Ebook/Mystery -Thriller: Definitely five stars. This book had my attention from the jump. Missing money becomes scam becomes missing person becomes stolen property, becomes murder. Lots of snarky dialogue in Clay's first person monologue. Then there's that Clay is stuck out where there's no cell towers. The only thing I didn't like was that all those license plates were explored. I felt there was something there.
Thank you Netgalley for a copy of the ARC.

I've read lots of Kellerman books, but somehow have missed this character series. Definitely different from their other characters and books and take a little to get into the story of this book as you don't know who is who and some really strange characters is emerge out of nowhere. I almost felt like it was a twilight zone story but then again it reminds me of an Agatha Christie who dunnit.
At any rate, it will keep you turning pages and guessing what's next. A nice read but I did not enjoy as much as their other works. I probably should read some of the other books in the series with Clay as the main character.
I was provided an advanced reader copy at my request and was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions expressed are my own. Many thanks to the authors, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

The latest installment in the Clay Edison series by the prolific father-son writing duo is a gripping and thrilling read. The narrative picks up almost a year after Clay Edison, a former coroner, has been compelled to leave his position at the coroner's bureau. Now reinvented as a private investigator, Edison embarks on a journey that blends mystery, danger, and a deep dive into human nature.

The plot kicks off with a seemingly straightforward fraud case. However, as Edison delves deeper, he uncovers a decades-old scheme preying on the vulnerable. The investigation leads him to a peculiar and isolated town in the remote wilderness of California. The authors masterfully evoke the eerie atmosphere of this secluded community, portraying it as a place where outsiders are unwelcome and secrecy is paramount.

The town's residents are depicted with a sinister edge, their hostility towards Edison palpable. This antagonism builds tension throughout the novel, creating a sense of foreboding that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The community's willingness to go to extreme lengths to protect their secrets adds layers of intrigue and suspense to the narrative.

Clay Edison is a compelling protagonist, characterized by his resilience and sharp investigative skills. His transition from a coroner to a private investigator is seamless, and his determination to uncover the truth, despite the dangers, makes him an admirable and relatable character. The challenges he faces in this insular town test his limits and resourcefulness, adding depth to his character arc.

The writing is taut and immersive, reflecting the seasoned expertise of the authors. The pacing is brisk, with each chapter propelling the story forward and revealing new twists. The father-son team excels at crafting scenes that are vivid and cinematic, making it easy for readers to visualize the unfolding drama. The dialogue is crisp and realistic, contributing to the authenticity of the characters and their interactions.

The novel's exploration of themes such as corruption, vulnerability, and the quest for justice is thought-provoking. The portrayal of a community willing to go to great lengths to protect its own secrets serves as a powerful commentary on the lengths people will go to preserve their way of life, no matter how twisted it may be.

Overall, the latest Clay Edison thriller is a masterful addition to the series. It combines a gripping plot, well-developed characters, and a chilling setting to create a page-turner that will satisfy both new readers and longtime fans of the series. This book is a testament to the authors' ability to craft brilliant, page-turning fiction, as Stephen King aptly puts it. If you're looking for a thrilling mystery with depth and suspense, this novel is not to be missed.

While this story started a little slowly for me, I soon found myself very interested in this odd community.

Truthfully, I’m a little ‘meh’ on real estate thrillers (this seems to be a thing these days), the book soon became truly suspenseful.

I loved our MC and his relationship with his wife – and adored his surprising partner.

Definitely ended up being a good book!

• ARC via Publisher

Whenever I am in the mood for a gripping thriller, *The Lost Coast* by Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman is my go-to. This latest Clay Edison novel, set a year after he left his job as a coroner, sees him as a private investigator embroiled in a decades-old fraud scheme in the remote town of Swann’s Flat, Northern California. The Kellermans excel at transforming a simple real estate investigation into a suspenseful narrative filled with complex, secretive characters and unexpected twists. The eerie setting and intricate plot make it one of their best works, offering a thrilling, binge-worthy experience from start to finish. Fans of the Kellermans and newcomers alike will find this novel deeply satisfying and engaging.

I have read all of the Clay Edison series, and the latest is just as good as the rest. It takes a little bit of time to get going, but the payoff is well worth it in the end. Really enjoyable, honest to the existing characters, and a very quick read. Really loved the introduction of Regina, and hope we get to see her in future installments. Thank you to the publisher and Net galley for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my opinion.

This is the 5th book in the Clay Edison series from Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman but it holds its own as a stand alone novel if you haven’t read the others. A fantastic suspense story full of twists and turns. I love when a book keeps me guessing until the very end. Father and son wrote seamlessly together.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

Of the books I have read by this author duo in the past, I am excited to share my thoughts about this upcoming release. The reason is because I think this is one of the best books they have written that I’ve read to date.

The story is so different from what you see in the mainstream and I love the interwoven detail that makes this plot rife with possibilities. I could see this scheme happening, and most likely it really has.

What was also interesting is the way different characters became his focus while looking for the answers for the immediate issue at hand. But through the research and PI work, more issues popped up, leading the story into another direction, but strangely cumulating around the same location.

While the plot idea seems a bit dry and not overly plausible for a book to be written about, the underlying corruption is full of twists, turns, and details that wrap the reader into a non-stop binge.

The characters are complex and secretive, with a touch of manic behavior hovering below the surface, just enough to keep you off balance. There is some comic relief with a secondary PI joining the ranks. She is great!

The Lost Coast is a dive into the wilds of Northern California and its amazingly unique desolate areas where you do need to watch your back and trust no one.

The Kellerman’s crafted a crime thriller that is a perfect example of taking a simple white-collar crime and exploding it into a story that will grab hold of you from beginning to end.

Well Done!

I requested this book as it is the fifth in the series and I enjoyed the others. This was a bit of disappointment as it did not meet the standards of the first four. While remaining a quick read, it was not as engaging and was more predictable. Hopefully, the next in the series will bounce back.

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

Good, but kind of falls apart at. the end

I really enjoyed the first 90% or so of this book. But the end was a bit of a letdown. It was still good and I recommend reading it, but I wish there had been something more to finish it - a twist or more action.

It is the story of Clay, a former coroner turned private eye, who goes to a remote part of California to see if there is a scam that is selling people un-buildable property and then charge them exorbitant amounts as regular assessments. A missing young man and mysterious author become plot points. There was a great character, a female PI named Regina, Other than Clay and Regina I really didn't care much about the people. But, most of the book was good. i just went to bed hoping that I could wake to one more chapter.

A grandson discovers he is the executor of his recently deceased grandmother's estate. In reviewing her bank
statements, momthly payments to an unknown entity are discovered. Clay Edison is hired to look into it, revealing
a real estate scam. When he travels to the location of the property, a missing person becomes part of the
investigation. Questionable characters, isolated area and fraud deliver a suspenseful read.
#TheLostCoast #RandomHouse #BallantineBooks #NetGalley

The Lost Coast
by Jonathon and Jesse Kellerman
Pub Date: August 6, 2024
Thanks to the authors, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I love this brilliant father son writing duo!
It's been almost a year since Clay Edison was forced out of his job at the coroner's bureau. Now he's on his own, working as a private eye. When a client brings him a fraud case, Clay dives into a decades-old scheme targeting the vulnerable. His investigation leads him to a bizarre town buried in the remote California wilderness. The residents don't care much for outsiders. They certainly don't like Clay asking questions. And they'll do just about anything to shut him up.
I am a big fan of Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series and enjoy this one as well. These books have the authors’ characteristically vivid detailed descriptions that paint a good sense of place. They are observant and often amusing. This is a quick read with a bit of a tangled plot A new player, a fellow female PI is introduced who is quite the character. And speaking of characters, the inhabitants of Swan’s Landing are uniquely peculiar.
Enjoy this book as a stand-alone if you desire.

This is the fifth in the Clay Edison coroner turned private eye series written by the father and son Kellerman team. It is the third I have read; it works well as a standalone.

While investigating a property sales fraud case, Clay finds a relatively unknown and dangerous section of the California coast known as Swan’s Landing that seems to be a hotbed for a real estate scam that preys on vulnerable individuals. When he visits, his questions put him in danger especially when he becomes interested in searching for a missing person.

I am a big fan of Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series and enjoy this one as well. These books have the authors’ characteristically vivid detailed descriptions that paint a good sense of place. They are observant and often amusing. This is a quick read with a bit of a tangled plot A new player, a fellow female PI is introduced who is quite the character. And speaking of characters, the inhabitants of Swan’s Landing are uniquely peculiar.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Clay is happy being his own boss. His next case involves finding out why a grandmother was paying money to a company for decades. This investigation takes Clay in directions he never anticipated. This book intrigued me.

Anyone following the Clay Edison series by bestselling and award winning author Jonathan Kellerman and his son, Jesse Kellerman, will want to immediately pick up the fifth novel in the series, The Lost Coast

Clay edison, who is working as a private detective now, is asked by a wealthy client to look into a fraud case where vulnerable people have purchased worthless land, and have been paying for years for it, as well as additional costs. As Clay investigates, he is taken to a remote area that is very difficult to get to, and, as he poses as a person interested in purchasing land there, puts himself in danger where he is shot at and stalked; there is no one there that he can trust. Murders have possibly been covered up, and things aren’t as they seem.

Jonathan Kellerman, of course, is known for his excellent storytelling ability, and it seems that his son also has that talent. This novel flows and is easy to follow, but has ups and downs and building suspense. The sub characters are well developed, as is Clay, who is the protagonist and well known from the previous novels. This novel does contain some profanity, which is not a usual thing in Kellerman novels, but it is strictly to characterize a PI who was previously on the case and who helps Clay assists him. The profanity is pretty much just her and it fits.

All told, this is another good novel from the Kellermans. Because of the history of Clay in the previous novels, it is suggested that they be read before this one.


Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

I am embarrassed to say that even though I have read all the prior books in this series, I didn't retain much memory of them beyond enjoying reading them at the time. Once I got into book 5, elements of the previous books came back into focus. This is a longwinded way of saying you need not have read the other books in this series to enjoy this one.

Having the deeper backstory from reading the books in order won't necessarily provide any meaningful advantage over others who haven't. The only downside to starting here would be when you go back to start the series from the beginning, you will have information that will serve as spoilers in these earlier books.

So, no spoilers here! With this installment, Clay is back and finds himself mixed up in another caper. A seemingly common real estate scam melds with a missing person case that gets kind of twisty in an unexpected way. This time around Clay acts much more maturely when it comes to his own well-being and dealings with his wife, Amy. Sometimes it was clear where things were going and other times were perplexing, all good things in a mystery book.

One of my favorite things about the Kellerman father/son duo books is trying to see if I can figure out which parts the Dad wrote. Full disclosure, huge fan of the Alex Delaware books. Sometimes I think yeah, totally Jonathon then second-guess myself until I give up and read on.

Disclosure: Received an uncorrected ARC of this book from NetGalley and Ballantine Books/Random House (Thank you!) in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent entry in the Clay Edison series. Clay takes on a case for former client. What looks like an easy solves turns into a convoluted case of scam, crazies, murder and accidental death. Clay assumes a new identity to gain the trust of the few citizens of a hidden community. There is lots of intrigue in this one and it's worth the read.

I do the the characters created in this series. This installment had me guessing with all the twist and turns in the story plot. The story was humorous and I can't wait until the next installment.

The Lost Coast, written by the father-son team of Jonathan and Jesse Kellermen, is an exhilarating thriller that captivates readers from beginning to end. The story follows Clay Edison, a private investigator, as he embarks on a journey to Humboldt County in search of answers for his client. The inhabitants of this mysterious place are both peculiar and intimidating. With its relentless pace, I found myself engrossed in the book, reading it in one sitting. I highly recommend adding this riveting tale to your "To Be Read" list.

Thank you to Net Galley and Ballantine Books for the ARC to read and review.

Clay Edison, a former coroner and now a private investigator, takes on a client whose deceased grandmother was paying years of maintenance to a organization defrauding people to pay for useless plots of land. In finding this remote area, Swan's Landing, he also uncovers a group of questionable characters and leads to a missing person's case. Upon further investigation, the book moves from land fraud to uncovering a bizarre series of disappearances and deaths. Clay teams up with another investigator Regina as they work together to unravel the schemes and hopefully come out of it alive. Another great book by Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for giving me the opportunity to reach this amazing ARC.