This is the only book series I’ve remained 100% committed to over the years and auto buy each new installment! As always, author Jonathan Kellerman creates an entertaining and engaging murder mystery in this latest book in the series. I love that Alex and Milo are such consistent characters and I enjoy their relationship and banter. If you haven’t read any of the books in this series, I recommend you do so! I listened to the audiobook and have listened to so many of these now that when I read instead of listen, the character voices in my head are the same as in the audiobook 😝

Open Season is number 40 in the Alex Delaware novel series. I have read all of the others as well, and I was excited to read this one as well. All of these books are police procedural. Alex and Milo are back and this installment didn't disappoint. I love watching these characters over the years. I gave this book a 5 star rating.

Yet another exciting book from Jonathan Kellerman. I am always entranced by his stories with all their twists and turns. This one does not disappoint.

I’m really struggling to find anything positive to say about this novel. Maybe it’s because I couldn’t connect with the characters, or perhaps it’s the painfully slow pace of the story. Either way, it just didn’t work for me.

The characters had absolutely no personality—not a single one. I couldn’t bring myself to care about the victims, the crime, or anyone involved. The whole thing felt extremely monotone and, quite honestly, boring.

As someone who reads a lot of crime novels, I know not every story has a strong hook, but even so, I expect the plot to pick up at some point. This one never did. Unfortunately, this book was a miss for me. If you’re looking for an engaging crime novel, I’d suggest skipping this one.

I would like to express my deep gratitude to Random House Publishing Group - Ballatine and NetGalley for their generosity in allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Alex Delaware is back helping his detective pal, Milo Sturgis, with another puzzling case and can you believe this is his 40th go-round?! I hadn't realized this going in and I am happy to report the writing remains as fresh and engaging as ever, I genuinely had a hard time putting this one down once I started it. You need not have read the prior 39 novels to enjoy this one, it really does stand alone but if you have read them all, this one adds one more layer of depth to Alex and Milo's characters.

No spoilers here to ruin the riveting mystery for others beyond there are murders that need solving and much as the amateur detective in me wanted to figure things out before they were revealed, this excellent mystery kept me perplexed until Alex's ah-ha! moment. Per usual, Milo's detectives are featured and Petra from the Petra Connor books also makes a few appearances once the murders turn into a joint case between their departments.

As someone who has read all 40 books, I was pleased to find that the descriptions of driving from place to place were reasonable. I get driving in LA can be slow and complicated and in some past books these descriptions were a bit long-winded and excessive, but this one offered a good balance.

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

A great end to the 2024, diving into the most recent Alex Delaware novel. I have been reading this series for years and don’t think that I have missed any yet. This one follows the usual Kellerman formula for these books. This sounds negative, but in some ways, is actually comforting. I enjoy knowing that I will revisit the gang of characters that surround Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis, hear about the supporting characters, and hear about the area around LA and its local food.
This installment began with the death of a young woman, appearing to be an overdose. Her friends did not believe that this was a possibility because she was not a substance user. As Milo and Alex investigated this death, Petra is notified of the death of a man who has a connection with the previous victim. The difference is that he was shot while on his balcony by a skilled marksman. What is the connection? Were these deaths related? Are there other murders that match the characteristics of these crimes? The usual investigating and consideration of the case follows a Delaware and Sturgis pattern. This is a fun and readable series, with fast moving stories that keep the reader turning the pages.
My only negative comment is that the last 20% seemed to wrap up too quickly and easily, with all the connections being too perfectly connected and answered. I enjoyed this but I found it less believable as a realistic detective story.
Endulge yourself and enjoy this latest installment of Alex Delaware and company.
#OpenSeason #NetGalley #RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantine

This book is part of the ongoing Alex Delaware series. Although this was my first foray into the series, I found it quite enjoyable. The novel follows a traditional format with a solid story arc and well-developed characters. While the book was engaging and well-written, it didn't particularly stand out as exceptional to me, but it was a satisfactory introduction to Alex Delaware's world.

Jonathan Kellerman does it again! Another book with two of my favorite characters Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis.

A young woman is found dead. The main suspect is found murdered. Follow along as Alex and Milo work together to find the murderer.

This is book 40 in the series. If you haven’t started the series, now is the time to do so. You won’t regret it!

When a random shooting in Milo’s district matches one in Hollywood, old friend Petra asks to team up to solve the cases. Milo, Alex and Milo’s “D’s” who we’ve met before (Alicia, Sean, Moe) hit the ground running.

As always, I enjoy the interaction between Milo and Alex, the mutual friendship and respect they share. This helps them to put clues together faster. The books in this series are very well written, move along fast but also have more of an intellectual bend. The characters are complex, there’s no easy foreseeable path to the criminal. Highly recommend.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis are back with another whodunit.

We follow murder after murder as Milo and Alex thread the clues together to solve the case. I love how they have theory after theory that sound plausible until it's not. But they persist looking at all the evidence and clues until they arrive at the correct answer.

This book was not as gory as some previous ones have been but was still intriguing and engaging. This was a book I couldn't put down because I wanted to know how it ended.

I recommend this book for anyone looking for a good thriller. Prior books are not necessary, although I really think you should read them all.

I was given this ARC by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange of my honest and fair review. All opinions are my own.

My first book by Kellerman and I think I would have benefited from reading some previous books in the series to give more of the back story. Decent story but not sure if this author would s for me.

This was entertaining enough, but seemed to lack some of the magic of other books by the author. I enjoy the collaboration between Milo and Alex, but this plot just seemed to drag a little. Hopefully the next will be up to the regular amount of excitement!

This is the 40th book in the Alex Delaware series and I hope the series keeps on going! I think it can be read without reading other books in the series but it’s better having read the others as you understand more of the Milo/Alex friendship and work relationship. Milo Sturgis is a LAPD homicide detective and Alex Delaware is a child psychologist that works on cases with Milo to offer insights and always seems to do a lot of investigating on his own and gives Milo ideas and suggestions on people to look into and reasons for motives. This book starts with a body of a woman left near a small hospital. She was drugged and her dead body left there so it is now a homicide case for Milo . Milo bings Alex in to help offer insight and soon they have a suspect but he ends up dead and the bullet that killed him is linked to a murder from much earlier. It is interesting to see the process and procedures used to try and put the case together and ultimately figure out who is behind the killings. Alex and his brilliant mind always seems to come up with some information vital to solving the case. The relationship between Alex and Milo keeps the series rolling along - you can’t help but enjoy the interactions between them. A few parts of the book drag as the team searches and plods along looking for clues but overall it flows well and I enjoyed the book very much. I give the book 4 stars out of 5.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on February 4, 2024.

As always, I loved the characters in this series - this is the 40th, which is hard to believe since I don't think I've missed a single one. On the other hand, the story was more than a little hard to follow and connect the dots.

The whole thing starts when a woman's body is dumped - a wannabe actress who's a caregiver at an elder facility. As is customary, Los Angeles PD lieutenant Milo Sturgis calls his friend, psychologist Alex Delaware, to take a look and share his usual insights. But just when they think they've identified the killer, they get another surprise: the dead body of that suspect. Complicating matters even more is the fact that he was killed sniper-style by a rifle that was used in a previous unsolved murder.

Not satisfied that they're not looking at a serial killer, Milo, Alex and their team start digging into cold cases to find similarities; it takes a while, but slowly, bits and pieces come together that yes, scream that it's a single killer - but anything that connects the murders remains elusive.

Also as is customary, Alex puts his mind on the psychological clues while Milo and the others dig into the facts and figures - and slowly but surely, a whole picture emerges that leads the team in the direction they need to go. All told, it's a familiar (and always welcome) pattern, and as always, I look forward to the 41st adventure. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy of this one.

Milo and Alex are back together. They are investigating several murders that seem to have no connection. There aren’t any legitimate suspects. How are the murders connected? You can always count on Kellerman to provide you with a good story and this one definitely hits the mark, thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

In the novel OPEN SEASON, once again, Jonathan Kellerman shows that he is at the top of his game. The story is well written. The mystery is well constructed. The friendship between Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis is explored even more in this 40th installment of the series. Kellerman also explores the psychology behind Delaware’s incessant involvement in police cases, which provided intriguing insight into the protagonist.

Child psychologist Alex Delaware and LAPD Homicide Lieutenant Milo Sturgis team up to work a murder. The body of a woman was dumped outside a hospital. The ME’s report showed that she had been drugged. When they came across a potential suspect, another body turned up. This one had been shot in the neck. The murderer used a rifle. Back to the drawing board as they work the case. But then another body turns up. And another.

What do all of the bodies have in common? Is this the work of a serial killer? Or a mass murderer? And what is the killer’s primary motivation?

What I admire most about this novel (and the previous 3 books) is that Kellerman does not pander to the marketplace.

A substantial portion of recent mystery devotées are reading thriller after mindless thriller filled with twists within twists, last minute clues added in the final 50 pages of the book, plots involving twins or long lost family members who just happen to show up, and a deus ex machina or three that guarantee the protagonist will prove triumphant.

Thank GOD, Kellerman does not do this. The author is writing a crime story, and in a crime story, the protagonists work the case. They are regular people with regular lives, and they also happen to have a mission - they speak for the dead and work cases. Kellerman knows and respects this reality, which is why I am so happy I have rediscovered his work.

You keep writing books like this, Mr. Kellerman, and I definitely keep reading.

Fans of Michael Connelly, William Kent Krueger, Robert B. Parker, Louise Penny, Anthony Horowitz, and Karin Slaughter will love OPEN SEASON.

In OPEN SEASON by Jonathan Kellerman, psychologist Alex Delaware and detective Milo Sturgis investigate an unexplained death at an L.A. hospital. The hospital has a shady history and is run by a skeleton crew in the wee hours of the morning when the twenty-something female victim is dropped off by a man in a car who speeds off. Who is the victim and how/why is she dead? How will Alex and Milo work together to solve the case?

It is a pleasure to read another book in the Alex Delaware series. Alex Delaware (psychologist) and Milo Sturgis (detective) have a great relationship, as illustrated by their engaging conversations. I like following the researching of potential victims. I think the author makes a good choice telling the story from Alex’s point of view. All the characters are believable, and the plot is well-constructed leading to a satisfying conclusion. I look forward to reading other books in the series. Thank you, Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine and NetGalley, for the chance to read and review an advance reader copy of OPEN SEASON.

Alex and Milo are back together investigating a string of murders that appear to have no connection. Alex uses his hospital connections, and Milo does an amazing job of being the hardened police detective with a heart. You will never be disappointed with a Jonathan Kellerman Alex Delaware book, I guarantee it.

I have loved JK for many years and thoroughly enjoyed the Alex Delaware franchise. Unfortunately it pains me to say I found #40 a disappointment and very boring. I hope to get back on the Kellerman train with Alex Delaware #41.

Alex and Milo are back at it in true form. Kellerman is consistent book after book. So if you enjoy this duo, you will not be disappointed.