Victims: An Alex Delaware Novel

By Jonathan Kellerman

“With his latest, [Jonathan Kellerman] not only brings his ‘A’ game but also ratchets it up a notch or three. . . . Victims will keep you up at night.”—Bookreporter
 
Acid-tongued Vita Berlin hadn’t a friend in the world, but whom did she cross so badly as to end up meticulously arranged in such a gruesome murder scene? One look prompts LAPD detective Milo Sturgis to summon his expert in homicidal maniacs, Alex Delaware. But even Alex is stymied when more slayings occur in the same ghastly fashion—with no apparent connection among the victims. And the only clue left behind—a blank page bearing a question mark—seems to be both a menacing taunt and a chilling cry for help from a tortured, savage soul. To end the bloody spree and prevent citywide panic, Alex navigates the secretive world of mental health treatment, from the sleek office of a Beverly Hills therapist to a shuttered mental institution where he once learned his craft. As each jagged piece of the puzzle fits into place, a portrait emerges of a sinister mind at its most unimaginable—and an evil soul at its most unspeakable.

BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Jonathan Kellerman's Guilt.
 
“Expertly crafted, judiciously paced and echoing with larger social concerns.”—The Star-Ledger
 
“The combination of Alex Delaware [and] Detective Milo Sturgis . . . makes for the most original whodunit duo since Watson and Holmes.”—Forbes

Includes an excerpt of Jonathan Kellerman’s Guilt.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Feb 28, 2012
• ISBN: 9780345532176

Jonathan Kellerman

Jonathan Kellerman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty bestselling crime novels, including the Alex Delaware series, The Butcher’s Theater, Billy Straight, The Conspiracy Club, Twisted, and True Detectives. With his wife, bestselling novelist Faye Kellerman, he coauthored Double Homicide and Capital Crimes. 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 has been nominated for a Shamus Award. 

Reviews for Victims

[lewilliams-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The murders are gruesome. Once Delaware and Sturgis piece together who the serial kicker is, the chase is on to stop him before there are more murders. This book kept me turning pages.

[chrissilu68 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Really good book! Fast read and good story!

[emigre_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great thriller from Kellerman. He does the police procedural so well with loads of psychological insight. The book's a bit more gruesome than his other reads.

[busyreadin · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very complex plot for a Kellerman mystery. If you're a fan or a new reader you'll enjoy

[lehack · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A serial killer is carrying out his agenda, bodies are piling up but Milo doesn't seem to have clues that point to a specific suspect. Alex and Milo find a thread tying some of the recent victions that takes them to Ventura State Hospital, now closed, as are most state mental hospitals. Is the suspect a former mental patient? Kellerman doesn't fail to deliver with this latest Alex Delaware novel.

[celticlibrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I've read all the previous Alex Delaware novels by Jonathan Kellerman. Some I've enjoyed more than others -- particularly the ones that focus on the psychology of the criminal mind. This particular story, though interesting, didn't have as much detail about the perpetrator as I would have liked. In fact, there were some unanswered questions that left me wanting more information and background. I would have preferred more discussion of the psychopathology.The murders are grisly - meticulous disembowelment - and Milo and Alex quickly find a link to an old psychiatric institution, Ventura State Hospital, and a child who was kept there in Specialized Care for many years. As they uncover details about the victims, clues lead back to several who worked at V-State or who were connected in some way to the young boy housed there those many years ago. Why are these particular people being selected by their murderer? Milo and Alex look into the backgrounds of the victims to help them find the killer. Although this is #27 in a long-running series, the reader doesn't really need to have read any of the previous novels to get the point of this one. The story is straightforward and doesn't delve too much into anything outside of the main murderer-victim story line. It is a fast read with lots of dialog. Would make a good beach read or grab for your next commute.

[justicefortibet_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This 27th Alex Delaware novel continues an amazing streak of good, consistent without being repetitive, mysteries by Jonathan Kellerman. His novels have developed the Alex Delaware character so well that I feel like I can really get inside his head and follow along with his thought processes. In keeping with the popularity of TV cop shows, he's getting more into the forensics and procedural but I enjoy that.There is a gigantic cast of characters that can challenge you to keep organized in your mind but, then he'll kill off one or two so frequently that a big cast is necessary! Psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware, his side kick Homicide Detective Milo, his girlfriend Robin, Coroner Gloria - all great characters. The murders are quite grisly and not for those who have trouble sleeping. An all round good read that keeps those pages turning until late into the night.

[bumpersmom · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the better episodes in the Dr.Alex Delaware series, thought provoking, some twists but mostly police procedural with all the familiar characters in the series involved. Gruesome murders, described in detail are not for the weak stomach reader, but following the bread crumb trail of clues step by step make this a page turner till the end.Fans of this author and series will not be disappointed.

[julyso · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A series of grusome killings have Milo and Alex working hard to solve the mystery. It begins with the murder and disembowelment of a very unpleasant woman. Several more murders follow all connected by their intestines placed outside their body, the neatness of the crime scene, and a paper left with a question mark on it. Delaware and Sturgis struggle to find the connection between these victims. Alex's girlfriend, Robin, makes a comment that leads them to a mental hospital...one Alex trained at during his internship.I am a huge Jonathan Kellerman fan, love his books! This one, however, was not one of my favorites. I got bogged down in all the guesswork about who could have done what. This just wasn't a page-turner for me and his books usually are...maybe next time!

[mmerose_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Victims is an improvement over his last Alex Delaware book, Mystery, but it is still more police procedural than psychological thriller. I like the supporting characters Milo Sturgis and, in this book, Petra Connor, so it was a good read. There are a few appearances by Robin and the new dog. Delaware himself seems burned out as I may be on this series. Perhaps it's time for him to retire gracefully.

[ltcl_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As always, Jonathan Kellerman does not disappoint in his latest adventures of Dr. Alex Delaware and quirky sidekick friend Detective Milo Sturgis. This serial killer is however more brutal than the others and has both of them going round and round looking for a common thread. In Victims, Kellerman is spending less time on Alex Delaware's outside interests - his girlfriend and friend Milo and more time on the actual case which is refreshing. Victims is one of those late night books- don't start it unless you intend to finish it in one sitting. I received this as an ARC copy but it has just been published.

[rdurant1217 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Solid Delaware novel, if nothing too memorable or gripping. The book is a quick read, but engaging, as Kellerman's usually are. His earlier works delved more into the lives of the characters, whereas his last few have shied away from that and have become more story/plot based. I would say that something seems to be missing - the heart and soul of making you love the characters is gaining insight into their lives. If I were new to the series, based solely on this book I wouldn't really feel compelled to read more about these characters, which is sort of a shame, because the world in which they live is quite interesting. Kellerman has made you love these characters over the years and, while this was pretty solid, didn't really do anything to make me feel anything for the characters.

[shellyup47 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am an Alex Delaware junkie. This book helped to feed my addiction. It was a quick read with loads of excitement that kept me on the edge. If you like a great (serial) murder mystery with gore, this is the book for you!

[tomray_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is my first Jonathan Kellerman but it will not be my last.This was a fast paced,gory novel about a serial killer that kept my interest to the end.

[kat_848 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In Victims, Kellerman treats us to another of his convoluted plots. He and Sturgis are on the hunt for a killer guilty of several grisly murders. While I wouldn't rate this as his best book, it was still a great read, and did not disappoint. It was a fast paced book that I had difficulty putting down. The old hospital added just the right "creep" factor. Kellerman has a gift for description and character development, and his books are always interesting. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes psychological thrillers. If you haven't read Kellerman before, you need to start! You will find yourself looking for his books!

[etrainer_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ask me who my favorite mystery authors are and I'd say Connelly & Coben. But I have every Kellerman title on my shelves (Well, I guess Mystery is not there - I better go get it!). Victims is one of the better recent books - gruesome murders and a tangled string of clues for Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis to follow. I am amazed that Kellerman can tell the same story over and over and make it interesting every time. Alex, the psychologist, follows the psych/medical trail and Milo, the police detective, pursues witnesses, physical evidence, all the traditional police methods. Alex provides some essential insight, and they both zero in on the bad guy. But always a new twist in every book to keep it interesting.This book lacked some of the 'personal life' detail of Alex and Milo and focused primarily on the hunt for the villain. The links between the victims and other characters were essential to the puzzle and were what made this book hard to put down. I consider it the best in the series for some time.

[annewk · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Quirky characters -- that's what Jonathan Kellerman does best. Every other page he introduces another odd person to the readers and to his hero, Dr. Alex Delaware. These characters may not even be important to his plot but he never fails to provide full, compelling descriptions.In this latest novel there is also a plot, of course. Someone is committing terrible murders and Delaware, as a consulting psychiatrist to the police and especially to his friend Detective Milo, tries to help solve the crimes. There is not a lot of tension in the book. We never worry that the familiar characters are in danger. As for the whodunit question? It is always interesting to try to second guess Milo and Delaware as they always come to the right conclusion. Or sort of right.

[everfresh1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you read other novels from Alex Delaware series - and there are many - you know what to expect. All the usual elements are here. The same characters, the same good quality writing, easy reading, good plot. It's not easy to maintain that quality throughout so many years and novels, but Jonathan Kellerman does it. The story is believable, which is critical for the success of such novel. Quite disturbing also - but I don't want to reveal he plot.

[garyseverance-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jonathan Kellerman's Victims is the 27th novel in his mystery series featuring clinical psychologist Alex Delaware. The character is a consultant with the Los Angeles police department who gives low key information to Lieutenant Milo Sturgis that helps the detective understand the motivation of murderers. In this case, the suspects are survivors of institutionalism, the warehousing of chronically mentally ill patients in large "institutions" in California. The closing of many of these hospitals on humanitarian grounds returned intractable victims to their communities where supposedly they would get locally funded care. Even though these people had irrational motives sometimes leading to violence, many of them were not intellectually deficient. Intelligent people with bizarre desires and unrestricted freedom lead to deadly consequences in this novel.The pursuit of the murder suspects is no easy task for Alex and Milo.Alex Delaware is not a master of "profiling" and the novel is more of a police procedural than a story of a brilliant psychologist who intuitively solves the case for the police. The interaction of Lt. Sturgis and Dr. Delaware is interesting and believable, each character with his own unique skills that help the team make progress toward solution of the horrific crimes in the story. This reminds me of Robert B. Parker's team of private detective Spenser and tough guy sidekick Hawk in the very popular and multi-novel mystery series. It also is reminiscent of John D. MacDonald's team of "salvage consultant" McGee and Dr. Myer. There is good dialogue, frequent humor, and sporadic violence in the novel that make the reading fast and entertaining.I have read many mystery series writers in the past, enjoying the development of the recurring characters over fictional time: Parker, MacDonald, Christie, Doyle, Stout, and many others. I remember the excitement of finding a new series and learning all I could about the cases and life histories of the main characters. For living writers, I looked forward to new editions in the sagas of their detectives, police officers, government agents, forensic specialists, and free-lance operatives. Although, I moved away from these series and became interested in other novel genres, Dr. Kellerman's novel has interested me in reading the preceding 26 volumes in his Delaware series starting with, When the Bough Breaks (1985). Doing this retro-reading in the past has been rewarding because of the pleasure of reading good stories and seeing the development of writing skills in the authors as they have pursued their careers. I use the term "mystery," but I note that Victims is classified as a "thriller" probably for legitimate reasons of promoting and selling the book.I strongly recommend Victims to readers who would like to look forward to a good story and potentially years of exploring Kellerman's earlier work. He has written other novels outside of the Alex Delaware series.

[cmeilink_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What I enjoy most about reading Jonathan Kellerman's works is his command of dialogue and his ability to tell a story--unveiling characters and information little by little so that we feel that we are there, investigating the murders with him and Milo. In Victims, a series of seemingly unrelated, horrific murders have Milo and Alex Delaware searching for answers. Bodies have been cut open and disemboweled, and when they finally discover the common link, it turns out to be more frightening than they could have ever imagined.Good plot, good flow, good read.I received an advance copy of this book from Early Reviewers.

[brenda63_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I do not know how Jonathan Kellerman continues to write such riveting novels. All the "regular" characters are involved: Alex, Robin, Milo, etc. I couldn't put it down once I started it.

[phoenixcomet · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Psychologically disturbing novel. Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis are tracking down a serial killer who meticulously disembowels his victims. The crime scenes are perfectly staged and there IS a reason he chooses who he kills.

[sprocto · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I felt this book was typical Alex Delaware style, but that is not a bad thing. The story was intriguing and well paced. It was also dark and brutal but not gratuitously so. I haven't read anything in this series for a few years and I am thinking of going back to catch up.

[oldbookswine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a review copy. Alex and Milo have a new gruesome case to solve. A series of bodies mutilated are found in various parts of LA. With no apparent connection Milo feels the pressure to find the killer. Alex follows his personal history back to his interning at a Mental Hospital to find clues to solve this most frustrating of cases. More grisly than the rest of the series, the clues hang together well to bring the story to a satisfactory conclusion for the reader if not for Alex. Recomended

[beamis12 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As always I loved the interplay between Milo and Alex, but there were not as many ironic one liners from Milo as in previous books. Did enjoy the mystery and the slow reveals that were uncovered as more murder victims were found. Would have liked more info on the killer himself, we only get info on him from age 11 on, but I would like to know what made him the way he is. So I enjoyed this, but have liked previous books of his much better.

[she_climber · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm a long time fan of John Kellerman and the Alex Delaware series and this latest edition did not disappoint. A series of very gruesome murders, seemingly unconnected lead Alex and Milo through a series of possible theories trying to make something fit until finally pieces of the puzzle start to drop into place. As always it was a fun ride.

[hippolytus_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

As much as I love the character of Alex Delaware, each new volume in his continuing adventures fills me with a feeling of trepidation. It's not the series it once was. Part of the problem with following such a long-running and, at one time, so satisfying a series is that you fall in love with the characters and you remember when they were better written.I can't say I'm really happy with the way Alex has been written for the last several novels. He's still Alex, but he's now somewhat removed from the audience and perhaps even from himself. He's older, obviously, and probably wiser, but he speaks in sentence fragments and regards every new case with, in my opinion, a wariness. I still love him. I still believe he's a great character. I'm just afraid he's going to turn into Kay Scarpetta and we eventually won't even recognize him anymore.As for the story itself, it's a much better offering than several of the last novels in the series. It's not as original and compelling as the early entries, but it's a nice middle ground. I sincerely hope that Kellerman's not losing his joie de vivre in writing Alex and his friends, because nothing's worse than a once-great series which dwindles down to mediocrity. I desperately don't want that here.

[katharineclifton · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was my first Kellerman novel and, therefore, my introduction to Dr. Delaware. I enjoyed it on many levels. When I first realized that it was the latest in a series (#27 to be exact!) I was concerned that I would come across too much hinted-at backstory without being in on the inside joke. That did not prove to be the case. It was enjoyable as a stand alone thriller. Yes, some backstory and previous cases were referenced slyly, but you didn't need to know the references to follow the plot. On the flip side, I did feel like I wanted to know Dr. Delaware and Milo a bit better. Know more about their personal lives. I especially thought Robin to be an under-utilized character in this book. As for the plot, it has some very satisfying twists and turns. The old mental hospital, the dogs, the analysis of the seeming randomness of the crimes - all well explored and brought to fruition. The crime scenes were very well described. I found some of the metaphors and descriptions to be odd (comparing someone's face to uncooked haggis, for example), and the references to classical music might be meaningful to someone who has read the whole series, but were a bit overdone for this newbie reading it as a stand alone. Overall, it was an enjoyable mystery. Very fast-paced and easy to read.

[judes316 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received this book as an ARC copy and was the first time I have read Jonathan Kellerman. Victims was a good thriller. "Victims" caught me on page one and I could not wait to read more. I am looking forward to going back and finding other Alex Delaware books. I would definately recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a good thriller.

[bookish59 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed Victims more than I thought I would. The plot and flow of the story was exciting, the pace blazing fast. The wonderful synergy and emotional intelligence of Alex and Milo as they tackle cases together, Robin's loving support and spot-on insights, Petra, and Milo's motivated team, are what compel me to continue reading the series. More character development would be welcome. Good read but beware its super grisly.