Milo and Alex pulling up the threads of a decades-old murder. Investigation with empathy, detailed analysis and a stunning amount of gourmet food consumption

I've read several books by this author and have always enjoyed everything I've read, This book did not disappoint. I loved the characters and the twists and turns of the storyline.
I would thoroughly recommend and look forward to Kellerman's next book.

"Serpentine" by Jonathan Kellerman is a gripping addition to the Alex Delaware series, delivering a satisfying blend of mystery and psychological intrigue. Kellerman's writing prowess shines as he crafts a complex narrative that keeps readers engrossed from start to finish.

The story revolves around Ellie Barker, a self-made millionaire with an unrelenting determination to solve her mother's decades-old murder case. She enlists the help of LAPD homicide lieutenant Milo Sturgis, and together they dive into a cold case that has stymied many before them. Kellerman's portrayal of Ellie is compelling, highlighting her resilience and obsession with uncovering the truth about her mother's death.

The inclusion of Alex Delaware, the brilliant psychologist, adds depth to the investigation, and the dynamic between Delaware and Sturgis is as engaging as ever. Kellerman's storytelling is meticulous, with twists and turns that keep readers guessing until the final pages.

While the resolution of the case may not be entirely surprising to seasoned mystery readers, the journey to get there is undeniably thrilling. "Serpentine" explores the interplay of past and present, coincidence and conspiracy, making it a worthy addition to the series.

Overall, "Serpentine" is a solid four-star read, offering a well-crafted mystery, well-drawn characters, and the trademark psychological depth that Jonathan Kellerman fans have come to expect. It's a must-read for fans of the series and a compelling introduction for newcomers.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I love Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware/ Milo Sturgis series because they are so very unique. The stories are not just rewrites of other books and the characters are human. Their strengths and weaknesses become part of the story, showing how a police procedural in real life takes so many differing twists and turns. In this case.....this very cold case.....the clues aren't what they seem and the number of people who do not want the case solved far outweigh the victim's daughter's dedicated approach to solving her mother's murder....36 years later.

This is the 36th book in the Alex Delaware series, although I hadn't read any of the series before so came to this without knowing Delaware.
A daughter is looking for answers as to why her mother was murdered years ago. She never actually knew her mother so this is also a way for her to find out more about her.
This police procedural had plenty of twists and turns for me and I found it an enjoyable and easy read.

Alex Delaware is back at it, helping his friend Detective Milo Sturgis solve another case…but this time with a bit of a twist. Milo’s current case, which he had been told is a priority, is. 36 year old cold case. The case has almost no case file, and was passed around a bit before going dormant for 14 years. The victim was found in a staged car fire with her actual COD being a bullet to the head and is surrounded by odd “accidents” of others involved with the case—her husband, her paramour, a detective, all dead. This case seems likely to stay cold until Milo and Alex uncover that one key witness who unravels the entire knot and may get them involved in their own suspicious accidents.

This is a solid Alex Delaware novel. The writing is good, we get to see a lot of our favorite characters from previous novels, and Kellerman is very good and wrapping up the loose ends by the end of the book. I just don’t understand how it is 2022 and we have to suffer through multiple Oriental references that aren’t talking about rugs.

Milo Sturgis is at the top of his profession as a homicide investigator in Los Angeles. As such, he is surprised and offended to be handed a loser case from top administration. A woman was killed over thirty years ago. Her car was found crashed and over a cliff, burnt with a body inside. But it was no accident. The woman inside had a bullet in her head. Over the years, several detectives had been assigned the case but with no witnesses or forensics, made little headway.

Sturgis calls his friend, Alex Delaware, a psychologist who helps him with his harder or stranger cases and this one qualifies. The case was assigned because someone with money and influence got to the right people in the department. Milo and Alex go to meet the woman and find that she is in her thirties and a millionaire after selling her sports clothing line. Ellie only knows that her mother deserted her and her stepfather when she was young, three or four. After that she never saw her again and her stepfather raised her until he was killed in a hiking accident.

The two men start to investigate. They soon find that another woman, around the same age as Ellie, is involved. When Ellie's mother left her stepfather, she ended up in L.A. living at the house with Vera's father. Vera's mother had died when she was ten and her father went a bit crazy afterwards. Although she was only ten, he soon had a harem of scantily clad blondes rotating through the house, staying for days or weeks. Ellie's mother was one of these women.

The pair discover that other women in the harem had disappeared over the years. Some became respectable matrons, marrying men of influence while others just disappeared, probably drifting on somewhere else. But there were too many deaths and coincidences to be natural. Can Milo and Alex solve the case after so many years?

This is the thirty-sixth novel in this series. Jonathan Kellerman hit on a winning formula when he created Milo and Alex and readers will not be disappointed in this latest one. The crime is fresh and the writing intriguing. As the case unfolds, it is in turns amazing yet logical that one fact leads to the next and the next until the mystery is unraveled. This book is recommended for mystery readers.

Serpentine by Jonathan Kellerman.
Ellie Barker is a self-made millionaire by the age of forty, and is obsessed with reopening the coldest of cases: the decades-old death of the mother she never knew. She hires LAPD homicide lieutenant Milo Sturgis to help.
A good read with good characters. Just slow in places. 3*.

I was starting to ignore the releases by this author as I felt the stories were becoming very similar, but for me this book is a return to form. It’s a great story that keeps you guessing, and perfect blend of twists and turns.

Always excited to read a book by the Jonathan Kellerman! I don’t think I’ve ever missed a book and don’t see it happening anytime soon. Always an amazing read, intriguing, fast paced and leaves you wanting more.

It's been years since I've read Jonathan Kellerman and the Alex Delaware novels. I had thought they had become predictable and formulate.
Well this novel reminded me of why I was a Kellerman fan to begin with!
Lt Milo Sturgish is forced to take a cold case from high level authorities. A rich young woman is looking for the killer of the birth mother she never knew.
Things of course are not as they seem and people are beginning to die.
Worth the read
Thanks.to @ Netgalley for the chance to read this in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Serpentine by Jonathan Kellerman is the 36th novel in the Alex Delaware series. Although it is a series, the novels can be read as a standalone. Psychologist Alex Delaware and Lt. Milo Sturgis, a homicide detective, partner to solve unusual crimes in Los Angeles.
A millionaire's mother was murdered decades ago, and her daughter is looking for answers. Why did her mother abandon her all those years ago, who killed her and why?
Jonathan Kellerman has a way of drawing you into the story in the way he describes food, people, and the surroundings around his characters.
I always find his novels enthralling and filled with twists and turns. I especially like that you do not need to read the entire series and do not have to read them in order to enjoy them.

Serpentine is the 36th installment in the Alex Delaware series. You do not have to read them all to enjoy this story, I have only read 21 of these books and have had no problem following any of the stories. This book finds Milo (police detective) and Alex teaming up once again, this time to solve a cold case. Ellie Barker is rich and has questions. She wants the police to reopen the case of her mother, Dorothy Swoboda, who was murdered in Los Angeles 36 years ago. Ellie never knew her mother and she wants to know more about her as well as see the murderer brought to justice. Milo, with a near perfect solve rate, is tapped to deal with this case, so when Milo has a difficult case he calls on his friend, LAPD consulting psychologist Alex Delaware, and they mount a fresh investigation into the death.

This is a police procedural and much of the story is made up of interviews, research, driving around and discussing the case. I enjoy these parts of book as I find it quite interesting how they put things together, but some readers might find this slow and tedious. We also see Alex's life as a child psychologist and with his wife and dog. The friendship between Milo and Alex is wonderful, they are more like brothers with the comfortable way they are together. As they investigate, they face many roadblocks trying not only to find out who killed Dorothy, but why. Some of the original investigators have died, records are missing and even locations have been altered. There were plenty of twists and red herrings as well as plenty of characters, some good and some bad. They must find out who is telling the truth and who is trying to lead them astray. In the past, every time the police have looked into the case, someone has had a suspicious and unusual accident leading to their death. As Alex and Milo delve deeper into the murder, it becomes clear that someone in the present day doesn't want the case solved. There are so many twists and turns and an ending I didn’t see coming, but Milo and Alex are able to turn a cold case into a closed one. I enjoyed this story and recommend it to those who enjoy a good police procedural.

Right back up to the usual Sturgis/Delaware magic I expect! Serpentine is a delight to read and the Milo Sturgis/Alex Delaware team are so richly portrayed by the author. The duo this time are investigating a cold case from over 30 years ago (Much to Milo's disgust) and what looks to be a dead end for the detective and psychologist team, soon becomes more complex and more misleading than expected. This is beautifully plotted, with plausible connections established and I really enjoyed the increased page time of the two main characters together.

With succinct descriptions of each character flowing so easily off Kellerman's pen, the characters we meet become three dimesional. Added to that are the observations made and shared between the two investigators. I love the way Kellerman exposes very human reactions and the way interactions can have long lasting consequences. At times the presence of danger provides and edgy slant to the narrative and at otheres the little grey cells are piqued to try to work out the conundrums facing the two heroes.

Wth the previous Sturgis/Delaware book being a little less appealing for me, Serpentine has rocketed the author and this series right back up to my top 10.

Another great Alex and Milo instalment. Wasn’t expecting the story to take the turn it did, which led to an interesting conclusion.

#Serpentine #NetGalley I love this series featuring Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis. Initially I found this book to be a bit slow going and I was worried that it wasn't going to live up to previous books in the series. However, half way through the action started to heat up and it was back to the same drama and action that I love about this series. I love the way that the two main characters compliment each other and whilst it is perfectly capable of being read as a standalone, you do get more enjoyment if you know the history between Alex and Milo. Can't wait for the next in the series.

Book 36 and I never grow tired of Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis. This has been one of my favorite series from the beginning and I'm happy to say this newest book does not disappoint. Full of twists and turns I read this book in one sitting. Kellerman always weaves a good tale full of fabulous characters, a good storyline and wonderfully descriptive food. I look forward to book 37.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the latest exploits of Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis. All these Jonathan Kellerman novels are great - I love the warmth of the three major characters, including Robin, Alex's partner and not forgetting Blanche the cute French bulldog.
This book only has passing references to Serpentine - the title, which is actually a family heirloom necklace. I thought that was not misleading but felt the title could have been better defined.
Nevertheless always eagerly awaiting the next volume !

Thanks to Netgalley for Serpentine by Jonathan Kellerman. I have read numerous books in this series over the years. This one did not really grab me. It seemed like there was a lot of filler, repetition and descriptions of things that really did not advance the story. Maybe it was just me, after all, 36 books in a series is a lot. The writing is still good but I may just be a bit tired of this not so dynamic duo.