Cover Image: Serpentine

Serpentine

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Member Reviews

I've read several books by this author and have always enjoyed everything I've read, so I was looking forward to reading this book. I must say it didn't disappoint. This book was easy to read and fast paced and kept me wanting to read more. I highly recommend this book.

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When LAPD Homicide lieutenant Milo Sturgis is given the task of finding the answers to a crime that happened 36 years ago, he along with his friend and psychologist Dr Alex Delaware team up to solve the case.

Dorothy Swoboda was found dead in a burned-out car and the reports showed that she was also shot. Now after 36 years, Ellie Barker, a rich woman and also the daughter of Dorothy, who was only 3 when her died wants to find out who killed her mother.

But is there any evidence left to solve the case after 36 years? With no physical evidence will Milo and Alex be able to solve the case? What follows further is a series of twists and turns and more murders than they expected. And it seems there is someone who doesn't want the truth to come out.

The writing style was perfect and the narration and characterization are pretty good. I realised after reading this book that this is the 36th book in the Alex Delaware series but I did not have any difficulty reading this as a standalone. Alex and Milo's techniques including their technical skills and cognitive abilities is a treat to read. The story kept me intrigued throughout and I enjoyed reading it. Can't wait to read the other books in this series.

Thanks Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for my honest review.

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This is the my first time reading any of the novels in this series but I will definitely be reading more.
Although I found it slow paced to start it soon became an interesting plot with 2 great lead characters
There seemed to be an awful lot of travel / road description but I did enjoy the book

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I recently discovered Jonathan Kellerman and I'm loving his books.
This one is very good, gripping and entertaining.
He's an excellent storyteller and this fast paced story kept me hooked.
Excellent mystery and character development.
It's highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

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Another great story from Jonathan Kellerman. I have read all the Alex and Milo books, and they never disappoint. I love the character studies, the mystery, the relationship gems, and the procedural matters. These novels never get old. This one certainly had some unexpected twists, which made it all the more enjoyable. Highly recommended.

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I have always thoroughly enjoyed the Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis series, and Serpentine does not disappoint! The novel is engrossing from beginning to end. The characters are interesting, quirky and flawed, but always believable. The plot is unusual with many unexpected twist and turns. As always, the collaboration between Alex and Milo, and the different perspectives they bring to the events, add greater depth and further enjoyment. Highly recommended. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

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Overall a good narrative however, I struggled to finish reading this book. I don't know if this is due to not reading the previous novels with the same characters in.

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It’s been a few years since I’ve read an Alex Delaware/Milos Sturgis book but I have read many in the series. This book just reminded me how much I’ve been missing. They’ve been friends for so many years that they have an easy going way about them but when it comes to solving cases, they are sharp and work well together. This particular case they are working on is a cold case that someone is going to great lengths to ensure is not solved. I love when they are traveling around L.A. and the author names the streets and described what’s around. And even though this is the thirty-sixth installment, it never gets old. I like that he pops on to say hello to Robin, who’s usually working on restoring another beautiful instrument, when he gets home.
Another skillfully told mystery. Highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

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I have read many of Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware novels. I consider Kellerman one of the greatest murder mystery masters. Decades ago a woman was murdered. The case was never solved. Every time the police look into the case, someone is involved in a suspicious and unusual accident leading to their death. This is a slow-paced plot but it was quite intriguing. There hasn't been any development or change in Alex and Robin's relationship, nor in Milo and Rick's. Loads of descriptions. Lots of characters. Highly recommend.
I was provided a free co[py by Netgalley.

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I love this series. I devour each book. I love the two main characters, I find them each fascinating. I like the darkness and the whatever it takes attitude. Each one has a great plot, and this one is no different. I will continue reading this series as long as it goes. I highly recommend this series.

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This is the 36th book in the Alex Delaware series and can in my opinion be read as a standalone

Lieutenant Milo Sturgis, a homicide detective and Alex Delaware, a psychologist, have been tasked with looking into a cold case - the death of a woman found in burnt out car at the bottom of the infamous Mulholland Drive
..........self made millionaire , Ellie Barker is depending on them to find out who killed her mother and why .
The case has been looked at several time over the years ............ accidents and even deaths have occurred , just who does not want this case solved ? what will they do to keep their secrets ?

This is an enjoyable fast paced Police procedural , full of twists and turns ..... the Author's writings are just as fresh now as in the 1st book in the series .

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.,

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Serpentine by Jonathan Kellerman is the thirty-sixth installment of the Alex Delaware series but it reads well as a standalone. Lieutenant Milo Sturgis, a homicide detective and Alex Delaware, a psychologist, work together to solve crimes in Los Angeles. The duo is tasked with investigating a suspicious death that occurred many decades ago. A woman whose mother’s body had been found in a burnt-out Cadillac at the bottom of Mulholland Drive is depending on them to give her closure. As they investigate, they realize that nothing is what it seems with this cold case from so long ago. Every time the police have looked into the case, someone has had a suspicious and unusual accident leading to their death. Who does not want this cold case solved? Serpentine is an original police procedural and the reader will enjoy the ride. Although Jonathan Kellerman has written many Alex Delaware novels, this one is just as fresh as the first ones. Thank you to Penguin Random House UK, Century, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for ARC in exchange for honest feedback.
This is the first time I am reading book by the author.

I found the book too slow at times and ended up skipping the pages.
Self made millionaire Ellie wants to find out what happened to her mother whose car was thrown off the cliff when Ellie was young - if it was an accident or a murder . LAPD detective Milo and psychologist Alex are assigned to the case. There is very little mentioned in the report. Hoe Alex and Milo piece together clues to find out hat happened to Ellie's mother is rest of the story.

I did like the mystery in general but its the pace of the book because of which am giving it 3 stars.

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I found this addition to the Alex Delaware series very slow to start and even slower as the story proceeds. Halfway through and there isn't really any action or excitement. I'm still slogging through though because I have always enjoyed this character and his supporting cast. The descriptive environments and the fleshing out of new characters is as always is very well written. Perhaps working a cold case is what keeps the pace leisurely.

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Five STARS :This is the 36th book in the series and Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis are two of the best lead characters in any mystery series out there. I really enjoyed this book ad there was a number of other protagonists that enhanced this story line. You can bet I will be looking out for the next one in this series as well.
LAPD homicide lieutenant Milo Sturgis is a master detective. He has a near-perfect solve rate and he’s written his own rule book. Some of those successes—the toughest ones—have involved his best friend, the brilliant psychologist Alex Delaware. But Milo doesn’t call Alex in unless cases are “different.”
This murder warrants an immediate call. Milo’s independence has been compromised as never before, as the department pressures him to cater to the demands of a mogul: a hard-to-fathom, mega rich young woman who is obsessed with reopening the coldest of cases—the decades-old death of the mother she never knew.

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Detective Milo Sturgis calls for his psychologist friend, Alex Delaware’s help on a cold case he’s been told to investigate. Thirty six years earlier a body was discovered in a burning car in LA. The body was identified as Dorothy Sbodowa and now her daughter Ellie, who was three at the time of the death, wants to know what happened to her mother. With no records of the case anywhere and no DNA or suspects from the time it looks like a hopeless undertaking but little by little the pair make headway.

Always enjoy this series by Jonathan Kellerman. This was a really interesting story and a really good read.

Thanks to Netgalley, Random House UK Cornerstone and Jonathan Kellerman for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

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Another series I haven't read in years. I enjoyed the tone of the writing and the way the two characters work together. I did find the large cast of characters a little bit challenging. It was also a little tricky keeping the speakers straight as the dialogue all seemed to run together on my devices ( I read on both a phone and a Kindle Fire). This is probably because this is an ARC but it did take a little work to keep things straight. I'm not sure if I would read the next installment in the series... I might be more inclined to go back to the beginning and start the series over again for a refresher course. All in all, I think this was well written and enjoyable. A bit convoluted, perhaps, but life often is.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for making this ARC available.

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Serpentine is the first book I’ve read by Jonathan Kellerman and it’s the 36th Alex Delaware novel but could be still read as a stand alone.
I found it an easy going, good old American cold case mystery set around Los Angeles. It was loaded with plenty of characters, humour, metaphors, food conversations and many detailed car journeys! I did like the relationship between the good friends, Psychologist Alex and Detective Milo and their investigative skills which eventually unwinded to reveal the truth, which was nicely concluded at the end.
Big thanks to Jonathan Kellerman, Century Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

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I have a confession to make. I've love Alex Delaware books for a while. When I stopped reading a long time ago, Johnathan Kellerman books are what brought me back in. They are just so great to read. The banter, the twists and traveling the road through to the conclusion of an investigation. They are always so well done. And I just really love the characters - Milo the grumbly but very good detective and Alex with his home office, wonderful wife (and dog) and his clients. It's weaves seamlessly into the story.

And even 36 books into this series, it's still so good! This one intro's a girl who pulled some strings to get Milo assigned to a cold, old case. Her mom was killed years ago, when she was young, and left her alone with a stepfather. She feels like she'd like to know more about it - maybe solve her mom's murder (if she was, in fact murdered.) It was fun chasing down old clues and applying new techniques (like genetic DNA) and getting back with the old gang. I loved every page.

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Milo is asked to look into a very cold case and isn't happy about the push from the higher ups. The young woman who pulled strings wants to know who killed her mother all those years ago. She was a child when she died a doesn't like the fact that all these hears later her mothers murderer has still not been found. Milo knows he'll have to start at the beginning and pulls his favorite psychologist and friend Alex into the mix. There isn't much for Milo to work with, no motive that he can find, no physical evidence to be had, and not a witness in sight. Milo begins to dig deeper into the case than he ever has before for a case and begins to find small pieces to the puzzle. As the two scrape away to find more clues coincidences begin to stick out. They soon realize that this case goes much deeper than they ever could have imagined. Dive in and follow along as these two greats try to find a killer and close an old mystery that should have been closed all those years ago!

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