“Museum of Desire” is book 35 of the Alex Delaware series (although only the 2nd one for me), a police procedural series featuring a tag team of a psychologist (Delaware) and a homicide detective (Milo Sturgis). This one begins with a bang. An ex-con with a job cleaning houses after parties opens a limousine parked in the backyard (seemingly abandoned) and finds when he opens the car door practically a gateway to hell inside, a quartet of corpses, an odd selection of people, and what appears to buckets of blood. Delaware and Sturgis soon arrive to try to puzzle this one out. And, although the opening might lead you to believe this is an action book with the good guys facing off against a mass murdering maniac, this is really a story about painstakingly piecing together little clues and chasing down every needle in every haystack. Though that may not sound too exciting, in this case it really works and the author has given us a real interesting story worth digging into.

There was a lot here to like. I wish it had all come together for me. This is a procedural. It is made to pretend it is separate from the procedure but you get stuck in the procedure.

THE MUSEUM OF DESIRE: An Alex Delaware Novel
Jonathan Kellerman
Ballantine Books
ISBN 978-0-525-61852-2
Hardcover
Mystery/Thriller

The Alex Delaware books by Jonathan Kellerman have been a long-time favorite of mine. There is a dependable line of familiarity that connects the individual novels in the canon, that being the odd-couple friendship between Delaware, the child psychologist, and LAPD Lieutenant Milo Sturgis. I look forward to the familiar scene in each book where, Sturgis, a bear of a man in stature, comes into Delaware’s home and paws through Delaware’s refrigerator while a bemused Delaware looks on. It is easy to forget that Delaware in WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS, the first book in the series, was burnt out and in retirement until Sturgis brought him back to the land of the living by asking him for assistance with a particularly difficult case. The Los Angeles landscape, so wonderfully described in each of the books, has provided several difficult cases since then. 2020’s installment is titled THE MUSEUM OF DESIRE and gives us yet another of the “difficults” as well as some of Kellerman’s best writing to date. No surprise there.
It also features one of Kellerman’s most memorable mysteries in a series full of them.

THE MUSEUM OF DESIRE begins at a vacant mansion that has been rented out for a party for a large group of spoiled high school swells. A member of the cleaning crew tasked with restoring order to the after-gathering mess on the morning after the night before stumbles onto a horrifying tableau. It consists of a Rolls Royce that has been left on the premises and which contains a mismatched quartet of four corpses bizarrely staged within, each with blood poured over their lower bodies. There is no apparent connection among the four people other than that they are all murder victims. Sturgis is relentless in his investigation, well aware of his obligation to speak for the dead in the sense of bringing the instrument of their premature demise to justice. Delaware, as he frequently (though not always) does, takes a very active role in his assistance to Sturgis in THE MUSEUM OF DESIRE, which is particularly appropriate given the manner of death of each of the victims and their collective display. It is Delaware who provides a couple of significant breaks in the case, one through some old-fashioned surveillance and the other by functioning as a conduit for some information provided from an unexpected source. The investigation accordingly moves into a couple of unexpected directions leading to a denouement against a surprising backdrop which will leave readers shocked and perhaps well-amused, for good reason.

The foundation of THE MUSEUM OF DESIRE is an extremely interesting one. The story is built upon a topic that raises its head every year or so in the news media as the result of new discovery here and there which in turn reminds the world for a brief period of what occurred before the topic once again becomes buried in the news cycle. I’m being deliberately coy about what the subject matter is --- I am not about to ruin for the reader an intricate plot device that Kellerman obviously labored over, to great effect --- but there is a wealth of information about it online which will serve to increase the reader’s enjoyment of THE MUSEUM OF DESIRE following their experience of reading this latest installment in the Kellerman/Sturgis canon. Please set aside time for a research digestif after your reading of this memorable book which stands so well on its own. Strongly recommended.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
© Copyright 2020, The Book Report, Inc. All rights reserved.

When police Lieutenant Milo Sturgis meets a difficult case, one that puzzles him, he usually enlists the aid of psychologist Alex Delaware, who is also employed for his skills by the department. In this case, Milo comes upon a grisly and different murder scene, with the bodies of four persons murdered and left in what looks like a staged manner by the murderer. What follows is a methodical, step-by-step investigation by the duo along with the department’s young police officers into the strange things that led up to the murders. Starting with nothing is not unusual for this duo, and this is just here they begin. Methodically, they sift through clues and red herrings to figure out what happened. The tale is a strange and grisly one, but is well-done, so the reader can follow. The ending really did not come as that big a surprise to me, but it was definitely interesting to see how they came to the conclusion.

As usual, I enjoyed reading about the latest exploits of a couple of my two favorite characters. Milo and Alex definitely work well as a team and have for the many books in the series. In this story, there were a few strange characters, which Alex helped Milo understand, as well as different, interesting events and motives. This is another good addition to the series. Anyone who has followed the series will enjoy this one. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

The Museum of Desire is the 35th entry in the Alex Delaware series. It is an excellent thriller that is highly recommended!

It’s just after 6 a.m. on a Sunday, when ex-con Eno is walking up a long driveway to a mansion above Benedict Canyon. Eno cleans houses for a minimal living. But he is daydreaming of advancing his career with some holdups as soon as he can get a hoodie and a gun. The mansion is a party house and he dreads the red plastic cups and used condoms he expects to find there. Then he sees the stretch limo parked in the backyard. Thinking to find someone inside sleeping it off, he knocks. When there is no answer, he opens the driver door. He finds the chauffeur dead and covered in blood from the waist down. Gagging, he slams the door and opens the rear door. Three more bodies await him also awash in blood. He slams that door and promptly loses his breakfast on the ground. Time for even cop-shy Eno to call 911.

Lieutenant Milo Sturgis, a LAPD lead detective, is called to the scene. He, in turn, calls his friend and colleague, Dr. Alex Delaware. Alex, a clinical psychologist who frequently helps the LAPD, says the scene appears staged. Together, they investigate the seemingly unrelated victims’ background. All were last seen on Friday but were killed late Saturday. Where were they for the missing hours? How were the victims selected? What does the posed scenario represent? And who did the crime? Alex and Milo investigate in the Museum of Desire.

I confess I have read all the books in the Alex Delaware series and loved most of them. At this point Milo and Alex feel like family members that I am eager to catch up with on the single annual holiday dinner. However, enough backstory is included in this book—but not too much—that it can easily be read as a standalone.

Compared to other books in the series, and most thrillers I have read recently, the murder and especially the motive is both darkly perverted and very unique. I adore that the book explains the underlying psychology of both the victims and the suspects. Unraveling the mystery was challenging too.

Overall, the Museum of Desire is an original and engrossing peak into a usually hidden world. It’s also one of the best in the series so far. 5 stars and another of my favorites this year!

Thanks to Ballantine Books, Random House and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Museum of Desire is Jonathan Kellerman's 35th novel centered around the duo of Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis. Alex is a psychologist who is periodically called into the LAPD to assist with challenging cases being investigated by his good friend Lieutenant Milo Sturgis. They now have a broader team that has grown over the years. Diving into an Alex Delaware book is like returning to friends that you haven't seen in awhile but who always treat you like they just saw you yesterday. Not skipping a beat, you become engrossed in the next case and into these characters lives yet again, as though you never left.
There are some interesting details of this novel that highlight the sensitivity of the author as a writer and psychologist himself. The story centers around an Art Gallery and a party held at a different site, but following the party, a murder scene is discovered. One of the victims is a young man who was living at a home specifically for developmentally disabled individuals. His story is interesting and some of the details in the investigation around this are certainly from Kellerman's own experience in psychology. Also, one of the possible witnesses is a young man who you quickly realize has developmental issues, and has been homeschooled for most of his life but who appears to have a possible spectrum disorder. Alex is given the task of 1) deciding if he should be questioned and 2) how to go about handling him in this event. I felt that this also showed the interplay between the real-life author and the novel's protagonist who is a psychologist as well. This was so beautifully and realistically written.
Overall, another hit for Kellerman and the Alex Delaware series. Loved it. It felt like coming home.
Thank you for the opportunity to review it early.
#TheMuseumofDesire #Netgalley #JonathanKellerman #RandomHousePublishingGroup #Ballantine

Lieutenant Milo Sturgis and his detective squad are assigned a case as strange as it is macabre: four victims, killed in different manners, arranged in a stretch limo behind a vacant mansion rented out for parties. Enlisting the help of consulting psychologist Alex Delaware, Milo investigates the victims and learns that they have nothing in common; even their social classes are different.

With pure evil the only seeming motive, they follow blind alleys—and are led down dead ends by uncooperative witnesses—until a crime so twisted with roots decades old reveals itself.

I always enjoy reading Jonathan Kellerman because he’s confident in his writing and plotting, making his books engage and entertain me. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘶𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦, the thirty-fifth book in the Alex Delaware series, is no different. One of the best things about the novel is the banter between Alex and Milo which is comfortable and witty. This book has a number of characters and misdirections which makes it stimulating but also requires concentration to keep track of the relationships.

This is, though, a male-heavy series. Alex’s partner, Robin, plays a key role in the mystery, but her primary function is supporting Delaware (rather unquestioningly). I also wish Milo wouldn’t call his detectives “kiddos.” It’s a small detail, and I know it’s done out of affection, but it reads as condescending to me.

I would recommend this book to Jonathan Kellerman fans as well as those who like Michael Connelly and Karin Slaughter.

I found The Museum of Desire to be an overly descriptive police procedural. The description of the scenery was too extensive, taking away from the story. And, the intricate plot with its many twists and turns was not fully satisfying.

I am a huge fan of Mr. Kellerman's work. I love Alex & Milo. I have read most of the previous 34 books and this one does not disappoint. Very interesting murders and wonderful plotting. I enjoyed the addition of different detectives as it's great to get different perspectives. This is one long series that just gets better and better.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher and voluntarily chose to review it.

THE MUSEUM OF DESIRE by Jonathan Kellerman is the 35th book in the Alex Delaware series. This is a favorite series of mine and this installment did not let me down.

Los Angeles Police Lieutenant and psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware team up again when four people are found dead and strangely displayed in car at a vacant mansion in Bel Air. Multiple causes of death and a lot of twists, turns and blind alleys make for a great police procedural.

The story grabbed me right away and kept me turning the pages. The interactions between the characters are always great. In this case, several detectives also worked on the case and added to the depth of the plot. The characters felt real and three-dimensional. The characters acted in a plausible way.

This story was very complex and takes a look at the dark side of art, of homelessness, and of a demented mind. Other themes include revenge and violence. There are some graphic scenes depicted and there is some exploration of detectives dealing with the aftermaths of violence. The ending was dramatic and unexpected.

Overall, this was a page-turner that kept me engaged throughout. I recommend this book to those that enjoy great police procedurals and those that enjoy this series. While not absolutely necessary, I would recommend reading the series in order to gain more insight into the characters and their growth over time.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books and Jonathan Kellerman for a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

In this new book of the series Milo is called out in the early morning to a scene like he has never been a part of before. Four people have been murdered and staged inside a limo in the drive of an empty Bel Air mansion. The home is being used for parties while the divorcing owners decide what to do with the property. Milo isn't quite sure what to make of it all and calls in friend and psychologist Alex Delaware. Alex feels as if the whole thing has bee n staged for a reason but that reason is not quite obvious. They start with figuring out who each of the victims are and if there is a connection between them. When no connections can be found Milo knows they must figure out if one of the victims was the main target or were all of them chosen at random. The two keep tugging lines and coming up with no real clues, will a suspect ever be found? Follow along as they dig deeper into the victims lives, ask questions of friends and family, study video from different locations, and learn of two more murders. Along the way they meet some helpful and not so helpful people and have to trust their guts when it comes to the information given. This was such a deeply intriguing read that will give you a look into the darker side that fills some people and what they are willing to do in the name of art.

This books starts out with four dead bodies in a stretch limo. They were killed some place else and posed in a way that has the police baffled. It centers around the art world. Milo and Alex have their hands full with this one all kinds of twist and turns. Very good book . If you liked the other Alex Delaware books this is a must read. I want to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read this book for a honest opinion.

The Museum of Desire is the 35th Alex Delaware novel from Jonathan Kellerman.

"Milo Sturgis only calls psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware for murder cases that are "different" And this may be one of the worst they've seen. Four people are found dead in a limo at a party house. It looks like they were posed. Everyone at the crime scene is horrified at what they see. During the investigation another couple disappears and then a suspect disappears...And Sturgis and Delaware are desperate to find a killer..."

Milo and Alex work the clues and leads like previous books. Many of these feel like it's real time. But the killer comes from a different direction - an unexpected place tied to history. (No spoilers.) You think you might know who it is and why but then Kellerman gives us and big twist and we see it differently. Glad to see Robin, Alex's partner, taking an active role in helping the guys out and actually finding an early lead. And what an insane ending - wow!

Kellerman is a psychologist and really delves into the motivation of murder in his books. If you like to see inside the mind of the killer, you should read his Alex Delaware series. The Museum of Desire is a great addition to the series.

Four stars

Mr. Kellerman is a master story teller. Alex and Milo find themselves elbow deep in a mystery woven in an engaging way.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy.

I forgot just how much I love Dr. Alex Delaware and Milo. I use to buy every new Jonathan Kellerman novel once it came out in paperback , but haven't for the last 7 years. Luckily Netgalley suggested THE MUSEUM OF DISIRES.. I fell in love with the characters all over again. Can't wait to go back and catch up with the novels I have missed.

Brief book description:
Psychologist Alex Delaware and detective Milo Sturgis struggle to make sense of a seemingly inexplicable massacre in this electrifying psychological thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense.

My thoughts:
This whodunit has a tone and dialogue that is slick and cool, a noir-esque cynicism about humanity and a wide array of odd and boldly sketched characters that reflect the ‘types’ you might find in Los Angeles.

And I LOVED that. I really adored some of the strange supporting characters and thought they were brilliantly created. Maybe it’s because my nearly 20 years in LA makes me go YES, those people really do exist!! 🤣

Some people may complain that for a book being billed as a psychological thriller, there isn’t enough character development, to which I say, THAT ISN’T THE POINT!

This ride is all about getting the clues, chasing the leads and nailing the bad guys (or girls), all in a snappy, gritty, hardboiled way that makes you want to pour yourself two fingers of bourbon, get under a weighted blanket and never leave the house again. Oh wait, maybe that’s just me... I also sort felt like I got a fun (and harrowing) inside look at the LAPD homicide unit.

Man, I don’t know how people do that as a career without going over the deep end or just utterly losing faith in humanity.. Anyway, if you love detective stories, Los Angeles or noir, check this out!! It will definitely give you some chills and a few shocks.

A huge THANK YOU to #netgalley and #themuseumofdesire for the ARC!
I massively enjoyed it!!

I love John Kellerman"s book. They keep you hooked from start to finish. would recommend to anyone who enjoys reading a good book

Fans of this series know that you're always going to get a good mystery and atmospherics from Kellerman. You also know that Alex and Milo make a dynamic duo. That's true here. This starts with a grotesque murder scene- four bodies posed in a limo. Four unrelated people who have somehow ended up dead at a house rented out for parties. There are multiple strands going here as Milo and Alex (and other members of the LAPD) look for background and links between the victims. Then there's a teenager with issues who has information valuable to the investigation. Milo and Alex, as usual, eat their way through Los Angeles (I was happy to see them back at the Indian restaurant, which didn't get a visit last time) and there are some small details about Robin's work with musical instruments.I honestly wasn't sure where this was going until close to the end. Although the who is clear at the end, I'm still not sure about the why and the how but that's ok because sometimes with things so awful, not everything makes sense. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This would be fine as a standalone. I'm looking forward to the next one!

Mayhem in southern California

This is the 35th book in the Alex Delaware series. It's hard for me to believe. I've read this series from the very beginning and author Kellerman has faithfully published a new book almost every year, sometimes two.

Not only that but the books are consistently great and always unique. Quite an accomplishment for a favorite author of mine.

In this offering, Lieutenant Milo Sturgis of the LAPD and consulting psychologist Alex Delaware head to the scene of a horrific slaughter of four people in the hills above L.A. From the first, they think the murder scene looks staged.

Sturgis puts his small crew to work looking into the identities of the murdered people and finds out that identifying them is not going to be easy and neither is finding connections among the four.

The body count keeps rising and Milo and Alex find that the reasons behind the bloodbath are kinky and horrible.

I always love re-visiting this pair. They've developed quite a friendship over the last 35 Books.

I highly recommend this book and the whole series to anyone that loves an outstanding psychological thriller - written by an author that used to be a practicing psychologist.

I received this book from Random House through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

The detective and psychologist duo of Lieutenant Milo Sturgis and Dr. Alex Delaware team up again to investigate a disturbing crime scene where the victims are unrelated and feel random and yet everyone knows they are not.

Thoughts:
The Museum of Desire starts off with an after-party house cleaner discovering the gruesome murders of four individuals in a car out front of the mansion he has been assigned to clean. The crime scene has a very distinctive manner about it so Dr. Alex Delaware is brought in to assist Milo with the investigation. While the scene itself has them scratching their heads into its meaning, they both are fairly perplexed about the randomness of the victims. They are seemingly different individuals and who they are and how they are associated with each other (or who they are to the murderer) leaves them with many avenues to follow. But all Milo and Alex can do is go with the one with the largest trail to follow and see where it leads.

Although this is book #35 in the series, this is my first Dr. Alex Delaware novel. I’m not sure how I keep finding popular series that I’ve haven’t had the chance to enjoy yet, but I do. Although the murder setup is an interesting and integral part of the story, it never overwhelmed it or became too much for the rest of the book to live up to. Instead, we see Milo and Alex spend a great deal of time just trying to find the basics on each of the victims. Nothing is handed to them, or at least most of the time it isn’t. They would learn a little about someone, but never enough to get a full picture or know exactly what to do with what they’ve learned except to it add it to the other puzzle pieces they’ve gathered. It was a slow process that I rather enjoyed. The murder is shocking, but thankfully I enjoyed that the detective part of it shined and showed through.

Overall, I found the story pretty enjoyable. What really impressed me was the title and how it pertained to the title. Recently, I’ve read a few thrillers where the title didn’t quite go with the story or was more of an eye-catcher type of title. This one actually has some significance, so thanks.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group – Balatine for the advanced reader copy and opportunity to provide an honest review.