Another in the Alex Delaware series. Milo Sturgis and his acolytes play important roles again. Enjoyed the psychological insights leading to the takedown of the criminal and the subsequent resolution.

We're in the nose-bleed section with Jonathan Kellerman presenting his 40th novel in the Alex Delaware Series.

Your eyes may roll in your head thinking that you've got to swing back to #1 in order to get a grip on this gripping series. Nope. I'm a relative newbie to this series with several books under my belt. This one does read as a standalone well.

Jonathan Kellerman keeps the fires hot with his two main characters as always. Homicide Detective Milo Sturgis of the LAPD is on to another case. This one involves the murder of a young woman who had been trying to get a break into show biz. Unfortunately, she hung out with some shifty characters in order to get closer to the limelight. The light for her was cut short when she was found dead. No one knows why.

Milo connects with psychologist Alex Delaware who does his usual ride along. Both men peruse the crime scene with different pairs of eyes. Each contributes valuable information. But soon the body count begins to rise with victims of different backgrounds and ages. Several crimes are connected to a rifle used in previous crimes. Both Milo and Alex are perplexed.

Open Season is not one of my favorites so far. I'd rate it generously at 3.5 Stars eventually settling on 4 Stars. There are a ton of characters to follow in this one with a wide scope of possibilities. Nothing seemed to gel and the incidents seemed to occur at random. That is until Alex goes out on a limb with a pretty bizarro premise. It's here that our duo travels into the high weeds. Kellerman locks it down, but I felt no satisfaction. Open Season didn't seem to have the same electric current as his previous novels. A few chilled Margaritas may get the mojo workin' again in the next one. I'm waiting poolside as always.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Random House and to the talented Jonathan Kellerman for the opportunity.

Another Kellerman novel that catches you by the throat and won't let go. Making connections is Alex Delaware's gift, and when one murder leads to another, and another, he begins to tie the stories together.

I found this gripping, suspenseful, and was relieved at the resolution. Good for those who like adventures, thrillers, and mysteries.

Jonathan Kellerman is back. I have not read all of his books, though I started out reading his books back in the day. At some point, I liked them less and stopped. Then a little while ago, I started picking them up again and I really did not like the one I read. I was thinking about stopping. Then I tried his last one through NetGalley. It was better but not great. This one was even better. I felt more invested in the plot and in the characters. The plot is still, of course, important, but I would say, it is more literary. I think some reviewers didn't like it but it suits me just fine.
This is a really long series and there is some concern that Mr. Kellerman has run out of steam. He most certainly has not. I look forward to number 41.
4.5 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine for providing me with this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Alex Kellerman keeps getting better. Milo never disappoints and I love this series! I enjoy each of the books and this is my favorite yet! Kellerman keeps you guessing until the end. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy!

Alex Delaware receives a call from Detective Milo Sturgis regarding a dead female dropped off in front of a hospital.
Through interviews with the dead female's friends, a suspect is identified. When the suspect is murdered, the bullet
from his body turns out to be from a rifle that was used in another unsolved murder. As the investigation continues,
the rifle is identified as the murder weapon in other cases. Will Alex and Milo be able to piece the information
together to identify the murderer before he strikes again?
Love the interaction between the characters, Enjoyable addition to the series.
#OpenSeason #RandimHouse #Ballantine #NetGalley

Open Season is the 40th book in the Alex Delaware series from Jonathan Kellerman. Think about that - Forty books with one character! Kellerman still manages to write fresh stories for Alex and Milo.

"An aspiring actress is found dumped near an ER. She doesn't make it and a suspect quickly appears. He is found dead from a sniper shot. Soon other crimes are linked to the sniper. Alex and Milo suddenly find themselves searching for a vigilante and they will need all of their skills to find him."

This is a procedural. Alex and Milo keep hitting dead ends but eventually find a lead they can pry apart. Kellerman is a clinical psychologist so his stories always include a heavy dose of motive. The killer in this book has some deep-seated issues but Delaware is always going to prevail. There's some commentary on the Hollywood dream here.

All of these can be read as stand-alones. Always glad to read the new Alex Delaware book at the beginning of the year. Another good story from Kellerman.

I do love reading a new Alex Delaware novel, and the 40th outing is no different. After forty stories, one gets to know Alex and Milo and how they work together. This time a sniper is killing people that don’t seem to have any connection. They more Alex thinks about it the more he learns. This story does not see us in Alex’s profession as a psychologist, except for brief mentions of right notes and filing. Also, doesn’t delve into his personal relationship much with Robin. It’s all abluot these murders and how they can be solved. It’s not one of the best, but still the author keeps it refreshing and I will keep reading.

Open Season by Jonathan Kellerman is a very highly recommended procedural and the fortieth novel set in LA featuring Psychologist Alex Delaware joining Homicide Detective Milo Sturgis in an investigation.

The body of a young woman who was drugged and murdered is dumped near an emergency clinic. As soon as they seen to be narrowing in on a suspect, the man is found murdered, shot in the neck by a bullet with a full metal jacket from a .308 rifle. A sniper is suspected, but who and how does it tie to the murdered young woman. Soon, based on the weapon used, the case expands to previous incidents with similarities.

As expected, the writing is excellent, the pace is fast, and the journey to the finding the killer is compelling. Following the investigation to the different cases, directions, and questions that arise with the detectives is intriguing. All of this is naturally accompanied by Alex's keen insights that assist in discovering what is really going on with these cases. It is a pleasure to follow the disclosure of new information and where each new clue leads the team.

At this point, fans of the series know these characters well and what to expect from them. For anyone not following the series, this can be enjoyed as a standalone procedural. You won't have the history, but you will still be able to appreciate the twists the investigation takes on the way to a surprising final denouement.
Thanks to Random House/Ballantine Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Thank you NetGalley.

Another great installment. Starts off with a body and they keep accumulating. Are they connected? The victims don’t appear to have anything in common and are from all walks of life, both personally and professionally. As we know, somewhere along the line, we’ve met the killer but where and when? I was engaged throughout the book and was surprised at the end when the killer was revealed. As always, I look forward to the next book.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

I very much enjoyed this book. The writing was great and the characters were well developed. I hope to read more from this author in the future.

This is the only book series I’ve remained 100% committed to over the years and auto buy each new installment! As always, author Jonathan Kellerman creates an entertaining and engaging murder mystery in this latest book in the series. I love that Alex and Milo are such consistent characters and I enjoy their relationship and banter. If you haven’t read any of the books in this series, I recommend you do so! I listened to the audiobook and have listened to so many of these now that when I read instead of listen, the character voices in my head are the same as in the audiobook 😝

Open Season is number 40 in the Alex Delaware novel series. I have read all of the others as well, and I was excited to read this one as well. All of these books are police procedural. Alex and Milo are back and this installment didn't disappoint. I love watching these characters over the years. I gave this book a 5 star rating.

Yet another exciting book from Jonathan Kellerman. I am always entranced by his stories with all their twists and turns. This one does not disappoint.

I’m really struggling to find anything positive to say about this novel. Maybe it’s because I couldn’t connect with the characters, or perhaps it’s the painfully slow pace of the story. Either way, it just didn’t work for me.

The characters had absolutely no personality—not a single one. I couldn’t bring myself to care about the victims, the crime, or anyone involved. The whole thing felt extremely monotone and, quite honestly, boring.

As someone who reads a lot of crime novels, I know not every story has a strong hook, but even so, I expect the plot to pick up at some point. This one never did. Unfortunately, this book was a miss for me. If you’re looking for an engaging crime novel, I’d suggest skipping this one.

I would like to express my deep gratitude to Random House Publishing Group - Ballatine and NetGalley for their generosity in allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Alex Delaware is back helping his detective pal, Milo Sturgis, with another puzzling case and can you believe this is his 40th go-round?! I hadn't realized this going in and I am happy to report the writing remains as fresh and engaging as ever, I genuinely had a hard time putting this one down once I started it. You need not have read the prior 39 novels to enjoy this one, it really does stand alone but if you have read them all, this one adds one more layer of depth to Alex and Milo's characters.

No spoilers here to ruin the riveting mystery for others beyond there are murders that need solving and much as the amateur detective in me wanted to figure things out before they were revealed, this excellent mystery kept me perplexed until Alex's ah-ha! moment. Per usual, Milo's detectives are featured and Petra from the Petra Connor books also makes a few appearances once the murders turn into a joint case between their departments.

As someone who has read all 40 books, I was pleased to find that the descriptions of driving from place to place were reasonable. I get driving in LA can be slow and complicated and in some past books these descriptions were a bit long-winded and excessive, but this one offered a good balance.

Disclosure: Received an uncorrected ARC of this book from NetGalley and Ballantine /Penguin Random House LLC (Thank you!) in exchange for an honest review.

A great end to the 2024, diving into the most recent Alex Delaware novel. I have been reading this series for years and don’t think that I have missed any yet. This one follows the usual Kellerman formula for these books. This sounds negative, but in some ways, is actually comforting. I enjoy knowing that I will revisit the gang of characters that surround Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis, hear about the supporting characters, and hear about the area around LA and its local food.
This installment began with the death of a young woman, appearing to be an overdose. Her friends did not believe that this was a possibility because she was not a substance user. As Milo and Alex investigated this death, Petra is notified of the death of a man who has a connection with the previous victim. The difference is that he was shot while on his balcony by a skilled marksman. What is the connection? Were these deaths related? Are there other murders that match the characteristics of these crimes? The usual investigating and consideration of the case follows a Delaware and Sturgis pattern. This is a fun and readable series, with fast moving stories that keep the reader turning the pages.
My only negative comment is that the last 20% seemed to wrap up too quickly and easily, with all the connections being too perfectly connected and answered. I enjoyed this but I found it less believable as a realistic detective story.
Endulge yourself and enjoy this latest installment of Alex Delaware and company.
#OpenSeason #NetGalley #RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantine

This book is part of the ongoing Alex Delaware series. Although this was my first foray into the series, I found it quite enjoyable. The novel follows a traditional format with a solid story arc and well-developed characters. While the book was engaging and well-written, it didn't particularly stand out as exceptional to me, but it was a satisfactory introduction to Alex Delaware's world.

Jonathan Kellerman does it again! Another book with two of my favorite characters Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis.

A young woman is found dead. The main suspect is found murdered. Follow along as Alex and Milo work together to find the murderer.

This is book 40 in the series. If you haven’t started the series, now is the time to do so. You won’t regret it!

When a random shooting in Milo’s district matches one in Hollywood, old friend Petra asks to team up to solve the cases. Milo, Alex and Milo’s “D’s” who we’ve met before (Alicia, Sean, Moe) hit the ground running.

As always, I enjoy the interaction between Milo and Alex, the mutual friendship and respect they share. This helps them to put clues together faster. The books in this series are very well written, move along fast but also have more of an intellectual bend. The characters are complex, there’s no easy foreseeable path to the criminal. Highly recommend.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.