This was such a unique addition to the Alex Delaware series and I absolutely loved it. Not only do I learn something in each book - something about psychiatry, police procedure, or the instruments Robin makes - but the process of watching the investigation unfold is always fascinating.

I hope Mr. Kellerman keeps writing these books for years to come because I could read one a week!

Thank you to Negalley, the author, and publisher for an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own.

I have been reading this series for tears and enjoy the how Mr. Kellerman weaves his stories. His books focus on the story but he also writes about the characters lives to make his stories more real.

A good murder mystery to be solved by Milo, Alex, Moe, Sean and Alicia. Many suspects and the investigation moved along. Suddenly, too much seemed to come together too quickly and everything was solved. Now, on to the next installment of this great series.

*Thank you to Random House/Ballantine, Jonathan Kellerman, and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/unnatural-history/

“On thinking about Hell, I gather my brother Shelley found it was a place much like the city of London. I, who live in Los Angeles and not in London, find, on thinking about Hell, that it must be still more like Los Angeles.”
–Bertolt Brecht

There isn’t a book in the entire Alex Delaware series (38!) that I haven’t devoured as soon as it has come out. Except for a few, Los Angeles is always the main character and I am always glued to the very last page. Unnatural History is no exception, focusing on the juxtaposition of the very wealthy in LA and the very downtrodden homeless, and what could happen when those pieces clash. As part of Kellerman’s formula, the same characters appear in most books including Dr. Alex Delaware, a child psychologist, his best friend Milo Sturgis, a gay Los Angeles detective who uses Dr. Delaware’s expertise in psychology to consult on cases, Robin, Alex’s long-time girlfriend and their French bulldog Blanche, and of course, Los Angeles, the main character of all books in the series.

Donny Klement, the youngest son of the eccentric billionaire, a novice photographer is shot to death in his home/studio in the middle of the night. Discovered by his assistant, Mel Gornick, she tells the detectives of Donny’s latest project, called The Wishers. The Wishers are a group of homeless individuals, recruited by a mysterious man named “Cap”, for Donny to photograph. The idea is that Donny will ask them what they “wished” to be when they “grew up”; possibly a doctor, or movie star, or even a fighter pilot. He then dresses them as their wishes and photographs them. Described as naive and a gentle soul, Donny let these subjects in his home and paid them a large sum of money, and now one of them may have killed him.

Viktor, Donny’s father, is absent. Never a presence in Donny’s life. He has been married 6 times and had one child with each wife. The older siblings interact with each other, but only one of them has taken the time to get to know Donny. Is it a homeless person who killed Donny, or a member of the distant Klement family interested in getting a bigger piece of the inheritance? Alex and Milo zero in on the messy family as well as Donny’s “The Wishers Project” that brought strangers into Donny’s home.

Unnatural History is one of Kellerman’s more poignant books, focusing on the plight of the homeless and mentally ill on the streets of Los Angeles. They become privy to the plights and back stories of these unique individuals, who have somehow ended up with the shorter stick. The Author can humanize the plight of these characters in a way that the readers can relate to them and how badly they have been victimized. This is Kellerman at his very best. Just the dialogue between Sturgis and Delaware is worth it. But also, the depiction of Los Angeles is always the star.

This installment was quite good, and reminded me of earlier books in the series. The one prior to this wasn't my favorite, and I worried a bit that the series might be ending.. Kellerman is back, and this was an interesting plot, that was developed nicely.

Big thanks to both Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Unnatural History!

I very much enjoyed reading this book, which finds Dr. Alex Delaware and Detective Milo Sturgis involved in an unsettling case of altruism that possibly has gone wrong, and they are forced to peel back layer after layer of intrigue and complexity. The story centers on the murder of Donny (Adonis) Klement, a trusting soul whose photographic project dealt with "The Wishers" - a group of houseless individuals (as they are referred to here in Oregon) who were cleaned up and dressed to be photographed as what they wish their lives would have been. Possibly a movie star? Or a doctor? Or how about a Top Gun pilot?

I love the friendship Alex and Milo share and Unnatural History finds the pair at their best! Anyone who enjoys reading a police procedural, with a fascinating side of psychology, will love Unnatural History. In my opinion, this book can definitely be read as a stand-alone.

Another great story in the series. Heavy on the Alex and Miles interaction which is always my favorite part. A good mystery as well.

What a great read! I’ve read all the Alex Delaware novels, and I’m rarely disappointed. I love the friendship between Lt. Sturgis and Dr. Delaware. Lt. Sturgis’ team of detectives is great, and they both like and appreciate Dr. Delaware’s insights. This works as a stand-alone novel, but go and read the series from the beginning. I do miss the mentions of the food and restaurants that the earlier novels had. And thankfully this one has less mention of the traffic in Los Angeles. I’d rather read about food than traffic any day! I hope Mr. Kellerman is writing now, as the next Delaware novel cannot come too soon.

This is probably not where you want to start the Delaware series, but as a longtime reader, I completely enjoyed this latest tale of a photographer killed shortly after using homeless men and women as models.

As always, the tale becomes a twisted trip through the minds of the victims, killer, and witnesses, as the author draws on his significant history with psychology. Milo, Robin and Blanche also make appearances.

Another good entry into the series.

Book Unnatural History
Series: Alex Delaware #38
Author: Jonathan Kellerman
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group ~Ballantine. Ballantine Books
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: February 7, 2023
My Rating: 3.3 stars

Adonis "Donny" Klement, a handsome wealthy photographer, follows the lives of LA's homeless population until he is shot in his apartment.
Donny had received great reviews about his project with the homeless.
There are some, who view the whole thing as nothing more than exploitation as after Donny finishes his series, he leaves them to their real life that they were living.
So there are many suspects.
Detective Milo Sturgis in on the case and calls in his longtime friend Alex.
Always enjoy when these two get together to solve a case.
Looking forward to #39!

Personal Note:
Mnemonics did have me laughing out loud. I ‘get’ associating someone to something that makes it easy to remember their name. Only it takes me long to find something to associate. I have found looking into their eyes saying their name as I say “nice to meet you. Also find saying their name 10 times always works for me
BTW: Couldn’t you just picture Alex and Robin slow dancing to James Brown’s “Try Me”?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2XY6oRD2xc

Want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group ~Ballantine. Ballantine Books for granted my wish with this early uncorrected proof.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for February 7, 2023

Interesting plot line. Made the reader sympathetic to the homeless. Good character development. Easy reading.

Another Alex Delaware mystery, another crime where Alex helps Milo Sturgis with a whodunit. At this point in this series, I can't tell one story from another, the characters are getting stale, nothing here happens that makes me want to root for them to find the killer since every killer in these books are as unmemorable as the last.

In terms of psychological thrillers, Jonathan Kellerman is still the best but if you skip this one, the next one won't be much different. I would recommend this series and author faster to my students than any one particular title he has written.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a sneak preview.

Los Angeles is a city of stark contrast, the palaces of the affluent coexisting uneasily with the hellholes of the mad and the needy. That shadow world and the violence it breeds draw brilliant psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware and Detective Milo Sturgis into an unsettling case of altruism gone wrong.

An artist/photographer has been found in his studio, shot three times. Could one of the homeless he's been photographing have killed him? Could robbery be the motive? After all, the young, naive photographer was from a wealthy family and flashed a lot of cash.

As Alex and Milo run down lead after lead, they explore the dark underbelly of Los Angeles, and find that this case has roots that go way back. Kellerman's characters are always fully formed, and the details of gritty police work ring true. Highly recommended. #UnnaturalHistory #NetGalley #SaltMarshAuthors

Whew. This one pains me to say. It's a miss. I adore Milo and Alex, they're one of my favorite book duos. This one just dragged and dragged. 31% done and I wanted to quit it.. I choked it down. Hopefully others liked it more than I

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

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5031783281

I've read many books by Jonathan Kellerman and have enjoyed them all. This one was no different. Fast paced, and easy to follow along with characters I've come to know and love. His books grab you and keep you wanting to read more. I highly recommend this book.

Alex, Milo, and the team are the best. I always look forward to a new Jonathan Kellerman book and I am never disappointed. Love the dialogue, the descriptions and the mysteries. This one wasn’t as gruesome as some of his others and I am ok with that, LOL. A little murder lite is not a bad thing. Keep them coming. Love, love, love.

I’ve read every one of Jonathan Kellerman’s books and they never fail to entertain and enlighten. You might think that #38 would lose some of it sizzle – but you’d be wrong. If anything, as the series progresses, the plots and characters become even more defined. Mr. Kellerman’s writing style is superb and I find it very difficult to put his books down once I’ve started. Unnatural History is another gem! My only complaint is that I finished it too quickly and now must wait for his next book.
Alex Delaware and Milo are a tremendous crime solving team that combines Dr. Delaware’s psychological insight and Milo’s steadfast detective skills to solve crimes. Milo’s outstanding team of detectives add greatly to the story as well.
Unnatural History takes place in the Los Angeles area and Mr. Kellermans description of the area and people is outstanding. That story begins with what seems like a simple murder but quickly becomes far more complicated as the multiple victims pile up.
Although Mr. Kellerman’s books have recurring characters, they also serve as standalone books. I highly recommend that you read Unnatural History – and then go back and read his others. You will not be disappointed.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC and thank you Jonathan Kellerman for yet another great book. If I could give more than 5 stars, I would!

I really enjoyed the look the way our homeless population was portrayed as people who are struggling from addiction or mental health & shared some of their struggles that led them to being homeless.

Another great installment of the Alex & Milo partnership as well.

Alex Delaware is brought in to a murder investigation when too many suspects make Milo’s job tricky. A wealthy young man is short while in bed with no sign of forced entry. His work taking portraits of several homeless people put them in the house, but the victim’s strange family relationships cause Alex to wonder if that could be the key.
The dialogue tends to be stilted, but the plot is good.

"...lawyerly pronouncement larded with repetition... a lot of thesaurus abuse." When you put child psychologist Alex Delaware with long-time best friend LAPD detective Milo Sturgis, and you add the murder of Adonis "Donny" Klement, an heir to multi-billioǹaire reclusive eccentric; And what do you get? No. 38th Jonathan Kellerman's "Unnatural History" !
Now, I'll admit to a huge bias....I'm absolutely thrilled to have the privilege to have an early read of any new Alex Delaware thriller! A very emotional young female's 911 call brings Lt. Sturgis to a remarkable murder scene. A three storey blue house has a very dead twenty-something young male, with a tight triangle of bullet holes in his heart. Milo gets Alex immediately involved as a great number of unanswered aspects evolve; like nothing is missing, no clues as to why this very rich photographer has been brutally murdered! Could his work with a group of unhomed whom he hired to dress-up into each person's dream? But why? Was one or two angry with photo expose? Drugs? Alcohol? Or did Denny's disjointed dysfunctional family want to reduce a potential heir? Kellerman gives a sensitive spotlight to the unhomed as Alex opines "Bit most people who lack an address, a paper trail, any documentation of their existence, don't choose to live that way, and searching for them was a detective's nightmare".
I highly recommend this outstanding psychological murder mystery!!!