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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
About a million times better than I expected a random-to-me "psychological stalks a serial killer" story to have any right to be. Which is not to say great, but still.
I liked it. It's a splendid mystery genre plot, and guaranteed to spice up sitting on any beach! For those of us reading along in order, it continues shooting nails into his relationship with Robin and brings Petra back into the series with a new partner, a zombie-like man.
I couldn't connect except on an entertainment level because I kept catching a whiff of an older, Perry Mason style plot, plus the victims were never alive, both figuratively and literally. The victims are all artists and actors, and usually that means a lot of cynicism and jokes about Art and Hollywood and agents, so although I was expecting some tongue-and-cheek, it never happened that I noticed, with one exception, perhaps. I think the biggest fault is with so many characters this time Kellerman needed to add a hundred more pages and flesh out these folks a bit. As it was, to me, the victims flashed by too quickly. A cold heart, indeed.....
It's a fine mystery, expertly put together.
I couldn't connect except on an entertainment level because I kept catching a whiff of an older, Perry Mason style plot, plus the victims were never alive, both figuratively and literally. The victims are all artists and actors, and usually that means a lot of cynicism and jokes about Art and Hollywood and agents, so although I was expecting some tongue-and-cheek, it never happened that I noticed, with one exception, perhaps.
Spoiler
the killer's name is A. Gordon Shull, or a garden shill? Maybe the old fashioned plot was the joke, as well.It's a fine mystery, expertly put together.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Jonathon Kellerman's books always keep me reading and this one was no different!
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Read this as part of our library's "blind date with a book"--check out a book wrapped in paper so you don't know what it is until you unwrap it. So not something I would have chosen, but not so far from some other things I've read and enjoyed. This was enjoyable enough. Not great, but enjoyable. The clinical psychologist angle works pretty well, the characters are well developed and generally feel real enough, the pacing moves along actually pretty well considering how little actually happens for quite some time. I wouldn't go out of my way to read Kellerman again, but if I was looking for a police suspense thriller I would definitely give him another try.
I re-read this from years ago. A good psychological mystery.