Cover Image: Heartbreak Hotel (Alex Delaware series, Book 32)

Heartbreak Hotel (Alex Delaware series, Book 32)

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Member Reviews

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

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Heartbreak Hotel is Jonathan Kellerman’s 32nd Alex Delaware novel and it was as enthralling and engaging as all the previous. Alex is requested, rather unusually , to consult with 99yr old Thalia Mars only when he returns the next day to continue he finds her dead and not of natural causes. A quick call to Detective Milo Sturgess and the detecting duo are once again on the trail of a murderer. The twists and turns the author uses always keep the reader engaged and the continual banter between Alex and Milo adds just a mild hint of comedy to lighten the tale. Cannot wait to continue with the next instalment, surely it’s time for Alex to marry.

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This is the 32nd book in the Alex Delaware series by Jonathan Kellerman and I must admit I have read a few of this series but not all..

It felt like meeting with an old friend to catch up with Alex and LAPD Detective Milo Sturgis...

This begins with Alex agreeing to meet Thalia Mars an old acquaintance and now 99 years old. They meet at the Aventura, the slightly down at heel hotel where she lives. She asks several questions about guilt and criminal behaviour but gives no reason why and asks for Alex to return the following day and she will tell more......but, as was slightly predictable to me, when he returns Thalia is dead, murdered !

So, Alex calls his friend Milo and so the investigation begins.

During their investigation they find Thalia may have been a moll for the gangster owner of the Aventura Hotel back in the 1940’s.....

I found this to be interesting with the looks to the LA of the past and the link to the current spate of murders.....a pretty good and easy, if not particularly thrilling, read....

I would like to thank the Author/the Publishers/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review

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A very interesting and unusual thriller going back to earlier times. The characters are always believable and we'll written. Love the main characters of Alex,Milo and Robin and of course the dog.

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Another case for Alex Delaware from the outstanding pen of Jonathan kellerman. alex is contacted by a lady who is almost a hundred years old, he visits her and can’t really understand what the visit was about. The following day she is found murdered. The story then takes a trip back in time to the early days of American gangsters and then leads on to a search for the rewards of some of their crimes. Ultimately the death of the lady and others until the case is solved.

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Really good read. I have read most of this series. Reading about Alex and Milo feels like visiting friends. This book kept me reading. I really liked the characters and the twists In the plot. I like the writing style and the continuing story of old characters.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

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would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

at first i wasnt sure on this book..and in fact i very nearly gave up on it...as i was finding it quite difficult to follow...mainly the relationship between the two main characters...but then i realised that this is book 32 and i wasnt giving it a fair go...and then i got it

though it did take me half way through the book before i got it...and then the storyline seemed to fall into place though i felt it was slow going..but then again it was a very old crime...

have to say i was hooked and wanted to find out whodunnit...

a stolen ruby
a woman living in a hotel who ends up murdered
a boyfriend who was a gangster

whoever could it be....
the ending gruesome and not for the feint hearted but on the whole i am glad i read it and will be looking out for more of this authors works

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A brilliant plot, with plenty of intrigue and a most unexpected ending, this one had me hooked from the beginning. One of my favourites from this author.
The main characters are as always unusual and the interaction between the two is appealing and realistic. The other characters in the plot are quirky and unexpected, adding an extra dimension to the book.
The book was easy to read and flowed well from beginning to end. Definitely well worth reading, I really enjoyed this one.

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I have tried numerous times to download this book both for the kindle and the epub format but unfortunately, this is just the press release so I was unable to read the book.

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There aren't many things I can really thank my ex-husband for but I have to admit that introducing me to Jonathan Kellerman's books is one of them! I have read pretty much every one, mostly in the right order but that actually doesn't really matter too much with this series, and I have always found them to be good, solid, satisfying reads. This one was no exception.
Alex Delaware receives a strange phone call from an old lady - Thalia Mars, just shy of her 100th birthday - despite not being in his age range for therapy, she cajoles him into a consult in her most inimitable way. He goes and they chat a while, mostly about criminal behaviour and guilt, talking round things but never quite getting to the point. Intrigued enough by this Alex agrees to return the next day but is shocked and saddened when he turns up at the hotel she lives in only to find her dead with the first responders still there. Initially ruled as natural causes - well she was nigh on 100 - Alex uses his connections to take a peek and, also consulting with the man on the scene, they decide that it was anything but. Enter homicide Detective Milo Sturgis and what follows is our dynamic duo trying to piece together what happened to Thalia by going way back in time, following her life and her money, to try to make sense of it all.
Oh this was deliciously convoluted and very well plotted. I do love the pairing of Alex and Milo, the way they work well together, complementing each other with their different methods and ways of working but always to the same end, getting to the absolute truth. Some of their banter and witty repartee really does make some of the scenes much easier to swallow as occasionally the crimes can be a little hard core. Obviously we also have an excellent supporting cast, some more prevalent than others, in Robin, Rick and, my favourite, Blanche, who all have their own parts to play in the whole.
Though probably not the strongest book in the series, and for that reason probably also not the best one to start with, this book hooked me in at the start, kept my attention and kept me entertained throughout and left me more than satisfied at its conclusion. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

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A typical Kellerman (Delaware) novel but it felt different, it felt a bit more of a mystery novel rather than a murder thriller. Certainly not as gory or high paced. I enjoyed this more than I have recent previous outings of Delaware/Sturgis and I just wish the victim had featured more within the book... I really liked her!
I wouldn't say don't read it if you haven't read any of this duo before but it certainly does help if you know the returning characters and their history.

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