Mystery by Jonathan Kellerman

Mystery by Jonathan Kellerman was one of a stack of paperback mysteries I bought at a book sale for $1.50 each. When I go to a sale, readers are there with their "lists" ~ detailed binder bound indexes of the books they have read and are going to read in a series. I usually overlook popular authors, the kind where the author's name takes up a third of the eye-catching cover, the ones you see at the airport or hospital gift shop. These authors have written many novels, have a following, and they are now being made into movies. So, let's give some a try, I say.

At first look, the title Mystery isn't the most inventive (reminded me of generic groceries labels like "tomato soup" and "napkins"), there is a reason for it. It is an Alex Delaware novel, a detective I have often heard of but never read. Alex is a clinical psychologist who helps his friend Milo Sturgis with his police cases. One night while at the closing of a historic hotel in LA, Alex and his wife Robin see a woman they think is an enigmatic starlet. The next day Milo asks for his help in her murder case. Her name was "Miss Tiara" Grundy and she went by the name Mystery. The story reveals her involvement with a website for sugar daddies, the wealthy family of her sugar daddy, his bitter wife, and networks of call girls in LA.

Jonathan Kellerman is a clinical psychologist and his wife is the mystery writer Faye Kellerman. Having his character being a psychologist was a new twist, and a side story involves one of his clients. They say "few know the city of LA better than suspense master JK does in his thrilling novels of psychological drama".

Still, it was on the level of poolside reading for me. It was well written and the characters were interesting, but it didn't excite me to read more in the series.

All the elements were there, but I think I've read my Alex Delaware mystery.

2011 / Paperback / 336 pages