CITY OF THE DEAD
Jonathan Kellerman

Back in 2017 when I was searching for psychological thrillers I came across Jonathan Kellerman.

I read his book number 31 BREAKDOWN and then read his book number 2 to kind of see the progression. As I understand this series they can be read out of order but it’s a much richer world if you start from the beginning.

At book number 37 in the ALEX DELAWARE series, CITY OF THE DEAD is quite like number 31.

It stars Alex Delaware, a psychologist who works freelance with LA detectives, and occasionally he helps solve cases. That’s not his main job. His main job is helping his clients solve custodial disagreements.

The audiobook itself feels like it’s narrated by a cast of characters. A few of them sound like they are heavy smokers. It all lends to this warm like bourbon, psychological thriller (with one POV )(thank god) that is charming and masculine and has ample dosings of psychology.

Maybe it’s something like revisiting your freshman abnormal psychology class.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Random House Publishing - Ballantine Netgalley and PRH Audio for the advanced copies!

City of the Dead. Book #37 in the Alex Delaware series, all of which I think I've read. This time LAPD Detective Milo Sturgis is assigned to the case of a naked man who is killed in the early morning hours when a moving truck crashes into him, Or maybe he was already dead and thrown into the path of the truck??? As usual, Milo calls his old friend Dr. Alex Delaware, a child psychologist, for whatever insights into the case he can provide. Their first step is trying to determine who the dead man is and where he might have come from prior to his death. This leads to a door-to-door investigation, which leads them to the home of a woman who a neighbor says has "a lot of visitors in and out at all hours." Milo and Alex proceed to the house and discover the woman has also been murdered. What's more, Alex recognizes the woman from an old child custody case in which he was involved. Her name is Cordelia Gannett. When Alex met her she was identifying herself as a psychologist even though she was barely a high school graduate. Her deception was quickly uncovered, and since Alex last saw her, she has transformed herself into an internet life coach. So who murdered her and why? And what was her association with the naked dead man who had clearly been sleeping on her couch before running out into the night?

If you're a fan of this Kellerman series, City of the Dead won't let you down. It follows his long-time formula to a T. Milo and Alex spend a lot of time in LA traffic and eating a lot of food. When they're not together, Alex spends time with his long-time girlfriend Robin and their beloved French bulldog Blanche. In his spare time, he manages to put some hours into his real job, testifying in child custody cases.

If you're new to Jonathan Kellerman, you might want to start earlier in the series in order to fully understand the recurring cast of characters. It might read well as a stand-alone, but I don't think I'd recommend it. With 38 books in the series, these are well-rounded, fully developed characters.

My thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing me with an eGalley in exchange for an honest review.

City of the Dead begins with a bit of misdirection as we follow a couple of movers as they go about their job just long enough to think one of them is going to be the murderer or the victim when suddenly they hit something. A deer, they think, but when they get out to look, they discover the body of a naked man. And so begins the 37th Alex Delaware novel by Jonathan Kellerman.

Homicide Detective Milo Sturgis invites Alex along and a second body is discovered just down the street making the man’s death look less like an accident and perhaps a murder or maybe the murderer was run over while fleeing. Forensics show the man was murdered as well and the story focuses in on the woman and identifying the man.

The victim is someone Alex knows from a few years back, a woman who tried to testify in a custody case, but she was a fake. She has become an internet influencer/podcast therapist, though and had been doing well before being murdered. The investigation looks at her family and past relationships for clues. There are multiple red herrings and dead herrings, too.

Meanwhile, Alex is also dealing with a seriously rude lawyer who wants him to get to work on a custody case.



There comes a time in every series when it is time to start thinking of moving on and letting the characters ride off into the sunset. I think it might be time for Alex, Milo, Robin, and the gang to live happily ever after. To resolve this mystery took far too much coincidence to resolve. Alex seemed more detached than usual and altogether too perfect. Kellerman is a good writer, so City of the Dead kept me intrigued and reading as fast as I could, but in the end, I was left with a stale cookie of a book.

I received an e-galley of City of the Dead from the publisher through NetGalley

City of the Dead at Ballantine | Penguin Random House
Jonathan Kellerman author site

Jonathan Kellerman usually writes a great book, some better than others. “City of the Dead” was in the win column. The staccato pace of the dialog and unspooling of the plot was perfect.
This is a multiple homicide, police procedural, cum psychological profiling mystery. Lots of ups, downs, twists, turns, and misdirection even when you are staring at the solution head on.

For a guy who describes himself as tending toward trusting and optimistic, you have to wonder how and why Alex Delaware is hip deep in the another one of Lieutenant Milo Sturgis’ gruesome murder investigations. His calm demeanor, insight and ability to piece together coincidences is a study in how crimes are solved. Many of the characters we expect to find in an Alex Delaware novel make an appearance along with a few cameos and new participants. It all feels familiar and a continuation of the police - profiler relationship.

Another page turner by Jonathan Kellerman. Thank you Ballantine Books / Random House for a copy.

Milo calls Alex Delaware to the scene of a strange death. It's early morning and there is a naked and dead young man in the middle of a well to do street. It looks like he was hit by a moving van bit why was he naked and in the middle of the road? It soon becomes apparent that the young man was already dead before the van bit him. Milo finds a trail of blood that leads to a nearby home. Once they try to make contact with the home owner they find a young woman inside dead on the floor. They still don't know the identity of the young man or woman. Delaware soon realizes he recognizes the young woman from a child custody case he was a part of. As they dig deeper into her life of Cordelia they see she is still trying to pass herself off as a "psychologist" but not in the same way as when Alex met her. As the two dig deeper they learn some disturbing things about her past. Following each new clue seems to be bringing them closer to an answer but will it be the answer they seek?

I love these stories with Dr. Delaware and Milo Sturgis, #37 in the series, and still fresh as the first one. This time they are called to a bizarre traffic accident, with a naked man hit and killed by a delivery van. But when the police try to track the starting point for the deceased, they find a murder victim in a nearby house. As Alex and Milo move forward in their investigation, they find themselves juggling facts and misinformation, trying to tie it all together to solve this crime. Some of the recent stories focused on the other members of the detective squad, but this one stayed solidly with the main two, as they interviewed and analyzed each potential motive. All said, this story truly pulled out all the stops in providing twists and turns before the final reveal. Disclosure: I am voluntarily reviewing this book received through NetGalley and all opinions are strictly my own.

This is my first Alex Delaware book and despite being the 37th, I did not feel lost at all. This is a well written mystery with lots of twists and turns and does an amazing job of tying things together, things that you would never believe tie together.

I will definitely be reading more of this series!

Thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley.

In the 38th installment of the Alex Delaware series, City of the Dead, Milo Sturgis brings Alex Delaware into the investigation of a young man who was found naked and dead in the street after being hit by a moving van. There is a trail of blood leading to a house where a woman, Cordelia Gannett, is found butchered. Alex was acquainted with Gannett due to a previous custody case; she was an internet influencer and presented herself as a psychologist, although she was a fraud. As Milo and Alex investigate, suspense builds and there are twists and turns that will keep readers on the edges of their seats.

With so many novels in the series, readers who follow Alex are familiar with the characters who are well-developed. They seem like real friends, and the novels are like reading about people we actually know. Kellerman is an expert at weaving a good story, and fans of the series will definitely want to find out what is happening in the characters’ lives.

As usual, this novel is an excellent addition to the series, and fans will enjoy it. Those who haven’t read the previous novels in the series will most likely want to pick up the previous books to get a feel for the characters and the setting. The novel can be read as a standalone, and is good, but it is much better with a bit of knowledge of the history of the characters throughout the years.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

What an amazing, enduring series

This is the 37th book in the Alex Delaware series and the 37th book in the series that I've read. There's not a lot of series out there that I've followed as long as this one or that has kept my interest as long.

This is another winner. Alex Delaware is a child psychologist in his day job but he does consultation work for the LAPD and his good friend, Homicide Ltd.. Detective Milo Sturgis.

Milo asks Alex to come consult when a moving van hits a naked man in the early morning hours and, when investigating, Milo and Alex find a murdered woman - one that Alex had met previously in a child custody case.

The Alex Delaware books fit kind of a formula most of the time but that's okay because the formula works for me. I enjoy reading about Delaware and his wife, about, Sturgis and his partner, about Blanche, the French bulldog, about Los Angeles, the murder cases, the child psychology cases, and all that has made up these 37 books. Keep them coming.

Highly recommended.

I received this book from Random House through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

Early one morning, Moses Reed gets a call for a MVA with a moving truck vs. a man. Things seems cut and dry, despite the man being naked. But when Moses starts searching the neighborhood, he finds a nearby house with drops of blood outside and inside... Well, time to call in Lt. Milo Sturgis. And as often happens, Milo calls in Dr. Alex Delaware. Alex shows up, takes a peek at the scene, and is given a jolt: "I know her."

Turns out the deceased, Cordi Gannett, liked to pass herself off as a doctor, which is how Alex met her - in court. An attorney had tried to use her as an expert witness on a child custody case, but her doctoral degree was from an uncertified school and she'd been brought up before on charges of misrepresenting herself. Suffice it to say the man she was attempting to help did not get custody. But this was two years ago. Has she been up to the same old tricks or perhaps new ones?

Milo and Alex once again are diving into bloody crime scenes, shady witnesses and L.A. traffic. This is the 37th book, and I believe I have read them all. As usual, Kellerman does not disappoint. And as always, I'll be looking forward to the next!

Homicide Lt. Detective Milo Sturgis and psychologist Alex Delaware work in LA, and a run-of-the-mill collision soon becomes anything but. The naked young man in the street is unknown, but a blood trail leads to the butchered body of Cordelia Gannett, an internet influencer pretending to be a psychologist. She continued her career online, coaching those with relationship issues. Cordelia had her own relationship and family issues, however. Did they come back to haunt her? Was the man collateral damage or the key to solving a grisly double homicide?

City of the Dead is the thirty-seventh book in the series, but don't feel obligated to read all thirty-six prior ones! It's still a police procedural novel, with references to the relationships and past events relevant to this one. Language is tight and punchy, with quick scenes moving from place to place as Milo and his team (sometimes with Alex's help) track down Cordi's life story, try to identify the naked man, and the players who might want them dead. At the same time, Alex is still doing forensic evaluations for the court, keeping him busy and giving us moments of downtime in between the tension of the investigation. When everything dovetails at the end, it's a neatly done story.

While there are some gruesome details on the different murders in the book, they're not dragged out or detailed. The sharp language gives everything a clinical sense, so it's more like a police procedural you see on TV. It's cinematic and felt like a quick read even though it took me a while to read it. Another good Kellerman novel for readers to look forward to!

Jonathan Kellerman has been at this a long time and this one is more of the same fantastic writing! Kellerman is at the top of his game with this fast past thriller. If you have enjoyed his books in the past, which I am sure you all have, you will be happy to read this one! Well done Jonathan and thanks to NetGalley for an opportunity to review this book!

I can’t remember exactly when I first discovered Jonathan Kellerman. It was either in my last year of high school or my first year of college, but as I started reading City of the Dead it suddenly hit me that I’d been reading about Alex Delaware for about 30 years now. The fact that I still get excited whenever a new novel gets released is a testament to how great of a character Alex Delaware is, not to mention how great of a writer Jonathan Kellerman is.
The book kicks off with a rather bizarre incident when a moving van hits a naked man in the middle of a quiet neighborhood. It’s not long before a second body, that of a woman is found in a nearby house. Are these two connected? It’s a strange case and LAPD homicide detective Milo Sturgis calls psychologist Alex Delaware in to assist with the investigation. Things take on another twist when Alex recognizes the dead woman, thus setting the pair off in search for the reason for the woman’s murder.
City of the Dead just the kind of excellent mystery/thriller I’ve come to expect from Kellerman, featuring great characters we know and love, and a wonderfully complex storyline. 4.5 stars out of 5.
I’d like to thank Random House / Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of City of the Dead. I’d also like to thank Jonathan Kellerman for three+ decades of great reads!

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/city-of-the-dead-jonathan-kellerman/1139682460?ean=9780525618584&bvnotificationId=661a08b2-89b9-11ec-ad56-12928318ea0f&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/200330852

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Lots more dialogue than usual, but a good story even if most of the action came later.

37 books in, forever favorite.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This story was another enjoyable entry in the Alex Delaware series. Not the best in the series, but a quick read with good characters and a few twists and turns. A very solid story with a likable protagonist. I did see the final twist coming, but it did a good job bringing all the characters and stories together. Would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Kellerman's writing, but not something I would go back and reread later. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my review.

As the removalist van left the motel in the early hours, ready for their final delivery a few hours away, the two men on board were enjoying the lack of traffic – until suddenly they hit something unseen in the darkness. Detective Moses Reed was first on scene to the death of a young white male, naked as the day he was born. When Lieutenant Milo Sturgis arrived with psychologist Dr Alex Delaware, they had no idea what was ahead of them.

When Moe discovered traces of blood at a nearby house during their early morning door knock, the detectives ventured inside the house to discover a young woman lying dead in the hallway. The brutality was evident, but when Alex saw the woman, he realized he knew her from a recent child custody case. The lack of evidence frustrated Milo, but they continued to dig deeply and what they found tied Alex’s own cases to the current murders. Los Angeles was a vibrant, alive city but it was also a city of the dead.

City of the Dead is the 37th in the Alex Delaware series by Jonathan Kellerman and it’s a beauty! I haven’t read a Kellerman in awhile, but he hasn’t lost any of his style. Milo and Alex work well together, and with Alex’s brand of psychology and intrigue, he hits the nail on the head for Milo quite often. And City of the Dead is one such time! An excellent read which I recommend.

With thanks to Yewon Son, Penguin Random House, Ballantine via NetGalley for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

For the 37th time, Dr. Alex Delaware and his best friend LAPD Homicide Lieutenant Milo Sturgis, team up in Jonathan Kellerman's latest book, City of the Dead.

I have been reading this series since the very beginning and always look forward to the next installment. The plots are always intricate and characters developed.


With City of the Dead, I feel cheated. The plot was dry. There was little to no suspense and I felt like the conclusion was a last minute thought. There was very little of the Kellerman storyline's I'm used to reading.

The author has been consistent for 36 previous books and I suppose one not so great apple doesn't spoil the whole bunch.

I will continue to be an Alex Delaware fan and keep reading Jonathan Kellerman's series.

⭐⭐💫

This is the 37th installment in the Alex Delaware series and while I haven’t read all of them, I have read a few. And what I like is that they’ve all been different which must be difficult when you’ve written this many in one series. And in this one the why is as important as the who.

One of the things I like about these books is Jonathan Kellerman mixes his knowledge of child psychology into the genre as Alex is a psychologist in the books and helps the police to solve cases. And in this one you have a storyline where Alex is helping Milo solve a pair of murders and he is analyzing a family in a custody dispute.

Quite often I am able to figure things out in a police procedural, but I wasn’t even close in this one. And I mentioned this was part of a long series, but can be read as a stand alone, so you don’t have to wait until you’ve caught up to dig right in.

The Alex Delaware series began in 1985 with the publication of When the Bough Breaks, and it’s been going strong ever since. City of the Dead is number 37, and in many ways, its style is closer to the original than more recent editions, and I consider this a good thing. My thanks go to Net Galley and Random House Ballantine for the review copy. This book is available for purchase today.

The story begins with a moving van, and two drivers looking to beat that nasty Los Angeles traffic by starting early. They’re making their way through an upscale residential neighborhood when something hurtles toward them in the dark, and the van makes a sickening crunch as it rolls over it. It’s a man, clad in his birthday suit alone; nobody can see the face anymore, because that’s where the wheels went. Once it becomes clear that the man was already dead when he was tossed into the street, Detective Lieutenant Milo Sturgis is called in. Milo is a homicide cop; Alex Delaware, our protagonist, is a child psychologist as well as Milo’s best friend. Milo often consults with Alex—sometimes officially, sometimes not—when a case has tricky psychological contours.

There are two threads to our plot. The first is the aforementioned corpse under the van; a small trail of blood leads the police to the house from which it came, where they find another body, that of the woman that lived there. There are all sorts of twists and turns; the woman turns out to be someone Alex knows slightly from a case in which he testified, but the man proves much harder to identify. The second thread is more straightforward, a custody case he’s been asked to evaluate for the court. Ultimately, there is some overlap between the two threads, and this is not something I can recall seeing in other books in the series. It’s very well done.

One thing I often forget between Delaware novels is how funny Kellerman can be. In this case, the story unfolds fast, and it isn’t until about the 70 percent mark that the humor is interjected. Delaware and Sturgis are interviewing a couple of enormous bodyguards, and the scene makes me snicker out loud. The pacing never flags, and there is a lot of dialogue that crackles and makes the pages turn.

There are two elements I’ve complained about in recent Delaware novels. The first is the sordid stuff; kinky sex that comes off as a bit seedy and leaves me with a sour gut. None of that this time! I’m so pleased. The second is the unrealistic elements in which Alex does way too much cop stuff for a civilian. There have been times, in other books, where Alex tackles bad guys, or is given a Kevlar vest, and when that happens, the magic is compromised. It makes me think about the author, because I’ve stopped believing 100 percent in the characters. Again, that is scaled way back here. In fact, there’s one instance where Alex suggests that he be the one to entice a suspect into giving up a coffee cup or something else containing DNA, and Milo shuts that down. It’s not necessary, and they’re not doing that.

The last several Delaware novels have been four stars from me, because although I did enjoy them, the issues that I just mentioned kept me from going all in. This time I feel everything was exactly right. You can jump in if you’re new to the series, but once you do, you’ll want to go back for the others. Highly recommended.

I'm way late to the party but after reading this I don't feel like I've missed anything...
Also, I didn't read any of the reviews beforehand but thought what the heck, I've heard his books do well as stand-alones so I thought I'd jump in. While the story does work as a stand-alone I also realized the character development has been going on for years so this, the 37th in the series, isn't going to bring (or need to for followers of the series) much development but it still left me feeling, meh. I found the writing to be okay but rather pedestrian. The plot was solid and there was no foreshadowing so the identity of the perpetrator was a surprise so I'll give it that. I was still entertained and that's what we read for, right? so not all was lost. I guess what I'm saying is, if you're interested in this series but like me haven't read any before now, I'd recommend starting waaaayyy earlier than this one.
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Thank you to the author, Random House, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC to read, review and enjoy.