The Alex Delaware series is one I've always wanted to read, just never had enough time. That said, I did not feel lost reading #37 as a standalone.
The setting is L.A. and the book title is aptly descriptive of all the lost souls there. People go to L.A. and reinvent themselves, change names, persue new careers or pretend to have expertise they did not earn. This complicates solving two possibly related cases when Lieutenant Milo Sturgis arrives at the scene of moving van vs naked man. No clothes, no ID, cannot do facial recognition, fingerprints not in any database.
While canvassing the neighborhood, a woman is discovered in her home, brutally murdered. Now the investigation will have to determine if her murder has any connection to the naked man. In identifying the woman known as Cordi or "Cordelia.” Gannett, (real name Carol or Carrie), Dr. Alex Delaware, a  psychologist, finds he knew her in a prior court proceeding. Milo and Alex have worked on cases together previously and are friends.
Alex often does evaluations in family court for child custody dispute cases. He discovers his path had actually crossed with several names in this investigation. Milo seeks his assistance and takes Alex along on some interviews. I questioned the client confidentiality ethics at times but, mostly overlooked that aspect.
It was easy to get a sense of Alex's character, his personal life and professional standards. The banter with his girlfriend, Robin Castagna, was lively. Milo was not as relatable and I didn't find his character fully developed. Perhaps his history is in previous books in the series. Cordi's complicated family dynamics were very emotionally charged. Her mother, Renata, was a hot mess.
There are crimes and murders from the past that resurface. The plot is twisted and there are new discoveries which constantly changed who I thought the guilty party was.
This is a series I wish I had started reading years ago and I enjoyed the author.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the advance digital copy of "City of the Dead" by Jonathan Kellerman and to Ballantine Books. These are my personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily.

A naked young man’s death after his collision with a moving van drops Alex Delaware and Detective Milo Sturgis into a complex case of murder and mayhem. This series remains fresh and interesting and is highlyrecommended to all fans of intelligent suspense. #CityoftheDead #NetGalley #SaltMarshAuthors

his book continues the Alex Delaware series where he assists his friend Milo Sturgis solve a double murder. This is a quick engaging read that takes time to figure out who done it unlike many others of this genre. In the process of solving the double homicide another unrelated murder is also solved.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog.

This was a great psychological mystery. Can’t believe its number 37 in a series, but it can be read as a stand alone. This is the first book I’ve read from this author and I’m going to look for more of their writing. Thank you for this ARC.

The story begins with individuals moving furniture and before their last stop, they get into an accident. In this event a naked individual wound up being hit by the moving van. As the investigation proceeds, the initial detective after talking to neighbors decides to check a specific house. When he approached it, he discovered blood and once he was inside, he discovered a scene which needed him to contact his boss, Milo. Once Milo arrived on the scene he contacted Alex, a friend, who was also a police consultant. After he arrived a viewed the scene, he discovered that he knew the victim.

As Milo and Alex began looking into the case, another event happened that wound up being related to this case. Eventually they were able to solve the last case, but still left them wondering who was responsible for the double killing earlier. Following leads, they finally narrowed it down and made an arrest.

To discover how Alex knew the victim, how all of the killings eem to be associated and who the killer was and what other situations were also cleared up, then you need to read this book.

I received this book through "NetGalley" and I am leaving an honest review.

I stopped by to catch up with Alex and Milo. What a team! A beginning that caught my attention. It was strange for a naked man to hit the side of a truck...although it still dark outside. But a second body? Milo has his hands full with this one. The twists and turns start showing up and it looks like it will be an unsolved. No one is who they pretended to be. Alex has a custody case to handle for the courts. What should be separate from Milo has potential to be part of his case. Or is it?
Great ending. Loved the twists and turns. As always, I enjoyed reading Jonathan Kellerman. He does keep me flipping the pages.

City of the Dead is the latest Alex Delaware novel by Jonathan Kellerman. City of the Dead is a stand only story but does contain some characters from previous novels. Mr Kellerman holds the reader's interest by continuing to have Alex and his police friend, Milo, discuss the current cases and throw out theories to each other. Fascinating reading. I want to thank NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an early copy to review.

Jonathan Kellerman is a dependable writer who writes dependable mysteries. A reader can count on Dr. Alex Delaware and Det. Milo Sturgis to solve the case in this, the 37th book in the series. I have read them all, but that isn't a requirement to enjoy this latest offering.. I don't know LA at all, but Kellerman does a great job of describing the neighborhoods, the traffic and the people. A one quarrel with City of the Dead is the identity of the killer. In a English class I took in college, I learned that an author should always give the reader a fighting chance to determine the villain. That was impossible in this book. For that reason, I rated this book a 3 star instead of a 4 star. (I also was bothered by some typos in my electronic ARC. I hope these were corrected before publication. They were distracting).

For series readers as well as new readers, City of the Dead by Jonathan Kellerman capitalizes on the rapport between leads Alex and Milo, as well as their crime-fighting & logical skills to bring this story to life. The victims in this story are a self-proclaimed "relationship coach/psychologist" internet influencer and a gay hairdresser. The story begins with a naked male body found outside in the street, and later, a female body found inside a home. The question then arises is there a connection between the two, and if so what is it?

I found the presentation of the story to be rather slow and long-winded for the bulk of the book, but the banter between Alex and Milo kept me reading. Once the twisted reason for the crime is discovered, the story flows rather quickly to a conclusion.

For me, this was a three out of five star read.

I wish to thank the Author, NetGalley, and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books for the advanced review copy for an honest review.

The expected publishing date is February 8, 2022, in all formats.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

I always enjoy following Milo and Alex in Kellerman's excellent series. This edition brings them both up to top form as they investigate several mysterious murders. At the beginning, a truck hits a naked man on the street. Who could this be? A woman is found dead. Is there a connection? The reader is kept guessing throughout this police procedural.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for offering me the opportunity to read a pre-release copy of Jonathan Kellerman's "City of the Dead. This is the first book I've read by Jonathan Kellerman. This is book #37 in the series and it can absolutely be read as a stand alone book. I absolutely loved this book and will for sure go back and read the prior 36 books. Super fun book to read and I highly recommend it!

Alex and Milo are back in peak form in the latest Delaware novel. I didn't really enjoy the last several books, and I worried that the author was beginning to suffer from Patterson syndrome. I needn't have fretted, because Jonathan Kellerman just casually brought back his best in this book. Honestly, this could be book 7, not 37, that's how refreshing it feels. I don't classify this series as thriller, but I saw that in the description. It is suspenseful and mysterious, but it's still a Procedural.

I don't think I need to go over the synopsis. I will tell you that it's the most intriguing, convoluted case our intrepid duo have investigated in many moons. There is some graphic violence depicted, so just be aware if you're sensitive to that. One of my favorite things about City of the Dead was the history and details we learned about the detectives on Milo's squad. Moe, Sean, and Alicia are practically family, but I didn't feel very connected to them. That changed, a little, with this book. As always, the city of Los Angeles itself is a major character in the novel. The L.A. in this book has myriad faces, many of them hideous and disfigured, but some so beautiful it moves you to tears. I have never been to Los Angeles, myself, but it comes alive for me in this book. Jonathan Kellerman recaptures that old time magic here. City of the Dead is a compelling puzzle that you just can't wait to solve, a brilliant novel of suspense. 4.5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the chance to review this advance copy.

Books by Jonathan Kellerman featuring child psychologist Alex Delaware and Detective Milo Sturgis are like a well oiled machine. They work well together and this book by the author works well as great entertainment.
Tasked with solving a crime that makes no sense Detective Milo calls on help from Alex. Nothing is as it seems and with some unexpected twists, Alex is drawn even further in helping to solve this crime.
Thanks to NetGalley, publisher, Random House/Ballantine Books for a pre-release of #37 in this solid series.
This review is my own opinion.

I never grow tired of reading this author's books. He his always fresh and even though this is the 37th book it didn't disappoint me. Milo and Alex has a relationship like no other. The back and forth that goes on between the two has me laughing at time. It opens with a naked man hit by a moving van. But a second body is discovered. Psychologist Alex Delaware is called in to consult by LAPD detective Milo Sturgis. They do solve the crimes in a pleasant police procedural.

I have been reading Jonathan Kellerman for over 30 years. My favorite series is the Alex Delaware/Milo Sturgis books. This is one of those. I have read them all and this one is definitely a worthy entry! You do not have to have read the others to get behind this one, but PLEASE do at least afterwards! You will not be sorry!

Thanks to #NetGalley #JonathanKellerman and Random House-Ballentine Books for this ARC.

Dr. Alex Delaware a psychologist frequently on loan to law enforcement and his friend, Detective Milo have their hands full of murder mystery in this new thriller from Jonathan Kellerman, "City of the Dead". In this new book, two furniture movers run over a young naked man and the questions begin. While on the search of the secrets of this mystery, another body is found, another, and yet another. Meanwhile, Dr. Delaware continues his practice of assisting the courts in custody cases and finds himself in his own world of mystery and intrigue. While trying to solve the murder mystery, he and Milo interview many subjects, and eventually some questions are answered but they lead to more questions. While they unravel the lives of the deceased in order to solve the murders even more entangled lives are exposed. Eventually, all the threads are untangled in the surprising ending to several complicated murders. This is an excellent book for lovers of mystery, murder, and thrills. Thanks to #CityoftheDead#NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.. .

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a complementary copy of this book. Receiving this ARC did not affect my review in any way.

This is a long-running series that has stood the test of time. "City of the Dead" is number 37 in the series. I can't be sure that I have read all of these but I have definitely read the majority. There are many series that I started when I was younger that I can't stand to read now because the same thing happens in each book or the characters have become unlikeable. The Alex Delaware series is still interesting and fresh. Although you are familiar with the characters they have not become annoying or overly predictable. Instead it's like visiting comfortable old friends. The plot in this book was exciting and different. The ending was an interesting surprise that I wasn't expecting. If you like mystery stories, police procedurals or the Alex Delaware series I would recommend this book. It is helpful if you have read others in the series but not completely necessary. (less)

I am a big fan of Jonathan Kellerman, and his new book is really good. It is part of a series that takes place in Los Angeles, and features fan favorites: psychologist Alex Delaware, and detective Milo Sturgis. This is an excellent police procedural, and can easily be read as a stand-alone. Recommended for fans and for those who will be fans!

Early morning and predawn in a pristine suburban neighborhood in Los Angeles, a moving van hits something unseen. The something turns out to be the body of a naked man. The oddity of the situation causes Lt. Milo Sturgis of the LAPD to call on his psychologist buddy, Dr. Alex Delaware to consult. They soon find another body in a nearby home. This one Alex recognizes as Cordelia Gannett, a former and somewhat ethically challenged opponent in a child custody case a couple years earlier. She was a self-promoting, social media influencer who sold counseling services and advice to gullible, distressed, and vulnerable people. While searching for clues to identify the first victim, Alex and Milo find that Cordelia has developed her scam into a lucrative online business. A deep dive into her personal history reveals some psychological issues of her own that ultimately helps lead the detectives to the killer.
Kellerman stays true to his formula in City of the Dead. Quirky murder scene inspires Lt. Sturgis to call in out-of-the-box thinking psychologist and best friend Dr. Alex Delaware. Alex makes some long shot hunches that Milo has learned to take seriously due to Alex’s history of success. By finding and interviewing a list of the deceased’s former associates, all with psychological issues of their own, the detective duo finds the murderer… all very familiar and satisfying for a Kellerman fan spanning four decades.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.

How can a furniture van near the UCLA campus that strikes a naked man in the street not pique your curiosity? And that’s just what happened. This story had my attention.

Though I used to read the Alex Delaware series, it’s been several years since I’ve picked one up. Not because I stopped liking them, but because it just didn’t happen. So when I got the opportunity to review Kellerman’s 37th novel in this series, I was thrilled. And as I mentioned the start of this book had me interested.

However, it wasn’t long before I was struggling. I began to lose interest as it seemed to go from here to there. Was it a lack of character interaction? Plot? It all stopped working for me.

As always the writing felt well constructed, but this particular story didn’t click..

Concerns
While an interesting premise, the plot unfolded so slowly that I had trouble wanting to keep turning pages.

Final Thoughts
I think with any series there will be some books that meet expectations better than others. I do like the Milo and Alex duo, but this police procedural wasn’t my cup of tea.

If you aren’t familiar with this series, it might be a good idea to start with a few at the beginning. It might be helpful to have a better knowledge of the characters before starting the City of the Dead. Though it is a standalone book.

For sure give this book a try. Or at least go back and start with some earlier ones, since it’s a very good series.

My thanks to the publisher, and NetGalley for the ability to review this book. The opinions expressed are completely my own.