Open Season by Jonathan Kellerman is an Alex Delaware novel. For those unfamiliar, Alex is a psychologist who works with police, well, one policeman in particular: his friend, Milo Sturgis, homicide detective. This is a gruesome crime: a woman’s body dropped off in front of a hospital. It was pretty easy to track the person who dropped the body, but what followed was mind-boggling. There were a series of murders, spanning years, seemingly unrelated, not even all locally. It took some serious research and some serious detective work as well as a gossip retrieved from an old friend. Slowly Alex and Milo put it together and landed on a suspect, and even the reasons he had done the killing, reasons in his mind at any rate.

Alex Delaware is a clinical psychologist who deals primarily with children, and usually with the courts. He lives a happy life with his partner, Robin, who refurbishes antique wood musical instruments: violins, cellos, etc., and their dog. He has a good life. And he is good at both jobs. This one was heinous, this young woman had dreamed of being an actress, not unusual in Southern California. All of her friends liked her. But, the dream got her in trouble, even when others knew the opportunity was bogus. I enjoy Alex Delaware novels. They are so much more than solving a crime.

I was invited to read Open Season by Random House Publishing Groups-Ballantine. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #RandomHousePublishingBallantine #JonathanKellerman #OpenSeason

I like that Kellerman toned down on the ridiculous characters he sometimes has. Milo and female characters were more realistic in this novel compared to some of his previous works.

I can’t believe that OPEN SEASON is the fortieth (40!!) Alex Delaware novel. That’s 40 adventures with Alex and his best friend LAPD Lieutenant Milo Sturgis. An odd couple, for sure, but they work. There is a depth and easiness to their friendship, that you will enjoy whether you have read them all or are just starting the series.
Seemingly unconnected deaths challenge Alex and Milo and bring in some familiar faces to help. I enjoyed the interactions and the twists as we sped to the end. I didn’t want to put the book down and finished it quickly. I am glad I rediscovered the series and look forward to the next one!
Thanks to the publisher for the chance to read an advanced copy. All opinions are my own and freely given.

I didn’t enjoy this one as much, felt a bit tired of a plot with same characters. I do like Kellerman writing, just a bit tired of the same. But others may really enjoy it.

Milo gets a case of a young aspiring actress whose body was dumped near an emergency room, she has been drugged then murdered. Asking Alex to help the two begin to look into the young woman's life and soon have a suspect. When their main suspect also ends up murdered with a weapon that was used in a previous killing the case gets more interesting. The only problem now is finding a connection between these murders.when there doesn't seem to be one. The two dig deeper into this sophisticated killer and begin to unravel just who he is. Will the duo come up with answer before someone else ends up dead?

Jonathan Kellerman has hit a milestone 40th book in his Alex Delaware series with Open Season. I think I started the series at book 15 and have faithfully read every book since then. It’s always a comfort to come back to characters I know so well.

In Open Season, Alex consults on a murder that eventually gets tied to another by ballistics, and then a third. There’s a serial sniper loose in LA, but what’s their motive?

What I love about this series is that it feels like you’re a part of the murder investigation. You’re on the case as Alex accompanies Detective Milo Sturgis as he questions suspects, follows leads, and digs through clues. This one kept me guessing and there were quite a few red herrings to investigate. When the clues finally came together, it gave me that exhilarating feeling of solving a case even if I’m just an armchair detective.

Open Season is #40 in the Alex Delaware series, but I went into this without reading any of the previous books. It took awhile for me to get fully invested and interested. I read the last 20% in one sitting and that was my favorite part. I liked the way everything came together once the suspect was found out and linked all the victims. While I liked the overall storyline and ending, I didn’t connect with the characters as much as I would have liked.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. This review will be shared on NetGalley and Goodreads.

Once again, Jonathan Kellerman has brought to us an amazing new Alex Delaware book (#40 in the series). I always know it's going to be a wild ride, and this one did not disappoint!

A young girl's body is dumped outside a hospital emergency room, drugged and murdered. Detective Milo Sturgis is called in to investigate, And with him comes psychologist Alex Delaware. Their questions lead to a promising suspect, until that suspect turns up dead, shot by a sniper. The gun used proves to be a match to an earlier murder. As the bodies pile up, so do the questions. There appears to be no obvious connection between the victims. Now Milo and Alex are in race to stop the killer before he can strike again.

Despite some of the other reviews I've read, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I became engrossed in the process of the investigation. It was like solving a jigsaw puzzle, with a piece here and a piece there and no obvious connection between those pieces. Alex relies on tried and true research. Milo respects Alex's education and experience. Alex enjoys watching Milo work and is willing to take a back seat. To Alex and Milo, it was a frustrating, sometimes disheartening and aggravating journey. And sometimes the answers appeared when and where they least expected to find them.

One of the things I like most about this series is the relationship between Milo and Alex. It's special, sometimes more brotherly than simple friendship. Their banter injects a bit of humor into the stories I especially enjoy those times when Milo helps himself to Alex's refrigerator, and even more the description of Alex's thoughts and expressions as he just sits and watches Milo.

The odyssey that was this investigation kept me turning the pages of this story.

Alex and Milo are back in Jonathan Kellerman's new book. The body of an actress is found dumped near a hospital emergency room. She’s been drugged and murdered and the motive for the crime remains out of reach. Suddenly a prime suspect materializes, only to be shot dead by a sniper using a weapon that turns out to have been used in a previous murder. Soon more bodies begin piling up.

There is an apparent lack of connection among the victims, so is this the work of a random thrill killer?

As Alex and Milo dig deeper, they are faced with an even crazier scenario: a highly complex killer with motivation that will require all of their skills to decipher. This is another of Kellerman's great reads.

I’m a very long time fan of Jonathan Kellerman. I’ve read every Alex Delaware book and almost all of his other stories, as well as a couple of the ones he’s written with his son Jesse. I’ve never read one that I didn’t like!

Open Season is no exception. It’s a great tale, spotlighting the easy relationship between Alex and his best friend Milo. The case jumps right in from the first page, and the solution was pretty tough to find, for them and for me. What at first looked like random shootings in multiple locations with seemingly no common thread became gradually connected after a few false starts. And it was a scary premise! The highlight of Kellerman’s works are his exceptional descriptions, and he looks at everyone and everything with an objective eye, helping us to see things the way he does.

I highly recommend this one. Five stars!

There are some series that I can pick up and read at any point and the story works. This wasn’t one of them.

When I started reading, the story seemed like it picked up where series installment #39 left off. No backstory, no character development. Just BAM! Someone’s dead. I usually like stories that start with a bang but this one was too enigmatic for me.

I’ll probably start this series from the beginning at some point, but I’m in no rush.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books and the author for an early DRC.

Jonathan Kellerman’s Open Season is a gripping psychological thriller that delivers everything fans have come to expect from the New York Times bestselling author—sharp prose, intricate plotting, and the unshakable detective duo of Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis.

The novel opens with the discovery of an aspiring actress’s body, brutally murdered and dumped near a hospital. As Delaware and Sturgis investigate, they uncover a disturbing pattern—seemingly unconnected victims tied together by a complex killer with a hidden agenda. Each turn in the case raises new questions, with shocking twists that propel the story forward at a breakneck pace.

Kellerman’s strength lies in his ability to craft psychologically rich characters, making both the investigators and the villains feel eerily real. His portrayal of Los Angeles as a city of dreams and nightmares adds an atmospheric layer to the mystery, enhancing the tension and suspense.

For readers who enjoy fast-paced thrillers with intellectual depth, Open Season is a satisfying, edge-of-your-seat ride. This was my first Kellerman novel, and it certainly won’t be my last. If you’re a fan of psychological crime fiction, this is one to add to your list!

Dr Alex Delaware and his LAPD buddy are back investigating a new rash of unusual murders. The victims were shot in the same place, a difficult to hit area in the back of the neck. Now they need to figure out how a murder in Ohio relates to a string of murders in Los Angeles.
Kellerman’s plotting always keeps me guessing, and his characters are easy to empathize with. 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have been reading John Kellerman and his Alex Delaware series for as long as I can remember. Open Season is one of the best in this long-running series. Alex Delaware is a child psychologist who works with his friend and L.A.P.D. Detective Milo Sturgis. They are investigating a murder scene of a woman who, not surprisingly, had aspirations to become an actress living in Los Angeles. Paradoxically, the toxicology shows that she had amounts of tranquilizers in her system, although her friends stated that she never used drugs. The book continues as other detectives investigate a case that is undoubtedly related to this first murder. Open Season is another entertaining and well-crafted novel by one of the masters in the field; I strongly recommend that you grab Open Season and read it as soon as possible. Check out his long backlist for others unfamiliar with Jonathan Kellerman's work. You will have a long list to read, making any reader happy.

Open Season by Jonathan Kellerman gives readers more of the crime solving duo of Milo and Alex. They continue to match wits to see who come up with the leads that break the case.

"But that's LA, seductive and perverse."

I love that Los Angeles is a character in Jonathan Kellerman's novels. I'm still hoping someday he'll venture east of La Brea.

This is a good read, as usual. I'm still waiting for something new to happen but I'll keep reading about Alex and Milo.

Thanks to the kind folks at NetGalley for the chance to read an ARC.

I am a long-time fan of Jonathan Kellerman and his Alex Delaware character. His newest release ( February 4, 2025) Open Season, is another winner! Open Season brings Alex and his long time friend, Detective Milo Sturgis, together to solve what appears to be a "kill and dump" murder of a beautiful twenty five year old woman, want to be actress, Marissa French. Although there were no signs of physical violence, her autopsy revealed that she had been drugged with GHB and diazepan. Her friends all swore that Victoria never used drugs and only ever drank one alcoholic drink; she always wanted to be in control. While investigating her murder thet were told that she had been seeing a man who claimed to be a movie producer; her friends claimed he was definitely " not her type,"and had warned her not to see him. Petra and Raul, reoccurring characters in the Delaware novels, were investigating another murder - a man shot cleanly through the neck with a full metal jacket 308. Marissa's wallet and the clothes she was last seen wearing were in his apartment. Lo and behold, the victim was 43 year old Paul O'Brien, the supposed movie producer. Alex and Milo and Petra and Raul work together and series regulars: Sean, Moses and Alicia join the team. There are more murders; even 2 previous Ohio murders many years prior may be tied to their investigation; as well as several potential suspects. Open Season is a well crafted thriller that kept me reading into the wee hours. I'm already looking forward to the next book in this series. By the way each book can be read as a stand-alone. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House/Ballantine Books and Jonathan Kellerman for the opportunity to read this ARC, and to post my honest review.

Open Season" is Jonathan Kellerman's 40th novel in his iconic Dr. Alex Delaware/Milo Sturgis crime series. These two characters have been the backbone of all 40 novels, providing the reader with an *Odd Couple* vibe to their sleuthing.

What was missing from this latest installment was the always anticipated propulsive, page-turning plot of many of Kellerman's previous novels in the series. What might have been a fast-paced race to a revealatory conclusion was instead a bit of a stroll through the team's detecting process with a conclusion that honestly was more akin to a balloon losing its air rather than popping.

While the story may not have been my favorite in the series, it is but a small bump in a very long, smooth road. I very much look forward to my next ride with Dr. Alex and Lt. Milo.

Here's looking at you, #41📚

This honest review is offered in exchange for the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy through NetGalley. This novel was published on February 4, 2025.

#openseason
#jonathankellerman
#netgalley

This was a very well written, entertaining book. It was action packed and held me attention right from the start. I didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed this book and can't wait to read another book by this author.