Bones by Jonathan Kellerman (2008, Hardcover)

What's not to love about a mystery wherein some of the victims' bones turn up in a storage locker, discovered by a character buying the contents of delinquent spaces in order to glean stuff he can sell on eBay?

That said, whether you like this book or not will depend in part on whether or not you can accept the premise of all Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware books: namely, that the Los Angeles Police Department would give psychologist Alex Delaware his own special consultant's badge and turn him loose to fight crime right alongside his sidekick, curmudgeonly gay lieutenant-cum-detective Milo Sturgis.

If you're willing to go along with that set-up, then their somewhat far-fetched piecing together of clues and motivations probably won't bother you either.

This time around, in the 23rd volume of the series, bodies are surfacing in the L.A. Bird Marsh Preserve. The blue-blooded employers of the latest victim conveniently -- and ominously -- can't be found, and suspicion falls on their estate's wierd caretaker.

But Milo's instincts and Alex's insight are too well honed to fall for easy answers. When a body turns up who doesn't fit the pattern, they realize they must look beyond the madness of a serial killer to the even more monstrous workings of a sinister and deadly mind.

Just like the book jacket promises, "Bones" is classic Kellerman, relentlessly peeling back the psychic skin of its characters and revealing the shadows and sins within. Jolt after jolt of galvanizing suspense propels the plot relentlessly through various twists and turns to a shattering climax and satisfying resolution.

Whether you read "Bones" for the psychological interest or just to find out whodunit, you are sure to enjoy the ride. And don't be afraid to jump right into the series starting with this book, because Kellerman always includes enough of the characters' backstories that you won't feel out of the loop. Just think: If you like this one, then you'll have 22 more treats in store.

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