Flesh and Blood, Jonathan Kellerman
Flesh and Blood, Jonathan Kellerman
4 Rating(s)
List: $19.95 | Sale: $13.97
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Flesh and Blood
An Alex Delaware Novel

Author: Jonathan Kellerman

Narrator: John Rubinstein

Unabridged: 13 hr 18 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/20/2001


Synopsis

Perennial bestseller and acknowledged master of the psychological thriller, Jonathan Kellerman has created a riveting and memorable Alex Delaware novel about a troubled and elusive young woman whose brutal murder forces the brilliant psychologist-detective to confront his own fallibility.

Lauren Teague is a beautiful, defiant, borderline-delinquent teenager when her parents bring her to Alex Delaware's office. But for all Alex's skill and effort, Lauren resists—angrily, provocatively. Reluctantly, the psychologist chalks Lauren up as one of the inevitable failures of a challenging profession. But years later, when Alex encounters Lauren as a stag party's featured entertainment, both doctor and patient are sticken with shame. And the ultimate horror takes place when, soon after, Lauren's brutalized corpse is found dumped in an alley. Alex disregards the advice of his trusted friend, LAPD detective Milo Sturgis, and jeopardizes his relationship with longtime lover, Robin Castagna, in order to pursue Lauren's murderer. As he investigates his young patient's troubled past, Alex enters the shadowy worlds of fringe psychological experimentation and the sex industry, and then into mortal danger when lust and big money collide in Southern California.

Jonathan Kellerman's L.A. is evil, seductive, and unforgiving, and Flesh and Blood is mind-opening in its drama of a driven man's personal quest, breathtaking in its ingenious plot, filled with unforgettable characters, and topped off by a terrifying climax. This is suspense fiction at its finest.

About Jonathan Kellerman

American author, Jonathan Kellerman, comes from a decisively different viewpoint when writing his novels, than most authors. Kellerman was born in New York City to parents who were successful authors themselves. His journey began when his family moved to Los Angeles California. He grew up there and received a BA in Psychology from UCLA. He paid for his education by various jobs as cartoonist, illustrator, journalist, and editor, as well as teaching guitar. An unpublished novel that he co-wrote won him a Samuel Goldwyn writing award. Screenplays were readily available to him, but he chose not to get into that venue. He received his PhD from USC in clinical psychology. His research thesis was entitled.....attribution of blame for childhood psychopathology. Kellerman is currently a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine.

The first published book from Kellerman was a medical text book entitled.....Psychological Aspects of Childhood Cancer. His extensive research and hands on experience while working at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles prepared him for the knowledge needed to write his first published book.

He published a book for parents titled Helping the Fearful Child. Through many cases and observations, came his first novel.....When the Bough Breaks, which became a bestseller and was adapted for a TV movie. His career in medicine continued all throughout his writing. He was a consultant and expert witness in the legal system which impacted the characters in his novels.

The psychologist and novelist has been very vocal in speaking out against the "misguided" release of mentally ill people into the community without benefit of counseling, psychotherapy, as well as medication. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife, who is also a bestselling crime writer. They have four children, two of whom are also novelists.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Larry on November 11, 2010

I read this book, wearing humble sweat pants, somewhat worn yet comfortable. An old T-Rex t shirt, hunting socks to ward off the fall chill on the floor. I furrowed my brow, squinting into the distance as though the answer to life's mysteries was visible above the hearth, which crackled enthusiastic......more

Goodreads review by Tk on August 27, 2012

I have read many of the Alex Delaware novels as I love Kellerman's style and the Delaware/Sturgis relationship is always entertaining. But this one wasn't as great as some others. The story was interesting but cluttered. And I could not get past the fact that he got so involved in a patient he had o......more

Goodreads review by Bart on October 11, 2010

This is among the least enjoyable of the Deleware novels. It was part of what I'd call the mid-series slump for author Kellerman.......more

Goodreads review by Charley Girl on June 19, 2018

Who doesn't like Alex Delaware? Alex is inquisitive or is it nosy? I don't know but it makes for a great story. I didn't figure out who the bad guy was and couldn't figure out how the murders were related so I really like the book. The one downfall was it was a bit too long for me. Milo, the homosex......more

Goodreads review by Nancy on March 20, 2017

One of Alex Delaware's former patients turns up dead, and he gets involved although his counseling relationship with her had been brief and ten years ago. In the intervening years, he had run into her once when he attending a bachelor party and she was the stripper, and his sleuthing has him follow......more


Quotes

“[KELLERMAN] HAS SHAPED THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MYSTERY NOVEL INTO AN ART FORM.”
–Los Angeles Times Book Review

“VIBRANT . . . [Kellerman] can always be counted on to deliver a smooth and satisfying adventure as he makes his way through the darker sides of Los Angeles.”
Cleveland Plain Dealer