Serpentine is ,quite amazingly,the 36th book in his massively successful Alex Delaware series which would suggest he's doing something right.
This one is a bit different, rich socialite Ellie Barker pulls some strings and Milo Sturgis is very reluctantly tasked with solving a cold case murder from 25 years previously. Helped by Alex Delaware what at first appears to be a complete dead-end ,a conclusion previous investigations appear to have reached,turns into a gripping case that certain people are determined to remain unsolved.
This is not a particularly action-packed book,the story is more in the detective work involved in digging into the past, a past that many witnesses want to forget . It's quite slow-moving but I don't think Alex Delaware fans will be disappointed,I certainly enjoyed it.

I pretty much drop everything when there is a new Jon Kellerman book out, but lately I am beginning to wonder why. While I love the characters, the wit, the chat, the discussion of foods and mostly Blanche, the stories are getting a little formulaic. A murder, gruesome, strange, overlooked, odd victim, etc, requires the special skills of both Milo and Alex. Some fits and starts, some use of favors and past connections and finding the one thread to pull to unravel the sweater.
No doubt some clever back story and/or underlying motive is going to be revealed; based on their prolific work together, Alex and Milo have seen some pretty out there motives. Which is, to me, always the most interesting part.
How they get there can be entertaining, the host of characters are described well and things move quickly so while not exactly as mysterious as it could be, it is always fun and fast to read the latest.
Although, I am really getting tired of this magical, endlessly perfect relationship with Robin, they are totally annoying. 4.5 stars

What a ride was reading this story!
Just like a serpentine, all the twists and turns kept me guessing throughout the chapters and honestly I loved every single moment of this book.
Great characters with so much depth and how their long time friendship is just taking its course and the solving of the case just flows uninterrupted. A cold case mystery, rich and famous family, people that are willing to take any risk for achieving their goals, so much suspense and drama, what’s not to like really?
So many small clues but also theories that aren’t proving to be right, and that for me makes a great must-read book.

This is number 36 in this series with Milo and Alex. If you've read any of them previously, you'll enjoy this one--catching up to what the duo are up to and a very interesting cold case that will keep you on your toes. It's every bit as good as you'd expect from Kellerman.

SERPENTINE by Jonathan Kellerman 1/3/2021

Picking up an Alex Delaware novel is reading comfort food. You know what you’re going to get – a thriller with a psychological angle, set in and around the Hollywood Hills, familiar company with Milo bringing in the bit of muscle needed, Susan playing her warm and supportive role, and some doggie love. And the food. Always wonderful food.

SERPENTINE is one of Kellerman’s surprise Delaware novels, a morality play, and the reader isn’t sure where and how it will turn out. Will the past catch up with the present, and who even knows that the past exists? How can the good guys win in an unwinnable situation? Can an evil pervading so many lives be stopped?

SERPENTINE is a solid entry in the Delaware series, and readers will appreciate the nuances of the justice meted out.

I wish to thank the publisher for providing a review copy of this book through NetGalley.

Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me. It’s not bad, and if you’re intrigued by Serpentine, then I’d say give it a go. The parts that didn’t work for me were all quite personal, and very much to do with my own tastes.

I found it really difficult to get into. I’ve not read any novels in this series before – nor any of Kellerman’s other novels – and I have to say that I found it difficult to get to grips with Alex and Milo. There’s clearly a lot of history there, and little background for me to go on. I’m sure that if you’re familiar with the series that this won’t be an issue.

I also found the dialogue to a little unusual. It’s short and snappy and often lacking in pronouns and while there’s clarity from the context, it just didn’t work for me personally. There are also a lot of descriptions of the female form which I found a little tiresome.

That said, it’s an intriguing case. I find cold cases fascinating due to the added complexity in achieving a result, and Serpentine does present an interesting mystery.

Sure to please Kellerman’s fans, but not one for me.

Another great Milo and Alex mystery. This was a well woven mystery with interesting twists and turns. As always, the partnership is my favorite part of the story. A good read to start the year.

In Serpentine, book thirty-six in the Alex Delaware series, when Milo Sturgis is handed a case as cold as ashes in an unclaimed funeral urn, he turns to long-time friend and psychologist, Alex Delaware, to help navigate the murky past of a long-dead woman. A woman who died with a bullet in her head before being burned to a crisp in a Cadillac off Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood Hills. With top brass and an uber-wealthy woman who wants her mother’s murder solved watching Milo’s every move, the case is a political minefield—a case where sensitivity is paramount, a case that requires Alex Delaware. With Alex’s insights and Milo’s detective skills, the team of Delaware and Sturgis is at their best in Serpentine.

Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis, these two never get old! I always enjoy Jonathan Kellerman’s books and Serpentine did not disappoint. This psychological thriller kept me engaged right from the start and I couldn’t put it down. I loved it.

Serpentine is number 36 in the Alex Delaware series and here Alex and LAPD homicide lieutenant Milo Sturgis are working on a cold case from 25 years ago. As ever I loved the relationship between Alex and Milo, the characterisation and the LA setting. There are twists in the plot that I really did not see coming and this was a gripping read which filled 24 hours for me over the Christmas period. Although this could definitely be read as a stand alone I would recommend starting at the beginning of the series. Although this isn't one of the best in the series I hugely enjoyed it and this is one of my favourite US crime series.
Recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC.

Another great book in the series! I enjoy the banter between Alex and Milo and story was intriguing. I read this as soon as I got it and was not disappointed.

Serpentine by Jonathan Kellerman is aa very interesting book. i was immediately involved in the plot and found the book hard to put down. The story is complicated. with many different people involved in the seaarch for truth. The main chaaracter Ellis Barker is trying to learn what happened to her mother many years ago.. Naturally Milo Sturgis along with Dr. Alex Delaware help her.

I was pleasantly surprised that I had already read one of Jonathan Kellerman's books.. This story is certainly not a disappointment!

Milo, a cop, is working on a 36 year old case. He talks his friend, Alex, into joining him on this case. Alex is a psychologist.

Dorothy Swoboda had died in this case after her car fell off a cliff and went on fire. It is now Ellie Barker (almost 40 years old) who wants to have the case opened by the police. Ellie was only 3 when she lost her mother,

After the visit, Alex and Milo mull over the information they had obtained from Ellie and the possible scenarios .that lead to 24 year old Dorothy's death...

I read this one in a single sitting. Twists and turns all the way through !

HIGHLY Recommend!

Many Thanks to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for a superb read.

I was not overly impressed by this book. The story was interesting and the ending was unexpected, but I was expecting more action. Nothing really happened until way into the story, and I found myself bored halfway through. However it picked up towards the end and I enjoyed the last 30% of the book.

Detective Milo and his psychologist Buddy, Alex, are once again facing a very difficult crime to solve...this time the crime occurred decades ago. Join the team as they question many people from the past, making some people uncomfortable. I love the friendship of these two. While the book can be read as a stand-alone book, you’ll want to read more than one!

Mr. Kellerman is a true artist. His word postures of scenery, houses, cars, the environment, and more provide the canvas on which he places his special characters, Alex and Milo, The story is almost secondary to the relationship between the psychologist and the detective, nevertheless the author has created another good one. The twists and turns in this decades-old cold case are greater than those on Mulholland Drive where the victim was found. A great addition to the series.

Johnathan Kellerman is a favourite author of mine, reading everything he's written to date, literally growing up reading about all the adventures of Psychologist Alex Delaware and detective Milo Sturgis. They are a dynamic, witty duo and the mystery of this novel had me quickly turning the pages from page one. The graphic descriptions of the landscapes and hotspots painted a picture of the nitty gritty, not so glamourous glamour of the LA and I felt fully engrossed in the characters lives. The words flow so easily like the friendship/working relationship of Alex and Milo and the plot is unpredictable and satisfying to the very end. If it's written by Jonathan Kellerman its a winner.


Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine/Ballantine Books for this great arc

Unfortunately I was unable to read this book because of the pdf format. The font was too small to read on my e-reader.

Even if you haven’t read any of the (many) other books in this series, you will love this clever mystery which leads you down one path only to switch you to another. milo is an incredible character - somehow vulnerable despite his hard boiled exterior. The introduction of a seemingly unsolvable cold case tests the pair and makes for a satisfying conclusion.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House UK for the eARC.
This was my first Jonathan Kellerman book and I enjoyed it a lot. I thought it easy to read, even though I had not read any of the previous in this series.
Psychiatrist Alex Delaware and Detective Milo Sturgiss investigate the decades old case of the woman killed on Mulholland Drive, shot in a burned Cadillac. Many detectives in the past could not solve the case. The mega rich daughter of the woman, who never knew her mother, wants to find answers and has all the right connections to put pressure on the police department.
As Alex and Milo start to slowly unravel the mystery, danger lurks.
Their relationship is very appealing, both as co-investigators and friends. The mystery is fascinating, I couldn't put the book down and will definitely be reading others in the series. I was very impressed. Definitely recommended.