This is the third in the Kellerman’s father/son series about coroner Clay Edison. I am beginning to enjoy this series almost as much as Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series. New father Clay, while trying to balance child care with his wife and lack of sleep, simultaneously works on two mysteries while still fulfilling other obligations as a deputy in the county coroner’s office. While excavating the one time hippie enclave People’s Park, bones of an infant are uncovered. Clay is contacted by someone who thinks it might be a disappeared sister who has been a family secret for years and soon these two stories diverge.

A well written, steady investigative procedural, it is a quick, engrossing read with a likable protagonist. The Kellerman’s neatly tie up all loose ends and leave you anticipating the next in this series.

A solid 4 stars. I particularly love the Clay Edison series because I grew up in the Bay Area, I can always actually imagine exactly where the events are taking place and I love that. This addition to the series kept me turning the pages and I couldn't put it down. My issue? I had two. One, I could definitely tell when Jonathan dropped off and his son picked up the writing, so it didn't feel seamless to me. Two, the epilogue. I love the attempt to wrap up all the loose ends, but it felt rushed and not all of it made sense. Don't let that deter you though! This is absolutely worth picking up! Thank you Netgalley, for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3381549957

I have enjoyed Jonathan Kellerman's last few novels and this one was no exception. The plot and character development was superb as well as the history around the Berkeley campus. The two story lines of the murder investigation and the search for the family member provided an intriguing and suspenseful story line. I would recommend this book to anyone.

Jonathan Kellerman is one of my favorite authors, ever, but I think that's more about his characters Alex Delaware & Milo Sturgis. This was not as much my speed, less psychological and more procedural. I've not read the first two in the series, and wasn't that impressed with the Clay Edison character. The story felt a bit muddled and hard to follow, though I kept reading to find out what happened to the missing sister storyline. If you're into crime thrillers, this one is just fine & easy to read.

Intrigue, suspense and mystery are in abundance in this story. A real page turner that was well written.

The story lines in this book by shared authors did not produce an enjoyable read. I found that it was quite hectic especially with the anoying new baby anecdotes. I have read all the Kellerman series and enjoyed them all until this one which was a chore to finish.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced copy.

A good mystery starring Clay Edison a coroner turned part time private investigator. It is slow paced, not real action packed but has a good story. Even though he and his family are threatened, Clay continues to solve the mystery of the bones found at the park and of the disappearance of a baby.

I usually like this series but this time I was a little disappointed. The storyline was a tad confusing and there was a lot of movement between 2 cases and a lot of characters to keep track of. However, there was enough interest to keep me reading even though I did space out in certain sections. This is one I recommend you check out at your local library.

Half Moon Bay by the father and son team of Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman brings Clay Edison back for his third appearance. Clay is a coroner in Berkeley California and in this book he becomes involved in two mysteries, each from a different part of the region's past. In his official role, he's trying to determine the identity and survivors of a decayed corpse found in a free speech park in Berkeley. Meanwhile, doing a favor for a friend, he's trying to unravel a family mystery involving one of the scientists who had been working on nuclear research back in the day. Each of these plots were fairly interesting, but they lacked any real twists and didn't have much in common except that Clay was working on them. And I'm still unclear why Clay gave so much time and energy exploring the mystery of a friend of a friend, that wasn't really explained other than his natural curiosity and determination to help others. although I found the plot somewhat lacking, I love the Kellermans' writing and I look forward to seeing more of these characters. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book has 2 mysteries. At times you can’t wait to turn the page to see what happens next, at other times it drags. The story moves along okay but it wasn’t a book I couldn’t put down. It is written by 2 authors and for me the story was just okay. It is the 3rd book in a series but it could be read as a stand alone. All in all it wasn’t my favorite Kellerman but I was interested enough to finish the book. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Half Moon Bay is the third installment of the father and son team series featuring Alameda County Coroner Clay Edison. Clay is working the graveyard shift to best participate in the care of his newborn without disrupting his wife’s work schedule. In his capacity as Deputy Coroner, Clay is called to a local park on the Berkley UC campus where the decade old remains of a baby is found. To complicate his work, protestors in true Berkley tradition are demonstrating against building within the park.
Clay’s investigation leads him in two directions. One in following the clues to identify the body and relatives of the dead child and one from a local man who thinks the corpse could be his long lost sister. Clay becomes entranced by both paths and methodically follows the vaguest of clues to conclusion.
It is hard not to compare Clay Edison to Alex Delaware from Jonathan Kellerman’s mainstay series. They both have that intelligence and tenacity that make them follow the most subtle clues. The pacing and building of suspense is classic Kellerman.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced look.

This book was given to me by NetGalley for my honest review.

The book started a bit slowly--laying some groundwork. It then picks up as you get in a bit. It is really 2 mysteries in one. I enjoyed the story. I did get a little confused with some of the characters at times.

It is worth the read

I have been a devoted fan of Jonathan Kellerman for many years, his Alex Delaware series is legendary. I have also enjoyed the father/son duo of Jonathan and Jesse in their Clay Edison series. In this installment, Clay is called out to a construction site on the UC Berkeley campus, when the remains of an infant are uncovered. Identifying the baby and finding out what happened to it is the main plot point, but we also have an interesting side plot of a man searching for a lost sibling, of whom he knows nothing. I really like the characters in this series, and I think they make the story shine. This book did get bogged down a little with location specific conflicts and gripes and a little too much detail on neighborhoods and housing. It felt superfluous. Overall, I liked the book and felt like all the plot strings were tied up neatly. I also think the book is fairly seamless, so there's not a huge disconnect between the writing of either author.
3.5 stars

I was provided a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to Ballantine and Netgalley

This is the third in the series featuring deputy coroner Clay Edison, and having read the previous two, I must say I think this is my favorite so far. Clay is not only competent at his job, but totally likable - as is his psychologist wife, Amy; together, they try to navigate job responsibilities around their infant daughter Charlotte, who isn't fond of sleeping - with Clay working the night shift.

At the beginning, Clay is called to a scene right out of the 1960s. On the Berkeley campus is a park that's mostly occupied by the homeless, but now plans call for renovating the property (read: get rid of the homeless) and erecting a building. In that process - which is loudly protested by the locals - one of the workers unearths small human bones. Clay and his partner, Kat Davenport, determine that it's part of a child's skeleton, raising the obvious question of identity as well as from whence, and when, the body was dumped at the site.

As the investigation begins, Clay gets another call, this time from a businessman who suspects the body might be a sister he never saw but always suspected went missing half a century ago. As the evidence builds up and more is learned about the skeleton, the story necessarily splits in two directions - with Clay investigating both (one officially and the other on his own time). While that adds interest and keeps the story moving along, it also makes for a boatload of characters to keep straight (and made me wonder how Clay, who is sleep-deprived as it is, could spare all those additional, and unpaid, hours). Along the way, he manages to get on the bad side of some very nasty people - not the least of whom are the folks protesting the razing of the park.

In the end, I found this to be a very enjoyable book that held my attention throughout (not that I expected anything less by anyone from the Kellerman clan). Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy. Look forward to the next in this series!

The book follows two storylines and reads like it was written by two authors. It is uneven with parts being page turners and other parts that drag and you hope you get to another page turner part soon. Overall the book is okay and it is a quick read.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook  page.

This is a good mystery - sort of a mystery within a mystery. The characters are likeable and realistic. Haven't read the others in the series but it wasn't necessary to have read them in order to enjoy this one. I have read other titles by Jesse Kellerman and enjoyed them also.

Love the authors books. This is the 3rd of a series but stands alone. Though after reading this you will want to pick up the previous two.

Highly recommend. Thoroughly entertainable.

Jonathan Kellerman and his son Jesse make a great writing team and I love this series. Clay Edison has his hands full. He’s got a new baby who won't sleep. He’s working the graveyard shift. And he’s trying, for once, to mind his own business. Then comes the first call. Workers demolishing a local park have made a haunting discovery: the decades-old skeleton of a child. But whose? And how did it get there? This character has been so well developed and I really enjoy the mix of mystery, crime solving and a look into Clays personal life. This book held my interest from start to finish and I was sad to see it end but really looking forward to the next Clay Edison adventure. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

Book 3 in a series, but I read as a standalone and had no problem catching up quickly.

Clay Edison is a coroner, married and has a new baby girl. He and Amy struggle with a new baby while they both go back to work on different shifts when Clay catches a case at UC Berkley.
A baby remains are found at a construction site that instantly causes a stir amongst the protesters in the area that never wanted the area under construction to begin.
Meanwhile, a friend of a friend (Peter Franchette) calls Clay to inquire about the baby remains. He thinks it may be his long lost baby sister. Only hitch...he has very limited information.
Clay agrees to help Peter in this mission to find his baby sister. What they uncover I may be more than either of them had ever thought possible...

Deputy Edison, Coroner, has been called the vigilante cowboy because he takes his job and the lives of the deceased or missing, very seriously. His main focus in Half Moon Bay is a missing girl. After many years, her brother calls on the coroner to help him find his sister who was kidnapped. He also works on finding the identity of a child’s body found at a park undergoing renovations. The insights into the job of a coroner is interesting and Deputy Edison is a character you like and respect. I loved the portions of his personal life with Amy, his wife, and Charlotte, his infant daughter that are shared. The reader gets a chance to see the man behind the vocation. Great characters and stories.