Solid entry in the Clay Edison series, and my favorite so far. This series, and the protagonist, have evolved over several books and it's been a pleasure to read.

The team of Jesse and Jonathan Kellerman has grown more seamless. It's a true blended voice, I didn't feel any of the subtle shifting back and forth that you can sometimes find when authors team up.

It's been a few years since Clay has had a case that puts him in danger. His children have grown, his PI business is thriving. Then Regina Klein dumps a death in his lap and things get complicated. Clay recognizes something from a past case, something unusual enough to have him dive in with both feet.

Technology makes it easier to find commonalities with other cases, yet, there's a realism here because things do take time. Nothing is handed to the investigation.

The characterizations are solid. Regina is as feisty as ever and her ever-changing outfits are fun. She's an excellent addition to the series, a partner for Clay, and a friend. The partnership is balanced and the friendship feels genuine, respect hiding behind some snark.

I enjoyed diving into the complications of the case. While some of it was a bit out there, it's easy to suspend disbelief--this is San Francisco and the rich do what they want and to excess. The weaving of the details from a tangled ball of thread into a tight tapestry of color was handled with even pacing, detailed imagery, and the occasional flash of cynical insight.

A author team and series that's underrated. I recommend it and this addition. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to review.

The collaboration between the Kellermans resulted in a remarkable success! "Coyote Hills" is a captivating police procedural, or perhaps more accurately, a private investigator narrative that keeps readers engaged from start to finish. The pacing is expertly crafted, maintaining an air of suspense throughout. The protagonist, Clay Edison, is a private detective operating independently, hired by a family convinced that their son's drowning was not a mere accident. As he delves into the investigation, a web of secrets and unsettling revelations begins to unfold. With numerous plot twists and intriguing developments, this book is a must-add to your reading list!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

In Coyote Hills, Jonathan Kellerman returns with his signature psychological acuity, but here, it’s filtered through a bleaker lens—one that exposes the fragmented landscape of both the California desert and the human psyche. While longtime fans of the Alex Delaware series may think they know the rhythm of Kellerman’s storytelling, this Clay Edison novel subtly shifts its cadence—opting for disquiet over resolution, erosion over eruption.

The titular Coyote Hills serves less as a setting and more as a symbol: of isolation, of beauty worn down by time, and of the mysteries that hide in plain sight. Kellerman’s prose hums with quiet menace, where heat shimmers and silence speaks louder than any confession. Dr. Alex Delaware, ever the steady observer, feels more reflective here, his internal commentary tinged with a weariness that mirrors the moral fatigue of the case he’s drawn into.

What distinguishes this entry isn’t just the crime itself—a gruesome tableau awaiting easy classification—but the way Kellerman dissects the layers of memory and guilt that ripple outward. There’s a psychological heft to the investigation that transcends genre norms. Yes, there’s detection, forensics, and slow-boiling suspense, but beneath it all is a meditation on the stories we tell ourselves to survive.

Kellerman’s deft hand with dialogue shines, especially in scenes between Alex and Milo. Their banter, textured with long-standing camaraderie, balances the grim subject matter with human warmth. And for audiobook aficionados, the narration complements that intimacy—rich with nuance, particularly in parsing the silences between words.

Coyote Hills may not deliver the clean catharsis of some earlier entries, but that feels intentional. This is Kellerman grappling with ambiguity, and in doing so, he invites the reader not just to solve a mystery, but to examine it.

Another brilliant novel from Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman. As Clay and Regina take on a case from a distraught family seeking answers about the death of their son what unravels are characters living hidden lives. Readers are hooked from page one

Great collaboration between Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman which brings back former ME Clay. Great collaboration between Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman which brings back former ME Clay.

This is a convoluted story of lies and deceit. Two private investigators work together to solve a mysterious death only to discover several more similar cases the police are calling accidental. As they dig deeper the story reveals coverups and half truths before the cases are solved.

Another winner by The Kellermans! I think that I have read every book by this family, those written together and alone. I started reading Jonathan Kellerman’s books over 30 years ago and I continue to read each new one. Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC of #CoyoteHills.

Always, always excited to get a Jonathan Kellerman ARC! If you're asking, Is it still worth reading him after all these years? Yes. The answer is yes. Of course, this is co-written with his son, but both writers are well worth your time.

In this entry, the 6th in the Clay Edison series, we see Clay working for a wealthy couple whose son has turned up dead in the San Francisco Bay.

Clay's partnership with PI Regina Klein is a good one--I really am enjoying their growing partnership/. The overall setting and atmosphere is great here (as usual!), and the characters show increasing depth and complexity. The mystery has twists and turns to keep you guessing.

All in all, yet another great read by Kellerman and co. Keep 'em coming!

PI Clay Edison is called in by his old friend and fellow PI Regina to work a case that
immediately draws them both into other possible similar victims and families that
both hinder and help with the investigations.
Young men with seemingly little in common have washed up along pieces of
the San Fran area bay with the same type of injury: too similar to consider them
just coincidences as clay goes to work on the old cases and looks for a common
denominator.
Good read with twist and turns that add to the suspense.
But just a bit too creepy/unsavory of an unraveling at times, for me.


.

I am a huge fan of the Kellerman (Faye, Jonathan, Jesse) writing trio. Faye is currently taking a hiatus from her highly popular Decker and Lazarus series. Meanwhile Jesse and Jonathan have teamed up to bring us another gripping adventure of PI Clay Edison. Each series book by the two just gets better and better. Clay was a deputy coroner in the first several books they coauthored but personal circumstances caused him to resign. In The Lost Coast Clay has left the coroner’s office to become a private investigator looking into an embezzlement case that turns out to be anything but safe. Now Clay is winding up a less dangerous embezzlement case at the beginning of Coyote Hills.

Coyote Hills begins with Clay answering a phone call from PI and family friend Regina Klein who is anxious to bring him into the investigation of a wealthy family’s dead son. The couple, an aggressive internationally respected science professor and his moneyed wife, felt the original police investigation was inadequate and the coroner’s final report of an “inconclusive” death, with the implication that it was an accidental drowning, was wrong. Clay and Regina take on the case with the proviso that they will go where the facts lead them regardless of the outcome. The couple agrees. From the first chapter we are treated to a page turner leading us around the Bay Area as Clay and Regina follow up leads and are shocked to uncover three more cases similar to their initial investigation. They decide to split the workload with each diving into the different deaths to confirm they definitely are the work of the same person.

Coyote Hills is both character driven and a procedural as Clay and Regina run across all sorts of interesting people throughout the investigation: an eccentric ocean scientist who plays a key role, a childhood friend, now homeless, of the primary dead person, the girlfriend who reported her boyfriend missing, a former football player who keeps evading Clay and Regina, a few cops and medical examiners that either provide key information or are evasive when Clay requests assistance, and the wealthy family lawyer with a penchant for boating. Step by step Clay and Regina put together a case that points to the person(s) involved in all the deaths. Coyote Hills is one of those highly readable books with colorful characters and intricate plotting that is difficult to put down. I strongly recommend the book and thank both NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an opportunity to read and review this outstanding book.

Awesome read! I admit I am a huge Jonathan Kellerman fan and his co-written books with Jesse do not disappoint. Clay Edison, former coroner, turned PI has become one of my favorite characters as his storylines develop. I also love when he partners with Regina. A twisty, dark read which reminded me of an Alex/Miles plot with the depravity. Highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own. Rating: 5 stars Expected Publication Date: October 28, 2025

Coyote Hills isn’t my first novel by Johnathon Kellerman. I really enjoyed his previous books and was thrilled to be given the opportunity to read an ARC of this one. It absolutely did not disappoint!

There are definitely multiple layers going on in this suspense thriller. I thought I knew who the killer was going to be, but I was wrong. It came together brilliantly in a way that made complete sense. There were a lot of characters between the multiple victims, witnesses, different involved police departments etc that made it a tiny bit confusing at times, but it was still well worth the read.

If you’re looking for a fast paced suspense novel, I totally recommend Coyote Hills.

Release date October 28, 2025

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first Clay Edison book and I can't wait to read more. It was exciting and engaging. I couldn't put it down!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

A good psychological mystery. When a body is found washed up on the shore, Clay is asked to look into it. As a PI he has connections and can find clues others cannot. Overall a good story, although must admit didn't like the ending. May just be me. Would recommend.

This book was another hit by the authors. This second book in this series was filled with a good mixture of mystery and suspense. Although good as a stand-alone book, reading the first book in this series would be helpful in a better filling in of character development. This is a book which I would recommend to all who enjoy a good mystery.

The Kellermans have done it again with this solid entry into the Clay Edison series. When the son of a wealthy couple washes up on shore, Clay Edison is recruited by PI Regina Klein to help discover how he got there. Law enforcement have ruled it an accident, but the young man's parents are adamant that it's something else. Clay's investigation leads him to more deaths in similar circumstances, but are they related? He'll have to dig deep into several lives and get help from some unusual sources in order to ferret out the truth.

These books are always packed with interesting, real characters. I like that we meet all kinds of people with real flaws and complex personalities. I'm not so much talking about our main character who always seems to stay the same and whose life I would always like to know more about, but the people in each investigation, both the criminals and everyone else we meet. I did not see the ending of this one coming at all, and talk about character flaws! In addition, and I say this every time I review a Jonathan or Jesse Kellerman book and every time it's true, The settings have a way of coming alive in their novels. Their geographic details always make me feel like I'm right their in place and time, and I appreciate that feeling of inclusion. Finally, the mystery here is very intriguing, and they way in which it's solved was fascinating. I don't want to say to much and spoil anything, but the technology and science that were employed here, were really cool. My conclusion? This is a solid read for fans of this series, these authors, or thriller fans in general.

These two write so well together. Love this series and the Characters. Clay Edison is a great character. His talents are many.Last life as a medical examiner helps him solve his PI cases

Private investigator, Clay Edison is brought into a case by Regina Klein, a colleague. A wealthy family is not satisfied with the ruling of their son’s death and what they feel is a lack of effort and interest by the police. I found the story complicated at times but finished it and enjoyed it.

Enjoyable read. The story flowed and was easy to follow. Would love to see continued collaborations between these 2.

Another fine entry in the Clay Edison series as Clay takes on a case of wealthy parents grieving the loss of their son and determined to prove it was murder.

Following all the clues available to him and engrossed in what is truth and what is lies, Clay follows a convoluted path to a surprising conclusion.

If I have one negative thing to say about this story it would be the character hired to plot the tides using an extremely complicated program that was impossible for me to understand and took away from the narrative.

Recommended!