“Open Season” is the 40th book in the Dr. Alex Delaware book series by Jonathan Kellerman. The main characters are Delaware, who is a child psychologist, and Detective Milo Sturgis, a homicide lieutenant with the LAPD.
When the series began, Delaware is working with seriously troubled children and teens at a children’s hospital. He would be called in occasionally to consult with the police. Now, he is in private practice choosing the cases that interest him. Usually, child custody cases. The series began in 1985 with bestselling book “When the Bough Breaks,” and Kellerman continues to keep the reader mesmerized.
Late Saturday night, a car pulls unto the emergency room. The driver dumps a body and speeds away. The first thought is it’s a drug overdose. But the coroner cannot find a cause of death. The victim is a young, aspiring actress. The next victim is a man found dead with a bullet that precisely pierces both the carotid and jugular. Next, a young mother is shot while in a boat with her 2-year-old son, who is unharmed. But he is left in the boat for hours before being rescued. More bodies are found. Some shot with the same gun. Delaware and Sturgis are unable to find a motive or a pattern. They have solved many cases. But this might be their toughest case.
Kellerman’s writing is highly descriptive and clever. The dialog between Delaware and Sturgis is witty and sometimes amusing. Kellerman uses supporting characters to move the story along and provide continuity between the books of the series. Delaware’s longtime girlfriend, Robin, is a luthier (one who crafts stringed instruments like violins, guitars and violas). She provides him a sounding board for his thoughts. Sturgis’ husband, Rick, is a physician who helps the reader see the softer side of this hard-nosed policeman.
Read more about Jonathan Kellerman at www.jonathankellerman.com.
