Breakdown

I am quite a fan of this series, now on book 31 - wow! I have never read a bad one and this one also did not disappoint. Reading one of these book is like slipping into the most comfortable pair of slippers. I do find that quite a few favourite series start to get a bit tired beyond book 10 or so but this series (to date) definitely shows no sign of flagging.
I still absolutely love the pairing of Alex and Milo. The banter between them is brilliant. I especially like the "things you think and things you say" bits from Alex as well as the running commentary. For two characters that have been going so long, there is nothing stale at all, I think it helps that there are Rick and Robyn in the background to add a bit of personal life to each of the main characters even though in this book Rick wasn't quite so prominent.
In this offering we see Alex called upon to help the parent of a boy he saw 5 years ago. The mother, Zelda, was herself a patient of Alex's colleague and Alex's part in proceedings was to assess the son and advise on whether he is safe with the mother. So, five years later and Zelda's life has spiralled down exponentially from well known actress to homeless and Ovid, her son, is nowhere to be found. Alex is reluctantly drawn back into Zelda's case as her previous psychologist has died and he has never actually signed himself off the case. I say reluctant, pretty much the only reason he is getting involved again is because he needs to know what has happened to Ovid and it becomes somewhat of an obsession of his. For a lot of the book, we see Alex going it alone. I was almost concerned for him for a while as he did seem to be getting in too deep. We see twists and turns, snowball cause and effect as well as lots of secrets hidden for a long time. It really does turn out to be a convoluted plot by the time all is revealed. But, as always, credible and understandable.

There is not really much more I can say about the book that won't spoil it for others. It is a good addition to a good solid series and I will be waiting with baited breath for the next instalment.

I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review

One of my all time fave author's!
I couldn't put it down. Page turner from start to finish, I was hooked!
Highly recommended

I would like to thank Netgalley and Headline Publishing for a free copy of Breakdown, Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis's 31st outing. This is a more cerebral, less action novel than many of the others in the series but still has the same compulsive storyline. Alex is coerced into examining Zelda Chase who has been sectioned for trespass and psychosis. Alex knows Zelda from assessing her son, Ovid, five years previously and is now worried about Ovid because Zelda is homeless and ill and there is no sign of him. Zelda is released but is found dead two days later in the garden of a posh house miles from her shelter. Milo and Alex start investigating and true to form uncover a whole lot more than the death of a homeless woman.
As I said there is very little action in Breakdown but it is no less thrilling for it, if anything the slow uncovering of facts and the theories they lead to is more compulsive as a read and I was glued to the pages, wondering what was coming next. Is the plot realistic? Probably not but who cares when Mr Kellerman does such a good job of drawing you in and keeping you there. Then there is the added attraction of the Milo/Alex dynamic. After so many novels they are familiar, comfortable characters with some good lines which lighten the read. I think the humour is slightly suppressed this time round but the comfort of familiarity remains. I also like Mr Kellerman's barbs about care for the mentally ill - it seems as shockingly bad in the land of the free as it is over here - and is an issue, among many others, which needs highlighting.
Breakdown is not a literary masterpiece and is not intended to be, it is a thumping good read which will hold your attention and make you glad you chose to read it.

This is Alex Delaware #31 now – that is an incredible body of work especially when you look at the standard throughout – ok there has been the occasional dip but for the most part these have been engaging, intriguing and brilliant reads, Breakdown being no exception.

I’m hugely fond of these characters – Alex, Milo, et al. And each different mystery brought to the doorstep of our dynamic duo has its own dark underbelly and different way of getting to the reader. In the case of Breakdown a child is missing, a child who is already vulnerable by virtue of having a disturbed mother – but as ever there is a lot more to it than that.

I like Jonathan Kellermans own unique writing style very much – he uses what I call pragmatic prose to draw you in and keep you turning the pages. He still manages to surprise, he still manages to add layers to characters you would think to know off by heart by now. Not everyone could pull off a series of this length and keep it at such a high calibre but somehow he does.

Overall then I’d recommend this as much as I do every other Delaware novel – that is very highly.You can pick up any of them and enjoy it in case you are gulping at the thought of 31 books and have not yet started, just pick one and dive in if you fancy giving them a go. I’m also a fan of Faye and Jesse Kellerman, hopefully I have many a happy read ahead of me from this very talented bunch.

UK Publication Date: 02 Feb 2016. 432 pages. Many years ago I was an avid fan of Dr Alex Delaware and I rushed to the library to get on the wait list when a new novel came out. I don’t really know why, but we drifted apart. There was no major crisis or event it just felt like we’d parted as friends and would be on occasional nodding terms. “Breakdown” is the 31st novel featuring Alex and his police buddy Milo and it is like putting on a comfy pair of slippers. Alex is still with Robin but there is a new pooch on the scene. He’s still working as a child psychologist and doing consults for the LAPD. Breakdown is a little slow to start. Beginning with ex actress Zelda being arrested and sectioned after a psychotic episode, Alex is bullied into assisting because his name is on file after treating her son Ovid five years earlier. Delaware becomes concerned when he realises that Zelda appears to be homeless and that there is no sign of her beloved Ovid. Two days after she is discharged from the facility Zelda is found dead. With Milo and Alex both involved in the search for her murderer the story begins to unravel. There is more preamble and story and less action than the Delaware novels that I remember but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Kellerman does such a good job of setting the scene and crafting the characters that it feels like you are right there in the Hollywood Hills with him. It is a very readable thriller with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing right up to the final pages.

Kellerman has his mojo back!

Kellerman is one of my favourite psychological thriller writers. I am loving the sharp interaction between Alex and Lieutenant Milo Sturgis in his latest book.

Dr Alex Delaware is caught up in the search of a missing five year old boy and the death of his mother. and is challenged to his limits.

- Received book from Headline thank you.