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Compulsion: An Alex Delaware Novel (Alex Delaware Novels) | 
| Author: Jonathan Kellerman
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Category: Book
List Price: $27.00
Buy New: $5.85
You Save: $21.15 (78%)
New (65) Used (42) Collectible (6) from $5.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  37 reviews
Sales Rank: 289
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.3
ISBN: 034546527X
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780345465276
ASIN: 034546527X
Publication Date: March 25, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand New!!!
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Product Description
Once again, the depths of the criminal mind and the darkest side of a glittering city fuel #1 New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Kellerman’s brilliant storytelling. And no one conducts a more harrowing and suspenseful manhunt than the modern Sherlock Holmes of the psyche, Dr. Alex Delaware.
A tipsy young woman seeking aid on a desolate highway disappears into the inky black night. A retired schoolteacher is stabbed to death in broad daylight. Two women are butchered after closing time in a small-town beauty parlor. These and other bizarre acts of cruelty and psychopathology are linked only by the killer’s use of luxury vehicles and a baffling lack of motive. The ultimate whodunits, these crimes demand the attention of LAPD detective Milo Sturgis and his collaborator on the crime beat, psychologist Alex Delaware.
What begins with a solitary bloodstain in a stolen sedan quickly spirals outward in odd and unexpected directions, leading Delaware and Sturgis from the well-heeled center of L.A. society to its desperate edges; across the paths of commodities brokers and transvestite hookers; and as far away as New York City, where the search thaws out a long-cold case and exposes a grotesque homicidal crusade. The killer proves to be a fleeting shape-shifter, defying identification, leaving behind dazed witnesses and death–and compelling Alex and Milo to confront the true face of murderous madness.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 32 more reviews...
 Actually, a zero but you can't go lower than 1 May 13, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I've never read an Alex Delaware Novel before, but the jacket sounded interesting. Frankly, I don't understand how anyone could have published this book. It is the worst book I've read in a very long time, maybe ever.
Over-stylized and descriptive to the point of being annoying, the book was pointless. It had a ridiculous, boring plot with no suspense at all. It was like a bad homework assignment; I just wanted to get it over with.
I have to wonder if this is another example of a writer using another writer to fulfill a publishing commitment. This practice of the publishing industry should be stopped and is completely unfair to the buyers of this garbage.
 Not his best but still enjoyable. New readers should not start here. May 10, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I enjoyed this book more than many of the reviewers, maybe because I've forgotten how good the earlier books are and maybe because it gave me just what I was looking for -- a comfortable visit with old "friends" and a story to pass the time. It wasn't a grippingly suspenseful, nail-biting page turner, but there is always the next book.
My one caution is for any new readers of the Alex Delaware series: put this book back on the shelf and get one of the earlier books. Better yet, start with the first book in the series and read them in order. Part of the reason I enjoyed this book even though it was far from Kellerman's best, is that the characters have grown familiar over the course of the series. I understand who they are and what they do. This is particularly important for understanding why Alex tags along with Milo, presumably unpaid most of the time. Because of that familiarity, I can fill in the blanks and enjoy the book much more than if I had not read all the preceding books.
For the regular fans of the series, just enjoy it for what it is and don't set your expectations too high. It isn't the best of the series, but it is still a book you can enjoy reading.
 Excellent May 9, 2008
If you haven't read Jonathan Kellerman you should start at the beginning and you'll love Alex Delaware. I can't wait to read what Alex is up to next!
 trading on his reputation? May 9, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Would this book even have been published if it had been Kellerman's first entry in his "Prey" series rather than, what, his 18th? In this latest title, the author's characters were thinly drawn, the story lines confusing, and the dialog rather mundane. I just didn't care about his characters, or the cars! Maybe Kellerman is trading on his reputation hoping his loyal fans (like me) will buy the book based on his past performance. I checked out the book from my library hoping to enjoy a great read, but instead, I got a by-the-numbers formula. (and I don't mean a Formula One).
(Almost) Good to the Last Drop May 9, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I've loved Jonathon Kellerman's Alex Delaware novels for many years now, and Compulsion continues his tradition of writing highly-involving and often moving psychological thrillers.
That being said, Compulsion is not his strongest effort. It actually reads very well till the end, when the payoff is not as rewarding as one would have hoped. Everything just kind of stops, or is wrapped up too quickly and conveniently to be truly satisfying. It's a shame, because the set-up is so good!
Still, Kellerman on an off day is better than most writers at their best. Kellerman sees his characters like a jeweler sees diamonds - every aspect, every flaw is brilliant highlighted and remarked upon. He's a master of illuminating the human psyche.
This book is full of vivid characters whom Kellerman is able to convey in their myriad complexities. His dialogue is always fresh and smart. A lot of this book took me by surprise - Kellerman's villians are always pretty twisted, and the bad guys in Compulsion are memorably creepy.
If you've read some of the other books in the Alex Delaware series, and enjoyed them, you'll want to pick up Compulsion, too. Just the interplay between Delaware and his crusty friend/partner-in-crime Milo Sturgis, are worth the price of admission.
If you're new to the Delaware books, you might want to check out some of the earlier books in the series first. Bad Love (Alex Delaware) and Self-Defense (Alex Delaware) are great places to start. Then, like me, you may find this a four or five star read, as you'll have come to love the recurring characters no matter what they do.
Scott Sherman, First You Fall: A Kevin Connor Mystery
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