Another great collaboration by father and son due Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman. The book is a great ride, great of the holidays and is an easy read

I am a huge fan of all the Kellerman writers and have been been an avid follower of Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware series for many years - and perhaps that flavored my opinion of the book.

I loved the take on the police procedural from the Coroner's perspective, and Clay Edison has great potential in what appears to be a new series. He's a fascinating and flawed character. The pace was a bit slow with very much a whodunnit vibe, as I clearly couldn't figure out what was going on. The dialogue was a bit more stilted than the typical Kellerman novel, and perhaps this was due to collaboration. I'm interested to see where they take Clay Edison, so I'm sure I'll be back to try another. 3-1/2 stars from me.

The story takes a while to percolate but is worth the wait. The protagognist is one you care about., Nicely done!

What do fiction crime writers do when their protagonist’s age? In Jonathan Kellerman’s case, he team writes with his son, Jesse and introduces a new twenty something protagonist, Clay Edison. Clay is a former UC Berkley basketball player whose sports career is cut short by a knee blowout. But Clay has found a challenging career as deputy coroner in Alameda County, California. In this role, Clay makes the call over each newly discovered body: death result of natural causes or foul play. Sometimes circumstances are not clear cut and further investigation is warranted.

When Walter Rennert, a reclusive former psychology professor is found dead at the bottom of the stairs in his house, his drinking and bad heart appear to have caused his demise. But Rennert’s attractive daughter, Tatiana thinks he was murdered and convinces Clay to dig deeper. He learns that the good professor’s former grad assistant died in a similar manner. Further, Rennert was ostracized for his role in some ethically questionable psychological research at UC Berkley. Was there something to hide? Did Professor Rennert know too much? Who would benefit from his death? Clay needs answers and the alluring Tatiana keeps him interested.

The elder Kellerman’s presence was clear with the familiar pacing and anticipation. However, I have a major problem with the plot. I didn’t realize that coroners had the responsibility of investigating suspicious deaths to the degree our hero does. I thought the coroner reported evidence regarding cause of death and the police were responsible for finding the murderer. Apparently our protagonist takes his job more serious than most but his tenacity triggered some thoughts of implausibility for me. That’s never good. I’m still a devout Jonathan Kellerman fan but I’m not sold on Clay Edison as the featured character of a new series.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced look.

This is a first rate mystery that displays both Kellerman talents at full bloom. Alex Delaware makes a brief appearance and is amusingly irritating and unhelpful. There are many levels of psychological plot drivers: family interactions, abusive childhoods, dubious experiments, humorous eccentrics and others. But unlike the classic Jonathan Kellerman books, we get to see all these things from non-professional perspectives as well.

The plot begins like a complex noir tale of old crimes and scandals poisoning a superficially attractive present. But it veers away from the darkness to become interested in all the characters, and not primarily in guilt or innocence. In the end it's a comedy, a human comedy, although a rueful one with some shockingly violent scenes. There are old crimes and scandals but they are unfortunate events and in some cases mistakes to be corrected, not mythic avengers that demand human sacrifice to be expiated.

I recommend the book highly. It's unconventional and readers looking for a psychological thriller or a puzzle-mystery might be disappointed. But approached without preconceptions it's entertaining and thought-provoking.

I received an ARC copy of this book thanks to Net Galley and the publisher. I have long been a fan of Jonathan Kellerman so I was anxious to read this book that he co authored with his son. May I just say WOW! Loved this book, great story and characters. I am looking forward to Clay Edison's next adventure :)

Dark and interesting. Very good, although I didn't see that much of dad's influence in this book. That's okay. Jesse does well all by himself.

I received an uncorrected proof from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book in a new series, a collaboration between Jonathan Kellerman and his son Jesse. It looks like, just maybe, it will be about a law enforcement (deputy sheriff coroner's deputy Clay Edison) and a psychologist (Amy Sandek) with the main character being the deputy. Similar to the Alex Delaware/Milo Sturgis vibe with the emphasis reversed. I look forward to the next book to see if it will be a professional relationship, a personal relationship or both.

I gave the book four stars, not five, because I need a few more of Clay's stories under my belt, need to get a better sense of him before he becomes totally real to me.

(After reading chapter 28, the opening paragraphs of chapter 29 gives us a brief insight into Clay's quirky and somewhat mischievous sense of humor. This response to the professor who seems to be a big brother type role model makes him more complex and seem more human. You know the old saying - all work and no play make Jack a dull boy. There is another brief flash of that humor in the final chapter when he and Amy are on their road trip, and guess what, it has to do with the events of chapter 28, too.)

This debut book in the series introduced a lot of characters in the sheriff's office and some family and friends who I am sure will have ongoing roles as the story continues. There is also positive character growth as the way Clay looks at life begins to change. I can't wait for the next book to come out.

Clay is a former basketball superstar turned to police investigator and coroner. When his latest case turns out to be much more involved than a routine one, he gets in a little over his head to try to find out the truth. It all started when the decedent's daughter insisted the death wasn't natural. The question: was it? What makes her so sure that her father was murdered?

At times the book could feel a bit slow but only because the rest of the book is packed with action and suspense. Even if you figure out "whodunnit?" by the end, the character descriptions and building keep you interested until the very last page. Definitely an enjoyable read.

I forgot what a nice change of pace it is to read a book by a male author! Books written by men seem to have SO much less small talk and I only realize how little I prefer that (small talk) when I read a book written by a male.

Anyhow, I LOVE Alex Delaware so I was pretty excited to stumble across this book and discovered the beginning of what I hope is a new series. I adored the main character, Clay Edison and the story line kept me engaged from beginning to end. The icing on the cake? This book takes place is Berkeley and much of the Bay Area, I grew up in San Leandro. I loved reading about the streets he was on because I could picture it exactly. I raced to read the profiles of Jonathan, Jessie, and Faye Kellerman to see who it was that had ties to that area (but alas, it appears none of them do)

A page turning, make you go hmmmm kind of book, that could have only been made more perfect had I read it during a dark and stormy night. Pick this one up!

**Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1934057444

Crime Scene by Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman tells the story of crime scene investigator Clay Edison. Called to examine what appears to be an accidental death, he quickly finds a link to the man’s colleague’s death years ago. This begins a mystery to solve in an otherwise easy case. Strange clues that do not seem to add up lead him to crack the case. This is a fun read with great parts in the story. However, the writing felt choppy and never absorbed me in the story. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

This was an interesting departure from Kellerman's usual books though it retained his touch in the character development and plot. I won't be surprised if this character shows up in future books. It seems that the character of Clay Edison could easily support a new series.

The characters are interesting and complete, the plot unusual. The story wanders a bit in places, but not enough to be distracting. Overall, it's a good mystery and an entertaining read.

This book was VERY different from the usual Kellerman books. It was really a story about going above and beyond the call of duty for no other reason but it being the right reason. Deputy coroner Clay Edison was a charmer that I could clearly visualize from the words written about him. I hope this isn't the only glimpse into his life that I'll get.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to review.

sometimes there are duds and unfortunately this was one of them for me. I'm not sure if the problem was the collaboration but someone needed to do a tough edit on this (seriously, an established author still needs someone to tell them no sometimes.). I had high hopes for new characters but Clay and Tatianna weren't engaging enough for me. I was relieved to find Milo in there. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm hopeful the next book- and I'm sure there will be one- will be better.

I have read most of Jonathan Kellerman's books and one of Jesse Kellerman's books so I was really eager to see what the father-son duo would produce together. They did not disappoint. CRIME SCENE is a fast-paced thriller filled with interesting characters and an even more interesting plot. Jonathan and Jesse obviously have a better working relationship than I did with my father when he would try to explain calculus to me - always ended in tears. Hope this dynamic duo produces many more thrilling reads in the future.

I've been a reader of Jonathan Kellerman novels for nearly 20 years. When his son Jesse wrote his first novel, I excitedly dove into this work, too. This father/son duo are great storytellers in their own rights and expand on their talent when writing together.

I prefer to read series, so I was excited when there was a cameo from a series character. This story was intriguing, yet a little flat. The characters didn't feel whole to me, but I didn't let that take away from overall essence of the story. I got most of what I needed from it, which was suspense and a good story arc. I just wasn't able to connect to the characters as well add I would have liked.

Overall this was a wonderful book which is destined to be a top seller

I was looking forward to this book a lot but it was disappointing to me. They needed to stick to more facts of the case instead of endless chatter.. I have read all of Jesse's previous books and really liked them but not every book can be your best. I hope the next one is better.
I know both of these men write great books.

I am a long-time fan of all the Kellermans. I like the psychological aspect of these mysteries. I enjoyed the main character, Clay Edison, and I hope this is the beginning of a new series! There were a lot of characters in this book; however, they were easy to follow and not at all confusing. Well-written (as usual!), there was enough but not too much detail. Recommended - another winner by the Kellermans!

I will read anything that Jonathan Kellerman writes! This is the first chance I have had to read a book written by him and his son. What an amazing read it is!! It is so well written. Full of psychological thrills and intrigue, kept me flipping from page to page and I still wanted more! Can't wait to see what these two have planned for the future! But I now have another favorite Kellerman author to go along with his parents.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book provided by NetGalley.