Four people go to a party, not realizing it will be the last thing they ever do. The next day, they are found gruesomely murdered. Lt. Milo Sturgis doesn’t know what to make of it and enlists the help of Dr. Alex Delaware. Together they uncover a plot more malicious than any they’ve ever encountered. Jonathan Kellerman has once again penned a mystery that will keep the reader on the edge of their chair from beginning to end. If you’ve never checked out the Alex Delaware series, I encourage you to do so. I give this novel 4/5 stars.

* A copy of the ebook is the only compensation received in exchange for this review. *

Although this book did get off to a strong start, about midway it hit a bump. It seemed to start lagging and I had a hard time getting through it. I really thought about abandoning it but I stuck with it. All of his previous books were really good reads. This one not so much.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ok. Let me preface this by saying that I have long considered this author one of my faves. That being said, this book was not one of my faves. It started out fast but quickly became very slow paced. The plot moved very slow and this just was not the action packed, Heart-pounding thriller that i have come to expect from Mr. Kellerman. The author did not give enough background info on the characters and the ending was just blah.

I have been a fan of the Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis series for quite some time, and they never disappoint! I love a good "thinking" mystery, with lots of twists and turns, where I might even learn an interesting fact or two.

Multiple victims, seemingly unconnected, are found murdered in a limousine outside of a well known party mansion. What do a homeless woman, a playboy, a mentally challenged man, and an aging limo driver have in common? The clues lead us to a bizarre painting and a tangled journey through world of the artistic and the well to do, that ends with an unexpected and grisly twist.

The story is rich with colorful characters, intrigue, and familiar faces that will engage the reader and leave them feeling satisfied. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend to my other suspense loving friends.

I've read Johnathan Kellerman's books for years and I don't think there's ever been one I didn't like. This book is no exception. It has Kellerman's trademark easy-going friendship between Milo and Alex combined with a complex mystery to solve. In this case, the mystery is one bizarre thing after another. I found it impossible to figure out what happened - and impossible to put the book down until I finished it. Another great thriller from Kellerman!

I've read some of the books in this series, and I have to say that this installment wasn't one of my favorites. I had a hard time staying engaged, as there were a number of lulls in the story line. It started out strong, but things started to fall apart a bit midway through the book.

Book 35 of a series that just keeps on delivering! Whether like me you've been with this series from the beginning, or if you've dipped in and out, you know what you are expecting from a new book and that is exactly what you get from this one; Milo and Alex at their very best. With Robin and Blanche assisting along the way, although we don't hear much from Rick in this one.
The case they are tasked with is an absolute doozy! Four people dead in a limo. Four initially unconnected people, killed in differing manners. Displayed in a bizarre way. What on earth? And who, and why? Alex and Milo get the runaround as they try and figure it all out...
As already mentioned, I've been with the series, initially playing catch-up, since the beginning. I think I have also said in a previous review that this author was introduced to me by my (now ex) husband and, if I think back, probably the only good thing to have come from that relationship! Anyway, that's by the by. What we have in this book is, for Alex and Milo anyway, probably the most bizarre case they have investigated in a while. Which makes it, for me, a cracking read. We get to see into the lives of four very different people and figure out what on earth connects them, if anything, and why they had to suffer as they did. This they do with the same diligence as usual by putting in the hard yards to ferret out the truth. The author's skill in red herrings, misdirection, and twists and turns is front and centre as always in this book. But never at the expense of the reader's intelligence. I have never felt duped by this series, just in awe of the author's skill!
While you can, at a push, read this as a standalone as the main story is self-contained, I really can't recommend this series enough. Do yourself a favour, if you haven't already done so, and start from book one and read in order.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This is number 35 in the series, but for me it is the first Jonathan Kellerman book I have read as well as the first Alex Delaware story, so I have a lot of catching up to do. Alex Delaware is a brilliant psychologist and he is assisting Milo Sturgis, an LAPD detective (lieutenant actually), in a grisly murder investigation involving four victims. It's a very strange murder as the bodies are staged in a bizarre display in a limousine outside a deserted mansion. None of the victims seem connected.

The story follows the investigation as Alex and Milo try to solve this macabre murder. There are several red herrings as the investigators get misdirected as they try to find the right path to the killer or killers. This is a complex investigation with several surprises.

I will try to read another of the Alex Delaware books when I get a chance. Hopefully a much earlier one so I can get indoctrinated properly to the series.

Thanks to Jonathan Kellerman and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Jonathan Kellerman's favorite characters, psychologist Alex Delaware and detective Milo Sturgis conme together to work a case that seems so bizarre and with no motive. Neither Alex nor Milo are prepared for what they find on an early morning call to a deserted mansion in Bel Air. These murders have premeditation and cruelty on a whole new level, because four people have been slaughtered and left displayed horrifically in a limousine. None of the victims have any connection to each other, and they were killed in a variety of ways. Alex and Milo will not give up and eventually figure out the bizarre connections and ultimately find the killer. As always, Kellerman does not fall to deliver and this is just another in a long line of great books featuring Delaware and Sturgis.

The Museum of Desire is your next Must Read Book!

Lieutenant Sturgis is at it again and busy as usual. However, he gets a call sending him to an abandoned mansion in Bel Air. What he finds rattle him like never before. Now Sturgis and Milo must solve the murder of four people left behind oddly displayed.

This is definitely a great thriller filled with twists and turn. The kind of who done it to keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Keller does not disappoint!!

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and I can say it is to me one of his very best!

Milo and Alex are called out to a murder scene where they find four people dead in a stretch limo. One is a good looking man, one is an older woman and the other is a young man. The driver of the limo is also dead; however, they weren’t killed at the scene, they were placed there - almost like a scene in a movie. Why did these 4 people with nothing in common get murdered? Of course, Milo and Alex are going to figure it out.
I enjoyed this one (actually much better than Kellerman’s last book, The Wedding Guest) and glad that I was able to receive an advanced copy from NetGalley.

A satisfying and complex mystery that provides suspense, twisted crimes, and twisted criminals. Mr. Kellerman remains faithful to his established characters and does not disappoint. It is refreshing to read a mystery novel that demands thoughtful analysis. #Museum of desire
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

I am a long time fan of Jonathan Kellerman's books. Thank you Net Galley for the advanced copy of The Museum of Desire.
Lt. Milo Sturgis calls psychologist Alex Delaware when he has interesting cases he needs an extra set of eyes and ears on. A know party house, a limo with four very different dead people in a staged tableau and no common threads between the victims brings a very puzzling cast to Milo this time.
This book is as always interesting, takes several different turns and it takes a while to piece everything together but the conclusion is unexpected and exciting at the same time. You can actually read this book without having read all of the others that come before it but, it is so much more fun to read all of Kellerman's books. You will not regret it.

3.5 stars

In this 35th book in the 'Alex Delaware' series, the psychologist helps his friend, Lieutenant Milo Sturgis, investigate an odd set of murders. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

Two days after a party at an uninhabited Bel Air mansion that's rented out for 'events', a cleaner makes his way up the drive to scrub down the property. The cleaner is surprised to see a white stretch Town Car parked near the house, and optimistically thinks there might be something to steal inside....or maybe some drunken naked chicks. Instead, the cleaner is horrified to discover four dead bodies.

LAPD Police Lieutenant Milo Sturgis gets the case and calls his friend Alex Delaware, the department's consulting psychologist, to meet him at the scene.

At first sight the four victims appear to be a chauffeur and three passengers. However, a closer look leads Milo and Alex to suspect the scene was staged. The deceased were killed in different ways (shooting, stabbing, asphyxiation); two victims were posed in a sexually explicit manner; and there's too much blood.

The victims turn out to be Solomon Roget - a 78-year-old black man who owned and drove the for-hire limo; Benson Alvarez - a 44-year-old mentally challenged man who lived in a care home; Richard Gurnsey - a handsome, 36-year-old attorney who worked at Sony Studios; and Mary Jane Huralnik - a 59-year-old homeless woman. There's no obvious connection between the deceased, and Milo and Alex struggle to think of a reason for the strange crime.

Most of the story is a police procedural as Milo data mines the internet; interviews people who knew the victims; obtains information from the medical examiner; analyzes forensic evidence; assigns his team of detectives (whom he calls 'the kids') to knock on doors and surveil persons of interest; and so on.

Alex helps by attending Milo's interviews; contributing psychological insights; and doing his own online research.

There are soon more homicides connected to the case, and the investigators discover clues that point to a possible suspect. All this leads to a dramatic and exciting climax.

When Alex isn't working with Milo or doing his own consulting job, he cozies up at home with his long-time love Robin and their French bulldog Blanche, both of whom are sensitive to Alex's moods. When the psychologist is on edge and trying to look relaxed, for example, Blanche looks up at him 'with big brown eyes full of pity.' 😊

As always, Milo frequently stops by Alex's house to discuss the case, and takes the opportunity to raid the refrigerator and make himself a snack - like turkey on rye with lettuce and tomatoes.

For me this mystery is better than most of Kellerman's recent books, probably because the author returns to his original formula - a psychopathic perp (or perps) with a bizarre agenda.

I enjoyed the book, which has an engaging plot and favorite recurring characters. Recommended to readers who like police procedurals, especially fans of Alex Delaware.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Jonathan Kellerman), and the publisher (Ballantine Books) for a copy of the book.

Thank you for the advanced copy. I have been reading the adventures of Dr. Alex Delaware & Lt. Milo Sturgis but I honestly could not finish it. Its just become very boring, and tediously formulaic.

This is a series I've dipped in and out of, but haven't read in quite a few years. But it was good to be back with Alex and Milo! For anyone who still isn't familiar with this long running series, it's a pretty standard police procedural with the added element of Alex being a psychologist who consults for the LAPD, and any of them can be read as standalones.

I really enjoyed this one, which starts with the murder of four seemingly unconnected victims, staged in a gruesome scene in a limousine. We follow Alex and Milo through the investigations of numerous leads as they unravel what seems at times like an impossible case. Most of the story is just old-fashioned police work, interviewing anyone connected to the case and following up on leads, with each new piece of information slowly coming together to form a picture of what happened, and I found it very satisfying. The moments of Alex and Milo's friendship interspersed were enjoyable as well. There is a climactic ending which I found a bit abrupt and unsatisfying, but for me the best part was just following along as they steadily built the case.

Jonathan Kellerman continues to create Alex Dellaware stories with undeniable expertise. He seems to always get things just right. His plots and characters are skillfully crafted and invite the reader to believe every word he writes. The Museum of Desire is rather dark. As I read, I kept wondering about the title and when the answer regarding the title would be revealed. Finally about three quarters into the book there was the answer. I'll not share the meaning because each reader deserves to find out fresh as they read the book. The biggest surprise is the ending. I never saw it coming and it was absolutely unexpected and perfect. I enjoyed trying to fit the pieces of the mystery together. This is a book worth reading.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from Ballentine Books through NetGalley.The opinions expressed are entirely my own.
#MuseumofDesire #NetGalley

I have been reading Kellerman for years and his books are usually a solid read. This was not my favorite. The writing was good as usual and it had an interesting story. Maybe it’s just me but there were so many characters I got confused trying to keep them straight. I considered giving it a 2* review. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

I was thrilled to receive this book from NetGalley since I am a huge fan of this series. This installment is great and well worth a read. I like police procedural sin general but this series goes beyond the typical ones to show the human relationships, especially between Milo and Alex. The plot of this one is a bit gruesome but no more than most of the books. It centers on a murder that seems incomprehensible at first. And Robin gets a quick cameo because she unearths a partial explanation. The only complaint I have is that Rick is missing in action. I don’t know why but I have grown used to him popping in and out of the books. No matter. It’s a solid book. Very engaging and I can’t wait for the next book to come out! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

Jonathan Kellerman is a fantastic author whose writing is always entertaining. The characters are well developed and interesting. The storyline is entertaining and fascinating. A must read.