I am a big fan of Jonathan Kellerman, and his new book is really good. It is part of a series that takes place in Los Angeles, and features fan favorites: psychologist Alex Delaware, and detective Milo Sturgis. This is an excellent police procedural, and can easily be read as a stand-alone. Recommended for fans and for those who will be fans!

Early morning and predawn in a pristine suburban neighborhood in Los Angeles, a moving van hits something unseen. The something turns out to be the body of a naked man. The oddity of the situation causes Lt. Milo Sturgis of the LAPD to call on his psychologist buddy, Dr. Alex Delaware to consult. They soon find another body in a nearby home. This one Alex recognizes as Cordelia Gannett, a former and somewhat ethically challenged opponent in a child custody case a couple years earlier. She was a self-promoting, social media influencer who sold counseling services and advice to gullible, distressed, and vulnerable people. While searching for clues to identify the first victim, Alex and Milo find that Cordelia has developed her scam into a lucrative online business. A deep dive into her personal history reveals some psychological issues of her own that ultimately helps lead the detectives to the killer.
Kellerman stays true to his formula in City of the Dead. Quirky murder scene inspires Lt. Sturgis to call in out-of-the-box thinking psychologist and best friend Dr. Alex Delaware. Alex makes some long shot hunches that Milo has learned to take seriously due to Alex’s history of success. By finding and interviewing a list of the deceased’s former associates, all with psychological issues of their own, the detective duo finds the murderer… all very familiar and satisfying for a Kellerman fan spanning four decades.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.

How can a furniture van near the UCLA campus that strikes a naked man in the street not pique your curiosity? And that’s just what happened. This story had my attention.

Though I used to read the Alex Delaware series, it’s been several years since I’ve picked one up. Not because I stopped liking them, but because it just didn’t happen. So when I got the opportunity to review Kellerman’s 37th novel in this series, I was thrilled. And as I mentioned the start of this book had me interested.

However, it wasn’t long before I was struggling. I began to lose interest as it seemed to go from here to there. Was it a lack of character interaction? Plot? It all stopped working for me.

As always the writing felt well constructed, but this particular story didn’t click..

Concerns
While an interesting premise, the plot unfolded so slowly that I had trouble wanting to keep turning pages.

Final Thoughts
I think with any series there will be some books that meet expectations better than others. I do like the Milo and Alex duo, but this police procedural wasn’t my cup of tea.

If you aren’t familiar with this series, it might be a good idea to start with a few at the beginning. It might be helpful to have a better knowledge of the characters before starting the City of the Dead. Though it is a standalone book.

For sure give this book a try. Or at least go back and start with some earlier ones, since it’s a very good series.

My thanks to the publisher, and NetGalley for the ability to review this book. The opinions expressed are completely my own.

City of the Dead is a good mystery which is part of the Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis series. I do not think I have read any in the series. This did not hurt my enjoyment of the story. Alex is a psychiatrist who helps his friend Milo in his murder investigations. The writing is particularly good, and the story moves along. I recommend this book. Glad to find a new series to read. Thank you, Net Galley, for an advanced copy for an honest review

Milo and Alex are at it again! They will stop at nothing to get to the truth! Once again, Kellerman does not disappoint! This was a solid crime solving mystery!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for offering me the opportunity to read a pre-release copy of Jonathan Kellerman's "City of the Dead." It is the 37th (Imagine that?!) novel in his Alex Delaware - Milo Sturgis crime thriller series! These two have an "Odd Couple" sort of vibe to their long-lived partnership that rarely disappoints. That chemistry is on full display here in Kellerman's latest offering.

In this latest series installment, Alex and Milo, once again, team up to solve a strange and gruesome double homicide. In a perfectly "perfect" sunny and bright suburban neighborhood in Los Angeles, the realities of more violent human proclivities once again require their particular areas of expertise. No one, it would seem, is safe from life's darker side in this the City of Angels...and the Dead.

What ensues is a wonderfully plotted story that once again showcases the beautifully intertwined professional and personal relationship that defines the Delaware-Sturgis magic! For fans and first readers alike, this relationship development is always the heart and soul of Kellerman's best offerings!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and most assuredly to Jonathan Kellerman for providing me with the advanced copy of "City of the Dead." It was my pleasure to provide an honest review in exchange.

Publication date: February 8, 2022

#CityoftheDead
#JonathanKellerman
#RandomHouse/BallantineBooks
#NetGalleyARCs

I have not previously read any books by this author and didn’t realize they were so prolific. I started this with high hopes. A naked man ends up dead by a moving truck seemed a great premise to start a story with but it didn’t really move me at all. I turned the pages and got through the book but was never really invested in the characters or the story. It was fine but I was hoping for something to force me to read it. This book never hooked me that way.

Doctor Delaware and Milo are back again. This time a murder with a puzzling other death.
As usual, there is the witty banner between Milo and Alex, plenty of characters and some insight into psychology.
Naturally, it all comes together in the end.
The Milo and Delaware books do not require any thinking on the readers behalf, just a desire to be entertained and this one is no different.
Loved every minute of it!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
"City Of The Dead" is #37 in Mr. Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series & I have been a fan & reader of this series for many years.
As I have stated before, I love this series because I love the relationship that exists between the 2 main characters, Alex & Miles, & I love how all of the murder mysteries that they are involved in are very complex, original & well thought out.
Many series authors become stale over time but not in this case.
"City Of The Dead" had so many twists & turns that kept me very interested & entertained that I couldn’t wait to find some free time everyday to be able to continue reading it.
I can’t wait for book #38.

I love this series and this was a welcome addition. Milo and Alex have such a great friendship and work well together. This book captured my attention in the first chapter and kept it through the last page. Loved it!

Detective Milo Sturgis and psychologist Alex Delaware are back. In LA, the land of sunshine and beautiful people. But this morning the city is not very pretty. As they arrive at the scene of a young and naked man who has run into a moving van in the wee hours. The driver is distraught and it looks like the man just ran straight into the truck. Until they find the blood trail.

The trail leads them to a nearby house where they find a woman savagely murdered. And Alex has met her before. In a custody case. Cordelia was an influencer who pretended to be a psychologist in a bitter custody case. Looks like she is still getting by on that lie.

Investigations lead them to a horrible family background along with a sketchy past. Has someone from her past returned? And who is the naked man in the street? Questions that lead to more questions than answers.

This is one of my favorite series. You think you know but you do not! At all! Once again Kellerman has given us Alex at his best, trying to untangle a web of lies and truly horrible people in this psychological thriller.

NetGalley/February 8th, 2022 by Ballantine Books

In this well written tale, Det. Sturgis calls Alex Delaware in to help with a puzzling case involving two dead bodies. The connection between the victims is not immediately clear, however Alex is surprised to discover he knows one of them. The female victim is an interesting character with a complicated past. As to be expected, there is an intricate web of clues and potential suspects to be considered by Alex and Milo. The pace builds as the story progresses, with tension and twists holding my attention to the very end. A very good read that is sure to please fans of Alex Delaware novels.

Being a former librarian, I was familiar with this author and Alex Delaware but had never taken the chance to read one. While I was very eager, it still took me awhile to get into this story. I understand it's the 37th in the series, and I suspect I may not have been so confused if I had read some of the others.

The story begins with two guys in a moving van who hit a "bump" in the road. Turns out to be a human body, a naked human body! This is where Alex Delaware comes in. It seems the body wasn't killed by the van but was already dead. Then they find another body nearby. The story does pick up and get better as you sort of "acclimatize" to it, but I don't feel like I can give it five stars. Thanks, NetGalley for the chance to read it. I should probably go back to book 1 and get a better feeling for the series.

From my Twitter account to my 2 million followers:

I just read an advance copy of Jonathan Kellerman's latest, "City of the Dead," coming out from @penguinrandom next month. It's excellent, a detective procedural and psychological thriller that amounts to a page-turner with a satisfying conclusion. Bravo.

Quite the action packed, twisty, interesting story. Jonathan never disappoints with this series. I look forward to the next one.

Thank you to Random House, Jonathan Kellerman, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Previously published at https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/city-of-the-dead/

Los Angeles was the kind of place where everybody was from somewhere else and nobody really dropped anchor. It was a transient place. People drawn by the dream, people running from the nightmare. Twelve million people and all of them ready to make a break for it if necessary. Figuratively, literally, metaphorically — any way you want to look at it — everybody in L.A. keeps a bag packed. Just in case. –Michael Connelly

After having read 37 books in the Alex Delaware series by Jonathan Kellerman, Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis have become like old friends or like a comfortable cup of soup on a chilly day. I have been reading these books for decades and they just get better and better. While sometimes there is repetitiveness or back stories to repeat, I never mind because I am always happy to go on this journey again with them. Kellerman’s books are always fast-paced, with unique and colorful characters. The friendship between Milo and Alex is refreshing, and I have enjoyed their banter and jokes throughout the years. The City of the Dead is no exception.

Kellerman’s latest focuses on the murder of a self-help guru in her house and the unidentified naked man on the street in front, who is discovered first. The young man appears to have been hit and killed by a delivery truck, out on a morning delivery, but is discovered to have been murdered before and then thrown at the van. The victim, Cordelia Gannett, is someone Alex had met while working on a child custody case, where it was determined she had lied about her credentials. But who is the unidentified man, and where does he fit into her story? The story gets very dark from there and takes the reader on many twists and turns until the ending, which is shocking. I can usually figure out the culprit, but not this time. I was way off.

There is a large cast of characters in most books in the Alex Delaware series, including this one. One thing Kellerman is best at is weaving an enormous amount of characters to each other. And let’s not forget the third character in all of his books, which is Los Angeles. I have always felt in reading this series that each book is a love letter to the City of Angels. Another interesting thing that has developed over the years with this series is in the beginning, Milo was a closeted gay officer, but it is no longer a plot Point. I highly recommend City of The Dead as one of his best ones. Each book can be read as a stand-alone and they are always so much fun to read. Alex’s friendship with Milo but also his relationship with Robin is always enviable

Some days you want a book that takes you away from the real world. For me, that is often a mystery, and better yet, a book in a series I follow. The newest Alex Delaware installment fit that bill this week. Jonathan Kellerman's series is the longest-lived collection I follow - City of the Dead is #37.

So I'll admit I'm biased.

I love Kellerman's plots and, even more, I love catching up with his cast of characters. Many series authors become stale over time, but not in this case. City of the Dead has another riveting, fast-paced, and engaging plot. A late plot twist may have some readers roll their eyes for its unlikelihood, but the setup worked for me.

If you're new to Jonathan Kellerman, start with his first book. If you are a regular reader, preorder this one right away. You'll have it in your hands on February 8th, 2022. Something to look forward to in the new year.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Two movers driving in a big van in early morning turn into a small street only to feel a bump. Thinking they hit an animal they get out to inspect only to find a dead naked man.
Police officer Milo Stugis and his side kick Psychologist Alex Delaware follow the blood to another murder of a woman killed in her home Cordelia Gannett. Were the two cases related?
Another good Alex Delaware read!

Thanks to Netgalley and Bellatine Publishing for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

City of the Dead is 37 out of 37 in the Alex Delaware Series. Each of the books may be read as a standalone and enjoyed as a thrilling mystery. Once again psychologist Alex Delaware and Detective Milo Sturgis are called out to investigate a puzzling murder scene.

Donny and Alfie work for a national moving company, Armour, Inc, and nothing about this trip has gone right. However, nothing prepared them for a loud thump which turned out to be a naked man hitting their truck. "Wrong place, wrong time for everyone."

When a man in the neighborhood suggests that the victim may have been running from a rental house nearby which has frequent visitors of questionable character, blood is discovered by the rear door. Sturgis and Delaware are called to the scene when a woman's body is found in the house. Further complicating the case is that Alex realizes he encountered the victim in a prior case.

A moving van hits something in the early morning hours, presumably an animal. When the movies exit the van to check, they are horrified to discover the naked dead man lying on the ground.
When L.A. Homicide Detective Milo Sturgis and psychologist/police consultant Alex Delaware appear on scene and follow the blood trail, another dead body is discovered. Alex identifies the body as Cordelia Gannett, a woman he met posing as a psychologist on one of his child custody cases. Are the two bodies connected? Does it have to do with Cordelia’s current job? As the investigation continues into the lives of the two dead bodies, more questions arise.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.