This was my first book by this author(s) and I will definitely will be reading more. This book captured my attention right away and I could hardly put it down. The book was fast paced, had lots of twist and turns, and an ending that left me shocked. I rated this a 4 star book on my Goodreads and other socials and look forward to reading more from this author.

With book 6 in this series, I am finding more to like about
Private Investigator Clay Edison. He is clearly a gifted
Investigator, and is a far more interesting character
than he was when he was with the Coroner’s Bureau.
He is happier and his family is supportive and thriving-
all all important to his success.
There are dozens of locale references, some of which
are not well known, and some might not be completely
recognizable to the folks who live or work in these
places, but it is interesting nonetheless.
As I read this fun story I realize I must now wait for the
next installment.
My thanks to Ballantine Publishing via NetGalley
for, the download of this book for review purposes.

I am a huge Kellerman fan and love the Clay Ellison books. Clay Edison is perfectly happy working embezzlement cases, until Private Investigator Regina Klein calls him with a mystery only he can solve. The son of a wealthy couple has washed up dead on the shores of San Francisco Bay with drugs in his system and a head injury. The police are calling it an accident. But the parents are adamant something’s not right—and as Clay digs deeper, he uncovers a horrifying tangle of betrayal and lies. Clay is a great character and has a very human element to make the reader quickly get involved in the story.

Kellerman (or Kellermans) always deliver. You know what you are getting with any of the three of them and you know it will be good and hold your attention. This novel is no exception and Kellerman readers will all enjoy the characters, the twists, the location, and the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I'm always happy to read anything from this family!

Just a word of thanks to both netgalley.com, as well as Ballantine Books/Random House Publishing for an advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

And my honest opinion.......wow! I haven't read such an intriguing murder mystery novel in quite a while! I really enjoyed how "believable" this novel was. This novel, Coyote Hills, is #6 in the Clay Edison series by the Kellermans - father Jonathan and son Jesse. I have read all of the books in this series - following former San Francisco area deputy coroner Clay Edison into his current role as private investigator. Add to the series his partner, and foul-mouthed (but highly funny) partner, Regina Klein.

The novel begins with Regina contacting Clay to meet about a victim (was it murder? was it simply an accident?) that Regina has been hired, as a private investigator, to see if she can find out if the death was foul play or not. Clay agrees to meet, and find out more of this mystery. As the pace of the novel crescendos to a fine finish, we find that there are multiple victims who have disappeared in the bay area and that the tie-in is a dating app.

The story is interesting, it is believable, and truly kept my attention. I am glad I was on the ride for this one.

All the books by this author have been packed with characters that you love ore hate and this book is no different. The characters are colorful. I look forward to the next installment of this series.

I received this book free from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Written by Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman and published by Ballantine Books, an Imprint of Random House in 2025, this is a murder mystery with a few twists. The primary protagonist is an ex-cop named Clay Edison. He was a cop because he used to work as a police coroner. Now he is a Private Investigator (PI). He has a part-time partner: a woman named Regina Klein. Regina has her own business, which is some sort of independent practice that I was never too clear about. She could be a psychologist. She is somehow affiliated with Stanford University. Clay is married and has a wife named Amy and two kids named Charlotte and Myles. Regina’s boyfriend, Ed, has repeatedly and unsuccessfully asked her to marry him. Ed is a professor of Biology at Stanford University and is fifteen years older than Regina, which might explain her hesitation. Both Clay and Regina live in the Bay Area of Northern California, and that is where this story is set (in 2026, however).

The dialogue between the two PIs is brisk and sharp, with Regina often calling Clay “Poirot.” When text messages are presented in the story, their emojis are also included, which I found interesting and amusing. That’s not to mention that it added to the clarity of the story. Richard (Rick) and Elizabeth (Liz) Valois are colleagues of Ed, and they have requested help from a well-known and reliable private investigator. Ed passed it along to Regina, and she called Clay. After meeting with the wealthy couple, Clay and Regina accepted the assignment to investigate the death of their son Adam a year earlier. His body had been found floating in the Bay near Coyote Hills Park, hence the title of the book. The coroner in that case ruled the cause of death to be “drowning,” but the manner of death to be “undetermined.” Rick and Elizabeth are convinced that Adam was the victim of foul play, especially since the autopsy showed a serious head injury. After accepting the case and signing a contract prepared by Rick’s attorney, Shelby Fuller, that included a non-disclosure agreement that Clay insisted be modified to suit him, the two PIs were off and running.

Adam had a girlfriend named Olivia Parisi. They did not live together but saw each other frequently. Tiffany Reuss and Gary Kinney, two detectives from the park police, had contacted Rick and Liz and asked them to come in to identify a body found floating in the Bay. The body was in bad shape from being in the water for a long period of time. A tattoo on Adam’s back, later confirmed by dental records, confirmed his identity. Adam’s car had been recovered in Oakland, but it was not clear how it had gotten there. Initially, the two detectives had seemed to be treating the death as a possible homicide, but then toxicology tests came back showing that Adam had several drugs, including Ketamine, in his system. That made the detectives believe that the death might have been accidental. Rick and Liz commissioned a private autopsy that indicated that the head injury had occurred prior to the drowning death, and that convinced Rick that his son had been murdered.

Adam had a close childhood friend named Trevor Vogel who ultimately helped the PIs in their investigation, and his name appears often in the story. It isn’t long before Clay and Regina find three additional deaths of young men washing up from the Bay after having drowned. In each autopsy, however, Ketamine was found in the victim’s system. Only one of the deaths had been ruled a homicide, while the others were ruled to be undetermined or accidents. Only the police involved in the case of the homicide seemed interested in the case, and some of them went so far as to refuse to talk to Clay and Regina. This made their task more difficult, but they persisted, eventually finding an expert who was able to reconstruct the probable water entry point of all four victims by analyzing the current, wind and temperature patterns of the San Francisco Bay.

Eventually, of course, the private investigators were able to solve the case, but the results were surprising to me. The book is very well-written and was a treat to read. It is an adult novel, however, so keep it away from the kids. I recommend this book to readers and fans of the genre. I plan to read more of the works of these two authors. I like their style, and I award all five of the five stars available for this review.

The Kellerman's never fail to put you on the edge of your lounger when you open their novels. Adventure, thriller, mystery - it's all here in love, betrayal, and family secrets.
Full of snappy dialogue and action, this entertaining detective story that can fit in your tote or beach bag.

Coyote Hills is a real page-turner — I couldn’t put it down! This sixth entry in the Clay Edison series might just be my favorite so far. The mystery kept me guessing, packed with morally gray characters and a wide cast of compelling, diverse suspects. I truly loved trying to figure out who the “bad guy” was — it wasn’t easy, and that made it all the more satisfying.

The writing is sharp, the pacing brisk, and the character work top-notch. I was completely pulled into the story from beginning to end. If you’re a fan of crime fiction that’s smart, layered, and unpredictable, this one’s a must-read.

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!

This family has got to be some of my most favorite authors. I love that I can pick up any book that any of them writes and be completely happy with it. This latest collaboration is no exception. It was very well written and paced perfectly. I am always looking for when any of them have new books on here.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

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.