The case against Jamey Cadmus seems open and shut. Found clutching a
bloody knife at the scene of a horrifying double murder, he's a prime
suspect in a series of killings that have rocked Los Angeles. Even his
lawyer won't do more than plead diminished responsibility. No one - not
the police, not the family, not the lawyers - wants Alex Delaware
lifting up stones. But under those stones lies something unspeakable...
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Continuing with the need to re-read one of my favorites, Jonathan Kellerman, Over The Edge is an earlier novel that reminds me again why I'm so hooked on Dr. Delaware and his sarcastic friend Milo. This time the mystery isn't easy to figure out, and the psychological injections are fascinating. Jamie is a former patient with a history between the good old doctor that's unusual for Alex, with life working out the kinks and allowing him to once and for all make up for the past.
We still have Robin as the cuddly companion that's starting to fret too much. She's there to be pretty and do her thing, I suppose. Milo is as trashy-classy as always, paired up with two detectives who make interesting - if not appalling - reading. I would have liked more Milo than we got, and his reaction over his assignments seemed a bit too dramatic, BUT he was here and so it's all good. The two best friends didn't pair up as an official team on the case till toward the end, and even then the communications would kept relatively brief compared to later works, but it was still good times to be had.
As for the 'villain' of this story, as is typical Kellerman many are involved. The end result is a surprising one, although not the 'drop the jaw to the floor' type. It would be a bit better if maybe Kellerman had introduced more suspects into the pot, but this worked out well too. As always, excellent characterization and smooth dialogue that propels the story forward into psychologically-turmoiled heaven.
Mysteries and suspense novels rate up there on my harder-to-review list, especially with Kellerman's stuff. You have great writing, a good story I can't share details on, and addictive characters - that's all you need to know to pick this one up. So why four stars rather than five? Compared to other Kellermans, this doesn't blow me away as some of them did. Still, it will curb those lonely nights away.
Book Quotes:
“The symptoms of madness can often be altered with medication, but there's no therapy for evil.”
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