots of money and friends in high places， has gotten Milo assigned to her mother's long-unsolved case。 Dorothy Swodoba was shot before her car burnt to a crisp off Mulholland Drive。 While multiple detectives had looked at it， nothing was ever found， except for the bullet in the body proving it wasn't merely a car accident。 But no evidence nor witnesses is no problem for the ornery detective， right？！I have read almost all of the Alex Delaware novel and enjoyed them， and this was no exception。 Milo was a bit more ornery than usual， unhappy about the crap assignment。 But otherwise， the boys were up to their old tricks。 I don't know why， but this series does not get old。 Looking forward to the next， as usual！ 。。。more
Lisa
，
Interesting Story and Intriguing writingSUMMARYMilo Sturgis is a temperamental LAPD homicide detective with a near-perfect solve rate。 He often teams up with his best friend and psychologist Alex Delaware。 Milo calls Alex in on the cases that are unusual。 He needs him now…it’s a decades old cold case， that has been worked by other dectiectives numerous times before。 But now Ellie Barker， the wealthy and influential young daughter of the deceased woman， the mother she never knew， wants the case r Interesting Story and Intriguing writingSUMMARYMilo Sturgis is a temperamental LAPD homicide detective with a near-perfect solve rate。 He often teams up with his best friend and psychologist Alex Delaware。 Milo calls Alex in on the cases that are unusual。 He needs him now…it’s a decades old cold case， that has been worked by other dectiectives numerous times before。 But now Ellie Barker， the wealthy and influential young daughter of the deceased woman， the mother she never knew， wants the case reopened。Thirty-six years ago。 a woman was found with a bullet in her head in a torched Cadillac that has overturned on a treacherous part of Mulholland Drive。 The woman’s name is Dorthy Swoboda。 There is no physical evidence， no witnesses， and no apparent motive。 And the case file is missing。 As Delaware and Sturgis begin digging， to many coincidences occur as they fight the traffic from one end of LA to the other。 It’s become apparent that someone doesn’t want this case solved。REVIEWSerpentine is the thirty-six novel in the Alex Delaware mystery series。 The case is reopened by Ellie’s chance encounter at a fundraising dinner with someone who knew someone in the police department。 Money talks！ The story is interesting and quite involved。 Alex’s character was delightful and charming， while Milo vacillated between grumpy and generous。 The writing is intriguing， but the traffic and food descriptions were overly done。 The female characters left a little to be desired， several being portrayed as overly emotional and needy。 The were a large number of characters and if you are not a frequent reader of the series you may want to keep a list。 Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 Publisher Ballanrine BooksPublished February 2， 2021Review www。bluestockingreviews。com 。。。more
Nicola Short
，
Just wow！I loved “everything” about this book。So much going on within the story。 A decade old cold case full of unusual and intriguing twists and turns。 You have to keep reading to find out where it’s heading。The interaction between Milo （police detective） and Alex （psychologist） is so engaging and fun to see play out。 Their friendship is just heartwarming。 You find yourself completely immersed with the plot and where it’s going。 Many thanks to NetGalley， the publisher and author for the opportu Just wow！I loved “everything” about this book。So much going on within the story。 A decade old cold case full of unusual and intriguing twists and turns。 You have to keep reading to find out where it’s heading。The interaction between Milo （police detective） and Alex （psychologist） is so engaging and fun to see play out。 Their friendship is just heartwarming。 You find yourself completely immersed with the plot and where it’s going。 Many thanks to NetGalley， the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion。 All opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
，
This is a terrific installment in an incredibly long running series- and it will be perfectly fine as a standalone。 Ellie has never understood what happened to her mother Dorothy Swoboda， who died over thirty years ago when she was three and now， thanks to a chance encounter at a benefit， she's got LAPD Lt。 Milo Sturgis and psychologist Alex Delaware looking for answers。 They start from nowhere- there isn't even a file- and find more than anyone could have expected。 One of the great charms of th This is a terrific installment in an incredibly long running series- and it will be perfectly fine as a standalone。 Ellie has never understood what happened to her mother Dorothy Swoboda， who died over thirty years ago when she was three and now， thanks to a chance encounter at a benefit， she's got LAPD Lt。 Milo Sturgis and psychologist Alex Delaware looking for answers。 They start from nowhere- there isn't even a file- and find more than anyone could have expected。 One of the great charms of this series is the relationship between Milo and Alex （as well as with Alex's wife Robin who works with stringed instruments）。 They're distinct characters with wonderful hearts。 Milo loves to eat; Kellerman takes the reader on a tour of LA restaurants as well as Alex's refrigerator。 Heck， it's also a love letter to LA。 Equally importantly， Kellerman doesn't neglect the other characters， in this case Ellie， the family of the man Dorothy lived with， the widow of a police detective and so on。 It's a complex one and don't be surprised if you're a little confused near the end- know that it all works out。 I admit to having read every single book in the series; this is one of the best。 Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC。 Great read。 。。。more
Barbara
，
3。5 starsIn this 36th book in the 'Alex Delaware' series， the psychologist helps his friend， Lieutenant Milo Sturgis， investigate a cold case。 The book can be read as a standalone。*****Thirty-nine year old Ellie Barker is thriving and wealthy， having recently sold off her exercise wear company for gazillions。Ellie feels a lack in her life， however， because her mother， Dorothy Swoboda， was murdered in Los Angeles 36 years ago， and the crime was never solved。 The homicide was investigated by a ser 3。5 starsIn this 36th book in the 'Alex Delaware' series， the psychologist helps his friend， Lieutenant Milo Sturgis， investigate a cold case。 The book can be read as a standalone。*****Thirty-nine year old Ellie Barker is thriving and wealthy， having recently sold off her exercise wear company for gazillions。Ellie feels a lack in her life， however， because her mother， Dorothy Swoboda， was murdered in Los Angeles 36 years ago， and the crime was never solved。 The homicide was investigated by a series of LAPD detectives， and Ellie recently hired private investigators， but no one was able to identify the perpetrator。Ellie happens to mention her situation at a ritzy fund raiser， and a Hollywood mover and shaker named Andrea Bauer takes up Ellie's cause。Bauer calls a state assemblyman， who calls a mayor， who calls a police deputy chief， who hands the VERY COLD case to LAPD Detective Milo Sturgis。。。。and tells him not to argue and look into it。As usual when Sturgis has a difficult case he calls on his friend， LAPD consulting psychologist Alex Delaware， and the duo mount a fresh investigation into Dorothy Swoboda's death。When Milo and Alex speak to Ellie， they learn that Dorothy took off when Ellie was a toddler， leaving her in the care of a stepdad in northern California。 Dorothy apparently prospered after that， because she was driving a Cadillac when she was shot and immolated on a ritzy part of Mulholland drive。 Milo and Alex speculate that Dorothy may have found a sugar daddy， and proceed to investigate using that theory。As the investigators delve into Dorothy's homicide， they find many fatal accidents and missing persons that seem connected to Dorothy's case， and things get more and more curious。A good part of the narrative consists of Milo and Alex traveling around Los Angeles and its environs; interviewing people in homes and restaurants; looking up information on the internet; brainstorming about data they uncover; meeting with additional LAPD detectives; and so on。In addition to helping Milo investigate， Alex spends time doing his day job as a child psychologist， hanging out with his girlfriend Robin， and playing with his dog Blanche。 As always in this series， Milo - who's a big guy with a hearty appetite - frequently drops in on Alex and Robin， raids the refrigerator， and makes himself enormous sandwiches and omelets with everything。 We also see a little more of Milo's boyfriend， Dr。 Rick Silverman， and it's nice to get to know the surgeon a bit better。 Milo and Alex's investigation spooks someone， and the book has plenty of twists and surprises。This is a fine addition to the Alex Delaware series， recommended to fans of thrillers。 Thanks to Netgalley， Jonathan Kellerman， and Ballantine Books for a copy of the book。You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer。blogspot。com 。。。more
Tessa （Talks Books）
，
Serpentine is a mind-blowing journey to solve a murder from over 30 years in the past。 With no forensics， digital footprints， or witnesses， it seems like an impossible case for Dr。 Alex Delaware and Detective Milo Sturgis。What I LovedSimply put， I love what makes this mystery series and book different from all the others。 Dr。 Alex Delaware is a psychologist who practices and teaches。 He approaches this case in an almost Holmesian manner using his intellect and unusually keen observational skills Serpentine is a mind-blowing journey to solve a murder from over 30 years in the past。 With no forensics， digital footprints， or witnesses， it seems like an impossible case for Dr。 Alex Delaware and Detective Milo Sturgis。What I LovedSimply put， I love what makes this mystery series and book different from all the others。 Dr。 Alex Delaware is a psychologist who practices and teaches。 He approaches this case in an almost Holmesian manner using his intellect and unusually keen observational skills。 And paired with Milo， they make an incredible team of fascinating police work and an outsider looking in， providing a look into the minds of all those involved。Since Alex is a psychologist and not a detective， this difference in professions provides a speck of a cozy mystery feel with all the over-the-top characters， red herrings， and focus that go along with that sub-genre。 It is not a cozy mystery， and I would never classify it as such。 It just has a delightful little aspect of that type of mystery。I enjoyed that the mystery took place so distant in the past。 The challenges that come with investigating a case like that are many， and it is interesting to read the creativity and ingenuity involved in figuring out who did it。 This focuses squarely on the mystery's puzzle， and no one likes a good puzzle more than me。I also enjoyed the one counseling session as a little break in the mystery。 As a counselor， I find it so compelling to witness different techniques and explore the short-term results。 Even though it is fictional， it felt well-researched and plausible。To Read or Not to ReadIf you are looking for a compelling new mystery to grab you and make you forget how long winter nights are， Serpentine is a choice you won't want to pass up。 。。。more
Dave
，
"Serpentine，" the thirty-sixth book in Kellerman's Alex Delaware series， continues to pair psychologist Delaware with buddy Detective Milo Sturgis。 Don't expect Mad Max Thunderdome action here， but an intricate exploration of a cold case and the dogged investigative work it'll take to solve it。 Because here they get the coldest of all cold cases。 A thirty-six year old Case which wasn't originally even classified as a homicide。 A case where the crime scene location can only be estimated and all t "Serpentine，" the thirty-sixth book in Kellerman's Alex Delaware series， continues to pair psychologist Delaware with buddy Detective Milo Sturgis。 Don't expect Mad Max Thunderdome action here， but an intricate exploration of a cold case and the dogged investigative work it'll take to solve it。 Because here they get the coldest of all cold cases。 A thirty-six year old Case which wasn't originally even classified as a homicide。 A case where the crime scene location can only be estimated and all the principals are long since expired。 No one knows what really happened or why。 Milo and Alex play out the most minute clues to uncover a shocking revelation。 What a great payoff。 。。。more
Linda Strong
，
4。5 STARSDetective Milo Sturgis and Psychologist Alex Delaware team up again when Milo is assigned to look into a cold case 。。。The powers that be have ordered Milo to investigate the death of a woman who's wanting to know what happened to the mother she never knew。 Thirty-five years ago a woman was found in a torched car with a bullet in her head。 The case was never solved。The more Milo and Alex dig， the more questions they have。 Over the years several detectives have been given the file， but wi 4。5 STARSDetective Milo Sturgis and Psychologist Alex Delaware team up again when Milo is assigned to look into a cold case 。。。The powers that be have ordered Milo to investigate the death of a woman who's wanting to know what happened to the mother she never knew。 Thirty-five years ago a woman was found in a torched car with a bullet in her head。 The case was never solved。The more Milo and Alex dig， the more questions they have。 Over the years several detectives have been given the file， but with no witnesses， no DNA， no suspects， it's remained unsolved。Does anyone believe in coincidences？ As they go back in time， they find several other "accidents" that have taken the lives of people who knew the original victim。。。 and the killing still goes on today。 Who is killing 。。。 and why？ While digging up the past， the present becomes much more dangerous for the duo。It's another winner for Jonathan Kellerman！ Although 36th in the series， it is easily read as a stand alone。 This series just never gets old。 The plots are intricate with plenty of suspects to follow。 The characters are solidly drawn amid a background of suspense and mystery。 Fans of Alex Delaware will eagerly grab this book。 For newcomers， this is a great place to start。Many thanks to the author / Penguin Random House - Cornerstone / Random House - Ballantine / Netgalley for the digital copy of this exceptional crime fiction。 Read and reviewed voluntarily， opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own。 。。。more
Mavis
，
I have read many Alex Delaware novels over the years， so it was great to be able to read the new one and reconnect with him and his cop buddy Milo Sturgis。 The banter between them is as good as ever， and the easy relationship with Alex’s partner and of course Blanche， the dog！ Plus there are excellent descriptions of the food and localities of LA。Milo is forced to take on a potentially unsolvable cold case from decades earlier because in true LA style his superiors have been approached by a mega I have read many Alex Delaware novels over the years， so it was great to be able to read the new one and reconnect with him and his cop buddy Milo Sturgis。 The banter between them is as good as ever， and the easy relationship with Alex’s partner and of course Blanche， the dog！ Plus there are excellent descriptions of the food and localities of LA。Milo is forced to take on a potentially unsolvable cold case from decades earlier because in true LA style his superiors have been approached by a mega rich V。I。P。 Of course， given Milo’s near perfect solve rate aided by Alex’s insight， the case does indeed unravel but the route is as serpentine as the title。 With a large cast of characters， and cleverly plotted I really enjoyed it。 It really doesn’t matter if this is the first of the series to be read， it works as a stand alone and I recommend it！ 。。。more
DonnaMaria
，
Serpentine is the next installment in Jonathan Kellerman's long running Alex Delaware series。 In Serpentine， Delaware's best friend， LAPD Lt。 Milo Sturgis， is tasked with solving the cold case mysterious death of a young mother。 Ellie Barker， the daughter of the victim， Dorothy Swoboda， never really knew her mother， but her desire to learn the truth sets in motion an investigation that will take Milo and Alex on a trip back to the days of LA's decadent past。 As the two unwrap the mystery of Doro Serpentine is the next installment in Jonathan Kellerman's long running Alex Delaware series。 In Serpentine， Delaware's best friend， LAPD Lt。 Milo Sturgis， is tasked with solving the cold case mysterious death of a young mother。 Ellie Barker， the daughter of the victim， Dorothy Swoboda， never really knew her mother， but her desire to learn the truth sets in motion an investigation that will take Milo and Alex on a trip back to the days of LA's decadent past。 As the two unwrap the mystery of Dorothy Swoboda's death， armed with old photographs and a missing persons website， it becomes clear that Dorothy's history is more than that of a young innocent mother who got mixed up with the wrong crowd。 And while the trail of bodies left behind leads them closer to discovering the truth， it also takes them right into the hands of a murderer。 I have been reading this series since the beginning。 I have been with Alex， Milo， and Robin through everything。 Delaware and Sturgis are a perfectly matched crime solving duo。 When one lacks insight， the other picks up the slack and excels。 Serpentine is classic Kellerman with a plot that is fast paced and deeply woven like a fine tapestry。 From the first pages the reader is intrigued with the cold case murder and is compelled to keep on reading to learn the truth。 Never disappointed with an Alex Delaware novel， I know that I will continue to read this series for as long as Mr。 Kellerman continues to gift them to us。 3。7☆ 。。。more
Sue Plant
，
would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this booka cold case。。missing peopleaccidental death that when investigated turns out to be murderthis case is forced onto milo and his friend alex， a wealthy woman wants to know what happened to her mom but the case is very old and several other detectives have tried over the years and its come to nothingbut milo is an expert at cold cases。。。 he just needs a little luck。 something is bound to give an interesting read。。。and not would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this booka cold case。。missing peopleaccidental death that when investigated turns out to be murderthis case is forced onto milo and his friend alex， a wealthy woman wants to know what happened to her mom but the case is very old and several other detectives have tried over the years and its come to nothingbut milo is an expert at cold cases。。。 he just needs a little luck。 something is bound to give an interesting read。。。and not disappointing in the results 。。。more
Jessica Kimbel
，
Milo Stugis， experienced LAPD detective is back with his good friend， psychologist， Alex Delaware to solve a loser of a case: a body found thirty years ago in a burned up car with very little evidence and no DNA。 Revived by the alleged victim’s daughter， who is mega rich and connected， Milo digs up the past to solve this crime， unearthing and resolving additional crimes along the way。Never disappointing， I thoroughly enjoyed this 36th installment of Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series。 Sus Milo Stugis， experienced LAPD detective is back with his good friend， psychologist， Alex Delaware to solve a loser of a case: a body found thirty years ago in a burned up car with very little evidence and no DNA。 Revived by the alleged victim’s daughter， who is mega rich and connected， Milo digs up the past to solve this crime， unearthing and resolving additional crimes along the way。Never disappointing， I thoroughly enjoyed this 36th installment of Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series。 Suspenseful， unusual， and entertaining， but still the same comfortable mystery you expect from Milo and Alex。 。。。more
PamG
，