The last few Alex Delaware books have all been of consistently high quality. Heartbreak Hotel is no exception, though it is a little weaker than most the recent instalments in this series.
The murder is related to a past crime many decades ago, involving many people and their descendants. At times this was a little confusing for me.
As Alex and Milo investigate the murder, they change their theories every time to fit new pieces of information. They never really considered any other scenarios than the one they were focusing on, and they were never really thrown by a new revelation. It all seemed a bit linear to me and it also discouraged me from figuring out the plot myself. I suspect some of the earlier books in the series were the same in this respect, but this time it bothered me a little.
Having said all of this, Heartbreak Hotel is just another solid thriller in the Alex Delaware series and I give it 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

In this installment of the Alex Delaware series, the child psychologist/police consultant receives a call from an elderly woman who wants to talk to him. Unfortunately, she is killed before he has a chance to learn much about her. The plot focuses on digging into secrets from a bygone era of mob bosses to determine who would want to kill a sweet old lady and why. Having read and enjoyed many of the books in this series, I found that the pace of this one dragged a bit in comparison to the others. Nonetheless, it was a fairly enjoyable read.

It's hard to believe this is the 32nd Alex Delaware book. I have read all the books in this series and love following Alex, Detective Milo Sturgis, and Robin . I enjoy following along as they solve crimes with just the right mixture of input from both men . Reading Jonathan Kellerman books is like watching a movie, his words envoke clear pictures of what is happening. In my minds eye I could clearly see Thalia as she sat on the porch, Milo chewing on a stogie , Alex with a thoughtful look on his face . I enjoyed the mobster aspects and how the past tied to the present . . I can't wait for book 33.

I've always enjoyed his books and this one was no different. I highly recommend it.

Dr Alex Delaware receives a call from soon to 100 year old Thalia Mars. She charms him into a meeting at her residence, which is a bungalow at a hotel. She is very cagey about the purpose of the meeting. She asks questions about criminal behavior and guilt. She won't say what her exact reason is for the meeting but promises to give him more information the next day. When Alex shows up he finds that Thalia was discovered dead by one of the maids. She has been murdered. Lapd Det Milo Sturgis is called to the scene. The investigation ties events from the 1940's to current events. It seems that this very frail old lady has led a very interesting life.

This is #32 in the Alex Delaware series and there are returning characters, but it can be read on its own. The characters are well developed. The plot did leave me wondering why all of a sudden people had information from over 40 years ago that led to the events in this book, maybe I missed something but that was a weak point for me. Still the book held my interest and I enjoyed it. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

I received an ARC of this book thanks to the publisher and Net Galley. In my opinion there is no such thing as a bad Alex Delaware book!! This book was no exception, it drew me right in and immediately I was so glad to be back with "familiar friends" Dr. Delaware and Milo Sturgis! Loved this addition to the series!! Would definitely recommend it.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an objective review. I have been a reader of Jonathan Kellerman for many years. I can remember borrowing my mom and dad's Alex Delaware paperbacks in high school and enjoying them immensely. I went to college and eventually switched over to the literary fiction side of reading (ok, I was a bit of a reading snob), but this novel peaked my interest. I loved the title, and when I got started, I really had a hard time putting the book down. Delaware and Sturgis find themselves in the middle of a completely different kind of case when 99-year old Thalia Mars is found dead in her hotel suite. They follow the forensics, Thalia's history, a strange threesome and even the Mob all over Los Angeles before the murder can be solved. Kellerman's definitely still good, and he's definitely still got it!