One of the most tightly plotted, tightly written of the Alex Delaware series, Kellerman's latest opens with a real puzzler: How and why did the faceless, handless body of a murdered man wind up in the home of an ordinary suburban family? The man clearly wasn't killed there; there's no sign of blood or violence. Delaware, a psychologist who often consults on police cases, and his usual partner, detective Milo Sturgis, wonder whether the distraught and confused family might be somehow involved, especially the overbearing and arrogant father. However, a second murder soon convinces Alex and Milo that the solution lies elsewhere. What follows is a taut procedural thriller; we follow Alex and Milo as they test theories, follow up speculations, interview potential suspects and persons of interest, and eventually find the needle of truth buried in a haystack of what-ifs. Fans of the long-running Delaware series will be thrilled with this one, and, because each book functions just fine as a stand-alone, there's nothing keeping new readers from diving in here.--Pitt, David Copyright 2018 Booklist

In bestseller Kellerman's exceptionally well-plotted 33rd mystery featuring L.A. psychologist Alex Delaware (after 2017's Heartbreak Hotel), Alex's close friend on the LAPD, Lt. Milo Sturgis, asks for his help in investigating a gruesome murder. When Chet Corvin, a senior vice president in a reinsurance firm; his wife, Felice; and their two children returned home from a restaurant one night, they found a dead man in their den with his face blasted off and his hands severed. The Corvins all insist that they have no idea who he is, let alone why the killer would have left him in their house. The only potential lead is Chet's alerting Alex and Milo that one of their neighbors, Trevor Bitt, is weird. The pair soon learn that Bitt is a legendary artist, best known for comic book illustrations of disturbing subjects, and their suspicions are heightened by Bitt's refusal to speak with them. Another murder only makes the case murkier. The leads' bantering friendship lightens an otherwise grim story. Newcomers will find this an easy entry point into this long-running series. Agent: Barney Karpfinger, Karpfinger Agency. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.