Jonathan Kellerman's 2006 novel gives psychologist Alex Delaware his latest thrilling criminal behavioral case and the unwary reader a sedative, a guaranteed prescription for sleep. Though it is filled with the ingredients for a chilling headliner in the daily newspaper for any big city in America, I found it difficult to read more than a few pages at a time.



Dynamic Duos

L.A. attracts the beautiful people from all corners of the globe. They come seeking stardom, fortune, fame, and notoriety. Twenty-three year old Michaela Brand of Phoenix and twenty-four year old Dylan Meserve from Brooklyn both arrived from their respective hometowns, meeting in a West Hollywood actors' workshop. That was nothing extraordinary-- droves of others like them do it every day. However, to hone their talents and perhaps get the press coverage they both desired to boost (or jump-start) their fledgling acting careers, when the two teamed up to stage an abduction hoax where the two were--according to their reports--brutally carjacked, confined and assaulted at gunpoint by a masked assailant, they apparently grabbed more than the notice of the media. The Sheriff's Department brought charges of obstruction and filing a false police report against the artistic duo. Not long afterwards, one of the two partners in crime turns up dead; the other cannot be found.

In search of the perpetrator of not only one homicide, but at least three others with similar profiles in the unsolved murder files in the area, LAPD detective Milo Sturgis enlists the help of the incomparable Dr. Alex Delaware. The crime-fighting duo watches, interviews and/or interrogates a pair of brothers, a handyman ex-con and one of two of his wealthy employers, an ex-gang-banger and his wife, a middle-age couple who disappeared just after they relocated to L.A. in pursuit of a duo career in acting, as well as the instructor/owner of the actors' playhouse to which all the victims have ties and one of the two hoax-playing acting students. Some become potential victims; all can be considered suspects, that is if they are still alive.

Add to this mix a couple (unacquainted though they are) who, ironically, lends more to the solving of the case (or cases) than one would ever have expected. Ertha Stadlbraun, seventy-plus-year-old African-American widow, the live-in manager of the apartment house where the suspect at the top of the investigating team's usual suspect list for this ever-expanding victim, shakily profiled case, just happened to live. Incidentally, this was also the residence of the Latino couple, which--by the way--just happened to be one of many properties owned by the wealthy brothers and the owner/instructor of the playhouse, who just happened to be real estate heir siblings and these were only two of the sibs' many realty holdings and investments inherited at their late west coast real estate/developer father's death. Albert Beamish, another senior citizen past his sixty-fifth birthday, is a wealthy, retired legal partner of a respectable old local law firm, ex-army officer and neighbor of the sister/playhouse owner--the sister of the realty-rich heirs. It is his insight on the three that gives Alex and Milo some most valuable leads in this perplexing investigation. Since he's home all day, his keen eye to the activities next door to his stylish, appropriate and tasteful Tudor home fills in details which might have been missed otherwise. Fortunately, his insight has spanned decades, since it had also been where the three had grown up--prior to becoming the sister's private resident after their parents' deaths.



Casting-WANTED (no NEEDED) Character Development

With exception of Mrs. Stadlbraun and Mr. Beamish, Kellerman's characters seemed to lack character. The flat, card-board-like personalities that populated this issue of his series makes for boring, disinterested reading. Even the back story to introduce the new reader with (and re-acquaint or orient the reader with prior knowledge of) the Doctor's past, can be described as sketchy and limp, at best. One gets the urge to say, 'Let's move it along, please!' or 'So, WHO cares!?!!' Although Alex's two love interests even eventually ends up in the same room, at the same time, while he's in bed, the reader is impatient to get on with the story by this time. Where could Jonathan (Kellerman) have come up with these 'people'?? More importantly, WHY did he?? I literally could not have cared less about most all of them, personally. B-o-r-ing, I repeat!



My Conclusions

I'd read many of Jonathan Kellerman's novels, and quite a few of them featuring Dr. Delaware. When I found this latest one I picked it up with anticipated delight and extremely high expectations. Was I ever mistaken?!!-- not to mention disappointed. As I'm sure you've already concluded from my review, I found Gone an utterly deplorable, disappointing, and BORING read. FYI, I would have tossed it after the first 50-75 pages, not bothering with the remaining 290 of the 365 pages, had I not felt it my obligation to warn the unsuspecting victim who might be tempted to pick it up unknowingly.

So, now that I've done my civic--and professional--duty, read it at your own peril. I did mention that it might BORE you into a state of somnambulism, did I not? I give Kellerman's latest in the Alex Delaware series a begrudgingly extracted rating of 1 and a half (or 2) out of 5 stars. I would not bestow this one upon even those least favored persons in my world. For the author dubbed the "master of the psychological thriller" by People Magazine, I say that if Gone is representative of his work to come, the master has lost his edge. I sincerely hope not.


As always, thanks to all for reading. Hope you're all enjoying a wonderful Easter holiday!!!


Recommended: No