I was invested just from the book's description. I wanted to know who Meagin March was. Who was Gio? Which of them was the target? Were they both the target? What if neither of them was? Why were they targeted? So many questions; I needed answers!

The cover is also very alluring. An image of a stunningly blue rectangular pool at night, overlooking the city with a sky full of stars above it, sits besides a warmly glowing glass-walled home. It’s inviting, yet at the same time, you know it’s also sinister.

At 304 pages, it’s an average length book.

The main characters, Milo and Alex, are familiar old friends to readers of Kellerman’s books. But there’s nothing stale about the characters or their relationship. As always, there is a subplot that involves Alex’s psychology practice.

If you’re a fan of Kellerman’s books, this feels like most of them do: as if you’re catching up with old friends you haven’t seen in a few weeks or months. The characters are well-formed, familiar, and reliable. You know that while the plot is going to take you on a twisty ride, Milo and Alex are steady and stable.

If this is your first experience with Kellerman’s books, you won’t feel totally left out. He provides background information and catches you up from previous books that helps new readers feel like they’re getting to know these characters while not boring long-time fans who are already familiar with the duo.

The plot itself is fresh and new, different from other books he’s written before. Some authors begin to feel a little stale and repetitive over time, as if they’ve run out of ideas and are recycling old ones with new names, faces, and some minor changes here and there. Kellerman doesn’t read that way, however. His books feel like I’m friends with a psychologist and a police detective, and whenever I meet up with them, they have a new, interesting case to share with me.

I felt like the subplot of Alex’s new client took more of a backseat than they usually do, though I’ll admit it has been a while since I read one of these books. But it seemed like there were far fewer mentions of it, and ultimately, I was a little unsatisfied regarding the subplot when the book ended. I was very intrigued by the nature of that client and the case presented, and I felt like I just didn’t get the ending and satisfaction I needed from it.

The main plot, however, did not disappoint. With one question finally answered, two more would take its place. Characters came and went, each distinct and providing their own take on what had happened to the two victims.

The victims, though dead from page one, were also well-formed. They were given quirks, flaws, histories, relationships - everything that allowed them to seem like well-rounded real people whom you felt sorry for one minute, didn’t like the next, and liked the moment after that. You not only find yourself wanting to know who did it and why but wanting justice to be served.

When the killer and their motive is finally revealed, you are both surprised and not surprised. Kellerman gives you enough information for you to begin figuring it out and to deduce who likely did it just far enough ahead of his characters deducing the same that you feel excited for having figured it out without feeling the disappointment of it being too easy.

The book is just the right length: not too short to leave you feeling like it went too quickly or there are holes, but not so long that it begins to feel repetitive or boring. Milo’s lack of information or clues is perfectly balanced with the discoveries of new information or clues. Alex’s assessments of people feel authentic and reasonable based on his interactions with and observations of them.

Should You Read It?
If you’re a fan of mysteries and thrillers, Jonathan Kellerman, or victims that you’re not sure if you should feel sympathy for them or not, then this book is likely one you’ll enjoy.

I'm not sure why I've never read a Jonathan Kellerman book before now, but this was a great police procedural with likeable characters. I can't believe I've never heard of this series before now as this is #29. I would like to read the series from the beginning as I would like to know the backstory of Alex and Milo.

Another Alex and Milo investigation. This time there is two people dead by the side of the pool. Why have they been murdered?
Thanks to Ballantine Books and to NetGalley for the ARC.

Another solid entry into the Alex Delaware series. With this being book 39 in the series you pretty much know what you are going to get.

With this one Milo is still struggling with the injuries that Alex had sustained with their last case, causing him to keep Alex out of a lot of the work they normally do together. After a gentle nudge from Robin Milo brings Alex into a case that is a double homicide in a neighborhood of "gated estates" in Bel Air.

I did have some issues with this one as it seemed rushed to me and I missed seeing the psychologist side of Alex that we normally get to see as well. It was not until the absolute end that we say some of this and it seemed like it was put in as an afterthought. The ending of the case seemed very rushed as well. Like Jonathan did not know how he wanted to end this one and just threw something out there.

An Alex Delaware/Milo Sturgis mystery is a yearly treat for me. This novel shows that Kellerman is still on the top of his game. The mystery along with detailed character development are what sets Kellerman's mysteries apart from others. The banter between Milo and Alex is as fresh as it was 30 plus years ago. It is a great series to recommend!

Milo Sturgis and Alex Delaware investigate another odd murder. Or murders as there are two victims found together. Lovers decked out naked around a swimming pool in Bel Air. Of course, the immediate question is which one of the two is the primary victim. The investigation is thwarted by secrets and lies. With an interesting cast of suspects and a complicated storyline, this mystery is Jonathan Kellerman at his best.
For readers who love Tess Gerritsen's Rizzoli & Isles series and James Patterson's Women's Murder club.

As always this Alex Delaware novel does not disappoint. It's comforting to see the relationships grow among Alex, Milo and Robin. The mystery is intriguing and very well plotted. This is one of the best in the series.

Child psychologist Alex Delaware who has also lent his help and expertise to the Los Angeles police department with their request from his best friend Lieutenant detective Milo Sturgis who calls Alex in on complicated cases which together they have solved many, many cases over the years. Now over in Beverly Hills they are called to the brutal double murder of model, handsome Gio Aggiunta and his apparent paramour, gorgeous Meagin March who also happens to be a very wealthy, married woman. The murders appear to be an assassination but Alex and Milo will have to find out who the real target was unless it happened to be both the man and the woman!

The case will take them down many twisted avenues involving several different suspects with plenty of motives yet the puzzle pieces don't quite fit and then a few more bodies turn up that could be connected to one of the victims or maybe not! This is where Milo depends on Alex to observe and analyze every player, victim and suspect with a fine toothed comb.


I really enjoyed this latest novel by author Jonathan Kellerman. This book brought me back to all the reasons I fell in love with the stand-alone
Alex Delaware series! The chemistry of the friendship between Alex and Milo felt comfortable again where the banter was appropriate and not overdone. Their personal lives are shown in a subtle, interesting and tasteful way yet stayed in the background so the story steered straight into the mystery and drama of all the characters who were involved somehow with the murder victims. The book also showed an emotional depth which was quite unexpected. I forgot all about the title "The Ghost Orchid" and the big reveal doesn't occur until after the fifty percent mark. I also thought it was brilliant how that title intertwined with the back story of one particular character and I also loved the meaning behind "GHOST ORCHID" so this added another special dimension to this wonderfully written detective mystery/thriller.

I highly recommend to any dark, crime/mystery/ detective novel readers, you won't be disappointed!

I want to thank the publisher "Random House Publishing/Ballantine" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this terrific book and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given a rating of 4 1/2 UNIQUE AND PUZZLING 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌠 STARS!!

I started reading the Alex Delaware novels as a teenager and I loved the gritty feel of it, but unfortunately I did not feel that same grittiness in this latest installment. I found myself uninterested in the case and felt that the dynamics between Milo and Alex were off to the point that they felt like strangers to each other. It was very off-putting. I was looking forward to digging into this case along with Alex and Milo and was disappointed with the outcome.

Kellerman has been a bit hit or miss for me lately, but The Ghost Orchid, the latest in the Alex Delaware series, kept me engaged. Alex was seriously injured during his last case with buddy and police lieutenant Milo Sturgis, and Milo, being wracked with guilt, has kept Alex away from any crime scenes. Finally, Milo asks for Alex's help at the scene of a double homicide. What follows is a classic police procedural to determine which victim was the actual target and why. Like most books in the series, the city of Los Angeles is almost a character, with its glitzy neighborhoods and its slums (and its traffic). There is a small, secondary plot involving a new custody case for Alex. I wasn't sure about its purpose; maybe the people involved will be major characters in a forthcoming book.

Alex and Milo are back working together to solve a double homicide that uncovers dark secrets and hidden identities. The Ghost Orchid is full of the same smart dialogue and brilliantly unraveled facts as we’ve come to expect from Mr Kellerman. The depravity of the human mind is again highlighted in unbelievable details. Great installment of this long running series!

This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope There is more to come from this author! I am totally hooked!

A excellent addition to the series.
The pacing of the story is fast and intriguing.
This is a favorite series that I look forward to reading each time a new book comes out.
All in all, I found The Ghost Orchid to be a satisfying read. As always, Alex and Milo take us on a wild ride.
If you haven’t read this series, you need to start with the first book. The backstory about Alex and Milo is very important to know. Can you read this book as a standalone? You certainly could though I don’t recommend it.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Kellerman’s relaxed narratives have a way of weaving complexity into fine fabric and The Ghost Orchid is his finest novel yet. It lulls, intrigues, drags your imagination along on a bumpy road to discovering the tangled pathways from death to the lives that led the victims there. This novel empathically contrasts a truly dysfunctional family dynamic with a more healthy dysfunctional family in a way that will tear your heart up. One family wants to disband while doing their best at a job they are ill equipped to handle. Another wants to control others while selfishly serving their own malevolent tendencies. Stirring and engaging, this is Kellerman at his very best.

Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware series is an old favorite of mine. I enjoyed the murder mystery of this case that opens with the death of an attractive 41 year old woman and a younger attractive man in an upscale property in Bel Air California. A running side story is an evaluation Alex agrees to do involving a teenaged adoptee from Russia whose divorcing parents do not want him. While there was much to like about this entry - some interesting characters and a case going in a few directions that were entertaining, the plot overall was thin. Luck, rather than clues developed by the duo drove their success. The adoptee evaluation, which promised to be interesting ended up kind of annoying and was a let down. I expect more intelligence than Kellerman chose to give me here. This was still an enjoyable read overall and fans should not skip it. It just isn't up there in the best Alex Delawares.

Two bodies are found floating in a Bel Air pool, belonging to Gio Aggiunta, the heir to an Italian shoe empire, and Meagin March, a married neighbor. Detective Milo Sturgis calls on his friend, the psychologist Alex Delaware, to join him in investigating the dead to find leads. Meagin's identity is an issue, as is Gio's family connection. But somehow, the dangers only mount as secrets are revealed.

This is in the Alex Delaware series, but as with any long-running series, you don't necessarily need to have read all of the prior ones. Alex got hurt at the end of the prior novel, which the opening chapter in this one addresses. The dynamic between him and Milo is slightly different now, with more care taken for Alex's physical health. The attention to detail regarding the case remains the same. The duo and Milo's team looks into both of these victims, hoping to find a motivation for murder and the actual murderer. It's always fascinating to get a look into the process, with punchy, short chapters as they follow every lead, no matter how flimsy. We learn more about each victim, and the vague absence of details regarding Meagan soon means they're looking more into her origin, which isn't what they originally thought it would be.

The ghost orchid is a real plant, one found in Florida that has its roots in the air and draws nutrients from others. The plant is something of a parasite, though it doesn't kill the host. This plays into the theme of the case, and it's incredibly sad when we find out what happened to Meagin and the actual motivation for the murders. Alex got a few psychological evaluation requests, and the main one he received was a good counterpoint to the main investigation. Lives can go in wildly different directions, but sometimes the past still hangs heavily over people.

3.5 ⭐️’s
Delaware and Sturgis are my favorite duo. With interesting plots, and well developed characters, Kellerman has kept Alex and Milo in cases for years!! The Ghost Orchid was another intriguing case for the pair, and once again was a solid police procedural, but the ending was rather anti climatic and I felt a bit let down. Somewhere along the way it lost its impact. Still good, but I didn’t feel it was up to the high standards I have come to expect from Kellerman. Thank you to Ballentine Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

The Ghost Orchid is the 39th Alex Delaware procedural mystery by Jonathan Kellerman. Released 6th Feb 2023 by Penguin Random House on their Ballantine imprint, it's 304 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Large print paperback due out from the same publisher 22nd Feb 2024. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This has been such a solid and dependable very long-running series. The returning characters are so well defined at this point, with so much background written in, that they really seem to live and breathe. Dr. Delaware himself is always insightful and the "odd couple" aspects of his relationship with Detective Milo Sturgis are fun and engaging. The series has delivered solidly since 1985 which is stupendous, and that the author continues to deliver without feeling too formulaic or "phoned in" is unbelievably wonderful.

This is a modern procedural and, as in the other books, the descriptions and themes can be graphic. There are aspects of aberrant psychology or behavior and themes which may be upsetting for some readers. The mystery itself is clever, twisty, and super well constructed. Alex Delaware is called in by Milo to try and untangle the otherwise hidden psychological aspects, and as always, his observations are vital to the solving of the case.

The mystery itself and all necessary back-story are written in, so it works quite well as a standalone. The whole series is highly recommended, but readers who are new to the characters won't have any trouble keeping up. Itwould make a superlative buddy/binge/summer vacation read, or a year long project for a mystery book club. Highly successful, it's already on public library acquisition lists, but if not, it's a must read.

The unabridged audiobook version has a run time of 10 hours 7 minutes and is capably narrated by long time series narrator John Rubinstein. Mr. Rubinstein does a superb job juggling the different characters and his baritone voice manages to go from adenoidal whiny to gravelly and hard-boiled (Milo) without a single hiccup. Sound and production quality are very high throughout the read.

Four and a half stars. A solid mystery in a very solid, very long-running series.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This is an honest review in exchange for an advanced reader copy of Ghost Orchid by Jonathan Kellerman.

I have read all the prior books in the series featuring psychologist Alex Delaware and Detective Milo Sturgis. You don’t need to have rad any in the series prior to reading this book but to better understand the nuances of the main characters it benefits the reader to have read the prior books in this series.

Detective Sturgis is investigating a double homicide and asks his friend psychologist to help on the case. Together they work the streets of Los Angeles, interviewing a cast of characters. To find out who did this opens them up to many questions and very few answers. It is a difficult case but one that they are determined to solve.

This is a fast paced, exciting addition to the series. I would recommend this book to my friends. And for anyone that has not read this series I highly recommend starting on book 1 and reading your way to this book.

Milo is brought to a scene where the pool boy has found two bodies. One belongs to Gio Aggiunta and the other a woman named Meagin March. Milo brings Alex in hoping he can help him figure out which was the main target and why the were targeted. They soon learn that Gio was the youngest son of wealthy Italian shoe designer and Meagin one of the playboys married neighbors. As they dig through both of their pasts they find many reasons why someone might want either of them dead. As they delve deeper it soon becomes apparent that Meagin might not be who she said she was and Gio's family had some connections that weren't quite happy with the family. Follow along as the two run down leads in hopes of figuring out who the killer is and why they killed. Will they get the killer.they seek or will a murderer get away free.