Survival of the Fittest

Starred review from November 3, 1997
Why is it so hard to put down a Kellerman thriller, even though they're strewn with red herrings, the coincidences demand grand suspensions of disbelief and the main characters--psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware; his lover, Robin; his best friend, gay L.A. detective Milo Sturgis--are so predictable? It's simple: the nonstop action leaves you breathless; the plot twists keep you guessing; the themes (eugenics, this time) are provocative. Milo asks Alex to help solve the murder of Irit Carmeli, the deaf, slightly retarded teenaged daughter of an Israeli diplomat. They identify three similar cases in which retarded or handicapped victims are found with the enigmatic legend "DVLL" written near the body. Meanwhile, Alex counsels Helena Dahl, whose brother, a cop, may have been involved with Meta, an organization whose members have high IQs, just before he killed himself. When Alex and Milo discover a link between "DVLL" and neo-fascist Meta in the alleged suicide of a genius scientist, the "DVLL" and Dahl cases entwine. The coincidence is quite a stretch; but by the time it unfolds, readers are hooked enough to accept it, just as they're likely not to question Alex's going undercover for the police. As an added bonus, Israeli detective Daniel Sharavi, the astute protagonist of Kellerman's non-Delaware mystery (The Butcher's Theater, 1988), returns as a valuable partner in this typically complicated, exciting Kellerman page-turner.

August 1, 1997
Readers will find this latest installment in the Alex Delaware series (e.g., The Clinic, LJ 10/15/96) entertaining despite the author's tendency to overdescribe settings at the expense of character development. The psychologist again helps his friend, detective Milo Sturgis, solve a cold case: a deaf and mildly retarded Israeli girl, the daughter of a diplomat, is strangled in a park, and the letters "D-V-L-L" are found on a scrap of paper in her pocket. Authorities have failed to come up with a suspect or any leads, so the victim's father brings in a detective of his own, the great Daniel Sharavi, from Kellerman's The Butcher's Theater (Bantam, 1988). Over 200 pages later, Delaware finally goes undercover to infiltrate a sinister MENSA-like organization, and the ends of this plot, filled with psychopathic cops and pseudo-scientific racists, are (too neatly) tied up. Despite the book's flaws, Kellerman fans and readers seeking an intelligent thriller should enjoy this. Recommended for all public libraries.--Laurel A. Wilson, Alexandrian P.L, Mount Vernon, Ind.

September 1, 1997
The hottest hand in the psychological thriller game has now produced a baker's dozen of best-sellers. Kellerman's latest once again stars psychologist Alex Delaware, who's as good at amateur sleuthing as he is at easing painful psyches. His cop buddy Milo Sturgis asks Alex to consult on a tragic case involving the brutal slaying of a young, deaf, mentally handicapped Israeli girl. The girl's father, a member of the Israeli embassy staff, is determined to find his daughter's killer and secretly employs Israeli detective Daniel Sharavi (previously introduced in Kellerman's "The Butcher's Theater," 1988) because he doesn't trust the cops to do the job. At first, Milo and Alex see Daniel as the enemy, but more murders, another suicide, and a baffling lack of clues force the three to work together. They contrive a dangerous plan using Alex as a decoy to lure the killer out of hiding. The stomach-churning climax proves once again that the ever-suave Delaware is both brave and near-indestructible. Kellerman has things down to a science now, knowing instinctively what his fans want: suspense, adventure, romance, and a leading man to die for. Buy plenty--this one will be hot. ((Reviewed Sept. 1, 1997))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1997, American Library Association.)