Obsession by Jonathan Kellerman
Dr Alex Delaware investigates a possibly fictitious crime.
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Published by Penguin Group, out January 31st 2008, hardcover, 352pp, £14.99.
In a nutshell
A 'did-it-even-happen?' investigation.
What's it all about?
A former patient of Dr Alex Delaware, Tanya Bigelow is at her adoptive mother Patty's bedside when she dies of pancreatic cancer. In her last moments, Patty admits to committing a homicide somewhere deep in her past and suggests that Tanya seek help from psychologist Dr Alex Delaware. Tanya has trouble believing that the caring person who sacrificed so much for her could have killed someone, but needs to know the truth to obtain final closure about the person who was the only mother she knew. Unable to say no, Alex enlists the help of his friend LAPD detective Milo Sturgis as they determine an investigation. As they make inquiries into Patty's past, both are stunned with what they discovered.
Who's it by?
Kellerman is one of the world's most prolific authors averaging one book a year. He has brought his expertise as a clinical psychologist to numerous bestselling tales of suspense.
This is not his first Alex Delaware thrillers; not surprisingly, the series hero shares much of Kellerman's own background. The books often focus on problems of family psychopathology something Kellerman had plenty of chances to observe in his day job.
The Delaware novels have also chronicled the shifting social and cultural landscape of Los Angeles, where Kellerman lives with his wife, who is also a health care practitioner, turned novelist and their four children.
As an example...
"How many therapists are needed to change a light bulb? Only one, but the bulb has to want to change... "
"I don't know why I'm telling you this. Maybe it's what you guys call demand characteristic-you want me to talk, so I do."
Likelihood of becoming a Hollywood blockbuster
Kellerman was walking on very familiar territory when coming up with Obsession. Flashbacks of early episodes of Cracker come into mind, but this story was too much in the forgettable category.
None of Kellerman's work has yet made it to screen and I have a feeling it will stay like that. "I wish I could say that Hollywood's beating a path to my door," he said in a Barnes & Noble.com chat in 1998, "but the powers-that-be at the studios don't seem to feel that my books lend themselves to film adaptation. The most frequent problem cited is too much complexity". Sorry John, but I have to agree on this one!!
What the others say
"Although Kellerman peppers Obsession with memorably seedy characters (including a disgraced Anthony Pellicano-esque PI), the procedural lacks the 11th-hour twists that kept prior novels pulse-pounding till the last page." - Paul Katz, Entertainment Weekly
"Reportedly, Kellerman has plotted enough Delaware novels to keep him writing for a very long time. Based on the strength of Obsession and what has gone before, I hope I'm still around to read them all." - Joe Hartlaub, Book Reporter.com
So is it any good?
This book is the latest of perhaps too many books in the Alex Delaware series. I would usually declare my love for the Dr Delaware series, but too many dead ends and speculation ruined this book for me. He normally writes clean and leaves out foggy details. This book speculated, speculated some more, then re-speculated. Regrettably, all the supposition leads to an anti-climactic end, with the original speculation being the conclusion. It's material very likely to provoke a headshaking, 'what did I just read?!' reaction.
Jonathan Kellerman has set the bar for psychological thrillers but with his latest achievements the bar is unfortunately set too high. This one just didn't measure up to his ability to create a page-turner. I would prefer a book to be shorter rather than extended by fluff. I expect sharp, concise writing with developed, significant characters from someone with Kellerman's reputation. Too many names in the mix and it become difficult to sustain a smooth storyline it was all too "busy".
The trouble is that Kellerman's plot is so complicated that you will probably need a psychologist just to help you follow it.
Then again, halfway through this book, I realised that I didn't really care who did it, or why, or about any of the characters in the plot-line for that matter of fact. The book's charm is mostly wrapped up in many short sequences involving Blanche, Dr Delaware's dog. These sections are fine enough to make you want to see a whole book that revolves around Alex and Blanche.
All in all, a drawn-out nonsensical plot with so much padding the author should be in the upholstery business. Kellerman's book was filled with so many what ifs, I had forgotten what the real theme was, so I went to sleep instead. Although in parts the reading seemed in tuned with my thoughts: "Well, that was a whole lot of nothing" (p290).
Even the psychological aspect was rather weak, as Kellerman focused this time on OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), which didn't seem relevant to the murder mystery aspect. If it did, then I missed it, but it definitely wasn't obvious. Kellerman has always been so good at interlinking the psychological aspects with the murder mystery, but he just misses the target here.
It does not have quite the tension of Bad Love, Rage, The Murder Book or Monster, and like I said, I think he's trying too hard to distract us as the story unravels.
This is one of those books that's a bit like McDonalds - good going down, but ultimately not very satisfying. You'll end up craving one of Kellerman's previous novels or perhaps something by John Grisham instead.
4/10
Natalie Gurvitz
"I am a great fan of Kellerman. I have just finished Obsession and have tuned in for a review. The above reflects, unfortunately, my views. There is nothing more to say, except I love Blanche." - Carolyn Brooks
"It is a very interesting and mysteriuos novel and I am looking forward to more Jonathan Kellerman's novels." - Uzma Tahreem