Book 6) - An engrossing psychological thriller - Private Eyes (Alex Delaware series

Nine years ago, Alex Delaware successfully treated Melissa Dickinson, a tormented and phobic young girl, irrationally scared of almost everything. After two years of treatment, Melissa seems almost totally recovered, so her need for Dr Delaware ceases, and she becomes one of his most spectacular triumphs. Now, Melissa contacts Alex again, this time seeking advice concerning her mother. Gina Dickinson is a recluse, an ex-actress hiding away from the world ever since a vicious acid attack that left her scarred for life, even after extensive and traumatic plastic surgery. Even though Gina is now seeing, with some effect, a psychiatrist of her own, Melissa wants to know if Alex feels her mother could cope if she went away, accepting her place Harvard. Then, one day, Gina inexplicably climbs into her car, and drives off into thin air, leaving a tangled mystery to be unravelled in her wake.
I had started to think that this series was in danger of going stale. The prose is adequate and easy to read, but hardly full of spirit and at times seems a little perfunctory, and Alex Delaware has also remained a rather static - if very likeable - character. But now, after reading Kellerman's excellent standalone "The Butcher's Theatre", I returned to the series with "Private Eyes", and found it a wonderfully invigorating experience. This may be his lone of his longest Delaware books to date, but every word is fascinating, and there seems to me to be fresh fire in the writing. The characters are all very well developed, and although Kellerman never really takes any risks with his well-structured plot, it's a complex and clever book that really kicks the brain into gear, and presents one or two nice surprises along the way.
The psychology is dead-on, the relationships are all fascinating, the characterisation is acute, and the resolution is exciting, well-done, and satisfying. This may well turn out to be the rock of the Delaware series. To find out, i shall have to read on...

This story is set in 1989, eleven years after Dr. Delaware treats 7-year-old Melissa Dickinson, a child living a nightmare. Bright and highly resourceful, Melissa calls Dr. Delaware describing her seemingly irrational fears. Her biggest fear is that of her mother's safety. In 1969, Melissa's mother, then a young model was attacked by a man who threw acid in her face, thus disfiguring her.

Melissa comes from an extremely wealthy background and is often brought to her appointments by a chauffer who drives a 1962 Cadillac. She becomes quite interested in Dr. Delaware's beautiful Dodge Dart which he had during his undergraduate years. To her, the beautiful Chrysler was a novelty.

Dr. Delaware once again comes into contact with Melissa, by now grown and entering college. He works with her in uncovering the identity and motives of not only her mother's attacker, but those involved with the man.

On the plus side as well, Robin has moved in with another man. I never liked Robin and make no bones about it. Alex Delaware has continued his romance with Linda Overstreet, a smarter and much more appealing character than Robin ever was. Each time Dr. Delaware and Robin split up, one hopes it will be the last time. Robin is an inane drag and her purpose when she's back with Dr. Delaware is to serve as a sex partner and a table companion. She does not match him intellectually. Darn shame he went back to her as she appears to be nothing but a millstone.

One thing I really didn't like was the patronizing attitude Dr. Delaware takes with his tiresome lover Robin. I didn't like it when he "placed a finger over her lips" and then "kissed her cheek." In Over the Edge: An Alex Delaware Novel (Alex Delaware Novels), he "shushes her with a kiss" instead of listening to her. In this book Delaware in effect does the same thing here. I didn't like that at all.

This is truly a taut, gripping story. The characters are richly drawn so that one gets a pyschological as well as a physical impression of them. The mysteries neatly overlap; there is no extraneous material here. To make a good thing even better, Robin is more or less ushered out the door. I hoped that she would be because I never really cared for her in the first place. Her main role in this book was to leave readers with the question of whether or not she and Dr. Delaware reconnect.

PRIVATE EYES by Jonathan Kellerman is the sixth book in the Dr. Alex Delaware series. Delaware is a child psychologist that works more with cops and courts than new patients. In this one Delaware gets a call from an eighteen year old former patient seeking his help. The good doctor is drawn into a mystery surrounding the child and her mother. This is the worst by far of the first six books. It reads like a psychology text book in too many places. Milo doesn't enter for two hundred pages and just saves the book. Five hundred and twenty five pages in my softback edition and it could be cut in half. The story drags never picking up till the end. Series recommended , the book, not so much.

Trying all the threads together must have been difficult. I wonder if he draws an outline of the whole book and everyone's fate and then frills in. I spent much of the middle thinking the Gabneys used post hypnotic suggestions to lead patients to suicide - WRONG.

After eight different tries with Kellerman, I removed him from my "authors to read" list. Then a friend gave me Private Eyes and I thought I'd give him another shot. 525 pages later, I haven't changed my mind. Private Eyes is extremely slow going, and if not for my need to finish every book I start, I would have gladly given the book back without reaching the very disappointing ending.
Alex Delaware is called by a former child patient after nine years. He is drawn into a severly dysfunctional family with secrets galore, a missing person, her former attacker now free from prison, greedy bankers and lawyers, odd-ball psychiatrists - all of whom could be guilty of the possible kidnapping/murder...if there was actually a kidnapping/murder. With his loyal minion Milo Sturgis, Delaware tries to untangle the intricate web Kellerman weaves for the reader. Great premise.
Unfortunately, what I found was more of Kellerman's verbose writing style in which he goes to great length to describe the highways and byways that Delaware takes to go to wherever he's going. I realize in reading other reviews, many readers enjoy Kellerman. Beyond Billy Straight and Survival of the Fittest, I can't say I'm in that same group of fans.

I enjoy Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware series, but I think certain entries are better than others. PRIVATE EYES isn't a great Kellerman novel, but it's enjoyable enough if you like psychological thrillers.

Kellerman is undoubtedly a very gifted author, but I find his writing style a little too long winded. In PRIVATE EYES, Kellerman takes a great deal of time developing his "missing person" plot, with long stretches of ponderous dialogue that serve no real purpose. Most of the dialogue is actually quite rich and fascinating, but it begins wearing thin once you reach the halfway point. This is ultimately a rather slow paced novel with some tedious moments, and I think a stronger editor could have dramatically strengthened the story with some judicious editing.

PRIVATE EYES also suffers from an absolutely absurd ending. I've read about eight Kellerman novels, and he seems overly fond of convulted plots with outlandish finishes. Given Kellerman's obvious intelligence, I think he could have offered a smarter conclusion than what I found here.

Overall, PRIVATE EYES is moderately enjoyable, but my advice is to read WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS if you want to read a great Kellerman book.

The story of Private Eyes is a perplexing, winding road. I never would have imagined the motivation for all the intrigue was what it was. It was so off the wall. I do like Private Eyes better than the other Kellerman I read, Bad Love. This story was carefully built until it finally reached its climax. There was plenty of character development, and because of it, the characters will stay with you long after the book is finished.

One thing that has bothered me with the two Kellerman books I've read is the way the villain, once found out, always stands around with some weapon talking for 15 minutes. This is Kellerman's way of explaining the big reveal to the audience, but it seems he could come up with a better way. These people are smart enough to baffle a psychologist and cop for ¾ of the book, yet stupid enough to wave a gun for 15 minutes talking and waiting for the police to show up or for Delaware to finally make his move and jump them?

All in all, Private Eyes does what it's supposed to do: gain your interest and give you something pleasurable to bide your time until you're ready to take your spaceship back to Uranus.

after managing to get through this one. (And yes, I am an AVP.) I have been a big fan of Kellerman since I stumbled across his work 3 years ago. Have read many since then. But this book was a regretable selection, leaving a very bad taste on the mind. I am still in shock over the savage and nasty ending. He doesn't do Stephen King well at all, shouldn't even try. And it doesn't even make any sense! My best guess? He wrote the first half of the book, got bored as many of us did, and someone else finished it. Ugh!

Private Eyes was the second book of the Delaware series I read. I thought it started out a little slower then the first book I read (bad love) but it kept me reading. It makes a person realize how much children can know with out an adult realizing it. I enjoyed the book but I was a little dissapointed with the ending. I have realized after reading 4 of the Delaware books, that Kellerman writes in a gradual slope and really catches the reader at the top of the hill and gradually leads them down the other side of the hill, breathless. I thought it was one of Kellerman's easier books to read with the technical lingo. Be prepared to loose sleep getting this one read! It is a non-stop read!

For the most part, this installment of the Alex Delaware series comes off very well. It grips you early on and carries you to a satisfying conclusion. You have to suspend disbelief in one or two parts -- for instance, we have a shrink who has nothing better to do than spend days of probably non-billable hours in solving a mystery. But for the most part Kellerman controls things, keeps the various threads moving systematically through the book and gives us a plot and characters that are well-developed. Kellerman's a pro and his skills are very much on display in "Private Eyes."

A fantastic book...anyone who enjoys a good mystery, psychological information, and investigation will like this. Alex is the hero and the early counseling part is fantastic. The only dislike is sometimes the plots are too fantastic...but overall another super book!

I liked this Alex Delaware book. It had a specific focus, with well-defined characters, leading to a rather weird (but satisfying) conclusion. I enjoyed seeing the 'private eye' side of Milo; having him temporarily suspended from the police force was a good sidebar and set up some very interesting scenarios in which he gets more in touch with the human side of investigating a missing person case. One unsatisfying aspect--Alex gets it on with his ex-girlfriend, Robin--who I abhor.

AUDIO/ABRIDGED: First, John Rubinstein did a great narration, he always does. This one is part of the Alex Delaware series, very early on. A teen, who was Alex's patient 11-years earlier for anxiety, comes to see Alex when she dreads going off to school. He mother has a phobia of leaving the house and soon disappears. It was only three discs and I did feel like I was missing a few things. Milo is wonderful, as usual and you hear the first of Alex and Robin briefly getting together. I did have problems with how Alex finds the murderer's lair, but I was listening to it in my car. The end was far-fetched and I was glad it ended quickly. Otherwise, it was okay.

Just kidding about the butler... but there is one in this tale of intrigue and adventure. Contrary to other criticisms, I found this story one of Mr. Kellerman's best tales with many levels of clever mystery and suspense. Kept my attention throughout the reading. A+ Good writing!

A seemingly endless story so hard to plod through. The story started well, like all Kellerman novels, but winded around on a long road and seemed to stall somewhere in the middle until the last few pages. The plot had a way of defining psychologists/psychiatrists as evil, with the exception of Delaware, naturally. I would pass on this one.

(2.5 Stars) Having never read anything by Kellerman, I was recommended the Alex Delaware books by a friend who doesn't read anything too heavy. I came in hopeful, but that quickly diminished into hope that something interesting would eventually come out of this novel. I was 100 pages into it when I was about to give up, when my wife suggested skimming. I started doing this and finally around page 150, a mystery finally appeared. I continued skimming and by the time I got to page 300, I was back into actually reading it word for word. In the end, I really wish I had spent my time reading something else.

Very good book. A little slow in the beginning but grabbing your interest as you read on. The ending was not what I expected. And it seemed the closer to the end the more surprising it became. Would definitely recommend reading this book.

Through the years, have read everything in our library that is available, and now working on the online kindle library, Love the dialog, descriptions, and progression of the "case". Especially like the dialog/friendship of Sturgis and Delaware. Hope Kellerman just keeps writing more because they just keep getting better.

Very different. It was not one of the most memorable thiller's I read. The characters, however, were well written. I would have never thought the ending would have ended the way it did. Some chapters were very slow, then picked up. Twisted plot, but kept me going.

Always enjoy an Alex Delaware story, fast paced, story line always interesting, cast of characters, weather the good guys or the villains are believable and exciting. Have read them all and wait for the next with anticipation.